Doubly Blessed

When I was driving to my doctor's appointment on Wednesday, I was thinking about Puxatony Phil and if I was lucky, he wouldn't see his shadow today and I'd get my warm weather back. I sure wasn't thinking that 2 new additions would arrive to our family on the 2nd day of the 2nd month. Seems like a good day to have some twins!

Cold, and a little nauseated, I went to my weekly NST (non stress test) for the twins. As I warmed up in there, the nurse came in and commented, "Oh. You had a few small contractions register. Did you feel them?"

Hmmm..let me see. I have two big babies trying to make room in my belly. I can't breathe. I feel two sets of feet literally KICK me and my intestines frequently each day. I'd say anything registers at this point. Actually, if that irritability was in fact a contraction, then I'd say I've been having them for a few weeks (but stronger the last few days).

After that, she sent me next door to my OB with the test results in hand. Honestly, I wasn't even thinking of the possibility of having these two until at least the next week. I was waiting for him to say, "No big deal" and send me home.

Oops.

My Bad.

Instead he exclaimed excitedly, "I think you're going to have some babies today!"

Excuse me?...

Come again?...

Oh Boy...

And Girl!...

That was it. From there on everything just sort of happened. I was checked in to the hospital (and just in time because they soon found I was dilated to a 5 and quickly effacing). I called my mom. I called my husband. My cousin came and took the baby (I guess he's technically the Big Boy now) and we were off!
I couldn't believe that by that night, I'd be holding these two kidlins in my arms instead of my sore, miserable belly. Only a few hours later they were drugging me up and dressing Chase up in fun Operating Room attire.
From there time flew. I was there, but not all the way. I just kept thinking of how fast everything was going, much like their pregnancy and everything up to this point. I was thinking of how we walked into this hospital a family of three and leave a family of FIVE.

Digest that.

FIVE!

No turning back now.

Right about the time I wanted to jump off the table and scream, "Wait! I'm not ready. Leave them in!" I heard the doctor proclaim, "...And we have a beautiful boy!" Immediately a woosh of emotions came over me (it's the hormones people!) and the tears began to flow. They didn't stop as I heard his cry. THE best sound I think I've ever heard.

Kurt didn't cry. Because of his breathing, he was whisked away to the NICU and it was the longest night of my life. Hearing this sound meant so much to me.

The nurses were yelling out numbers, the doctors busy cutting (and yes, Chase was in there with his two newly sharpened and sterilized pocket knives. One for each) and the pressure they were talking about was taking my breath away.

The nurses quickly took him to his station to clean him up. Even though he was in the adjacent room, I held on to the sound of that cry and followed it mentally wanting so badly to be with him.
I concentrated on that cry and nothing else until I heard, "Happy Birthday Little Girl!" a round of oohs and ahhs and then the sound of Chase shuffling over to cut her cord with (what will someday be her) pocket knife. They took her too and soon all of the commotion around me was focused in the other room.
I heard, "Look at all his curly hair!" and "Wow! She's so blond!" It was pure torture hearing them oogle over these two when I thought- I carried them. It was MY body they were invading. It should be ME canoodling them. Yet, even if I wanted to my body was stuck. Luckily, they did a "drive by" and zipped them past me in their little cribs (like I can see them while lying flat on my back like a pancake! It was a nice gesture though).
When I asked how much they weighed the nurses responded happily, "They're both 5 lbs +. Isn't that great?!" I thought, "Isn't that small?!" Now, after spending so much time in the NICU, I realize anything more than 2lbs is considered pretty large for preemies.
I was surprised to see that Baby A (Baby Boy) grew larger then his sister at the end. He's always been behind. Way to go Little Man! He came out weighing 5# 12oz. and 18" long. She's right behind him (can you see the competition already?!) with 5# 1oz. but, she's 18 1/2" long. It's all that space she had to kick him.

