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Kelsey Bolar (Harkness)

@kelseybolar

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Mama of 5, including NICU twins💕💙💙 💙💙| Wife | Politico | Proud American 🇺🇸

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For my twin boys, and all the mamas—and women praying to be mamas—going through hard times this Mother’s Day 💙💙

#nicu #micumama #dearnicumama #mothersday #twinmom #twinboys #boymom #TTTS #boymom #marchoffimes #happymothersday #poetry #poem #poemoftheday #mothersday2025 #motherhood #love #

📷 @hannahmariecphotography taken in INOVA Fairfax Women & Children's Hospital by @kelseybolar

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a year ago

Last week strolling through the grocery store with *only* 3 of my 5 kids someone snarked, “I bet you can’t wait for school to start!” I laughed but the truth is I don’t want this summer to end 💛🧡🤍 by @kelseybolar

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2 months ago

First road trip as a family of✋✌️. We had the best time, and went the whole week without using Thatcher’s g-tube. Our little guy is making so much progress, and it felt amazing to take a vaca together…back to the northeast! Which I missed so much. 🫶🫶🫶 taken in Peru, Vermont by @kelseybolar

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2 months ago

Our first time escaping in more than two years. We had the best time catching up with old friends and celebrating love! 🤍👰🏼‍♀️ taken in Daniel Island Club by @kelseybolar

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4 months ago

It’s easy to get consumed by all my fears and frustrations over Thatcher and his health, but instead, I do my best to focus on moments like these, where Briggs crawls into a play stroller and Thatcher starts pushing him around the house😄💙💙🫶. The last two years have been a lot, and while I’m an open book in many ways, I stopped sharing because things got heavy and complicated. What we thought would be a linear path towards health and healing turned out to have a lot more zigs and zags and setbacks and unknowns. Thatcher’s technical diagnosis is chronic lung disease (aka bronchopulmonary dysplasia), and his fragile lungs are why he still has a g-tube for feeding. Since coming home from the NICU one year ago, he’s made so much progress and is off oxygen, but the tiniest cold can turn into a scary illness for Thatcher, and land him back on oxygen and/or in the hospital. Eating by mouth is a very slow journey, but we’re doing it. Coming home from the NICU we were doing 7 tube feedings a day, and we are now down to 3! 💪 The rest of his nutrition Thatcher is able to take by mouth, but eating with his condition is hard, slow and scary. If you have questions about all this, so do I, and that’s the hardest part—living in the unknown, and putting your faith in God and his massive team of doctors and therapists who, like us, are determined to see Thatcher running on a sports field one day. So…I’ve been a little quiet and overwhelmed this past year, but please know that in the quiet, sometimes scary spaces, I still hear your prayers for our sweet boy, and they truly mean the world. Despite the many challenges and fears we face, as you can see in this video, these boys bring our family endless joy. 💙💙#nicu #ttts #twinboys #gtube #twins by @kelseybolar

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5 months ago

After a really hard two years, we made it back to Florida as a family of ✋✌️. Back home, Thatcher barely got to leave our house, aside for endless trips to hospitals and doctors. He’s still on his feeding tube and has extremely fragile lungs, so to bring him here is a gift I will never take for granted. And to see him here, with his four siblings so happy and alive, is an answer to our many, many prayers💛 taken in Vero Beach, Florida by @kelseybolar

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6 months ago

This week we got to kiss Thatcher’s cheeks without tubes on them for the first time since he was born 7 months ago. While we’re not completely off oxygen yet, we’re getting close. To see him heal and get happier feels like a miracle. We still have a long road ahead with his breathing and learning to feed without his g-tube, but to kiss his face without oxygen is everything💙

#twins #twinboys #ttts #gtube #O2 #twinsofinstagram #nicu #dearnicumama taken in Reston Town Center by @kelseybolar

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a year ago

Today, Thatcher and Briggs turned 6 months old. While I had hoped Thatcher would be on his way off oxygen by now, we’re not there yet. We are making progress, but we’re still in the thick of things, doing our best to care for a medically fragile baby, his twin brother, and our other young three kids. Because of this, I haven’t had time to properly thank everyone who has extended so much kindness and support to our family over this past year. In another world, I would hand write each of you a card, telling you how much each warm meal, thoughtful gift, play date for our kids, and prayer has meant. How each act of kindness felt like a warm hug on a hard day, reminding me that we’re not alone—that these boys have an army of people fighting for them. As Thatcher continues to grow and get stronger, I know that better days are ahead for our family. But today, as they turn 6 months, I wanted to stop and say thank you. I can’t imagine making it this far without all of you, and it’s because of you that I know we’ll make it through.

In lieu of that hand written card that I wish I had time to write, please know that I’m thinking of every single one of you today, and am beyond grateful for all you have done. 💙💙

#nicu #twinboys #ttts #twinmom #nicubaby #nicumom #gtube #grateful taken in INOVA Fairfax Women & Children's Hospital by @kelseybolar

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a year ago

First day of school ⏩️⏩️ Last day of school. A lot happened in between, and we couldn’t have survived any of it without our sweet little preschool being a constant source of love and stability. Scarlett is sad to say goodbye, but we’re grateful to have a few more Bolar boys in the pipeline for @gfump1 to love on these next few years🥰 by @kelseybolar

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a year ago

Just a glimpse into the Bolar's recent adventures 🫠🤪

Love you lots @l_bolar

#picu #nicu #nicugrad #twin #twinboys #twinmom #ttts taken in INOVA Fairfax Women & Children's Hospital by @kelseybolar

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a year ago

After 116 days in the NICU, we’re HOME! I might have been crying, but I’ve never seen these boys smile so big 🥹💙💙🏡

#NICU #TTTS #twinmom #twinboys #premie #nicumama #inova by @kelseybolar

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a year ago

I’ll be so proud to tell these boys how hard their dad fought for them one day. Our real life superdad.

Shared more on the Substack, link in bio. A few more days, then hopefully, we’re all home. 💙💙

https://kelseybolar.substack.com/p/g-tube-surgery-and-our-superdad

#nicu #twins #twinboys #twinmom #gtube #preemie #nicubabies taken in Inova Loudoun Hospital by @kelseybolar

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a year ago