- you think it's normal for complete strangers to walk in on you when you breastfeeding or pumping
- your baby brady's and you look up and say "oh she’s fine".
- when you go home and hear bells ringing in your head.
- when your wardrobe consists of button-down shirts, just in case baby is stable enough for kangarooing
- when you can high-five the night security guard because he's your homie now
- when you can recognize the other long-term babies by their cries
- when you know how to "hide" the good rockers for your next shift
- when you could probably do the entire admitting procedure for a new NICU baby.
- when bath night is the most exciting thing on your schedule!
- when you start introducing yourself to new long-term parents and let them know it's all going to be okay...
- when you sanitize your hands even at home after touching anything
- when they don't even ask for your name before buzzing you in
- when the only time you realize there IS an outside is when you leave with your car at night and realized it rained that day
- when your hands are cracked, raw & bleeding from hand washing
- a 6lb baby looks HUGE
-when you know the fastest way to get to the NICU
- when you drive to and from the hospital without even remembering getting into the car.
- when you get on to other people for not washing their hands long enough
-when you don't have to look at the clock to tell when 3 minutes of scrubbing time is up.
- when you know EXACTLY how many cc’s your baby bottled
- when you know which scales are calibrated differently to make sure the weight is accurate...every little gram counts!
- Having your favorite nurses and getting all excited when it is their turn to care for your baby
- when you actually enjoy the smell of Purell because it reminds you of your baby.
- when several of your facebook friends are nurses at the NICU.
- when you begin to write time as 1430 instead of 2:30 pm.
- when you cry because your favorite nurse has been on vacation for 6 days in a row and you don't know when she's coming back
- when you refer to your baby's age in gestational weeks and wonder why everybody outside the hospital looks confused
- when you covet the grimy, smelly hospital bracelet from day zero that will go in your daughter's babybook
- when anything that touches the floor, even for one second, automatically goes in the garbage
- when you go to weigh your baby your heart is beating fast
-when the Doctor rounds on your baby, you talk in their language
- when you call the NICU at 3am and the desk clerk addresses you by name and puts you right to the nurse without you saying anything more than hello
- when you think nothing of a doctor bill for over $200,000.00, actually you think that is low!
- when you have a favorite parking spot
- when you cheer when the lab work comes back normal
- when your life revolves around 3 hour segments
- when you feel more comfortable changing a baby's diaper with them lying horizontal to you instead of vertical!
- when you begin to care about and get updates on the babies who are next to yours
- when you think you need a sound track of the beeps and dings for when your baby goes home so he can sleep.
- when poop is a good thing.
- when you know every single nurse by name, whether they have taken care of your baby or not
- when your baby has an entire wardrobe in his hospital room, his own bedding, soap, shampoo, baby wipes, towels, and washcloths from home -- just to give you some control over your baby's environment
- when you get angry when you come in one morning and find that they have moved your baby from "your spot" and sit there and cry about it.
- when you write Q24 instead of every 24hours for their meds
- when new parents mistake you for an employee
- when it's the main visiting time and the line is long to wash up, that you know where the other sinks are hidden.
- when you have so much pumped breast milk in your freezer that you no longer have room for food
- when the answer to the question "how old is your baby?" is two minutes long
- when you honestly forget that you can go out in public with your baby
- when you involuntarily cringe every time someone touches your baby
- when you have the strong desire to wipe down anyone that comes near your baby with hand sanitizer
- when you the guest service people at the hospital stop asking "how can we help you?" and instead ask "when are you leaving?"
- when you know your way around the hospital so well you direct people in the elevator
- when "Kangaroo" is a verb and "feed" is a noun in your vocabulary
- when you know what CPAP, NG, OG, PICC, UAC, UVC, CBC, and TPN mean and can use them in a sentence
- when you deep down think that if it's not how the NICU does it, than it must be wrong
- when you get new pictures of your baby, they go in the mail to grandparents, friends, and the NICU.
-when you randomly cry at the sight of your baby
- when being able to hold your baby whenever you want is one of life's biggest thrills.
- when you can put together and use a breast pump in the dark
-when you wait for a timer to go off when you wash your hands
-when your box of baby mementos includes a blood pressure cuff that fits around your finger, a preemie size diaper, and a pair of billi shades
-when your baby has a longer medical history than you do
- when NICU nurses=heroes
- when you can think of more things to add to this list.
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