Happy Early Halloween!

I couldn't wait until Halloween to share all these pictures, they are all just too cute. The kids are going trick or treating in just a few days and they can't wait. As you can see from the pictures Emma is going to be a bride, Ella is going to be Dora the Explorer and Derek is going to be a black Knight. He doesn't have his dark sweats on in the picture but you can get the idea anyway.

We did our pumpkins. We have Homer Simpson, in honor of Emma's boyfriend Daniel aka Homer, Darth Maul from Star Wars because that is what Derek picked, and a little pumpkin with a face because Ella wanted her own pumpkin. Emma has a small pumpkin we haven't done anything to yet.

In Honor of a very courageous family

Many months ago we asked you to pray for our 'friend' Joel. He sadly did not make it and left this world in Jan. His parents have a blog and I suggest everyone check it out, their story is so very touching. Even after the doctors declared him brain dead they did not give up the fight to take their son home, they knew he was not gone, like the doctor said. He was still there, his heart was beating. He was alive. His heart finally stopped and he went to be with Jesus in Jan.

Well his family has a video out and I was lucky enough to get a copy. It was the most amazing video, about life I have ever seen. Their family is so full of love for each other and for God that it was just so heartwarming, and I feel blessed to have seen the video, and to be a part of their lives for the 33 minutes the video ran. They talk about the sanctity of life.

I cried, the entire time I watched it. It reminded me so much of the battle we have had with Emma, though ours was not a battle near as long and hard as theirs. It makes me hug her tighter, and I know even more now that her life is worth living, that life is important. Life means something, every life, and we should all fight for our children, and for their right to live it.

I just want to ask everyone to remember them in your prayers, they are always in mine.

Happy Birthday Emma (and Ella too!)

Its so very hard for me to believe that Emma and Ella just turned 3 a few mins ago! My how time has flown. They both seem like very big girls, but to me they will always be my babies. I will never forget the day they were born.

I was laying on the table getting ready for my c-section when it hit me, this was really happening, my girls were finally going to be here! I was so excited and scared all at the same time. It was still 9 weeks to early for them to come. Emma came out first and I had no clue. 10 seconds later they pulled Ella out and I heard her cry. They showed me her over the curtain and she was the tinest thing I had ever seen, so beautiful and perfect. I asked "Did the get the other one out yet" and Daddy said they are working on her. I had no idea Emma had been born first, she was silent. They were breathing for her. About that time they gave me some medicine that made me black out most of the day, but I do remember them showing me Emma all wrapped up on the way to the NICU.

Now when I say blacked out, I wasn't really blacked out. Apparently I was talking and throwing up and asking about the girls, I just have no memory of it. I do remember watching about 10 mins of Nascar that night. I was shocked my husband had remembered to turn it on, I asked him later and he told me I had asked him to put it on, but I don't remember that part at all.

Someone brought me NICU pictures of the girl, not sure if that was the 16th or 17th but the morning of the 17th I walked down and saw them for the first time. They were both so tiny. Ella was 3 lbs and 15 inches long. Emma was also 15 inches long and she weighted 3 lbs 6 oz. They looked like baby monkey's both were laying on their tummys and I remember seeing their skinny little shoulder blades and neither one of them seemed to have a bottom at all, a tiny little diaper was on them, no bigger than a maxi pad. They were hooked up to all kinds of machines, but I never felt scared. I kind of felt at peace next to them. In that warm NICU with the dim lights and all those cozy sleeping babies. I remember hurting from my physical pain, but my heart never hurt for the girls. Maybe because I was a preemie too, but I think it was God sending a sense of peace over me, so I could be there for my girls.

I held Ella about a week or two later. Emma well, I held Emma for the first time, really held her the day after Thanksgiving, the day Ella went home.

Since then of course, Emma has had all kinds of issues and is on her vent, but I thank God that we are blessed to share another birthday with her. The big 3. Ella told me before she went to bed "Mommy I free." lol. She is free yours old. My babies are free years old, and they are two best princesses in the world.

Nothing to say really

Just a quick update, not much to say really. Emma missed going to therapy and being reunited with Amy, who has been on maternity leave. I have been fighting 2 kidney stones so there was no way I could take her, Mommy was in too much pain.

She is doing wonderfully, I can't believe that in 3 days her and Ella will be 3 years old. They have come a very long way in their short little lives. Especially Emma and I am so very proud of her.

Check back on the 16th should have a big birthday post for her and Ella, plus if my kidney stones go away I will be going to the pumpkin patch at Derek's school so I might talk a bit about that.