2006 has turned out to be one of the best of my life. Now that I think about it with the twins and buying the house in Monte Rio, it's probably been THE biggest for sure. And here I sit writing this and I don't feel that much different than I did last year at this time...maybe a bit more tired due to the now 3AM feedings, but overall very much the same.
Then again maybe I'm delerious or demented. The days seem to melt together like a grilled cheese sandwich. One feeding and diaper change runs into the next and I have a hard time remembering details about what happened at the last one...or maybe it was the time before that...no... it was 2 days ago...yeah, now I remember.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
What's in a name?
How did we come up with the names? More than a few have wondered, so here it is in a nutshell.
Turns out we both decided on their first names and then each chose a middle name.
Poppy Sarafina Rose - Gina sent me a list of names she liked and her favorite was Poppy. It took a while, but the name really grew on me. Sarafina is a derivation of her Mother's name Sarah. And Rose is my Mother's middle name.
Matilda Hope Andreana - Matilda was also proposed on that list and it's a name that I've loved ever since the Steve Martin movie "A Simple Twist of Fate". There was an adorable little girl in the movie who was named, you guessed it, Matilda. Coincidentally, there is a distant Grandmother, and I mean distant, in Gina's family that also shares the name. Hope is a tribute to our first born Teagan Hope. And Andreana is a derivation of my middle name Andrew, which was also my Grandfather's name.
That's it in a nutshell...still it took us 4 days after they were born to commit to them.
Gotta go...Time to feed.
Turns out we both decided on their first names and then each chose a middle name.
Poppy Sarafina Rose - Gina sent me a list of names she liked and her favorite was Poppy. It took a while, but the name really grew on me. Sarafina is a derivation of her Mother's name Sarah. And Rose is my Mother's middle name.
Matilda Hope Andreana - Matilda was also proposed on that list and it's a name that I've loved ever since the Steve Martin movie "A Simple Twist of Fate". There was an adorable little girl in the movie who was named, you guessed it, Matilda. Coincidentally, there is a distant Grandmother, and I mean distant, in Gina's family that also shares the name. Hope is a tribute to our first born Teagan Hope. And Andreana is a derivation of my middle name Andrew, which was also my Grandfather's name.
That's it in a nutshell...still it took us 4 days after they were born to commit to them.
Gotta go...Time to feed.
The whirlwind cometh.
It was a day like any other day. I took a group of dogs out, came home, had a bit of something to eat and then we went to the hospital around 3pm. We sat in the pre-op room for about 2 hours while they ran an IV. The anesthesiologist, Paul, was the one that got the stick and turned out to be the favorite player in this game. He gave us the heads up about what to expect. I would be sitting with him, at Gina's head, behind the curtain.
"Can we take pictures and a video?" said I.
"There are signs posted that say you can't, but if anyone says anything tell them I said it was ok." he said.
The Grandparents -1 came in quickly to say hello and then headed up to the waiting room, then I changed into my "scrubs". Actually it was a paper-like fibrous suit that had so much static in it because of the weather.
Shortly thereafter (actually after our 5pm scheduled start time) we headed up ourselves.
Shelby had me wait in the hall while she brought Gina into the O.R. to get her prepped for surgery. Not more than a couple minutes later she came out and said they were letting me in early. I think it was Paul that gave the ok on that, too.
I was told not to touch anything...ANYTHING, so I just stood in the middle about 3' from anything.
Gina got her spinal and I got into position at beside her head. The surgeons suited up, washed up and came in.
Dr. Green was the primary surgeon. She did the proper introduction of the other surgeon that would be working with her and qualified him, them, as the team that has probably delivered more twins than anyone in San Francisco...at least at CPMC. She did introduce the co-surgeon, but never herself. Gina had appointments with her but I wasn't able to attend so I didn't know her from those. And when I say never introduced herself, I mean, not in the O.R., not in the hospital room when she was making rounds, not in the hallway. I still haven't "met" her! I mentioned it to a couple of the nurses and they weren't surprised at all! If I had anything to complain about it would be that...and that nobody really checked the juice machine to see if it was low or out of concentrate so they could defrost some more and have a continuous supply (good thing I worked in a restaurant and knew how to use the microwave!) but that's all.
