Special Announcement
Welcome Abigail James and Bethany Estelle to our family!
They’re Here!
We’ve been meaning to sit down and write this for a few days, but… we have newborn twins, so you understand.
The short version: God is faithful. Both girls are here, Jen is doing great, and we are absolutely wrecked with joy.
Here’s the longer version, because y’all have been on this journey with us and you deserve the full story.
How It Went Down
After a long, genuinely high-risk pregnancy, the day finally came to induce. By 11:30pm on May 8th, both babies were on the monitor, labs were drawn, and the epidural conversation was underway. The plan was in motion.
By 2am on May 9th, Jen was already at 5cm, had a working epidural, and was locked in. She even managed to get some sleep — which, honestly, is a miracle all its own. By 7am she was at 7cm and fully effaced, moving fast.
Then came the moment we’d been waiting for:
Abigail James McKenna arrived at 10:20am — 3 lbs, 13.2 oz of perfect.
Bethany Estelle McKenna followed at 10:29am — 5 lbs, 9.8 oz and clearly not skipping meals.
Nine minutes apart. No C-section. Bethany was a breech extraction, and it went smoothly. Both here.
Initial APGAR scores were low (3s for each), which is honestly expected at 34 weeks — but both girls climbed to 4s, then to 7s. By 11:15am we had two healthy babies and one very strong mama recovering in post-delivery care.
Where Things Stand
Abigail and Bethany went straight to the NICU — not because anything went wrong, but because 34 weeks means they need a little extra runway. By the evening of May 10th they had already stepped down to the continued care nursing (CCN) unit, which is a huge deal. That’s fast progress!
Their only job right now is to feed, gather strength, and grow. They’re doing exactly that.
As for the nearly-two-pound difference between them? It mostly shows up in face shape. They look remarkably alike — Bethany’s just been working on her winter coat a little longer. Abigail will catch up quick, especially at the rate Jen has been producing milk for them.
The Sweetest Moment
Around 6:30pm on May 9th, our big girls — Ellie and Emmie — got to see their baby sisters for the first time over FaceTime. Ellie told Lolli “they’re so sweet, I’m gonna cry.” Then later, unprompted: “Lolli, I can’t stand it for the babies. I just miss them.”
And Emmie, ever the one to cut right to it: “Aggibell is mine.” (We’ll work on the spelling later.)
By the next afternoon they were at the hospital — badges in hand, officially certified big sisters — visiting Abigail and Bethany in the NICU. That evening, Josh and Jen got to hold both girls at the same time. First photo of both twins together with mom and dad.
Hearts Divided
Jen has been discharged, and we’re home — hearts stretched between our four girls. We loved on Ellie and Emmie our first night back and slept hard in our own bed.
We’ll be heading back to the hospital daily to deliver milk and spend time with Abigail and Bethany. They’ll likely be in the nursery for the next four weeks or so as they keep feeding and growing toward that magic “ready to come home” threshold. Ellie and Emmie still have school until May 19th, which will help keep the days moving for them.
The Bigger Thing
This pregnancy was hard. The worry was real. We leaned on a lot of prayers from a lot of you, and we felt every single one of them.
But here we are on the other side, and we can only say what we’ve been saying since 10:29am on May 9th: God has been so faithful.
Abigail and Bethany are beautiful. Ellie and Emmie are smitten. Jen is a warrior. And we are so, so grateful.
More updates to come as the girls keep growing. Thanks for loving our family so well — keep the prayers coming as Jen heals and as we figure out how to love all four girls well from two different places. Thank you for loving our family well!