Looking Back

When you think about the hardships and challenges that many human beings face in a lifetime, it makes you wonder how we make it through sometimes. Death, illness, heartbreak, war, addictions, crime, accidents, and the list goes on. Although not all stories have a happy ending, most people figure out a way to survive and hopefully learn from the hard times in their lives. I think one of the reasons why human beings are so strong and can overcome the toughest of challenges is because memories eventually begin to fade. Not that we ever really forget the experience, and we certainly don't forget the people we have lost, but the pain seems to lessen with time. Just a few short months ago, we were faced with one of the biggest challenges of our lives. We spent every day at the hospital, hoping and praying that our 2 pound babies would survive another day without major setbacks. We were sad and scared and angry and disappointed, but we made it through each day and our healthy boys came home 9 1/2 weeks later. Looking back on the experience, the memories that really stick out for us include holding our babies for the first time, kangaroo care, getting to know our nurses, receiving support from people near and far, celebrating when our boys overcame obstacles, and growing stronger as a couple. No, I don't think we will ever forget the helplessness we felt when Tyler was fighting his infection and the hole in Max's heart wouldn't close. But thankfully the intense feelings of angst that came along with having two micro preemies have already started to fade. I guess this goes along with the theory that mothers have more than one child because they "forget" the pain of labor (and know a child is worth all the pain in the world).

Although we are so blessed that our story does have a happy ending, it was sometimes hard to see the good that would come from the situation. Looking back, it is clear that the magic was there all along. We hope the video below not only shows how lucky we are, but that miracles sometimes come in tiny packages.

If you have trouble viewing the video, click here.