Happy Birthday, Anna and Steven!!!

Happy Birthday to the best brother and sister in the world! We fight all the time, but I love you both! 

April 13th, the day they came home.

 So, in honor of Anna and Steven’s 15^th birthday, I will explain why Anna and Steven are miracle children.  I mentioned in this post that my brother and sister were miracle children. You ask why? Anna and Steven are twins. They are 3 ½ years younger than me. Your next question is how do you remember this? Well, I have heard many stories, but as I was told by my child psychology teacher the other day something as traumatic as this was will always be remembered because it had such an impact on my life. 

Welcome Home banner made by workers of Tender Years.

 Anna and Steven’s due date was mid May. Well, instead of waiting until then, they decided that February 18 would be a great time to come. Rewind one week, my mom went into labor the day before Valentine's Day, and was immediately rushed to Jackson to University Hospital. They were able to stop labor, but the question was for how long?  Only one week. During that week, my mom was put on STRICT bed rest and was told not to get very far from the hospital. Thank Jesus for family. She arranged to stay with her sister until the twins were born. Fast forward to February 18, I remember that day so vividly like it was happening yesterday or something. My dad and I had just gotten back from seeing my mom. We went to some friend’s house for dinner. While eating dinner my dad received a phone call, it was my mom she was at the hospital. There was no stopping labor this time. Anna and Steven were about to enter the world. While I stayed with friends and family, a man from our town along with his brother flew my dad to Jackson to be with my mom.  He did not make it for their birth. He was there after. The question then was will they survive? That was a HUGE question, one that could only be answered after they were born.  My sister weighed 2 lbs. and 12 oz., and my brother weighed 2lbs. and 9oz. Anna was the sickest out of the two. She had blood on her brain and needed an external brain shunt. She was on a ventilator. Steven was only on a ventilator. They spent 2 months in NICU. My mom would go on Thursday afternoon after she finished school and come home on Sunday night. She spent her days in the hospital and night with her family, either one sister or her parents.

Seeing them for the first time in our own house, and not the hospital.

 Your next question is where was I in all of this? Well, let’s just say I spent a lot of time with babysitters, my mom’s sisters and her best friends. They took care of me. They got me to daycare and home. My dad of course was there too, but he worked during the day, and sometimes long days so it would be very late when he got home. 

My favorite thing to do. Hold a sleeping baby. I was so pretending in this picture.

While all of this was going on, my parents were also trying to move into a new house. My poor mother had no idea where any of her things where when she got home because we had so many volunteers and friends helping us move in, so when the time was right Anna and Steven would come home to that house instead of our old house. 

Anna and Steven's first Christmas.

 I truly believe in the power of prayer. My sister never would’ve made it.  She may have weighed more than Steven, but she was the sickest. Lots of prayer went on while they were sick. I can NOT even begin to imagine how my mother felt going through all of this, as well as my dad. They are both proof that our God performs miracles every day.

This is normally what life looked like.

 Looking at both of the now, you would NEVER believe that they had a story like this. They are healthy teenagers about to start driving. SCARY. It makes me feel old too. HA! 

Anna and Steven's 2nd Halloween.

 So with all of that being said, 

I joke a lot about you both crashing my world, but hey, what can I say?? I was an only child, and I was the only grandchild on one side that lived close enough to be spoiled, but my life would never ever be complete without the two of you!! 

Happy Birthday, Anna! I love you! You are my best friend even though we fight a lot.

Happy Birthday, Steven! I love you! You can beat me up now. I guess I should’ve been easy on you when we were younger.

I hope you both have an awesome birthday. My life would not be complete without you both. Anna you’ll always be the baby, and Steven you’ll always have to be the referee in the middle of our fights!