Twins! With complete shock we found out I would be having twins which happened naturally. January, the start of a new year and growth of a family. My husband and I joked around before finding out I was pregnant with twins that watch it happen to us. We were set on just having one child since the cost of living and raising a child is expensive and our small home could not carry more than one. Plans changed and so did our attitude we were accepting and now excited that we are going to have TWINS! As the weeks progressed so did my pregnancy. I was fit and working out as much as my body could handle. I hit a few bumps in the road being hospitalized a few times from fainting and dehydration (which was hard to believe with all the water I was drinking). It was the morning of hitting the end half of my 26th week when I woke up bleeding. Nothing alarming but enough to call my doctor just to make sure the bleeding was considered normal and just due to the rapid growth of my placenta. The doctor told me to come in just to check and make sure everything was progressing and so I did without hesitation or concern. It was on that day that my pregnancy journey changed. Shorten cervix and slightly dilated the doctor told me, I was confused and scared. I had to go to the hospital immediately to only find out that I had been contracting. A steroid shot and transfer to a different hospital with a state of the art NICU all happened in an instant. 27 weeks and now on bed rest in antepartum being infused with magnesium my contractions calmed down and the second steroid shot healing. I was now faced with the idea that I would be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. This idea was daunting since I was so active and always having to keep busy. My pregnancy journey changed once again waking up one morning to find I had been bleeding. Transfered to labor and delivery the doctors were prepared to deliver my twins. I was NOT and i knew it just was not time. Another round of magnesium and back in antepartum I once again lay on bed rest. At 27 and 4 weeks I was awakened from a nap and was again bleeding and now 8 centimeters dilated. The start of the summer season, on June 15th I was rushed to the OR and had emergency c-section. With the hospital being almost 2 hours away from our home my husband left that morning to go home and shower since he had been with me and not showered in 3 days. I called him screaming that the babies were coming and he unfortunately missed the delivery but was there with a terrified look as I was wheeled out of the OR. We were now the parents of a boy and a girl weighing 2lbs 8oz each. I was not able to see my babies when they were delivered or hours after. I finally got to see them in the NICU in their isolettes strapped to machines and ventilators. I could not see their faces nor would I for quite some time. Being discharged without taking my babies home was something I would not wish on anyone. Our babies were now 2 hours away from me and I would have to face the fact that they were not coming home anytime soon. My husband and I traveled 5 days a week to the hospital and stayed in hotels near the hospital on weekend. Day 50 in the NICU had approached and I was able to hold both of my babies for the fist time and they were able to meet for the first time outside the womb. I thought it was only a matter of time they would both be home but I was wrong. It was not until the 100th day (September 22nd the first day if Fall) I was able to take my baby boy home. Four days later (104 days in the NICU) my baby girl followed.

A whole season spent in the NICU was a roller coster ride of emotions that at times I thought would never end. I have never met two human beings as strong as my two fighters. They made me realize you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only option.