waiting to bring my son home was the hardest part. Our stay at the NICU was 97 days. At first our 1 lb. 6 oz. Boy needed CPAP and was not going anywhere, so I spent my days recovering from my c-section in his room reading and waiting for the next three hours to pass so I could help with care time. Towards the end when it finally felt like we were getting close to going home I lost all patience. Sitting there everyday and not having control of the situation was starting to make me a little crazy. The days finally came! It's been three and a half months since we got home and it feels like a lifetime. So worth the wait to know my son was strong enough and ready to face the world. We were an hour from home and I was lucky enough to be offered a room in the hospitality house connected to the hospital so I was there 24/7. The programs offered through the hospital and the March of dimes was truly amazing. The support offered to parents made the whole situation feel less stressful. Prior NICU parents hosted a dinner once a week. Informational dinners where you learned about things like infant massage and going home with baby. We were there for mother and fathers day and March of dimes made sure we had a gift from our son. I would never wish the experience of the NICU on anyone, but I am so thankful that we had the support will did. Thank you, Helen devos children's hospital and March of dimes.