{"id":24790,"date":"2019-06-12T05:07:10","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T11:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=24790"},"modified":"2023-09-01T12:01:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T18:01:39","slug":"lessons-from-lincoln","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/lessons-from-lincoln\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons from Lincoln"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_24761\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24761\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24761\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065207\/Eye-to-eye-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Amy Jo Martin gazes down at her preemie son, Lincoln.\" width=\"400\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065207\/Eye-to-eye-tiny.webp 668w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065207\/Eye-to-eye-tiny-200x299.webp 200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065207\/Eye-to-eye-tiny-100x150.webp 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24761\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Jo Martin gazes at her son, Lincoln, who was born three months early. Photo by Kathy Spanski, courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The tiny preemie\u2019s eyes were wide open for just a moment after he made his very unexpected arrival more than three months before he was due.<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln barely dodged being born at Denver International Airport, or even worse, on his mom\u2019s next flight after she traveled through Denver. He weighed just 2 pounds 3 ounces, a little more than a small bag of sugar.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, Lincoln locked eyes with his mom, Amy Jo Martin. Both were utterly shocked to be meeting so early. Yet, Amy Jo felt certain immediately that her little man was a strong, Zen sort of fellow. Never for a second did she consider that he might not make it. After all, he had infinite lessons to teach her. That\u2019s a funny twist since Amy Jo, the author of the New York Times bestseller, \u201cRenegades Write the Rules,\u201d is a beloved teacher herself. She speaks to audiences around the world, hosts the popular \u201cWhy not now?\u201d podcast, teaches female entrepreneurs how to grow their businesses and inspires friends and strangers alike through her social media channels that reach more than a million people.<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo is a social media pioneer who taught the likes of basketball phenom, Shaquille O\u2019Neal, and Hollywood star, Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson, how to humanize themselves through social media.<\/p>\n<p>Now, a tiny, fierce human, who for some inexplicable reason emerged from his mom\u2019s warm, safe belly at 27 weeks gestation, was set to school his mom. Ha ha ha ha ha.<br \/>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-6 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<p><strong>Amy Jo Martin<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Follow Amy Jo Martin\u00a0on Instagram, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amyjomartin?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AmyJoMartin\/\">Facebook\u00a0<\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCwuecOaSCJKwMLREUE7GGvA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Learn more about Amy Jo Martin&#8217;s book, &#8220;Renegades Write the Rules&#8221; and her bootcamps for women entrepreneurs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Lincoln\u2019s little look within seconds of his surprise birth seemed to say, \u201cThanks for knowing I would arrive today and giving me a safe place to make a splash.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You see, Amy Jo had to trust her gut to divert from her travel plans and ride in an ambulance for the first time in her life. She had to act fast to save her baby\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>And now, every day, as Lincoln grows and matures in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-neonatal-intensive-care-unit-anschutz\/\">Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-university-of-colorado-hospital-uch\/\">UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a>, he is anchoring Amy Jo and her musician husband, Richard Grewar.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24766\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24766\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24766 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065230\/Linc-arms-out-tiny.webp\" alt=\"A preemie baby, Lincoln Gray Grewar, holds his arms out.\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065230\/Linc-arms-out-tiny.webp 1498w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065230\/Linc-arms-out-tiny-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065230\/Linc-arms-out-tiny-1024x684.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065230\/Linc-arms-out-tiny-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065230\/Linc-arms-out-tiny-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065230\/Linc-arms-out-tiny-200x134.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24766\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lincoln Gray Grewar was born weighing just 2 pounds, 3 ounces. He is growing, thriving and inspiring fans around the world with his own hashtag, #BabyLincolnLogs. Photo by Kathy Spanski, courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOne of the gifts of Lincoln arriving early is that he has really shifted me more into being instead of doing. There\u2019s a lot you can\u2019t do. You\u2019re just here to love him,\u201d said Amy Jo, 39.<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln\u2019s clear message to his parents is this: \u201cI am your present. I will make you present.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Visions of an outdoor water birth in July<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The story of how Lincoln arrived is dramatic and wild, but first you need to know how Amy Jo imagined he would be born.