This time last year Julie and I were enjoying her pregnancy and waiting for our girls to arrive. Just 365 days later, we spent hours walking around Toys-R-Us shopping for 1st Birthday gifts for our two girls. My oh my how things change...
In just a few days our girls will be one year old. Yep. Twelve months have flown by and now our little babies are well on their way to being our "little girls".
Looking back it's really amazing to think of all that has happened in just 12 months.
BACK THEN...
- This time a year ago we were told by Julie's doctors to "get to the hospital immediately". We grabbed a few things and began two sleepless nights waiting in the comfort of a small hospital room. A few days later Julie was being cut open, I was video-taping and Dr. Neill was pulling Chloe and then Sidney out of her swollen belly. Julie doesn't remember most of it but I will never forget that magical yet scary moment as long as I live. Our lives were forever changed in about 18 seconds.
- Sidney came home first. She was so little and our hearts were excited, nervous and yet broken as we pulled away with her in hand but leaving Chloe wrapped in blankets in her little incubator in the NICU. Sam and Max (our dogs) had been prepared to greet Sidney as we had been familiarizing them with their scent from blankets before we brought them home. Their lives changed too the moment we walked in.
- Chloe remained at AMH for the next two weeks. Days were emotional and long as we took turns visiting her 2-3 times a day, while I tried to get work done and Julie got over her surgery. Thanks to our mothers and fathers who helped us alot those two weeks.
- I remember the nights going up to see Chloe at midnight or later. Feeding her a bottle, praying she would hold her temperature and eat more so we could bring her home. I'll never forget how she would recognize my voice when I peaked into her incubator and said "Hey baby" as I gently stroked her skin. I'll still get tears in my eyes, as does Julie, when I think about those two weeks. She was just so small and so fragile. Yet, so strong.
- During this time Julie and I got used to getting up and feeding Sidney her bottle 2-3 three hours, burping and then rocking her back to sleep. It was a precious, yet tiring time. We were both thinking, "How are we going to do this with TWO in a few more weeks?"
- Then finally, Chloe came home to join her sister and be welcomed by Sam and Max. It was a great time for all 6 of us! We were relieved and felt more confident in being parents of little babies as Sidney played "parenting guinea pig" for us!
- Of course, we, nor most of you, can forget the wonderful world of
baby monitors the girls had to remain plugged in to for the next 2 months. By far that was more annoying than anything. They went off at nearly everything, which would alway scare the crap out of us. They were just a royal pain and a total waste of money. I even went as far as stuffing the speaker on the stupid things with paper-towels, yet tornado sirens were still quieter than they were.
- The scariest moment of the year came one night as Julie was feeding the babies upstairs. She had them placed in their positioners as was normal as she held the bottles in their mouths. I was downstairs getting ready for bed when Julie screamed "Brady!!!!! Something is wrong with Sidney!". I could hear the fear in her voice and I bounded up the stairs in seconds. Sidney was foaming at the mouth, eyes closed and convulsing. I grabbed her and suddenly she came out of it and spit up some food. We were both shaken and nervously watched her all night long. We learned later this was a "normal" occurence with premies. Still have no idea what it was though.
- Then the world settled down some and our new world of being parents of two, identical girl twins really took off. Our first outing was to Spagehetti Warehouse with my mom and dad. Then there were a few other outings. Along with that were the many people stopping us to ask, "are they twins?", "how do you do it?", "two boys?", or statements like "I can't even imagine!" or "double trouble!" as they laughed at what lie ahead of us. It was fun, but honestly got a little old too. (Since when did pink plankets, pink bows and pink clothes confuse people between a boy or girl baby? Anyway... )
- Shots and RSV were the next big thing as was the fear of SIDS. The first shots were no fun at all. We both cried as they screamed bloody murder. Yet, that was nothing compared to the horrifying eye-exam they got at 2 months. Dear Lord....that was terrible. The fear of SIDS went on for a few months and I can remember us both checking on them all the time. Making sure they were breathing and sleeping right. RSV kept us locked in the house for the next 4 months and drained us financially as the shots were $3500 a month and insurance would not pay for them! Except for a few family outings we bascially couldn't do anything outside our doors. Not even go to church together.
