On Jan 29, 2015 I gave birth to my first child Spirit Smith. I was exactly 20 weeks along in my pregnancy and had a very hard time keeping my blood pressure down. Spirit weighed only 2oz, she was a stillborn. By the time I realized that she was in danger, she was already gone. The thought of having another child made me extremely nervous. I told myself that it would be many years before I would even think about trying again, but God had other plans. In the summer of 2015 I found out that I was pregnant with Lillian. I immediately made a visit with my OB. I was determined to do everything I could to keep her alive. My OB's were awesome! They were always on top of things and were there for me every step of the way! I suffered from chronic hypertension during my entire pregnancy. I also had lost a little bit of amniotic fluid. I was taken out of work and placed on strict bed rest the week of Thanksgiving. My due date was March 15th and I often wondered if I would make it that close. During this time Lillian was barely growing. She was behind at least 3 weeks in size. I was seeing my regular OB once a week and my high risk OB in Marietta once a week, leaving me with 2 OB appointments a week. On Christmas Eve I went to see my high risk OB. My blood pressure was extremely high and my high risk OB wanted to go ahead and admit me into the hospital that day. I asked him if it was possible that I could go home and see if my blood pressure will come down on its own. Although he was very reluctant, he agreed and asked me to check my blood pressure the next day and give him a call if it didn’t go down. The next day was Christmas and I checked my blood pressure as required and it was around 200/115. I was admitted into Floyd Medical Center on Christmas Day. I was only 28 weeks and my physicians were doing everything that they could to keep from taking Lillian early. On December 31, 2015, my OB decided that it was best to go ahead with an emergency C-section. I was 29 weeks along; my blood pressure was extremely high and would not come down. I was at risk of having a stroke and a seizure. Although I was given the steroid treatment, I was worried that Lillian’s lungs wouldn't be fully developed. At 4:01pm she came into this world SCREAMING and weighing exactly 2 pounds. She struggled to breathe on her own. She was given an oxygen cannula and feeding tube. She had wires placed on her from every direction. She was given an IV that was placed on the top of her forehead. She was administered screenings after screening and test after test. Her respirations were very fast causing her to breathe very heavily. She was placed on a CPAP machine that forced air into her body helping to slow down her respirations. She had her good days and she had her bad days. Often times it felt as if we were on a roller coaster ride while in the NICU. There were times where I said, “Yes! She’s taking off, she’s got this!” Then there were times where she would lapse and I thought that we would never leave the NICU. For 2 1/2 months the Floyd Medical NICU was our home. For 2 1/2 months I watched her endure being stuck by needles, receive blood transfusions, recover from infections, struggle to breath, endure having her iv's changed every few days, learn to suck/swallow/breath at the same time, and much more. I connected with her nurses and physicians; they are now family to us. I met many families while in the NICU. We shared a bond that many wouldn't be able to understand. In a weird way the NICU became a place of peace and comfort. Peace in knowing that God was in control and comfort in knowing that she was receiving the best care possible. On March 14, 2016, a day before her due date, Lillian was discharged from the NICU. It is all thanks to the good Lord above and the wonderful staff in the NICU. The March of Dimes provides continuous research and financial support to local NICU's. Nurses and Physicians are able to provide the adequate care needed for preemie babies. Because of the support from the March of Dimes organization, I was able to bring home my baby without the assistance of a feeding tube or oxygen. Because of the support from the March of Dimes, I am able to wake up to her beautiful smile each and every day. Because of the support from the March of Dimes my Lillian was given the chance to fight and survive!