<\/p>\n<p>She and her husband live in a log cabin in the Black Hills of South Dakota with their two Australian shepherds, Polly Pockets, a 4-month old puppy, and Ruby Sue, who\u2019s 2. They live just down the way from Amy Jo\u2019s parents and near a log cabin built in 1918, where her grandfather once lived.<\/p>\n<p>For the birth, Amy Jo imagined being in a tub of water in the forest near their home. The couple had just finished their hypno-birthing classes a couple of days before Lincoln was born. They had found their midwife and doula. Amy Jo hadn\u2019t yet fessed up to her somewhat conservative parents that she wanted an unconventional, natural birth in the great outdoors.<\/p>\n<p>She laughs now about her visions for Lincoln\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d be in a bathtub in the forest. We were going to have tiki torches. I had this vision of the Lion King and the animals and Richard playing the guitar,\u201d Amy Jo says.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, it was April and spring was slow in coming. A blizzard blanketed South Dakota with 15 inches of snow just two days before Amy Jo was supposed to fly to Palm Springs to visit her friend and mentor, Suzy Batiz. Thankfully, Lincoln stayed put inside his mom\u2019s belly for the blizzard. On the morning of her trip, Amy Jo wasn\u2019t feeling great and dilly-dallied before heading to Rapid City airport to catch a flight to Denver. As Richard rubbed her feet, Amy Jo felt pressure in her belly.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24762\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24762\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24762\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065212\/Fam-photo-lead-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Richard Grewar and Amy Joe Martin hold their preemie son, Lincoln.\" width=\"640\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065212\/Fam-photo-lead-tiny.webp 1200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065212\/Fam-photo-lead-tiny-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065212\/Fam-photo-lead-tiny-1024x672.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065212\/Fam-photo-lead-tiny-768x504.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065212\/Fam-photo-lead-tiny-150x99.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065212\/Fam-photo-lead-tiny-200x131.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24762\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Grewar and Amy Jo Martin with their son, Lincoln. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI felt like there was an elephant sitting on my bladder,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>But Amy Jo pressed on. She\u2019s used to pressing on, as she has for years, flying around the world to meet with clients or do speaking engagements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought this was just a false alarm,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo figured the tightening in her belly was due to Braxton-Hicks contractions, so-called \u201cpractice\u201d contractions that help moms get ready to give birth. But, why hadn\u2019t her friends told her they\u2019d be so painful?<\/p>\n<p>When her flight arrived in Denver, she called her doctor back home, who urged her to drink some water and walk. When Amy Jo confided that she couldn\u2019t walk easily, her doctor said she needed to get straight to a hospital.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t deliver a 27-week-baby in an airport,\u201d the doctor said.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u2018You\u2019re going to have this baby\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Amy Jo sought help at an airport first aid station, where paramedics called an ambulance. Even then, she assumed she\u2019d get checked out at a hospital, then be back to catch a later flight and carry on with her trip.<\/p>\n<p>She was texting with Suzy and talking on the phone with Richard. Both offered to come to Denver, but Amy Jo didn\u2019t think that was necessary. Then a paramedic gave a clear directive to Richard: \u201cYou should come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those decisive three words stunned Amy Jo. For the first time, it hit her that she might actually be giving birth that day: 400 miles from home, far from a peaceful forest and in April, not July.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt 27 weeks, you think this is impossible,\u201d Amy Jo said.<\/p>\n<p>She asked her paramedics where she was going. Could the hospital handle the birth of a tiny preemie?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d they reassured her. \u201cYou\u2019re going to University of Colorado,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have good specialists. They can handle this.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24763\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24763\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24763\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065216\/Foot-closeup-tiny.webp\" alt=\"A tiny baby's foot.\" width=\"640\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065216\/Foot-closeup-tiny.webp 1200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065216\/Foot-closeup-tiny-300x220.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065216\/Foot-closeup-tiny-1024x749.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065216\/Foot-closeup-tiny-768x562.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065216\/Foot-closeup-tiny-150x110.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065216\/Foot-closeup-tiny-200x146.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24763\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Jo caresses her son&#8217;s feet. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Amy Jo didn\u2019t recognize the name of the hospital, but as the ambulance pulled up to the ER, she spotted a very familiar logo for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/\">UCHealth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh my gosh,\u201d she thought to herself. \u201cI know I\u2019m scared, but everything is going to be OK. It was a beautiful orchestra.