Hollar Boys

I want to thank everyone so much for the prayers and support for this
family. The boys are doing well. They continue to grow with small
setbacks but are moving forward very well. Megan has developed a website
at http://www.firmlyheld.org. Please go to it for the babies' progress.
This website will stay up for awhile. It's primary purpose was to get
the word out and get people on their knees in prayer. Now that the word
is out, keep praying, but go to Megan's site.

Grace and peace, Kyle

"Family" redefined

I got to visit Megan today and she says thank you to everybody who have been following the boys' progress. "I am overwhelmed and blessed by the prayer support," she said and her mother said we have redefined their understanding of "family."

As of this afternoon the boys were doing fine. Jack still has extra oxygen but he is breathing it in on his own. When Megan visited, Jack was unhappy to be resting on his tummy but when she put her hand gently on his back he immediately quieted and would drift off to sleep as long as she was touching him. Tyler seems determined to wriggle out of his diaper at every possible opportunity. Megan says its incredible how distinct their personalities are despite their size.

Please continue to pray for the boys to thrive and to take and process nourishment well. Would you also pray that the paperwork necessary to get the boys on state insurance and children's aid would go through quickly and easily? That way what their primary insurance doesn't cover, the other two types will.

There are many people who are working around the clock to care for the boys. If you would like to send them a general thank you and encouragement the address is NICU, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, P.O. Box 1888, Bakersfield, CA 93301-1888. These are valiant doctors and nurses working under emotional conditions to nurture life and its always nice to know your efforts are appreciated.

More later,

S

Happy One Week Birthday

Happy One Week Birthday, Tyler and Jack!

The neonatal doctor told Megan today that they are doing "remarkably well" for their first week of life. The grandmothers report that the babies are active -- sometimes a bit too active to make the job of the neonatal nurses an easy one! Jack especially likes to disconnect himself from the sensors in his incubator. Tyler seems particularly responsive to his father's voice and will open his eyes and turn in Ben's direction when he speaks to him.

Jack is still being aided in his breathing by the respirator so continue to pray that his lungs will strengthen. Tyler is having trouble digesting mother's milk so pray that his digestive and eliminatory tracts would develop so he can handle breast milk (Jack is having no problems in that area). Pray that Megan and Ben can adjust to the hospital visitation schedule and rest well at home.

More soon,

S

Jack is okay

When the family reached the neo-natal unit it turns out that Jack had problem with blood gasses levels so the nurses had put him on a respirator because he wasn't breathing effectively. He is still breathing on his own, though! He is now breathing with help from the respirator to give him an easier time of it. Both boys are working "very hard" to do the physical things we take for granted but they don't consider either Jack or Tyler in any unusual danger for a preemie.

One of the grandmothers and I feel there should be another word besides "crash" to describe this kind of situation since the whole family mobilized instantly expecting the worst. Maybe "stumble" or "trip" but "crash" sounds so dire! We've been told to expect this to happen repeatedly.

One set of grandparents visited the boys yesterday and said that while Ben was talking to Tyler, he opened one eye and seemed to be listening!

They are cross-typing the boys' blood type as they will need a transfusion. Apparently, newborns and preemies do not produce their own red blood cells. As information on how to donate blood to the boys' account is made available, I will pass it on.

Thanks for speedy prayers!

S

Prayer Request: Jack crashed

Sometime between 8 a.m and 8:45 a.m. today, Monday, 3/19, Jack Hollar experienced a "crash" and stopped breathing on his own. He has been put on a respirator and the family is going in to donate blood. At this moment, Tyler is still functioning well on his own. Please pray for Jack to recover quickly from the crash and for Tyler (the smaller of the two) to stay strong and keep thriving. The family had been warned that with preemies this was to be expected but awareness of the possibility doesn't make it any less frightening for first-time parents. Please pray for their calm, peace, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit at this time for Megan, Ben, Tyler and Jack.

Thank you!

S

Gaining grams

Tyler and Jack were born Tuesday, March 13. They have made it five days without a "crash" (a situation where there is some type of organ failure). That is worthy of praise and a testimony to the power of your prayers.

Jack has gained a few grams in weight which is excellent for five days. Tyler has had some difficulty digesting breast milk so please pray that when reintroduced he will adjust to it quickly. Pray for both boys to gain weight (that is a key factor to determining when they can leave the incubators) and that neither boy will have a "crash" experience.