As they were leaving, they handed her to Chase and let him bring her to me to at least kiss and look at. I couldn't believe how unbelievably small and wonderful she was! Right away I knew she was a Shillig (my husband's side) and (Shay, get ready for this) has little Morris girl features (yea!) I love this photo of her and Chase. Even with the mask on, you can see the smile in his eyes. Already Daddy's Girl.
That night, Chase was valiantly sleeping in their room in the NICU. He regularly updated me (I wasn't allowed to walk yet) with texts and pictures. I was so jealous, yet so grateful for what a great Dad he is so quickly and intuitively. I tried to pretend I was sleeping (who sleeps that first night? I'd like to know! With regular checks every twenty minutes, massive amounts of pain pills and blood pressure checks it's a wonder we even make it the next 24 hours!) The next morning, as soon as I received my clearance (like they were going to keep me from them!) I went down to meet them.

The two of them, in their tiny little incubators with all of their tubes makes me realize how special they are and how they were suppose to come to us. Right now. Someday we'll know why. For right now I just love looking at their tiny little bodies and how they don't even do their big spirits justice. These two are going to move mountains. I can tell.

They are doing so well! After only12 hours, Baby Boy is off oxygen (Baby Girl never needed it) and within 24 hours they're both off antibiotics and IVs. They still need their feeding tubes (as eating is new for them and they're still learning). Although, I am ecstatic to see them latch on the first time and BOTH nurse beautifully (although we have to skip each feeding and feed them only through the tube every other because after all that work, they can't quite nurse every three hours. Just too much).

Baby steps, Baby steps.

SO, without further adieu...May I introduce Baby Boy:
(otherwise known in the NICU as "Peanut")

*Vance Rodney Shillig
("V-Rod")
Born 2/2/2011
5:16 pm
5 lbs. 12 oz.
18" long

And, trailing closely behind....Baby Girl (otherwise known in the NICU as "Peaches" because of all the light blond hair all over her little body):

*Ava Dessie Shillig
("Ava Dess")
Born 2/2/2011
5:19 pm
5 lbs. 1 oz.
18 1/2 " long

*Clarification on names we chose
Anyone who knows us well knows that we've been struggling to find a common name we both agree on for Baby Boy. I have my favorites, and Chase has his but they never once matched up. I have worried about this daily and even here in the hospital, everyone asks if we've found one yet. Sure we've found plenty. Just not a single one we've agreed on.

It got so bad that the nurses in the NICU simply refer to him as "Peanut". They too would like to know his name (ladies, if I knew, I'd tell you!). Tonight, in utter frustration I told my husband that we were not ending today without a name for this little boy. Back and forth, back and forth the names flew. Chase had decided he now (in respect for the holiday that day) wanted to name him Puxatony Phil. I knew it had to be soon or I may just say yes to that! Finally, Chase started searching out his family names and we've come up with Vance Rodney. Now, realize we have not officially signed the birth certificate yet, so that may change. Whatever his name, know that we love him just the same.

Baby Girl:
As soon as we knew it was a girl, we had a name we (wonderously) both liked and settled on right away. Once we found out they were twins, however, we knew we had to use my Grandmother, Dessie's name somewhere in there (she had the other set of twins in the family). Since that particular name didn't really "fit" with her name, we were on the look out for a replacement (don't worry, we're still saving that original name for later). Ava was a name we overheard somewhere and couldn't think right away of any Ava's that we knew, but both agreed that we liked the way it sounded with Dessie. Around Christmas time she was affectionately referred to as "Ava Dess" and it just stuck.

It's been an exhausting, but a wonderful few days.
I'm tired, but counting my blessings.

Just a few days ago, I was rubbing my sore belly trying to wish the pain away when Chase turned to me and said, "It's not a lamp you know. No genie is going to come out and grant you three wishes".

Jokes on you, Babe. He did just that.

Three little wishes.
All came true.
Kurt, Vance & Ava- we know they're you.

Love, J'me (Otherwise known in the NICU as "One Tired Mama!")