My first four pregnancies were textbook as were the labors and deliveries. My fifth, well, he surprised us on the Fourth of July, 2017 by breaking my water in a public swimming pool at 36 weeks and 6 days. He came into this world without any surfactant in his lungs and had to go to NICU. Nothing prepares you for seeing your newborn in tubes, struggling to breathe. You just want to make everything right in his world. I am so grateful for the staff at the REX NICU hospital- the nurses and doctors were wonderful and caring... letting me hold him skin to skin... answering my questions again and again. Holden had a 4 day stint in the NICU- and just like the doctors said, his surfactant came in on day 3 of life. The love and support from the NICU nurses was incredible, and we are so grateful to them. Grateful for everyone that touched Holden. He is now a chubby 4 month old who loves his older siblings!