When Connor and Colson Kasper arrived at 32 weeks gestation, their mother, Alli Kasper, was better prepared than most parents for a stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mayo Clinic: She's the unit's interim nurse manager.
I gave birth to my daughter, Emerson, at age 37 and my son, Liam, at age 38. My children are intentionally only 18 months apart because I didn't want to tempt the hands of time.
Once my children leave for school, I spend most of my work day in complete silence. No music. No television. No phone except for the occasional conference call. If I go out to run errands, I leave the car radio off.
We've been together for as long as I can remember. You've always been there, especially during those nights when I couldn't fall asleep—my mind hot with worry, ruminating over the day's events, making mental to-do lists that went on forever (and ever… and ever…).
