Premature babies...strength, courage and determination beyond their years.

Xander. This photo melts my heart.

Xander weighed 950gm when he was born. He came into this world 13 and a half weeks early. Typical impatient male (haha).

Maya Kate. What a precious bundle of joy.

Maya weighed 2.22kgs and was born at 35 weeks. I think she just wanted to come in to this world early to meet her amazing parents!

These photos melt my heart, bring a tear to my eye but mostly, they bring a huge smile to my face. These tiny, precious babies have been through so much in their short lives already. 

Whenever I need strength, determination and courage, I think of the two almost two year olds, who have fought the odds and are now giggling, busy body, walking, talking, absolutely deliciously cute little toddlers.

Maya at her first birthday.

 I think back to September 2010 when we first received the phone calls that their mums had gone in to labour. We were shocked. We hadn't even had the baby shower and she didn't even had a bump last time we saw her, and now, the baby is ready to come into the bright big world. I felt sick. We were so worried. We were praying that the mums would be okay and that the little babies would have developed enough to be able to survive what was ahead of them.

The birth was scary, but the road ahead seemed scarier. Maya and Xander were in the Women's and Children's Hospital for at least one month each, moving up through the Scbu Wards as they became stronger and stronger.

The little darlings were hooked up to all sorts of tubes and wires. It just didn't seem fair. They were so small. 

Yet they were so strong.

This little guy owns our hearts. Xander chilling at the beach.

It still makes me teary thinking about what both of their parents went through during those difficult months. Not being able to cuddle your baby whenever you wanted to, not being able to breastfeed and to take your baby home to her newly painted nusery. Instead, both parents had to live across the road in the Greenway Apartments during the whole ordeal, away from their babies. 

Your vision of having a baby totally warped.


I take my hat off to the staff at the Women's and Children's Hospital. They were amazing. Changing nappies, feeding tubes, caring after the two little bundles of joy 24/7.


I guess for me, it taught me just how lucky we are to live in the twenty first century where we have technology that gives babies the best possible chance of survival when they are born so early.


Whenever I'm having a crap day, or I feel defeated, or flat, or that I'm weak, I think of Xander and Maya. I draw strength and courage and determination from two children that aren't even two yet.


They own my heart.


Premature births happen more frequently then you think. They bring a family together. They strengthen your relationships. You all pitch in together to help as much as you can. 

It takes it's toll. There's moments where you just want to cry. Small steps forward deserve great celebration.


I'm yet to be a parent myself, but I hope that I can be as good as a mum and Mick as good as a father as Xander and Maya's. 

And I hope that our children have as much strength, courage, determination and incredible cuteness as these two!


Take care of yourself and those around you,


Kirsty xxx