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Remarkably, just two months earlier, Amy Jo had been a featured speaker at a UCHealth women\u2019s health and empowerment event in Colorado called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/extraordinary\/evre-health-fitness-day-every-woman\/#1547480395180-310facae-5435\">evr\u0113<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24852\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24852\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24852\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/12043708\/evre-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Amy Jo Martin, left, spoke at evre, a UCHealth women's health event just two months before Lincoln's emergency birth at a UCHealth hospital.\" width=\"640\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/12043708\/evre-tiny.webp 1200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/12043708\/evre-tiny-300x232.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/12043708\/evre-tiny-1024x791.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/12043708\/evre-tiny-768x593.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/12043708\/evre-tiny-150x116.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/12043708\/evre-tiny-200x155.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24852\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Jo Martin, left, was a featured speaker at evre, a UCHealth women&#8217;s health event just two months before Lincoln&#8217;s emergency birth at a UCHealth hospital. Photo by UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>She was barely showing then, but shared the news of her pregnancy during her speech. She urged women to \u201cfind their why,\u201d to put their health first and to step out of the rat race when life gets too crazy. At one point at the height of her career, Amy Jo was taking about 210 flights a year. Her social media business was thriving and she had employees around the world. But, she told the women that on the inside she was falling apart. She disconnected completely, spent time recharging, met and married Richard, a musician from Australia, and moved back home to South Dakota.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI found another way. I learned to sleep again and meditate. There is a middle way,\u201d Amy Jo told the women at evr\u0113. \u201cYou can be a badass with pace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, as Amy Jo faced a possible emergency birth, she had to find a way to center herself amid chaos.<\/p>\n<p>As paramedics carried her into the hospital, a greeter welcomed her and that was nice since no friend or family member was with her. Then, medical providers sped her up to the triage area for expectant moms. They checked and found she was already dilated to 9 out of 10.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re going to have this baby within an hour or two. What we need to do is keep you calm. He\u2019s coming,\u201d doctors told her.<\/p>\n<p>Both Amy Jo\u2019s husband and her friend were racing to get to Denver.<\/p>\n<p>But, in the hospital, she didn\u2019t know a soul.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u2018This is what we do\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A nurse named Laura Cole became her go-to supporter. Cole reassured Amy Jo that everything was going to be OK.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what we do here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>To this day, Amy Jo tears up when she thinks of the comfort and empathy Cole provided.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what we do,\u201d Amy Jo repeated to herself. \u201cWe were in the best of best hands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yes. She had made the right call to listen to her body, to call her doctor and to ask for help.<\/p>\n<p>To make Amy Jo as comfortable as possible and to honor her wishes for her son\u2019s birth, Cole asked Amy Jo about her birth plan. Well, the forest, the water birth and the tiki torches were definitely out the window. But, Amy Jo had wanted to have a natural birth.<\/p>\n<p>OK, then. Cole would help her make that happen.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24771\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24771\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24771\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065254\/Linc-then-now-eyes-open-tin.webp\" alt=\"Side-by-side photos of Lincoln Grewar at birth and at about 5 pounds.\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065254\/Linc-then-now-eyes-open-tin.webp 1000w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065254\/Linc-then-now-eyes-open-tin-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065254\/Linc-then-now-eyes-open-tin-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065254\/Linc-then-now-eyes-open-tin-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065254\/Linc-then-now-eyes-open-tin-200x200.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24771\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">At birth, Lincoln looked fragile and skinny. Over time, he has grown, fattened up on his mom&#8217;s milk and matured. Photos courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Richard encouraged his wife over the phone, while sitting in the Rapid City airport waiting for a delayed flight to Denver. Amy Jo worked on breathing exercises and remembered some affirmations she had on her phone. Cole stayed with her. When an anesthetist offered an epidural, Amy Jo declined.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re almost there,\u201d Cole told her.<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln was coming fast. Cole held Amy Jo\u2019s hand as she worked her way through each contraction.<\/p>\n<p>Over Facetime, Richard saw his wife fiercely concentrating to cope with the pain. He wept, unable to help her from afar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m watching and crying and people were staying away from me,\u201d Richard said.<\/p>\n<p>But, as each contraction passed, she relaxed and he saw her connecting with the caregivers around her. It was classic Amy Jo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was totally owning the room,\u201d Richard said with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p>She pushed once, twice, three times and out came their baby.