Prematurity and Reflection

Owen was a preemie.

Most people in our life know that. Even those that befriended us after he was home from the hospital. Not because we told them but because the effects of Owen's prematurity are seen. 

Seen right under his shirt

Seen every two hours when I take out a bag of syringes and formula and proceed to hook him up and feed him

Seen in his bedroom where we house a cabinet full of breathing equipment and extra feeding tubes

Seen beside his bed where a pole holding a feeding pump and an IV pump live

Seen in our second bathroom where we have a whole wall dedicated to his IV supplies and an extra refrigerator for all his meds

Seen in our cars where we keep boxes of  emergency supplies in case we are on the road when something happens

There are many more places it's seen

Owen lives a life surrounded daily by the effects of prematurity. Although, we don't really think about prematurity much. 

Owen is a happy 4 year old boy. He knows a life different than most other 4 year olds but he is happy. Most 4 year olds don't know the things he knows. It breaks my heart that he has to know what he knows, but he is happy. He has been through more in his short 4 years of life than most adults have even seen in all their years of life, but he is happy. 

The road given to us is not a road I wish for anyone but it is a road I will gladly take for this precious gift from God. 

I took some time looking through NICU pictures of Owen yesterday. Those 8 months seemed like an eternity when we were going through it. Now, those 8 months are just the beginning of his story.  The last 4 years have been hard but I am excited to see what God accomplishes through Owens amazing story