January 1, 2016 was a normal day for most people. You might have partied into the New Year or simply stayed up to midnight to give your loved one a kiss.

But for my family, it was spent at Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville, TN. A few days before, I had b

een admitted at 28 weeks 6 days for preeclampsia and was told I would not be leaving the hospital pregnant. I was going to have to wait out the rest of my pregnancy there and be under observation.

New Year’s morning felt like any other morning. I was finally starting to accept that Vanderbilt was my home now. But at 9AM, they told it was time. I was wheeled back for an emergency c section. At 9:21 AM, Eli Bentley came into the world weighing 2lbs 7oz and was 15.5 inches long. I didn’t get to see my little on his birthday but the next day I made sure to introduce myself to him in his little incubator. He spent 2 months at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Today my little man is almost 2 years old. He is so rambunctious, energic, and happy. He’s still catching up to his peers but his future looks bright. We have all of his doctors to thank for all the progress he has made.