October 1st, 2012 - nyc, part 4
This was the night we met Dahlia.
When I asked Dahlia what she remembered of that first night this is what she said:
"I remember asking who I should take as my patient for the night and Lynn said, 'Take mine! She is so cute, you are going to love her.' While Lynn was telling me about Matilda's journey I couldn't help but feel sorry for the parents. I couldnt imagine what they were going through with their 9 day old newborn. I walked over and introduced myself to Matilda's father and her brother Parker - I remember his eyes were like the deep blue sea! Matilda was as cute as a newborn can be. That night I made her hats and tried to make her look less sick and more like a newborn... and she did!"Dahlia was our favorite night nurse and everyone knew it. We had her the most out of anyone (day or night). We loved so many of the night nurses, but consistency and familiarity are things that always win in the PICU. I am sure that she is uncomfortable with my announcement that she was our fave. She always shushed compliments and chose to be modest about our favoritism towards her.
That first night I was so thankful for her joyful presence. She chatted with us while she went about getting things done. She was refreshing and happy. She swooned over Matilda's cuteness. She treated her like a regular newborn and in doing so my pain and sadness began to melt. I started beaming with motherly pride and showing her pictures of Matilda's first few days. Dahlia kept pinching Matilda's cheeks while telling me she was the cutest little baby girl ever. I loved every minute of it.
Late that night I posted this on Facebook, "Matilda is sleeping very peacefully under a heat lamp. The night nurse snuck into the maternity ward and snatched Matilda a new hat. She cut up a second hat to add on the bow. The nurses today have done an excellent job at making Matilda feel special and comfortable."
It meant so much to me that she took the extra time to care for us as a family. She even called Tyler "doctor" which you know made his heart smile. She was a fantastic nurse. She was diligent, organized, and always on top of things. Dahlia was the kind of nurse who would FaceTime with Parker and cook us homemade meals. We talked about raising boys, we swapped recipes, and we laughed often. She reminded me that I was much more than a grieving parent trapped in a hospital room (corner).