<\/p>\n<p>Relief washed over Richard.<\/p>\n<p>His wife and baby had survived.<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo knew she wouldn\u2019t get to hold her baby right away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey held him up. Our eyes were huge. We were looking at each other like, \u2018hi,\u2019\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n<p>That was the closest she would get to her Lion King moment, seeing her little Simba in the air for a moment. Then, the team whisked Lincoln away to attach him to all the high-tech equipment that would keep him breathing, warm and alive.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u2018All I saw was strength\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-6 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<p><strong>The Kennedy connection: How the Kennedy family has saved the lives of preemies<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 1963, President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, suffered the death of their newborn son, Patrick. He was born more than five weeks premature and like many preemies, his lungs were not fully developed. At that time, medical experts had few treatments for preemies. After Patrick&#8217;s death, the Kennedy family supported advancements in medical care for premature babies, including the development of synthetic surfactants, one of the treatments that has helped Lincoln survive and thrive. Amy Jo Martin said she&#8217;s incredibly grateful to the Kennedys for saving her son&#8217;s life. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/07\/30\/health\/a-kennedy-babys-life-and-death.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read more about the Kennedys&#8217; loss of their son Patrick<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Doctors had warned Amy Jo that she might not get to hold Lincoln for a week or so. She started to make peace with the upheaval in her life. Both Richard and her friend, Suzy, arrived to support her.<\/p>\n<p>Then, just 24 hours after Lincoln\u2019s birth, Amy Jo got a surprise call from the NICU.<\/p>\n<p>It was Val Dye, a veteran nurse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome down and hold your boy,\u201d Dye said.<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln was doing remarkably well. For one night, he had to be intubated with a breathing tube. Then he graduated to a breathing assist device called a CPAP. Nurses had given him one dose of surfactant, a lubricant to help him breathe more easily since preemies\u2019 lungs aren\u2019t fully developed.<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo rushed down and placed her son on her bare chest.<\/p>\n<p>It was love at first cuddle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe looked like someone from a different planet. But I just saw this strong human. All I saw was strength,\u201d Amy Jo said.<\/p>\n<p>Dye saw pure love.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24848\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24848\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24848\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/11201309\/Amy-Jo-Linc-chest.webp\" alt=\"A preemie baby nestles into his Mom's chest. \" width=\"640\" height=\"852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/11201309\/Amy-Jo-Linc-chest.webp 751w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/11201309\/Amy-Jo-Linc-chest-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/11201309\/Amy-Jo-Linc-chest-113x150.webp 113w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/11201309\/Amy-Jo-Linc-chest-200x266.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24848\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first time Amy Jo got to hold her son, he melted into her chest. Photo courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHe melted right into her. He had his little hands on her chest. Richard held him the next day and that\u2019s what it\u2019s been like ever since,\u201d Dye said. \u201cThey are my heroes.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u2018Grow Lincoln. Grow!\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Within a week, Lincoln got rid of the CPAP machine, which looks like a Marv the Martian helmet. He was free to get head kisses, and to inspire people around the world with his will to grow and thrive.<\/p>\n<p>While sorting through details like finding a place to live, making sure the dogs were OK with Amy Jo\u2019s folks at home and keeping her Renegade Bootcamp for women entrepreneurs going, Amy Jo and Richard decided to share Lincoln\u2019s progress publicly. They knew they\u2019d be letting strangers in on some raw moments. Typically preemies inch forward, then backslide. They can suffer frightening complications, like brain bleeds and forgetting to breathe.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24772\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24772\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24772 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065258\/Smiling-holiding-Linc-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Amy Jo Martin loves being in each moment with her son, Lincoln. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065258\/Smiling-holiding-Linc-tiny.webp 1200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065258\/Smiling-holiding-Linc-tiny-300x195.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065258\/Smiling-holiding-Linc-tiny-1024x666.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065258\/Smiling-holiding-Linc-tiny-768x500.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065258\/Smiling-holiding-Linc-tiny-150x98.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065258\/Smiling-holiding-Linc-tiny-200x130.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24772\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Jo Martin cuddling Lincoln. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But Lincoln is the center of Amy Jo and Richard\u2019s universe now, so they christened a hashtag for updates about him: #BabyLincolnLogs. It was a fun play on Lincoln\u2019s name and the popular retro toys. Plus, the family lives in a log cabin, like the president for whom their boy is named. And this Lincoln would be providing little logs to share his journey.