My son, Cameron, was delivered via c-section on the evening of November 18th at 34 weeks. He weighed just over 4 pounds, had dark curls, and was the quietest newborn I had ever heard. I swear I wouldn't have known he was there if he hadn't let out a tiny cry before the nurses whisked him out of the OR to the NICU.

When I got pregnant it never crossed my mind that my perfect child would have a NICU stay. I don't think anything can prepare you for that stay either. I read countless articles and blogs, I tried talking about it with my family, I tried to cope. I tried to be normal. But there's nothing normal about leaving your new baby at the hospital every day. I would find myself running through a list in my mind of everything I needed or looking around like I misplaced something because I knew I was leaving something behind. There's nothing normal about the feeling of loneliness because people either don't know what to say or say all the wrong things. And you can't be angry because they simply just don't understand. Nothing prepares you for the depression or anxiety that comes along with being a new parent to a premature baby.

But then there's nothing like the night you bring you baby home. I was a nervous wreck. I worried about everything. I remember waking up the next morning, taking a deep breath, and thinking 'One night down, a million more to go...'. And now here we are almost a year later! And I must say, Cam and I are naturals now.

Being a parent to a NICU warrior is like being on a roller coaster that you never intended to ride but in the end it is so worth it.