My husband and I had always wanted to have a family. However, when we had trouble getting pregnant and we visited the experts, they told us it would be practically impossible for us to have children. When I heard the news, I felt a deep sense of failure. I had always dreamed of having a family and now it felt like I was letting down both myself and my husband. As we left the doctor's office and talked about the sad news, we decided not to give up but instead to keep trying. Our belief in God gave us faith and we decided to put the future of our family in his hands.

Finally, after 8 years of disappointment I was stunned one morning to see a positive sign on a home pregnancy test I had taken. I woke up my husband and joyfully told him the news. It took quite awhile before he could believe that it was really true. The doctors confirmed the news and we were ecstatic. After so many years of trying we felt truly blessed to finally be starting our family.

Early on in my pregnancy we learned that Tyler would likely be born prematurely due to my chronic hypertension. But, during the months of my pregnancy, our wonderful doctor was by our side and made sure we were fully aware of everything that was happening.

When I was 28 weeks along, the doctors decided that it would be necessary to perform an emergency c-section to deliver Tyler. The date was February 24, 2006 and it was 3 months before Tyler's due date. Fortunately everything went smoothly and Tyler and I both survived the surgery. When he was born, Tyler weighed just 2 lbs. and 8 oz. and was only 15 1/4 inches long.

When I saw Tyler for the first time, I felt completely helpless. He was so tiny and he had so many different tubes and wires around him attaching him to the machines that were helping to keep him alive. My husband had to wait an hour before he could touch Tyler and I had to wait 24 hours before I could see or touch him. Even then, the most we could do was gently place our hands on him. Because Tyler's nerve endings were so sensitive, we could not hold him or even stroke him gently. It was agonizing.

Altogether Tyler spent 2 months in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before we were able to take him home. He had to be on caffeine, CPAP and later a nasal cannula to help him breathe. There were bouts of sleep apnia and bradycardia episodes. Everything had to be handled very carefully and on a strict schedule. We had to learn how to watch out for certain things that could have been life-threatening to Tyler. Working around all the wires, tubes, and machinery that helped keep Tyler alive was intimidating but we were happy to do anything we could to support him. Also, Tyler's nurses went way above and beyond the call of duty. They bought gifts for Tyler and us and they were always honest with us. Through it all our Tyler was so strong and determined to live that day after day he amazed the doctors.

Our friends and family were also wonderfully supportive. My mom came over 600 miles to be with us for the birth and the first few weeks of Tyler's life. It was so helpful to have her there as I recovered from the c-section. My husband's family lived about an hour away and they were also extremely helpful.

During those two months we were housed by the Ronald McDonald house in Austin, Texas which was just 2 minutes away from Tyler's hospital. This was a huge blessing because our house was over an hour away from the hospital and staying so close allowed us to be with him every day. There was another couple whose son was also in the NICU. Although their baby was even worse off than Tyler, their spirits were high and they went out of their way to share with us any knowledge they had from their own experiences. They showed us the ropes, so to speak. It was a wonderful blessing to have their friendship during that time.

When it was finally time to take Tyler home, we were excited and ready to go. We had been taught very well how to care for him and we had worked hard to make his nursery at home completely sterile. Altogether, our hospital bill was over $700,000 so we called Tyler our million dollar miracle baby.

Back at home Tyler steadily grew stronger and stronger. When he smiled at me for the first time I melted on the inside and cried a little on the outside. Tyler had always been a happy baby and once he started smiling there was no stopping him! These days he is a happy and healthy 20 month old who enjoys swinging, jumping, reading books, and... giving kisses to his baby sister Micah JoAnn. I guess the doctors don't know everything!

Now I encourage other couples who may be going through what we faced to never ever give up! Through this entire process I learned that miracles can and do happen. We are proof of that.