Mom’s Quintuplets Were Born at 28 Weeks. 2 Months Later, Her ‘Little Fighters’ Are Getting Closer to Coming Home (Exclusive)

A Texas woman says her life “completely changed” the moment her quintuplets arrived.

Theresa Troia, 36, tells PEOPLE it’s “been a whirlwind” both physically and mentally since welcoming her babies two months ago — and even though her bundles of joy aren’t ready to come home just yet, they’re all “doing so well.”

“Watching them grow stronger has been the most emotional, beautiful experience of my life,” says the proud mom, who works as a regional nurse consultant for long-term care and skilled nursing facilities.

“There have been moments of celebration and moments of fear, but every single one has brought us closer,” she continues. “It’s taught me patience, faith, and how powerful love really is.”

Troia faced numerous obstacles during her journey to motherhood and told ABC affiliate KVIA-TV that she was dropped by her original OB-GYN, who didn’t “agree” with her decision to try and carry all five babies to term.

Enter Dr. Aaron Poole, an OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare.

“For me, it’s always really important to be an advocate for the patient,” Dr. Poole told the outlet. “With teamwork, medication, and close observation, I believed we could get to the finish line and have five healthy babies.”

On June 3, when she was 28 weeks pregnant, Troia welcomed her quintuplets via cesarean section.

In a social media post, Troia admitted she “was truly scared” before giving birth, but that her “fear slowly melted away” as doctors and nurses at Las Palmas helped her through the process.

“When I look at my five little miracles… every tear, every fear, every moment — it was all worth it. I still don’t know how I got so lucky,” she added.

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Troia, who says their biological dad is not involved, tells PEOPLE her five babies are still in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, where they’re receiving care from the “amazing” team there.

“They are little fighters, every one of them,” she says. “Of course, being born so early comes with its challenges, and there have been scary moments along the way, but they’ve made incredible progress.”

“Every baby progresses at their own pace, but we’re hopeful that they’ll start coming home one by one over the next several weeks as they get stronger,” she adds. “It’s a waiting game, but we’re getting closer every day.”

When it came to their names, Troia made sure all five of her children — Kyla, Joseph, Jaxon, Viviana, and Isabella — had a saint’s name as either their first or middle name, following a tradition started by her mom.

Now, she is thanking the doctors, nurses and specialists who have helped her an her babies following the remarkable birth.

“They didn’t just deliver five babies safely; they supported me through every panic, every complication, and every tear,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’ll never forget the compassion and skill they showed. They saved our lives, and I’ll be grateful forever.”