Madeline

Here is Madeline, "Maddie", just seconds old.





Maddie was the 4th born of my quads. Weighing in at just 2 pounds 1 ounce and 13.5 inches in length. She was just a fiesty little thing.





Here is Maddie the morning after she was born, just 14 hours old, the nurses took this with a polaroid camera. Cute little button nose just like Samantha.



Look how blond she was. Just like Alexis. She is showing off her Ventilator used for breathing that first day. (Teddy and Bridgette would be on and off that ventilator for weeks)

Look at my sweet Maddie at just 2 days old. Showing her spunky personality and on the CPAP for breathing assistance. The next step up from the vent.

here is Maddie snuggled so sweetly in my arms. She is just 3 days old here.

She is looking at me like she knows something, I think she knew that her time here was short and she was telling me. She was so content in my arms. Oh if I only knew what was to come I would have held her all week, and not let her go.

Look at Maddie at just 4 days old, she was showing off that she had moved to high flow for breathing. WOW almost all the way to no breathing assistance. What a little fighter. This is my most favorite picture of her.

On day 8, September 13, 2008 at 12:00AM the phone rang. I started saying, "please let it be Don's work", I could not move to grab the phone, Don answered it. It was the NICU Maddie had some blood in her stool she was immediately started on atibiotics. I rolled over and thought, it's Maddie, she is doing awesome, she'll be OK. I was not prepared for what I saw when we got there that morning.

Day 9, September 14, 2008, the worst day of my life. They took a peek inside to see what turned her so criticle on day 8, why her stomac was so enlarged. Only to find out that half of her stomac had died and all of her intestines had died. This can't be she was so fiesty, so full of life, how can this be, please God please no.

We asked to have her Baptised as quickly as possible. They dressed her in a tiny little gown. So pretty.

Daddy's holding her timy little arm. I can see the love in his grip.

The Chaplain at the hospital is Baptising her.

I am still holding out for a miracle. God can do anything.

Oh baby girl, how I love you so much. You will be the most beautiful Angel in Heaven.

Daddy holding Maddie for the very first/last time. Sweet baby girl Daddy loves you so much, he can not find the words to tell you how much. Soon very soon you will find out.

We LOVE you!!

Mom is never going to let you go, I want to hold your sweet body forever. The Dr. is carefully removing the breathing assistance so Maddie can finish her earthly journey as quickly and peacefully as possible.

I know your spirit has left your body but I feel you all around me. "I just can't believe you are gone baby girl. Mom will see you each night in my dreams." You are free, you are running with Jesus and all of the Angels. September 14, 2008 at 12:21 PM the Dr. says the words no parent should hear in reference to thier child "Time of death.....". I could not breath, I felt like someone had sucked the breath out of me when he said those words, even though I knew you had left, I could not take hearing the words.

Monday September 22, 2008. We said goodbye to your physical body one last time. We celebrated being chosen to be your parents. It was a beautiful day, and the service was beautiful. You laid in the bassinet that your big sisters slept in as babies.

I made a slide show and Alexis and Olivia watched it over and over again, once in a while they aske to watch it now. you can view slideshow here.

We would later find out that Maddie's cause of death was NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis), she had the most severe form and had less than a 10% chance to get it because she was getting my milk, and an even smaller chance of having it so severe. I hope that one day with research they find a way to prevent this 100% so no parent has to go through what we went through.

And here is Maddie today. The silver urn holds her ashes and one day she will be burried with Don or I.

We will be walking today, Sunday April 25th, for the March of Dimes to help raise funds and awareness about prematurity.

Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. Our team is walking in March for Babies because we want to do something about this.

Please consider walking with us or making a small tax deductable donation: Click here to learn more or donate

Funds raised in March for Babies support research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And they will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.

Teddy

Teddy at just 3 days old



Teddy was the 3rd born of my quadruplets. At only 27 weeks gestation he came into this world weighing 2 pounds 9 ounces and was just 14.75 inches long. Teddy, lovingly referred to as Mr. Moody Pants, by me in the NICU, struggled almost as much as Bridgette. Teddy was on breathing assistance for over 6 weeks and also had a small hole in his heart, that also closed, thankfully, without the need for surgery. Teddy contracted viral mennengitis, a urinary track infection while in the NICU which kept him on antibiotics most of his NICU stay. Teddy would choke and turn blue on less than 1/2 teaspoon of milk when he started feeding. Teddy would hold his breath and turn blue when they would do anything to him. Teddy came home after 67 days in the NICU, the same day as Samantha only to return less than 24 hours later, from stopping breathing and turning blue. We would find out that it was sleep apnea of prematurity, had I fallen asleep he may not be here, I had to stimulate him until paramedics arrived. He was given a blood transfusion back in the NICU and came home for good 7 days later, the same day as Samantha and Bridgette. They all came home on monitors.

