Love, Taylor

“Dear NICU Mama, As another year comes to a close, I hope you celebrate the dance. Your journey is filled with ups and downs, resilience and hurt, pain and joy. Each feeling is a step that guides you to create your story. Every season of this journey—the waiting, the healing, the hoping, and the grieving—holds its own rhythm, shaping a melody only you can compose.

When the dance feels heavy, and you find yourself stuck or unsure of where to go next, know that it’s okay. We all feel that way sometimes. You’ll find your rhythm again. Where fear may try to take over, there’s also love, guiding your next step. Where uncertainty feels overwhelming, courage quietly grows, reminding you that even when the dance changes, you are strong enough to keep moving forward.

Your dance tells a beautiful story—uniquely yours, yet inspiring to so many. The emotions you carry and the steps you take draw others in, showing them the power of resilience and love. This part of your testimony has the power to transform not only your life but the lives of others. And in that, hope quietly blooms.”

Love,
Taylor

More of Taylor + Thayne + Colter’s NICU Stories:

“At 22 weeks and 3 days, I went into labor with my Di/Di twin boys. Within 24 hours, we had been through three hospitals, fighting for survival with odds that rose from 1% to 30%. After just 13 minutes of labor, Thayne was born, weighing 14 ounces. Colter, however, wasn’t positioned head-down, so doctors left Thayne’s placenta in, and we waited. For three days, I was both postpartum and pregnant—a surreal experience even nurses found hard to grasp. When my water broke, Colter’s head and arm were already out. Rushed to the OR, doctors had to push him back in to reposition him before he was delivered at 1 pound and 2.7 ounces. Two days later, we lost Colter to severe brain bleeds, leaving us to grieve his loss while fighting to save Thayne’s life.

After 120 days, Thayne came home, proving himself a true fighter. Against all odds, our 22-weeker left the NICU without oxygen, exclusively breastfeeding, and before his due date. Those months were a rollercoaster of emotions—grief and hope battling each other daily—but the incredible NICU staff became family, saving our boy and walking with us through heartbreak. Thayne’s journey is a testament to the strength of preemies and the love that keeps us moving forward, even in the hardest times.”