Happy Independence Day to all our readers. We wish you a safe and happy holiday!

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According to doctors, the average weight of a healthy baby is approximately 7 ½ pounds at birth. On Tuesday, June 17^th, a set of well-above-average-weight babies entered the world at a hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina weighing a total of 23 pounds, 1 ounce combined! The boy, Sean William, was born first and was the smaller of the two- tipping the scales at 10 pounds, 14 ounces. His sister, Abigail Rose, weighed a whopping 12 pounds, 3 ounces. They are said to be healthy and in excellent condition. According to their mom, “They’re big and healthy and quiet- except when they’re hungry, which is often.” She also said, “We weren’t ready for how big she [Abigail] was at all.” The hospital staff had to bring in special nursery clothes for baby Abigail because the ones on hand simply were too small.

The babies were born at 38 ½ weeks via C-section only two minutes apart to proud parents Joey and Erin Maynard of Winston-Salem. The twins’ big brother, Aiden Joseph (2 ½) wasn’t a small baby at birth either- weighing in at 10 pounds, 7 ounces. The 36-year-old mom said she was a “little tired, but hanging in there“, just a few days after the delivery. Rightly so, being only 5 ft, 10 inches tall and carrying over 23 pounds not that long ago! In fact, Erin was likely carrying much more than that. When you add in the extra 1-2 pounds for the placenta (or 1-2 for each placenta, if they didn’t share one), the 2+ pounds for amniotic fluid and the weight of the enlarged uterus, she was carrying nearly 30 extra pounds! And this isn’t counting the extra maternal breast tissue, increased maternal blood and fluid in the maternal tissue or the maternal fat stores.

Remarkably, as heavy as twins Sean and Abigail were, they didn’t break the record. They are said to be only the second-heaviest set of twins ever born in the US. According to the hospital, they were about 4 whole pounds shy of the combined weight of a set of Arkansas twins delivered back in 1927. They weighed a hefty 27 pounds, 12 ounces total. But, there was no public records found for any heavier twins born since 1900. According to a doctor from the hospital where the twins were born, the biggest of the Maynard twins, Abigail, was already the size of the average 6-week-old baby only three days after her birth. Now, that’s a big newborn!

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Our prayers go out to Christian music artist, Stephen Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth who lost a daughter on Wednesday, May 21st. Five year old daughter, Maria, was playing in the driveway at their home when an older brother didn’t see her while driving his SUV. She died later at an area hospital from her injuries.

The Chapman’s have a real heart for those in orphanages in China. After having three biological children, they adopted three additional children from China, Maria being the youngest. They continue to do missionary work in orphanages there. As a mother of both young children and teenagers who drive, I can only imagine the pain the Chapman’s are going through. Pray for this family as they go through this difficult time. The following is a statement on the Chapman website.

Maria Sue Chapman (2003-2008)

Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday night in a tragic accident in the family driveway on Wednesday evening. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital but for only reasons God can explain she went home to Him… not to Franklin as we all so desperately wanted.

Your prayers are needed for all in the Chapman family. This is a family who has so generously loved and given to so many. Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman’s completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago. These words are unthinkable to type. - Jim Houser (Manager)

In lieu of flowers, the Chapmans request any gifts be directed to Shaohannah’s Hope.

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