Many of my long time readers have heard me talk about my “million dollar miracle babies” – my twin daughters who were born over 13 weeks before their due date back in 1994. Since we didn't have an easy access to the internet back then, I had bought a book by Helen Harrison about preemie complications. My girls had every complication that the book covered, but they defied all odds and not only lived, but thrived. They are truly miracles!

I kept one of the preemie diapers from the NICU to show just how tiny the diapers and my girls were in comparison. In the photo above you can see how that same size diaper was way to big for Macy's 2 lb. body. The diaper measures 3″ x 5″, the same size as an index card.

My girls spent roughly 6 months in the St. Joseph Hospital NICU in Omaha, 125 miles from our home. Being so far away, the nurses were our lifelines on keeping us updated on the girls' milestones, progresses and setbacks. The girls each had their own day primary nurses: Alice was Macy's primary nurse, and Monica was Mallory's primary nurse. Dianne was their primary night nurse. These ladies loved our girls, and we loved them.

We especially bonded with Alice who we learned grew up in a nearby small town by us. Her mother was the one that helped us close on our house we bought that same year. When Macy was transferred to a different hospital, Alice still went to visit her and rock her when we couldn't be there. The girls were actually baptized at birth when we were told they probably wouldn't live, but after they came home, we had an Affirmation of Baptism, and Alice was one of their sponsors.

When I heard that Pampers was launching the Thank You Nurses Awards program to honoring nurses across three award categories: Labor & Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Postpartum, I instantly knew that I wanted to nominate Alice for the NICU category!

Alice received her BSN in May 2015.

Pampers invites anyone to share their stories of nurses who helped make life #betterforbaby by submitting a nurse nomination to the Pampers Swaddlers Thank You Nurses Awards.

Three finalists, one from each category will be announced in March, and the grand prize honoree will be announced in May.

The three finalists will then be honored with short documentary videos showcasing their unique and inspirational nursing stories.

Each finalist will receive a one-year membership to the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), attendance at the 2016 AWHONN Convention, Procter & Gamble care packages, and more.

Plus in honor of these nurse winners, three Pampers Swaddlers scholarships will be made available to help nurses from underrepresented groups complete their studies toward a Master of Science in Nursing degree.

The nomination period ends on 12/14/15 at 3 pm EST . The winner must be a resident of the US or Puerto Rico, 18 years or older. See details and officials here.



There will also be a Pampers #ThankYouNurses Twitter Party, hosted by iConnect on November 19th, 2015 from 8 – 9pm CST. Prizes include:

Prize 1: $50 AMEX gift card + diapers & wipes

Prize 2: $75 AMEX gift card + diapers & wipes

Prize 3: $125 AMEX gift card + diapers &wipes

Grand Prize: $350 AMEX gift card + diapers & wipes

And there's more…

I am also hosting my own giveaway for a chance to win $100 AMEX Gift Card and a pack of Pampers Swaddlers diapers! You don't have to have an infant to enter (your local food pantry would love for you to donate the diapers)! Enter via Rafflecopter below (or click here if reading via a reader or email):

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Good Luck! US addresses only; contest ends 11/22/15 at 11:59 pm CST

This review was made possible by iConnect and Pampers. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions are 100% mine.