Their families have been able to get some rest this weekend and have had a chance to visit the boys. Please pray that everyone can adjust to the hospital visit schedule and interweave it with other life issues as this will be a long period of "expectancy" waiting for the boys to complete the development they would have undergone in the womb so they can go home and begin life with their parents as other babies do.

Thank you for your concern as part of the Body of Christ.

With awe and gratitude,

S

Rest is needed

It took longer than expected to get Megan released from the hospital today but she is with her mother and grandmother resting at home. It was understandably difficult to leave the hospital knowing the baby boys could not go home with their parents. Ben and his parents were planning on visiting Jack and Tyler tonight.

Everyone I have had contact with is extremely fatigued. Please pray that all members of the family will have the opportunity to rest deeply this weekend and to have their hearts comforted at having to be apart from Tyler and Jack. Please pray that Megan can supply ample milk for delivery to the hospital. Please pray for Megan's complete healing and for the boys to eat and digest well and to grow stronger daily.

The next expected update will be Sunday. If you would like to see a complete blog of updates about Jack and Tyler, go to http://thehollartwins.blogspot.com/ . If you are receiving these e-mail updates and would prefer to be taken off the list and just check the blogspot for yourself, please reply to Wordmom@aol.com.

Both grandmothers have asked me to extend the family's thanks for your prayers and concerns.

Yours in Christ,

S

Prayers Abound

Did you know that a large family of Canadian immigrants from China are praying for the boys?

Did you know that a convent of holy nuns in Austria have added the boys to their daily prayers?

Did you know that an international fan base who read the web-comic "Archipelago" have started praying for the boys because the author is a friend of Megan's and put out a request for prayer in her author's blog?

My praise and awe at God's ability to spread so much concern and love for such small fellows in a matter of hours increases day by day.

-S

First visit with Mom

Megan visited her sons today for the first time in the neonatal unit. The nurses lifted off the incubator cover and let her touch the boys and when she touched Jack's hand he grabbed her finger and wouldn't let go.

Thank you for your prayers!

Megan is off the IV and the plan is to release her from the hospital tomorrow and have her stay awhile with her mother and grandmother who live near the hospital.

The babies are now being fed Megan's milk through a tube and are keeping it down. Tyler has an easier time ingesting liquids than Jack. Tyler is also a very "active" baby waving his arms and legs about. Both babies are jaundiced and are under UV lights.

A lactation specialist was called in and she turned out to be a homeschooling friend of Megan's mother who remembers park days with Megan when she was in her early teens. She told Megan that her experience has been that boy premies have a harder time and that Tyler and Jack are exceeding all expectations in the neonatal unit. God has surrounded Megan with people she can feel comfortable with and who are encouraging.

Jack and Tyler are teaching us all that God's mercies are new every day!

-S

Tiny bodies, Big hearts

Would you like a peek at Tyler and Jack?

The neonatal nurse at Memorial has taken photographs of the boys and posted them at the following:

The Hollar Twins Pictures

There's a photo section, just click on that and you'll get to see a couple of photos of the babies taken shortly after birth. Keep in mind there isn't much in the photograph to give you a sense of scale. Tyler was born 1 lb. 2 oz. Jack was born at 1 lb.7 oz. Tyler was 12" long at birth (Jack is slightly longer) so just get out a 12 inch ruler and try to imagine a human being no longer than a foot. Speaking of feet, Ben says he can tell Tyler has the same kind of toes that Ben has. The boys came out of one amniotic sac so they are identical twins rather than fraternal. The diapers that they wear measure 3.5" by 2 ". Try cutting out a piece of paper that size and imagine wrapping a diaper like that around a person.

As of late Wednesday night the report was that it had been a very good day for the Hollar twins. They had been active during the day, accepted Megan's colustrum fed intravenously through their umbilical stumps, and had fallen happily asleep after their feeding. Grandma Angel and Ben got to see them in the neonatal unit. The hope is that today, Thursday, Megan will be cleared by her doctor to ride down in a wheelchair and see them for the first time. Pray for her to have peace and acceptance over not being able to hold her babies yet.

