Ten

Yesterday, I found out that as of March 21, 2012 New York residents can receive a Certificate of Stillbirth.  The certificates can be issued retroactively.  Soon, I will have birth certificates for my boys Bennett (2/13/10 born @ 21 weeks 6 days) and Elijah (10/19/10 born @ 25 weeks.)

Any New York friends who need more information, please check out http://www.danielsstar.org/

To me this is a very important piece of paper.  It proves to the world that my babies may have been stillborn, but they were still born.  Both times, I left the hospital with nothing but a box of mementos and photographs.  I could not get a birth certificate.  I never received a death certificate, although I never pursued that.  How could you get a death certificate without a birth certificate?

I can't wait to tuck away Bennett's and Elijah's birth certificates with their siblings' certificates in our strongbox.

Ten certificates for ten little lives.