<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo began by recounting her renegade\u2019s birth. Then, day by day, she chronicled his progress, which has been remarkably steady. Amy Jo has an artist\u2019s eye and a poet\u2019s way with words, but she\u2019s also a data junkie who loves spreadsheets. She teaches her prot\u00e9g\u00e9s to blend intuition with logic. So, she coined another hashtag (complete with an emoji) to describe Lincoln\u2019s progress: #upandtotheright. Yes, there are sometimes dips, but as with the stock market that grows over time, progress for preemies looks like a diagonal line (albeit with wobbles), angling up and to the right.<\/p>\n<p>Along with significant milestones, Amy Jo has shared fun photos: Lincoln wearing baby blue booties and a matching hat that Amy Jo knitted for him. \u201cGrow Lincoln. Grow!\u201d In another Instagram post from May 5, Cinco de Mayo, Lincoln seems to pose perfectly with the arms of a Spanish dancer, satisfied with his big finish: \u201col\u00e9.\u201d Amy Jo dubbed the day: \u201cLinco de Mayo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also seems to take after his dad, who is 6 feet four inches tall. Lincoln has long limbs. He loves stretching his arms, like an NBA player practicing his dunks. That\u2019s fitting since Amy Jo started her career with the pros at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/suns\/\">Phoenix Suns<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In updates, Lincoln sports onesies with positive messages like, \u201cThis is my fight shirt,\u201d \u201cI will save the animals,\u201d and \u201cMy superheroes wear scrubs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of Lincoln&#8217;s superheroes is his night nurse, Megan Jones. She has loved watching Amy Jo and Richard get to know their son.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The resilience, fight, and unconditional love these three have shown each other is what propels them forward and what I believe, bonds them in a way many other families may never know,&#8221; Jones said. &#8220;Having a child in the NICU can be devastating but it can also inspire a lot of hope, beauty and forward motion and that is what I believe these three &#8216;renegades&#8217; have found.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>For the most part, Lincoln has improved each day, but preemies often do well, then slide back a little before inching forward again.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Through all of us learning how to love and support each other during vulnerable moments, we have become family, and that is something I am grateful to little Lincoln for every day,&#8221; Jones said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24773\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24773\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24773\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065304\/With-nurses-tiny.webp\" alt=\"A preemie baby in his crib with his parents and two of his nurses.\" width=\"640\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065304\/With-nurses-tiny.webp 1200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065304\/With-nurses-tiny-300x209.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065304\/With-nurses-tiny-1024x713.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065304\/With-nurses-tiny-768x535.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065304\/With-nurses-tiny-150x105.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065304\/With-nurses-tiny-200x139.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24773\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lincoln in his crib with his parents and two of his nurses, Val Dye, left, and Juliana Striby, right. Amy Jo said the care team has become part of their family. (Not pictured: night nurse, Megan Jones.) Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He loves when his parents sing, \u201cYou are my Sunshine\u201d to him. Family photos and cards decorate the wall near his crib. And Lincoln\u2019s nurses, who have nicknames for him like Linker and Linc, have made cards for his walls with inky impressions of his feet. They started tiny and keep getting bigger, just like Lincoln.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s a fan of tummy time, when nurses prop a pillow underneath him and let him cozy up on his belly with his legs tucked under his bottom. A volunteer knitted a little light-green octopus with eight soft tentacles that dangle down from its center. Lincoln grabs ahold of one of the tentacles and snoozes peacefully. No doubt, it\u2019s like the umbilical cord he gripped in utero.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24769\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24769\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24769\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065244\/Lincoln-tummy-tiny.webp\" alt=\"A preemie baby grabs onto an octopus tentacle that a volunteer knitted for preemie babies.\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065244\/Lincoln-tummy-tiny.webp 1200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065244\/Lincoln-tummy-tiny-300x175.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065244\/Lincoln-tummy-tiny-1024x598.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065244\/Lincoln-tummy-tiny-768x449.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065244\/Lincoln-tummy-tiny-150x88.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065244\/Lincoln-tummy-tiny-200x117.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24769\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lincoln grasps a tentacle of a knitted octopus as he snoozes during tummy time. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>\u2018Win far outweighs the loss\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the journey, Amy Jo and Richard have had sorrowful days as they\u2019ve ridden the NICU roller coaster along with other preemie parents. They missed one third of Amy Jo\u2019s pregnancy and had to be apart for one of the biggest events of their lives.