oh jen! i'm all teary eyed i'm so happy for you and dave!!!!! Can't wait to hear from you and you did AMAZING!

(and winston is going to make a wonderful big brother )

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jen-you did amazing, their weights are wonderful. Sending love and prayers your way. Wonderful job Jen!!!

edit: I'm just sitting here in tears for your family. What a blessing! I hope you are rest comfortable and have a quick recovery Jen. You are inspiring!

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Congrats Jen! Continued prayers for you and your family! Can't wait to hear from you!

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Oh Jen, congratulations. We can't wait for an update!

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Jen - I am sitting here with tears!!!!! I am just so happy for you! You are so amazing and such an inspiration to everyone!!!

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Jen I'm so happy for you that they are here safe!! We have all been thinking and praying for you and will still do so. Congrats mama you did it!!

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Jen~ congratulations! prayers for your little ones & family, please update us on how they/you are doing when you get a chance.

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omg Jen! Congratulations! Can't wait to hear your update and see some pics!

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Jen, just checking in to see if you have posted. I am praying for you morning and night! I hope Abigail and Andrew are strong and healthy. Update us when you get a chance.

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Jen~ You made it!! All of that hard work and your two beautiful babies are here! Congrats to you and your family! We're all anxiously awaiting an update on your new little family. I hope you and the babies are doing well, and that you get to see your fur baby soon.

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Jen Im away for a week and looks what happens!!!! How very exciting!!! Cant wait to hear the story and see the beautiful babies you have.

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Hello,

Yes, Andrew and Abigail were born via c-section on May 24, 2008 at 7:37 p.m. (Abigail) and 7:38 (Andrew). I went into labor on Friday morning - although no one believed it was labor because it was back pain and not showing up on monitors...but make no mistake it was labor. 99% of the nurses in the antepartum are incredible. I was in pain all day on Friday but again - not alot of contractions showing up. So, Friday night they gave me a shot of pain killers to sleep and the doctor said it should help slow down contractions. Well, it didn't and Saturday, ALL DAY, I had the worst back pain - hell, the worst pain i have ever felt before. Finally at 7:00 my doctor arrived and I was in tears. MY nurse jus sat with Dave and my mom and said - something is up - because she has been here for 11 weeks and never complained of pain. They continued to monitor me and time my back contractions - which never showed up on the monitor. I honestly could not take it anymore. I tried to get up to go to the bathroom and the pressure I felt was so intense. My doctor checked me and I was fully dialated and he could feel the babies arm and shoulder. Holy crap - I actually thought I was going to go crazy from the pain. The doctor walked outside and told my nurse - we need an OR stat - we are having babies. Within 10 minutes I was in the OR with all my nurses - they just surrounded me and made me feel so incredible - I was scared - but they completely calmed me down. I had my spinal and within minutes Dave was standing next to me and I was having my babies. It was incredible. There had to be 20 people in that room.

Abigail came out first and she was not breathing at all. She had several doctors surrounding her and working on her. Next came Andrew and i heard this tiny cry. They wrapped him up let me kiss him and they took him to the NICU right away.

I spent most of yesterday out of it on Percoset. I went down to the NICU the night they were born and 2 times yesterday. Andrew is doing well, God Bless him. He had to get a little more surfactant for his lungs but he is starting to breathe without even the c-pap. I got to hold him today!

Now, the part i have been putting off typing. This a.m. I woke up and Dave decided to go to the NICU. I couldn't go right away because I had to have my antibiotic - since I now have a fever!!!!! Dave came running in and said you have to come with me now! We rushed down to the NICU - I have been walking...slowly. He wheeled me down - it was around 9:00 a.m. We got there and my OB was there and the head of the NICU and Abigail's nurse. They explained that they tried to take her off the respirator and she started to crash. Her oxygen levels have not been doing great - and her condition changed hourly - which we knew. We didn't expect any miracles just wanted her to be pain free and comfortable. Dave and i stood by her side and the doctor explained everything to us. He explained she had been without oxygen for a while at that point and that there was defintely some damage to the brain. He was the most incredible doctor...even my OB just stood with Dave and I and both doctors and nurses reassured us that we (Dave and I) did everything we could for our babies and that because of Abigail's sacrifice and ours, our little Andrew was here and doing well!!! They called a priest up and he baptized her immediately! Our doctor asked us if we wanted to hold her and spend some time with her - he would disconnect her and use the hand pump to give her air and we could kiss her, hug her and say goodbye. He did that for a bit and then told us he was sure there was no activity and that he would give us some private time with her. She was on dopamine, morphine and fetanol so I am sure she was in no pain - but just holding her and saying good bye without all the tubes and everything that was attached to her made us feel so much better. I can't explain the pain I have right now...my heart is breaking - but I am so happy they let us say goodbye - alone with our little Abigail. My poor husband is so angry more then anything. We are both dealing with it today. They just brought me down a kit of all of her stuff and made a little "remembrance" box with her footprints and pictures the nurses took of her.

We walked over to Andrew after all of this and he has no c-pap on and was breathing on his own. I held him for the first time! It was so incredible.

I have so many emotions going on right now...I'm going to sign off for a while...not sure when I'll be back I need to concentrate on my little guy and we also have to plan a little service for Abigail.

Thanks to all of you for all your prayers ! It means so much to us. I will be sure to post pictures of Andrew if and when I ever get out of this hell hole.

Thanks again,
Jen

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Jen

Jen - Wow you have every right to be full of emotion. You are a wonderful mother to your babies. You did amazing job carrying as long as you did. I am so glad you got some time with Abigail. Her bother will be happy to hear that story when he is older.

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Jen~ I wish I was one to offer great words of comfort, but I'm left speachless. I am SO SORRY for the loss of your sweet little angel. She must be one of those extra special, super strong spirits who only needed to be here for a short time. I have tears running down my face right now for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. On a positive note, I am SO HAPPY that Andrew is doing so well. How thrilled you must have been to hold him and get to love on him. You will love him all the more for what a sacrifice it was to get him (and his sweet sister) here. (((great big hugs and prayers for you.)))

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jen - the emotions that you must be going thru, i can't even imagine. I have been sitting her crying, not knowing what to say. just know that what you have done all these weeks is amazing. what a wonderful mommy you are and will be. I am so happy that andrew is doing so well, and I am so sorry that you lost your sweet abigail. what a little fighter til the end...and her brother will one day be so amazed at what his sister did for him. You and your family are in my thoughts and please don't stay away too long...we will miss you ((hugs))

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My heart and prayers are with you Jen. We love you and grieve with you.

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Jen - My heart and prayers are with you as well. ((HUGS))

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Dana