A NOTE FROM STEVE

Howdy everybody.
Yesterday (Sunday 5/18) marked the 26th week of Christy's pregnancy. Each passing hour is a real blessing, as the babies continue to get stronger. Yesterday, the doctors actually allowed me to take Christy outside, in a wheelchair, for 10 minutes. It's the first time that she has seen the sun, felt the heat, heard the birds singing, and smelled the air in 23 days. She rejoiced as her dormant senses came alive outside. I could even hear her sing, "The hills are alive, with the sound of music"......as I twirled her around in her wheelchair. (smiles).

Christy has developed a real friendship with many of the nurses at the hospital. Sometimes when I call Christy in the evening, before bed, I'll hear laughing coming from her room. It sounds like a college sorority party. Christy definitely has a gift of making new friends very easily.

Thank you very much for all of your prayers during the past few weeks. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, as the babies need more time to grow and mature. Thanks, Steve

I just want to add a couple of lines to update you on Christy's condition as of today, Wednesday May 21. Her doctors are very pleased with her progress and the babies overall good health. Her doctors have set a short term goal for Christy of completing 28 weeks. Today she has completed 26 4/7 weeks, so she has one week and three days to go to achieve that goal. We are all praying and hoping for 32 weeks, which according to the doctors is about the same as for a full term single birth. The hospital staff have all been great, arranging ultrasound examinations so that we family members and friends have a chance to see the babies. I was so amazed to see the close up of their hearts and see the valves opening and closing. When I think of how small their little hearts actually are, it is pretty amazing to see what technology has brought to the medical field. Christy and Steve were able to visit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) today and to see several babies born prematurely, including one that weighed 200 grams less at birth than Christy and Steve's babies weigh now. This little one was doing just fine, giving us a lot of confidence that even if Madeline, Grace, and Nicklaus were to make their appearance today or tomorrow (not likely), they would also do just fine. Bernie