You're NICU Kid's 14, and You're Still Talking About His or Her "Adjusted Age"

Hey, it's a hard habit to break! Besides, it makes a great scapegoat. Although I have a hunch that the adjusted age factor is a little less as they enter college.

You're Addicted to Acronyms

NICU, CPAP, BP, A&B, EBM... if you were a NICU mom, you probably know what all of those mean, and you aren't afraid to use them! It's funny how a few days or weeks exposed to NICU nurse talk can turn you into a master of acronyms.

You Get All Weepy When You See a Normal Delivery on TV

It never fails. They show that picture-perfect delivery, with the baby nestled afterwards in mom's arms, and you mourn for what you didn't have. Worse yet, they show a distressed delivery with a baby going to the NICU and you're bawling. This is precisely why the remote control was invented, I'm fairly certain.

You Refer to NICU Procedures with the Skill of a NICU Nurse

You could talk turkey with any NICU nurse after spending some time there. Use all those fun acronyms mentioned above, throw on some scrubs, and you could almost blend right into any NICU.

You Get a Little Sad When You Pass a Hospital

If you've ever had to leave a baby behind in the NICU, it becomes almost impossible to pass one by without reliving that memory just a little. Luckily, we now have GPS and Mapquest, so we can avoid seeing hospitals more often.

You Can't Help But Tell Your NICU Story

"Oh, so you are about to start a new job? Did you know my baby was in the NICU over Labor Day?" Oh, there are so many natural ways to weave mention of the NICU experience into conversation. How could you NOT tell the story again... and again... and again...

You See a Picture of a Baby with the NICU Elephant Nose and go, "Awwww!!"

OK, so regular people get a little shocked when they see a picture of a NICU baby. Not we tough NICU moms! The more hoses and wires, the cuter, right? Precious! If you "ooh!" and "ahh" in front of a normal, they will think you're weird. Just ignore them.

You Have a Special Box of NICU Souvenirs You Keep Meaning to Scrapbook

Who could throw away a NICU baby's first IV line? Or BP cuff (and I know you know what BP stands for!)? Better yet, if you had a hospital with a volunteer auxiliary, you may even have beautiful knitted caps or blankets. They are safe, too, in a box. Just as soon as you get the time, you'll put those little souvenirs into that scrapbook or shadow box. Seriously! I believe you!

You Get Sentimental When You Hear Beeping Sounds

For normals, that's an annoying sound. For NICU parents, it's the sound of bittersweetness. Suddenly, you're driving down the road and a truck starts backing up. "Beep! Beep! Beep!" You find yourself sighing.

You Still Scrub Your Hands Like a Surgeon

No matter how many days, months or years go by, you just can't seem to shake the urge to scrub your hands and arms like a surgeon. Hey! Is that towel sterile?