One of the things I get asked about a lot is what to gift parents with littles in the NICU. I absolutely love being asked and I always hope my answers are helpful, but it’s important to keep in mind is that every baby’s {and therefore parents’} NICU journey is different and I can really own speak to my own. Our Sam was born very early (during the 27th week of my pregnancy), but not because of one of the usual pre-term labour suspects – because my appendix burst and my body knew it was no longer a safe place to grow a baby. He was quite big at birth for his gestational age (2 pounds 12 ounces) and compared to some of his NICU buds, Sam had it relatively easy… He was intubated for his first night only, none of his head ultrasounds detected a brain bleed, the little open valve in his heart was able to be solved medically and not require surgery, he passed all of his initial hearing and ROP tests, and his only big necessary medical intervention was surgery for a double inguinal hernias a short while after we left the NICU. We had it good.