Introducing....BOBBY!

As I begin to think about Jax's first birthday, I've been doing a lot of reminiscing of the past year of Jaxon's life. Besides us being there for every step, someone else has been by Jax's side since he was born. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Bobby, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce him to you. Bobby is Jax's best friend. He's been here since the beginning and continues to go everywhere with Jax now. Bobby was given to Jax by his Pawpaw and Mimi when he was in the NICU. Bobby was the one constant that slept by Jaxon's side when he was at Columbus Regional. He slept in the incubator with Jax, was there when he was sick and had to be put back on the ventilator. We have so many pictures of Jax with Bobby and this one is the most recent. So, Bobby huh? You might be interested in knowing how we came about this name. While we spent time in Columbus, where they took care of our baby boy, we developed some friendships along the way with some of the staff at the NICU. We joke now every time we go down there that we feel like we are going home. There is a sense of comfort that comes when we walk through the doors of that hospital...I know, weird. Anyway, although we love everyone at the NICU there and know that they all work as a team, there were a few that will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Amanda, who was there when Jaxon got so sick. She did not hesitate at all to comfort us with hugs and kind words that night when we were so scared. She was a amazing. Just sitting here thinking about the love she showed our family brings tears to my eyes.

Then there is Debbie. Debbie was a hoot to be around. We were always excited with she had Jax on her shift. We sat and talked all the time. She shared pictures of her family with us, and her HUGE DOGS! She loves those dogs. She was the one that really got me to "get in there" and bond with Jax. I remember her words, "He won't break!" How did she know that on that day I was having the hardest time with the fear that when I held him I would do something wrong? She taught me how to hold him when he needed to be fed and was the biggest encourager of Kanagroo Care!

Adriane. There isn't enough we can say about nurse Adriane. She has our sick sense of humor and had a knack of making us feel miles away from the sterile environment of the NICU. With just one smile and one smart comment. We love seeing her and she is always the first to grab Jax when we go to visit.

Now there is Evin (she's going to kill me if I am spelling her name wrong). She is one of the social workers at for the NICU. There is only one word to describe this incredibly bright woman...AWESOMENESS! I can't begin to imagine how difficult her work is, however, I do know enough to know that she SEES and HEARS IT ALL! So that day when she was going about her job and made that first initial contact with us, I know she had now idea what she was going to run up against. I'm sure that is a daily thought that passes her mind. We had no preconceived thoughts of what a NICU Social Worker would be like, so we just treated her like anyone else we were getting to know there and she did the same with us. Although I am sure there are families in hospitals around this country that dread their visits from the social workers, Evan (notice different spelling) always made us feel at ease when we say her walking our way. Now she has one on the way and we are SUPER excited!

Amy, Amy, Amy...the other NICU social worker. She's fun, has the most infectious smile, and boy, is she as smart as a whip!? I've had the privilege of getting to know Amy through the Parent Advisory Council there at Columbus Regional. From the beginning, she made me feel welcomed and at home. I love it when she calls my cell and I miss it, because I know she we always comment on the music she listens to while waiting to leave a message.

So, last but certainly not the least is Robert, for whom Bobby was blessed with his name. I suppose Robert is one of those people, well you know, you either love him or you hate him. I suppose the reason he holds a special place in our hearts is that he was there for Ryan. He was so good, calm, annoying, funny, smart...and well he loves movies. So Ryan gravitated toward him. Robert could go on for hours about one scene in a movie and so could Ryan. Talking with Robert helped flush out the many noises in the NICU. We always found him refreshing and a pleasure to be around. He had a way of lightening the mood when things were tense. So, possessing all these qualities left us with no other choice than to name Jaxon's sock monkey Bobby.


Bobby, the mighty sock monkey. Poor guy has been peed on, pooped on, spit-up on, drooled on, sneezed on, and coughed on. He rides along with Jax in his car seat, hangs on for dear life in the stroller, and still sleeps with Jax every night. The latest game Jax and Bobby play together is wrestling on the floor...Bobby usually wins.

We truly love everyone there at Columbus Regional. They are amazing people. That hospital has been great to us. We are looking forward to taking Jaxon back down to Columbus to celebrate his 1st year. We have pictures with many of these staff members and are looking forward to taking more. So those of you there in Columbus who will read there, be prepared...WE ARE COMING!!!!!!