Grandma Kim got to visit with Megan and so did Hannah and I. Megan has been moved to an extraordinarily nice hospital room with a big glass door that looks out onto a patio with a tree. As of yesterday she was the only one in the two bed room so Ben could sleep there last night if he wanted. Pray for the parents and grandparents and siblings of Ben and Megan to get the rest they need to keep up with the new schedule of hospital visits.

Megan looked wonderful, and had a wonderful peace and graciousness and calm about her. She feels your prayers tangibly. She is very grateful for the staff at Memorial hospital and has a good relationship with the nurses that are helping her and the twins. All of her bio signs have returned to normal and she just needs to heal and rest.

Having past their second key hurdle of 24 hours, it is now a "day by day" challenge for Tyler and Jack to thrive. It is not uncommon for premies to "crash" and then be revived repeatedly in their first few incubator weeks but we are praying that the boys just rest and grow without any traumas or respitory failures. In the pictures you will see they have little oxygen masks but all yesterday they were breathing on their own, the masks were just there to give them a fresh supply of air.

Most remarkably, within the first 24 hours of their lives, Jack and Tyler were prayed for by what we believe to be hundreds of people in the U.S., Canada, and overseas. I am collecting stories about how believers have spread the word about these babies and about how their lives have immediately been used to witness to the glory of God. Not only will Tyler and Jack have a published record of their warm reception by the Body of Christ but everyone connected by prayer to them have reason to praise the grace of God.

Thank you for your part in this blessing!

-S

Inexplicably Well

Good news!

Megan was just moved out of Memorial's delivery intensive care to a regular room because all her vitals and bloodwork levels have steadily improved since last night's delivery. Other than the expected discomforts of recovering from the Caesarean section, she is expected to do fine from here on out.

Every report from the neonatal unit says the twins are doing unexpectedly and inexplicably well for their circumstances. They are even going to attempt to feed the boys tonight some of Megan's pumped breast milk so they can get the benefits of the colostrum. Please pray that the babies are able to accept the breast milk rather than be fed solely on IV. This would be extremely rare for premies their age but a wonderful development if they take to it.

Words cannot do justice to the gratitude of all the family and friends of these little guys. I am hearing the most wonderful stories of how those of you who received the original e-mails have been forwarding the information to every widening circles of prayer influence. I'm going to collect all the information to go in the boys' baby scrapbook. What an amazingly faithful family God has given us here and for eternity!

More as I hear it.

-S

First Hurdle Cleared

Blessings to you wonderful prayer warriors!

Tyler and Jack Hollar made it through their first hurdle, which for a premie is the first 20 minutes. The neonatologist says they are "fighters" and show neurological results that "exceed their age". They are small in size for 27 weeks of gestation and very fragile right now but they are breathing on their own with little oxygen masks over their faces.

The next hurdle is the first 24 hours so continue to pray that the boys thrive. Pray for Megan and Ben to have strength and wisdom. Pray for peace and physical strength for the extended family as they take on extra things and they have not gotten much rest.

The estimate for time in the incubators is three months. Circulatory system issues may come up for the babies so when I know what their blood type is and how they want to take blood donations I'll pass that information along.

The response of support and concern that has flooded in over these little guys is amazing and I thank you for your prayers and the number of you who used your own prayer chains to spread the requests even further. Megan and Ben read the Psalms together before going into delivery surgery and they have complete confidence in God's best for their boys. Ben has been able to visit the boys and says he can tell the difference between Tyler and Jack.

Angel is not home enough to reach by phone but will contact me with updates which I will post by e-mail. If you respond to the Wordmom e-mail address, I'll make sure Angel gets the messages. Many of you are wondering what can be done and I will let you know as soon as some plan of nurture has been laid out for the babies.

Megan told Angel while she was being prepped for surgery that she could honestly feel angels everywhere and the wash of prayers going out for her. Your prayers are making a difference!

-S

Day 1

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers. Between 10 pm and 10:30 pm Tyler Anthony Hollar and Jack Benjamin Hollar were safely delivered at Memorial hospital (both cried at birth which is a good sign I'm told for premies). Megan made it through the surgery with strong vital signs. I had a quick call from Angel at 10:30 that prayer had been answered and we'll know more about everybody's condition come the morning. Pray for the boys to thrive during their time of incubation. Again, your support was wonderful. I'll let you know if there's anything we can do for Megan and Ben.

-S