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24767\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24767\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24767\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi.webp\" alt=\"Photo of preemie, Lincoln Grewar\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi.webp 1600w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi-1024x684.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi-1536x1025.webp 1536w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065234\/Linc-blowing-kiss-tinyi-200x134.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24767\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lincoln loves to stretch his arms and legs. In this photo, he seems to blow a kiss. Photo by Kathy Spanski, courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As Amy Jo wrote in one post,<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cMy son will be going home on oxygen.<\/em><em><br \/>\nI can\u2019t hold or nurse my baby when I want.<br \/>\nNo baby shower.<br \/>\nBirth plan is out the window.<br \/>\nMy husband was not there at delivery.<br \/>\n3 months of pregnancy is missing.<br \/>\nA relocation overnight to a new city and NICU.<br \/>\nThe list goes on and on.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Yet \u2026<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln is alive. I\u2019m alive.<\/p>\n<p>The win far outweighs the loss.<\/p>\n<p>A family unit and bond has been formed.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not always positive. I\u2019m human and I have down moments that I try to work through.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m more focused on the win and the forward momentum than the loss because it\u2019s literally my strategy. And it\u2019s in my DNA. I teach people to leverage adversity. Now is an opportunity for me to walk the talk. This isn\u2019t about making lemonade out of lemons. It\u2019s about using this situation as a springboard. Turn the adversity into an asset. Sometimes this process is messy.<\/p>\n<p>Do I cry? Yep. Nearly daily.<br \/>\nAm I tired? Exhausted AF.<br \/>\nAnd I wouldn\u2019t change it for the world.<br \/>\nI\u2019m the luckiest Mother in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo\u2019s intimate updates have touched people around the world. One mom with a preemie in Asia sent a private message through Instagram, along with photos of her cradling her own preemie. She said she received very little support when her baby was born eight months ago. Tuning in to Lincoln\u2019s journey now has helped her heal. Amy Jo commiserated with that mom privately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think there\u2019s a chance that Lincoln\u2019s splash can have a lot of ripple effects,\u201d Amy Jo said.<\/p>\n<p>Added Richard: \u201cThe likes and shares don\u2019t really matter. When you share something close to your heart and the real impact happens one to one, no one needs to know about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And so, the messages of love, support and gratitude keep flowing in from friends and strangers alike.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe call them our internet aunties and uncles,\u201d Amy Jo said. \u201cThey\u2019re on the journey with us.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Lessons from Lincoln<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As Amy Jo and Richard have navigated their new reality, she has centered herself with two key questions that her friend and mentor Suzy helped her craft: \u201cWhat is this here to teach me?\u201d And, \u201cWhat would it look like if this were easy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln\u2019s lessons come every day. He has taught her to appreciate how much a little progress each day adds up to big gains over time. He has taught her to put her phone down and be in the moment. Just snuggle. Just breathe with her baby. He has taught her to drop the ball sometimes. The couple produces the \u201cWhy not now?\u201d podcast together. And for the first time since they started airing it two years ago, they skipped an episode as Lincoln turned 6 weeks old.<\/p>\n<p>Said Amy Jo: \u201cWe needed a day off\u2026One of my strategies in navigating this life curveball has been to conserve as much energy as possible. Sometimes that means intentionally dropping the ball. We might surprise ourselves and realize that some balls don\u2019t need to be picked back up at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She urges her followers to gain insights too: \u201cWhat ball could you drop today? You can pick it back up tomorrow. Or, you may realize you never need to pick it back up again.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24768\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24768\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24768\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065241\/Linc-holding-hands-tiny.webp\" alt=\"A preemie baby grasps onto his parents' hands.\" width=\"640\" height=\"958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065241\/Linc-holding-hands-tiny.webp 668w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065241\/Linc-holding-hands-tiny-200x299.webp 200w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065241\/Linc-holding-hands-tiny-100x150.webp 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24768\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lincoln holds hands with both of his parents. Photo by Kathy Spanski, courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A fellow NICU mom, Stephanie Hauser, has provided great wisdom to Amy Jo as well. Her son, Zev, is three months older than Lincoln and she has twin toddlers at home too.<\/p>\n<p>Despite such challenges, Hauser always focuses on the positive.<\/p>\n<p>When she gets updates from her NICU team, she starts with this simple gem: \u201cTell me what\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo has learned lessons about marriage too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn a way, Lincoln has brought us even closer together. We are a team,\u201d Amy Jo said.<\/p>\n<p>But of course, dealing with fear, dislocation and exhaustion is hard.