Well we always knew we wanted to have a family.
We knew Shannon was getting deployed to Iraq.
But we wanted to have him when he's tried to start a family.
We ended up getting pregnant with twins.
We were thrilled.
Shannon ended up with going over to Fort Bliss on his way to Iraq.
I was healing great.
Pregnancy was going great.
The babies were growing perfectly.
But halfway through at 23 weeks I started feeling a little strange.
Went to the hospital, found out that I was in labor.
They're going to try to stop the contractions.
Ended up going in a full labor at the next day, having the babies before my husband even
made it home.
And then we went down and got to see the babies together for the first time in NICU and it's
just been a crazy, crazy whirlwind ever since.
They were so, so small.
I think Patrick weighed 1 pound 7 ounces and Paige weighed 1 pound 5 ounces and Paige was
struggling more than Patrick those first couple of days.
Got you on your first video Paige.
Show up for the camera.
She had fought so, so long.
I mean six days she had fought every single day.
And we knew that Children's was going to be the best place for her to be and that if she
could be helped and she could be made better that this would be the place that would do
it for her.
When we got here, Paige just took a turn for the worst.
They took her off all the supporting machines and let us hold her and it was really a special
moment for us horrible of the moment as I was and you know as a mom, you would never
wish on any one.
The hospital really made it a really special moment.
When Patrick came to us, he was very, very sick.
He came in the emergency surgery.
Boy, he's come a long way.
You know, when Irene would probably fed up around arm.
He was teeny teeny tiny.
So far he has had three surgeries, but he's gone through all of them stronger.
So I usually try to come around nine in the morning and I leave about eight or nine in
the evening.
I feel worse, when I'm out, I wouldn't be here.
So I know what's going on, I know how he's doing.
I couldn't imagine not being here every day.
And a situation like this with other people taking care of your baby, they need to, you
want them to.
They could be hard to feel like a mother, so it's really nice to be able to help and
change his diaper and give him a bath and put his clothes on.
Because it gives you that sense of you know, bonding and the connection with your baby
and you being able to fell like the mom you want to be.
His dad, since he's in Iraq, he can't be here, we had this little doll made up and we put
his picture in it.
I can see him.
Hey big guy.
I know he does feel some kind of disconnect as he isn't here to see him every day.
So we have been able to Skype a couple of times, so he can see Patrick and see what's
going on.
His hands look bigger today.
Yeah.
It's been amazing what the doctors and nurses have been able to do for Patrick.
He's come such a long way and the best thing is, me being here every day have gotten to
know a lot of the doctors, and a lot of the nurses.
And they really truly treat your child like it's their own.
Patrick started at 1 pound 7ounces and he's 3 pounds 5 ounces today, a little over two
months later.
That's not too bad.
But he'll probably be here for several more weeks.
Learning to do these two things, gaining enough weight to hold his temperature and learning
how to eat by mouth.
He is such a little fighter.
And he's made it through so much already that I know he's going to be great.
And that's the one thing we will make sure that he always remember and always knows that
he has a little sister.
He's going to be happy and we're going to be happy together.
It's an amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing comparison to when he was first born.
It's been 10 weeks ago.
Born at 23 weeks, he's now 33 weeks, corrected age.
And he looks like a baby now.
He's acting like a baby.
Before, he was still developing.
He was not meant to be, you know, outside of the womb.
So, it hard to see him like that and everything he has been through, three surgeries now.
And he still has a long way to go.
He still has, you know, obstacles ahead of him, but I'm starting to see the light at
the end of the tunnel.
And it's very helpful.