Teddy had to endure 2 cold and flu seasons of getting monthly shots to help give him antibodies to fight off RSV. To most adults and full term children this is just a comon cold to preemies it can be life threatening. Teddy's immune system will not catch up to a full term babies immune system until he is 2 years old.

Teddy is now 19 months old, and healthy, thank you Dear Lord, at 18 months Teddy weighted a whopping 24 pounds 9 ounces (a 22 pound weight gain from birth weight) and is 31 inches tall. He is also hitting every milestone for his actual age of 18 months.

Teddy still has a weakend immune system from being premature and is at a higher risk for getting really really sick with a minor cold. He also has a PFO in his heart.

here is Teddy now







We will be walking this Sunday for the March of Dimes to help raise funds and awareness about prematurity.

Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. Our team is walking in March for Babies because we want to do something about this.
Please consider walking with us or making a small tax deductable donation: Click here to learn more or donate

Funds raised in March for Babies support research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And they will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.

Bridgette

Here is Bridgette at just 10 days old.

Bridgette was the second born of my quadruplets. She weighed in at just 2 pounds 5 ounces and 14.5 inches long. Bridgette struggled the most in the NICU, she had a hole in her heart that thankfully cleared up without surgery, she endured many blood transfusions, she had a blood clot below one of her kidneys, Bridgette had stage 2 ROP while in the NICU, Bridgette had chronic lung disease, she spent almost her entire NICU stay hooked up to breathing assistance. She teased us with coming home on oxygen. She was given a couple doses of steroids a week and a half before coming home, which got her off of the oxygen. After 74 days in the NICU Bridgette came home. Unfortunately she had high blood pressure from the last doses of steroids, which called for weekly and biweekly home healthcare nurse visits to monitor her the first 2 months at home until her blood pressure became normal. Bridgette also suffered from reflux and was on medication for several months to help control it.

Bridgette had to endure 2 cold and flu seasons of getting monthly shots to help give her antibodies to fight off RSV. To most adults and full term children this is just a comon cold to preemies it can be life threatening. Bridgette's immune system will not catch up to a full term babies immune system until she is 2 years old.

Bridgette is now 19 months old, and healthy, Praise be to God, at her 18 month check up she weighed 21 pounds 8 ounces and 31 inches tall. She is reaching all milestones for her actual age.

Bridgette still suffers from a small stigmatism and may need glasses in the future, she also has reacurring torticollis, which can be from her placement in the womb and a sudden growth spurt, we are working on stretches with her. She also is very limber and double jointed another side effect from being premature. Also what I call "preemie Head", more narrow and long than an adverage full term baby.

Here is Bridgette now

We will be walking this Sunday for the March of Dimes to help raise funds and awareness about prematurity.

Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. Our team is walking in March for Babies because we want to do something about this.
Please consider walking with us or making a small tax deductable donation: Click here to learn more or donate

Funds raised in March for Babies support research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And they will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.

Samantha

Here is Samantha at just 15 days old.

Samantha was born weighing a mere 2 pounds 9 ounces and was 14.5 inches long. Samantha was our "All Star" in the NICU, she needed very little breathing assistance for most of her stay. Samantha has over come many challenges of being born so early. She was sent home after 67 days in the NICU only to be taken back by ambulance in the early hours of the morning from choking on reflux and turning black. Samantha received many blood transfusions and ended up with another one the day she went back to the NICU. She spent an additional 7 days in the NICU before returning home for good.

Samantha had to endure 2 cold and flu seasons of getting monthly shots to help give her antibodies to fight off RSV. To most adults and full term children this is just a comon cold to preemies it can be life threatening. Samantha's immune system will not catch up to a full term babies immune system until she is 2 years old.

Samantha is now 19 months old, and as healthy as ever at her 18 month check up she weighed 20 lbs and was 29.5 inches tall. And was reaching all of the milestones for an 18 month old.

Samantha still suffers from reflux and has tight muscles due to prematurity. She is currently in physical therapy to help stop her from tip toe walking.

here is Samantha now


We will be walking this Sunday for the March of Dimes to help raise funds and awareness about prematurity.

Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. Our team is walking in March for Babies because we want to do something about this.

Please consider walking with us or making a small tax deductable donation: Click here to learn more or donate

Funds raised in March for Babies support research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And they will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.