I have been blogging about” The adventures of Eric and his brother Noah with plenty of Momma’s commentary. And sometimes Dad’s” since 2006.  The blog was initially started by my husband as a way to keep friends and family updated on Eric’s developmental milestones after he was born at 26 weeks and 2 day gestation. For those of you who don’t speak “weeks”, that is 3.5 months before his due date. I was only 6.5 months pregnant.

As Eric has gotten bigger, stronger, older, and become a big brother to Noah, the blog transitioned to document many of the everyday normal joys and adventures of parenting. Today Eric’s blog feels more like a celebration of entering an unfamiliar, scary, and uncertain world and then, coming out on the other side with more joy and laughter than you could imagine.

Please don’t puke at the gushiness of that statement! I am ripping my hair out, spinning in circles, and sometimes screaming (hardly every really) as much as the next normal parent. Parents to preemies, however have another tool in the tool box when it comes to not losing their minds to the day to day circus that is raising a family. You can remember what really hard is. You can remember that this is all small stuff so long as everyone is safe and healthy. Notice I didn’t say happy. Happy is something no parent can be 100% responsible for and boy, I really piss my boys off sometimes. Good. I am their mother.

My preemie is no longer a preemie, but we are still effected by our preemie story. I feel it everyday. It is this feeling that sparked yet another positive transition, launching TaraDell Tells. This transition involves me growing as a human, mother, writer, wife and sharing it with others who might relate and learn and grow along with me.

When you become a parent to a preemie everything you previously knew in your life falls away. Every ounce of your being is focused on that little baby. What happens after your baby comes home and is safe and healthy? Everything was filtered out and what returns are the things that are important. You also see old joys, challenges, and desires with new eyes. For example, I realized my work is not brain surgery, so Chill on it. Running is freedom, so smile while doing it. Obsessive compulsive disorder is nothing anyone should handle on their own, so share more and ask for help.