Birth Certificates...

Somedays, it just doesn’t pay to get up in the mornings. Today feels like one of those days… My heart is sore…

On September 1st, it will be 7 months since Nicholas was born… Yet, still no birth certificate. On September 16th, it will be 7 months since Sophia was born and, you guessed it: no birth certificate. Their death certificates arrived quickly, more quickly than I was prepared for, in March. In spite of the fact that we filled out the hospital’s paperwork, they (they hospital) have not submitted to Vital Statistics or the Social Security Administration. We’ve called VS and SSA, and neither can help us until HUP does their part and sends in the paperwork that we’ve already filled out, the paperwork they told us would be submitted in February, after our children were born. To make matters worse, their birth certificate line never has a real person answer the phone; it’s always a recording. We’ve left countless messages and no one ever returns the call. I am so frustrated.

Our children have baptismal certificates- hello??? You can’t baptize someone who has already died! Not to mention the fact that we held them and loved them and felt them- ALIVE! I don’t know what the deal is… I don’t know why this is taking forever. I realize that a piece of paper can’t bring my babies back. I know this. But it is another small reminder of the most precious gifts God gave us.

Peter says that he will call and leave a message every day until someone calls back. I think I may start a letter writing campaign. I want an answer! You gave us the paperwork, we filled it out and returned it, and you told us you would submit it and to expect their birth certificates and SS cards within 3-4 months. What gives???