Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Winlock-area Firefighter-EMT Patrick Jacobson finally got to hold one of his new twin babies over the weekend, three weeks after they were born but about three months before they were expected to arrive.

Jacobson, 22, and his fiance Ashley Estep, 23, became parents of twin boys the morning of June 12, long ahead of their expected due date of September 28.

The premature infants will stay at Tacoma General Hospital at least until the end of September.

Estep was only 24 and a half weeks along when they were delivered by emergency C-section, Jacobson said.

Until Saturday, the couple was welcome to touch the tiny babies, but weren’t able to hold them, Jacobson said.

Jackson Andrew Jacobson was born just 12 and one-quarter inches long and weighed one-pound seven ounces.

Kameron Kent Jacobson was exactly 12 inches long and weighed in at one-pound eight-ounces, Jacobson said.

They’re doing okay, but the doctors say neither one is out of the woods yet, according to Jacobson.

“If they’re not having a good day, they’re having a good moment,” he said describing the way the nurses talk about it.

The biggest issue is their lungs are not yet mature and the babies are both on ventilators, he said.

By Thursday, each gained about six ounces: “They’re slowly growing, but they’re growing,” he said.

Jacobson, named last year’s firefighter of the year by the American Legion Post 101 in Winlock, is making the more than hour long drive after his shift each night to be with them and their mother.

He works full time with Lewis County Fire District 15.

Estep, who works at Wal-Mart in Chehalis, is staying at an apartment especially for families that live far away and have children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

A friend of the couple has set up a donation account at Anchor Bank in Wal-Mart, to assist them financially; Jacobson with extra fuel expenses and because Estep isn’t working.

Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter

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