Sisters

February 2015 (Lena 39 months, McKinley 6 months)

In October 2014 we officially learned that McKinley is Lena's genetic sibling.  We had guessed as much since they have so many similarities: the shape of their mouth, the color of their eyes, the shape of their head, their noses, the way they sound when they sneeze, the fact that they both sneeze profusely in direct sunlight...I could go on and on...  The fact that they are genetic siblings is amazing for many reasons but primarily because McKinley, statistically, should never have been born.  

November 2014 (Lena 36 months, McKinley 3 months)

 Lena and McKinley were frozen in the same straw of embryos at the 2PN stage (18 hours after fertilization). (They were created and frozen together in 2006.) They were thawed at the same time in March 2011 and then spent 5 days together in a petri dish until they were blastocysts.  McKinley was then deemed by the embryologist as the "lowest quality" embryo of the three that were thawed and was refrozen.  Lena and her sibling (the embryo on the left) were transferred but we lost Lena's twin at 7 weeks. Three transfers later, in November 2013 McKinley was thawed again after having survived being frozen and thawed twice and was transferred and born 10 months later against incredible odds. They are now reunited again!

McKinley Jane and Lena Joyce together in a petri dish (the two embryos on the right) (March 2011)

McKinley Jane and Lena Joyce together once again at St. Jude (August 2014)

It was a very difficult decision for Dan and I to refreeze one of the three embryos instead of transferring all three.  I remember calling myself a "utilitarian" for choosing to refreeze McKinley to avoid jepardizing Lena and her twin by risking a triplet pregnancy.  I wonder now what would have happened had we transferred all three embryos at once...but McKinley and Lena are here now and together again! 

Lena loving on her sister in utero! 

A hug for McKinley when I was in my third trimester.

Excited to become a big sister!

Lena gets to touch McKinley for the first time.

Visiting baby sister on the day she was born.

Giving McKinley her Sunshine Bear

Holding McKinley for the first time and giving her the first of many kisses.

Lena didn't like having to go home with Grandma and Grandpa when we stayed in the hospital.  She insisted on giving McKinley a hug and a kiss before she left for the evening.

So excited to see sister during a hospital visit.

The big sister!  "She came out!"

A new companion to keep us company on our car rides.

Sisterly affection

Lena loves holding McKinley

Another chance to hold sister or "Little" as Lena calls Kinley

Kinley Jane hanging out in the boppy with Lena

On some nights Kinley joins Lena in bed for story time.

It will fun to watch these two miracle girls grow together.  They have come so far to both be here with us. 

Lena and McKinley with their Care Bears - Feb. 2015