Having babies in the NICU has opened a door to a world I never really considered before. I have known people who had children who were in the NICU but I never understood the worry and fear that would permeate each day. I also never realized how much even the smallest things would make such a large impact. This is already a very isolating experience and it often feels as though we are in a dark maze. We don’t know where it leads or even when the next turn will be. Knowing people care and receiving kind words and support nourishes our spirits and helps us keep going.
Of the infinite things we didn’t know was that certain things can offer comfort for the babies. Skin to skin contact is a HUGE thing, but so is just giving the babies a bit of cloth that smells like mom and dad. Another thing is a knitted or crocheted octopus. We never knew.
But my cousin Susie knew! Two days ago, we received, all the way from Pennsylvania, hand knitted octopi for the babies. Susie sent us 6 of them, 3 in “very tiny” and 3 in “tiny.” The very tiny ones were the perfect size for our babies and we’ve given them each one. Lydia has benefited the most because she gets fussy during her care times and tries to pull the CPAP respirator out of her nose (I don’t blame her). Instead, the nurse puts the little octopus tentacle in her hand and she squeezes that instead.
You can just barely see her little hand right by her chin clasping a tentacle.
Aubrey has his near his face so he can smell it (I washed it and then held it for about 6 hours so it would smell like me), but he’s been floating away on his morphine too much to really hold on to it.
Even the teeny-tiny octopus is 1/2 the size of Aubrey, who is much more relaxed today!
Finn has found a new love for his ear and won’t have anything to do with the octopus. Instead, he likes to cover his ears and his cheek. It’s still in his isolette and available for him when he does want it.
As for the other three, the larger three, there is another set of triplets who are a bit bigger than ours (they weigh about 3lbs each!) and, with Susie’s permission, I gave them the octopi.
Not only has Susie’s gift helped our babies and the other triplets, but it’s given me something to do - learn to make octopi myself. I can knit and crochet squares and it can’t be that much harder to make a ball with tentacles, right? Only time will tell.
Thank you, Susie!