<\/p>\n<p>Amid the stress, she and Richard have adopted a new 20-second rule, a chance to take back any unkind comments. No questions asked.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, she has learned to snuff out any second-guessing about why Lincoln came early. Doctors don\u2019t know. They never will, so she\u2019s viewing his early arrival positively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wanted to make a splash,\u201d Amy Jo said. \u201cHe knows we like splashes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She and Richard love spending time on the water, from surfing to paddle boarding to swimming and riding in boats. They got engaged, in fact, while out on the water.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The road home<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Now, they hope their journey will soon lead them home. Lincoln will get to leave the hospital as soon as he can eat enough to keep growing. Despite some little ups and downs, he\u2019s breathing well now and depends only on low-flow oxygen tanks, which can go home with him. Generally preemies stay in the hospital until close to their due dates. Lincoln was supposed to arrive on July 10.<\/p>\n<p>All along, his team has been impressed with his steady progress.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24770\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24770\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-24770\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065248\/Linc-pucker-tiny.webp\" alt=\"A side-by-side photo shows Lincoln right after birth and once he had reached 5 pounds, more than twice his birth weight. He seems to pucker up for kisses. Photos courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065248\/Linc-pucker-tiny.webp 1000w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065248\/Linc-pucker-tiny-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065248\/Linc-pucker-tiny-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065248\/Linc-pucker-tiny-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/06065248\/Linc-pucker-tiny-200x200.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24770\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A side-by-side photo shows Lincoln right after birth and once he had reached 5 pounds, more than twice his birth weight. He seems to pucker up for kisses. Photos courtesy of Amy Jo Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHis temperament hasn\u2019t changed. He came out fighting. He wanted a real chance at this life,\u201d said Juliana Striby, one of Lincoln\u2019s nurses. \u201cHe\u2019s had a smooth course, exactly what we\u2019d hope for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While nurses are careful not to boost parents\u2019 hopes prematurely, Lincoln is doing great with his mission to keep eating and growing. Amy Jo is eager to breastfeed her son once he\u2019s big enough. She\u2019s been pumping her milk around the clock. Richard has become known as the Australian \u201cmilk man\u201d running breast milk from their apartment to the NICU, where Lincoln and the team eagerly await the precious deliveries, sometimes referred to as \u201cliquid gold\u201d since breast milk provides infants with such valuable antibodies and nutrients.<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo uses her social media posts to share the complexities of feeding newborns, among many other topics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil this past week, 100% of his food has been through a feeding tube,\u201d Amy Jo wrote in early June. \u201cBabies born 3 months early are unable to suck, swallow and breathe at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln recently has become strong enough to suckle some milk directly from his mom, a huge milestone that coincided with another very big day for him.<\/p>\n<p>He now has reached 5 pounds, more than doubling his birth weight. To mark the occasion, Amy Jo shared then-and-now photos of Lincoln right after birth contrasted with the big boy he has become. In the first photo, he looks thin and fragile. Now, his cheeks are chubby and he puckers his lips like he\u2019s ready to dole out kisses to the world.<\/p>\n<p>As hard as the experience has been, Richard said the early arrival and first weeks of Lincoln\u2019s life have been \u201ca magical experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amy Jo echoed her husband\u2019s joy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the best thing that\u2019s ever happened to us. From here on, we\u2019ve been invited to live in a completely different dimension.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Besides, there was a reason Lincoln arrived early. Said his nurse, Val Dye: \u201cHe was ready to be in this world. He had something to say.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The tiny preemie\u2019s eyes were wide open for just a moment after he made his very unexpected arrival more than three months before he was due. Lincoln barely dodged being born at Denver International Airport, or even worse, on his mom\u2019s next flight after she traveled through Denver. He weighed just 2 pounds 3 ounces, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":24766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[235,25,4828,511,4010,1497,212],"class_list":["post-24790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-care","category-stories","tag-emergency-care","tag-labor-delivery","tag-neonatal-care","tag-neonatal-intensive-care-unit","tag-pregnancy-childbirth-and-newborn-care","tag-uchealth-university-of-colorado-hospital","tag-womens-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lessons from Lincoln - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Social media pioneer, Amy Jo Martin, taught Shaq and &#039;The Rock&#039; how to humanize themselves. Then, along came a 2-pound, 5-ounce preemie to teach his mom some lessons.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/lessons-from-lincoln\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lessons from Lincoln\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Social media pioneer, Amy Jo Martin, taught Shaq and &#039;The Rock&#039; how to humanize themselves. 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