Good Reports

This past week both Melissa and the twins had doctor's visits. Melissa was doing so good that Dr. Purdy said she can drive again and can also resume light housework. People around here can not believe how good she is getting around and how good she looks.

Kennedy & Kaitlyn went to see Dr. Byram on Thursday and are looking wonderful. Kennedy weighed 6 lbs and Kaitlyn weighed 5 lbs 11 oz! They are gaining weight wonderfully and beginning to look more alike every day. And yes, we all still have problems telling them apart!

Girls Doing Good

Just got back from Rush Hospital (great hospital to have babies in btw!) where the girls had to have a recheck of their Billy Rubin count (to test for jaundice). They both had great scores and are looking fine. Kennedy has a really bad diaper rash, but other than that they and Melissa are doing well. And yes, they finally let us get some sleep last night (Friday). Hopefully that will continue! :)

They're Here!

Yes!! After 37 weeks and 2 days of waiting Kennedy & Kaitlyn have arrived on the scene! I apologize for taking so long to get this posted, but do you know how hard it is to find wi-fi connections in Meridian!?

Here's the facts:

Kennedy Lynn Knippers

6 lbs, 1 oz. ~ 19.5 Inches ~ 6:58 pm

Kaitlyn Jean Knippers

5 lbs, 3 oz. ~ 18 Inches ~ 7:01 pm

This pic was taken only a few hours after they were born, and no it is not posed! Yes, they were naturally holding each other's hands!! Talk about a twin sister connection! (BTW, Kennedy is on the left and Kaitlyn is on the right.)

To bring you up to speed on how this week came about, Monday, June 16 was the beginning of VBS at our church. Jason was at work when Wilma (Melissa's mother) called his cell about 10:00 am. Melissa was not feeling well (she had been having pains all night) and had begun vomiting several times during the morning. Jason talked to Melissa and told her to call Dr. Purdy's office and see what they wanted her to do. They wanted her to come to the OB floor at Rush for observation. A c-section was scheduled for Tuesday, June 24th, but needless to say we were all ready for them to come on and get here- especially Melissa.

They determined Melissa was dehydrated and they started treating here with IV fluids. They had her discontinue her three medications she was on around the clock to control the contractions (remember we had been to the hospital 4 times since April for pre-term labor). However, this is normal (we are told) around the 37th week anyway. 

So it seemed that she was going to be treated for the dehydration and released. (You mean we have to come back and go through this all again!?) However, around 2:00 or 3:00 her contractions started coming back with a vengeance.  Dr. Purdy was not on call, Dr. Seale was. And while we were glad Dr. Seale was there (we've always liked him), of course Melissa was somewhat upset that Dr. Purdy would not be there if something did go ahead and happen.

Well, something did go ahead and happen. Around 4:30 pm, we found out that Dr. Seale had scheduled Melissa for an emergency c-section. She was definitely in labor and being at term, there was no more need to wait. Now, while we were all glad to hear this, we also did not have any cameras, no video camera, nothing as we went to the hospital more for vomiting and not contractions. So, pics will be somewhat limited at first, but trust me, we will post everything we have.

Around 6:00 pm, to our joyous surprise, Dr. Purdy pops in the door. It seems that Dr. Seale had stopped by his office and let me know he was fixing to do a c-section on Melissa. Dr. Purdy had nothing else going on so he said he would do it with Dr. Seale assisting. God answers prayers!!! Dr. Purdy is fabulous (Dr. Seale is pretty good himself!) and if you are in need of an OB-GYN in East Central Mississippi, you need to se him. Thank you Dr. Purdy!

So, they continue to get Melissa prepped and around 6:30 she is wheeled back to the OR. Lynn, Jason's mom, was able to get to the hospital around 6:00 pm so she was in time for the delivery. And at 6:58 Kennedy was born followed by Kaitlyn at 7:01 pm on Monday, June 16.

Melissa and the girls are both doing fabulous. We have to go back tomorrow (Saturday) for a repeat blood test for the girls' Billy Rubin (sp?) level (to test for jaundice). But as far as we can tell, they are both looking great.

Everyone came home Thursday (which was a very sleepless night!) and we are beginning to settle in to a routine. Obviously, we will continue to post (as long as we have an internet connection! LOL)

Thank you so much to all of our friends, family, and church members for your prayers, gifts, food, and support. They have all been felt very much.

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Great Report

Went to see Dr. Purday again yesterday (Tuesday, June 10) and everything is looking great. Melissa is still fully closed and measuring 43 weeks. Both babies had good heartbeats. 

We are still set for delivery on Tuesday, June 24th. Melissa is continuing to have contractions, but they ease off with the medication.

Pray that we don't have to make another hospital run until it is time as Dr. Purdy is not on call anymore (and we don't trust two of the other doctors!)

I'm Coming to Ruston

Forgot to mention in the newsletter, that I will be in Ruston from June 29 to July 3 for StudentLife Camp at Louisiana Tech. Can you believe I said I would never again stay in those dorms! Never say never!!

I would love to visit with all of our friends while I'm there. Let me know when's a good time. 

Of course I will have plenty pics of the twins! :)

Thanks, Neal!

If you have a Mac (which any person in their right mind should! :) you can post directly to your blogger account from your dashboard by using this cool widget!

Thanks to my friend Neal Breeding for sending me this link!

Maybe now I will actually write a lot more!

Happy Anniversary!

Today, Monday, June 9, marks 7 years of marriage for Melissa and myself!! It's hard to believe it has been that long. And yes, after 7 loooong years of waiting, I finally got our wedding video finally edited. Thank you to all of you who were there and oh yeah, especially for the interesting comments in the "interview" reel!

Contractions, Hospital Runs, and Still No Twins! Oh, My!!

No, K & K are still not here (I'm sure that's what you thought when you first got this email. We have had some close calls (the latest being this past Saturday, June 7). Melissa's contractions were 4 minutes apart. We drove to Rush Hospital in Meridian (trust us, you don't even get a band-aid from Newton Regional!), got a Breathine (sp?) shot, contractions stopped, and came home. This was better than on Mother's Day weekend where Melissa had a 3 day stay in the hospital to get the contractions stopped.

She was 36 weeks as of this past Saturday (June 7) and the babies at the last ultrasound weighed 5 lbs 11 oz and 5 lbs 13 oz. We go for another doctor's visit tomorrow (Tuesday, June 10). Dr. Purdy's goal is for neither baby to visit the NICU at all. He is hoping to push Melissa at least to the 15th. We believe that if she starts having a contractions after the 15th then he will go ahead and take them. If not, the girls will be here no later than Tuesday, June 24th. That is our scheduled delivery. Of course, it will be a c-section.

Continue to pray for Melissa (she has been on bed rest for 3 months now) and is very tired. Both girls are doing fine. Chloe is very excited and ready for her sisters to get here. Jason is just wondering how to survive with 5 females (if you count our dog) in the house! :) Of course, he is excited, anxious, and ready as well for his "new princesses" to arrive.