Happy 6th Birthday P & P!!

As of 11:09 and 11:10 tonight, by babies will be 6 years old! While life before them seems forever ago, it is still hard to believe that they are this old. Kindergarten is drawing to a close, and milestones are giving way to daily learning and maturing. You know, the gradual kind that leaves you wondering how they went to spelling "Thornsbrough" to impress their birthday guests, to signing it (or some other last name :) to their checks!

If you care to read on, here is a short version of Peyton and Paige's birth. I had been in the hospital in early January for 6 days, home for a month, and went back again in eary February. After being in the hospital for over two weeks the second time, I felt like it could go on for a while. We had set goals for putting off the birth. 36 weeks seemed impossible, so 34 weeks was a goal I had set. That would have been mid April. But the first important goal to meet was to make it to 28 weeks. 28 weeks is a huge achievement that makes a difference in how well a preemie does. When I was first hospitalized, I was 20 weeks, not even compatible with life. The second time, 25 1/2 weeks, a time when major complications are more likely, God again allowed the labor to be stopped. I was given a great deal of grace and peace from God that my girls were going to do well. Early Friday morning, February 25, I was awoken by my water breaking. Labor did not start, so I was placed on antibiotics and closer monitoring. Several hours later, an ultrasound would reveal adequate fluid levels even in the one ruptured water sac. The wait continued, but not for long. That evening, Brad and I were watching TV, and what must have been the other sac ruptured. This time, labor began and was not stoppable. From there, labor progressed quickly and Peyton was nearly born before the c-section could be done (necessary because Baby B was breech). So Peyton Amanda (2 pound 6 1/2 ounces) and Paige Elizabeth (2 pound 5 1/2 ounces) were born by c-section while I was under general anesthesia. We brought them home exactly 9 weeks later, 3 weeks before their due date. We had a rollercoaster ride in three seperate NICU's before it was over, but we were and still are incredibly blessed by their good health.