A Specal Day

Sunday was an amazing day of celebration filled with tears, smiles, and stories of a little boy who's impact on this world has yet to cease. More pictures will follow when I can upload them from my camera... but for now - here is a sample of the day. Thanks to all of you who came... as well as those of you who were there in spirit. Ricky's bench sits proudly dead center in front of one of the main entrances to the hospital, and while it's story will likely remain a mystery to the majority who pass by... it will forever remind the rest of us of the lessons we learned from one sick, yet incredibly strong little boy who will always hold a piece of our hearts.

A couple dear friends have already blogged more about our special day... click on their names to take a look at Carrie and Marylea's entries.

I want credit...

Eric and I have been playing what is kind of a twisted game of hot potato for the last week. Ella occasionally will go for multiple days without "filling" her diaper, and while I learned that this is not terribly unusual for breast fed babies to go through a phase like this, I was beginning to wonder where the additional peas, oatmeal, and pears were winding up in that tiny body of hers. So... as baby duty has passed back and forth between both of us, we each were hopeful that the inevitable would not happen on our own shift. Well... seeing as my shifts seem to outnumber his by approximately 20:1... the odds were it would happen just as it did.

May I present... "The Blow-out".

Did any get in the diaper you ask? Oh yes... and after we cleaned all this up... she figured she'd fill up another one. :) Lucky me.

This is her after I took her outside and hosed her down out back... she looks proud of herself, doesn't she?

Speaking of the Little Man...

Some wonderful friends emailed me some photos this week that I've been waiting to see for about 2 years now. The hospital in Reno have placed Ricky's bench... and with it, his legacy continues. I feel so honored to have known this little boy in the way that I did. And while this public memorial - beautiful as it is - cannot possibly do justice to the impact his short life had on this earth... I feel so blessed that we have been allowed to make an attempt.

My family and I will be traveling out to see it for ourselves in person in just a couple weeks. I am SO excited to take Ella on her first trip to Reno. Can't wait to show her around the city I lived and love so very much, bring her to Tahoe and maybe take a little dip... (OK... scratch the dip part... that water is steakin' FREEZING!). And most of all... I cannot wait for her to meet the Saint Mary's NICU family that made it possible for me to care for a big brother she never got to meet, and close friends who never left my side through it all. October 27th marks 3 years since Ricky left this earth... and there is nowhere else that I want to be but there.

Break out the Kleenex folks! (And I don't mean that cheap tissue paper they keep in the unit!) This trip will probably call for Puffs Plus with Lotion!!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

Wish you were here to throw another party for... I promise we wouldn't make you eat the cake this time.