Happy Birthday Liv & Tay!

Eight years ago my first personal roller coaster called pregnancy ended 14 weeks early with an emergency Cesarean section.  Only one actually came that way, but both came with an appropriate amount of drama.  The nurses were really worried about our bonding both because we had preemies and because I was so sick from the infection that was raging throughout my body that I didn't have the energy to see them in the NICU (the same infection that caused my labor in the first place...). The nurses had nothing to worry about, although they couldn't have known that. I was in love with these two from moments long before they were a twinkle in my eye, but absolutely by their first appearance on that tiny ultrasound machine in Dr Schell's office.  I will never forget the smile on Jon's face when we found out that we would be having twins, nor how excited we both were when we finally had a positive pregnancy test. For the first three months we saw an ultrasound image of them each week, and when we got to the second trimester the doctor wanted to wait until their 22nd week... I am convinced that Taylor wanted 

his screen time and this is why he thought he would poke a little hole in that silly bag ;) I was stunned, what do you mean I won't get to see them for like ten weeks?!? As it turned out we only had to wait about six before things progressed. After that, I listened to them daily and saw them weekly again on ultrasound until the very day they arrived.  

I don't really allow myself to think about life without them.  I am always grateful that things worked out the way they did.  I am indebted to my family who supported us on the journey, who love them intensely as we do, and support us still through the ups and downs.  I am lucky to have selected the right physician who wasn't afraid to do things her way, based on empirical data and common sense. An most importantly, I am so lucky that my babies were Taylor and Alivya.  They were so strong right out of the gates.  They fought for this life and I couldn't be more proud of every accomplishment!

Couldn't have birthday pictures without a creeper picture, right!