- For the first 6 months Julie and I rarely had time together. Either her or I slept upstairs most of the time as the other would sleep in our bed. The nights wore on as we tried to take turns getting up at 2 or 3 am and then again at 5 or 6am. It was crazy to say the least. Parents of one just have no idea. It's not double the work....it's 100% more work.
- The biggest event of the last year came the night when they both slept from dusk until dawn. I'll never forget jumping out of bed, in full fruit-of-the-loom gear (colored that is) and running upstairs in fear realizing how quiet the night had been. I rushed into their room, saw their bodies rising with their breathing and let out a huge sigh. Then it hit me.....they slept all night long! "Julie! We can sleep more than 2 hours in a row again!" I started preparing to build an altar in the house as a memorial and tribute to God and His greatness, but Home Depot didn't have the supplies I needed....it was a great thing though. Still is.
- The holidays were great as they began smiling and laughing some and were much more aware of their surroundings. Their first visit to see Santa at the mall was a real hit. Just another perfect photo moment. One of many that took place the last 12 months. (we have taken over 2700 photos in 12 months time...of just them!)
- The last 6 months have been incredible too. We've experienced them getting their first teeth, crawling, saying "moma", "dada" and "uh-oh", feeding them baby food with a real spoon and then watched as they learned to feed themselves
real food. (They love tea, Dr. Pepper and these little tasteless crackers).
- Now they are standing on everything, they play hide-and-seek with us, and laugh their tails off playing together or at us as we say "Boo!" and make faces. I love getting on the floor and crawling at them saying "Daddy is gonna get you!". They turn around in anticipation and take off trying to out-crawl me! Yet, they slow down on purpose so I can grab them and they can giggle to no end. It's truly one of the most amazing things. I had no idea how much joy I would get out of being a daddy. Especially to girls.
...AND NOWThings today are different yet the same in many ways. Sure there are the days of teething, or them being whinny and tired, and days with little or no naps, and yes, they are now into everything...but neither of us could ever imagine our lives with just one of the two. God has truly set our lives apart to be the parents of these two little angels.
Now their thing is pointing. Pointing at themselves, pointing at the dogs or trying to point the others eye out. It's hilarious. Other than that, ou
r lives have become "baby stoppers". Stop them from eating dog food, stop them from playing in the dogs water bowl, stop them from trying to climb up the stairs, stop them from chewing on the newspapers, stop them from dialing 911 on the phone, stop them from chewing on one of the dogs many bones or stop them from poking each other's eye out or stealing the others paci. I have a bad feeling this is only the begining too...
Not a day goes by when they don't make us laugh with something new. Sidney is so funny and always making hilarious faces. Chloe has the greatest deep laugh, cutest "twinkle smile" and is always trying to figure out how something does whatever it does. They are already great pals and you can see the "twin thing" every moment of every day. That is something they will always share that Julie and I will never understand.
As they turn one, we are sad in some ways that the days of rocking them asleep are nearly gone. Sad that they are well on the road of discovering their independence and wanting to figure it out on their own. Sad that they are growing so fast. Sad that they feed themselves now instead of us getting to...well ok, maybe not sad about that!
At the same time.....so many fun things are ahead and we can't even wait!
Happy Birthday Chloe. Happy Birthday Sidney.
You are loved. Thanks for the most amazing year of our lives.
Mom and Dad
r lives have become "baby stoppers". Stop them from eating dog food, stop them from playing in the dogs water bowl, stop them from trying to climb up the stairs, stop them from chewing on the newspapers, stop them from dialing 911 on the phone, stop them from chewing on one of the dogs many bones or stop them from poking each other's eye out or stealing the others paci. I have a bad feeling this is only the begining too...