Back to the story...They put a cover on Gina that had some sort of adhesive "window" that was placed over her belly, where they were going to do the c-section and unfolded it over her legs and towards her head, where it was clamped up to become the curtain. It was perfect because I didn't really want to see what was going on "down there".
So Paul, took a video of us while we were waiting for things to begin. The teams that would take the babies and clean them up came in and were in position.
I smelled something funny, like buring hair and thought it was just the heat lamps above where the girls would be placed to clean them. Then I hear Dr. Green say, "I went in right through the old scar." Turns out that buring hair and skin smell quite similar. I know that sounds awful but the scalpel cauderizes the incision as it cuts to prevent bleeding.
So Dr. Green says, "Time." And Paul says, "I've got 51." I am sitting there, camera running and waiting for them to hold the girls up over the curtain when I hear, "Daddy, do you have your camera ready."
With that, I stood up and was in time to see Baby A being pulled out and flipped down onto Gina's legs. The put the first clamp on the umbilical cord, then the second and then a cut, followed by a pass of a very floppy, flailing baby to the first team for clean up.
From where I was standing I had a great shot at them wiping her off and suctioning out her mouth and bundling her up, amidst a constant cry, one of the most beautiful sounds EVER!
Gina was craning her head, trying to get a glimpse of her.
I turned the camera back just in time to see them cutting the cord on Baby B and then the pass of her, also floppy and flailing, to the team that would clean her up. Now there were beautiful sounds in stereo.
Gina said I was sobbing when I saw them...If I was it isn't on the video, not even the audio, so I don't believe it! I was definitely tearing up, maybe even crying, but not sobbing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
So they bundled them, in a big poofy Christmas Story down jacket sort of way, and brought them over so we could see them and I had the honor and privelege of holding one for the first time, again Paul got it on video. We were both crying and then they put them into a crib together and said this baby train is leaving. So I got onboard and headed for destinations unknown while they finished the surgery.
We passed 3 of the grandparents enroute to the Wellness Nursery.
Once inside, didn't let up a bit. The girls were quickly taken from their lucite crib, unwrapped and placed under a warming element like a cheeseburger and fries waiting to go out to the table. They were each weighed and measured. Matilda was 4lbs 8oz and 18" long, Poppy was 4lbs 0oz and 17" long. They put ointment into their eyes, gave a vitamin K injection, manipulated their legs to check their hip sockets, pricked their foot to test for blood sugar levels and gave them a bottle. I don't know how long this took, but it seemed like 2 minutes.
There was an Asian family looking at the girls as they were checked out and boy did they look happy. It dawned on me that I should call the grandparents and have them come down to the nursery to get the first glimpse of the new arrivals.
In no time their familiar faces were peering in...their noses might even have been pressed against the glass!
So I'm rolling video with my right hand and snapping pictures with my left and the grandparents are taking pics looking in. And it's a good thing we have the documentation as the whole thing was, and is, such a blur.
So I leave the nursery and stop to visit with the 3 grandparents (the Trio) on the way to Recovery to see Mommy. Of course they want to know names. We had managed to keep them secret until now...mostly because we hadn't really decided on them. So I tell them that one is named Matilda and the other is Poppy.
They weren't thrilled. They weren't even amused. The looks on their faces spoke volumes, and immediately wanted to know if they could call them something else. To which I blurted out, "You'll call them what we say you'll call them!"
It was a rude and defensive reaction on my part and it hurt feelings, for which I'm sorry. But this was the happiest day of our lives and I was just told, in not so many words, "we don't really like the names you've chosen." Gina's dad thought she was kidding when she told him the names.
It must be generational...the grandparents and their generation don't much care for their names but our friends love them. Interesting...very interesting. Kind of like when I had long hair!
So the grandparents went to get some dinner and I went to Recovery to see Gina. While we waited for Gina to get discharged to her (our) room, I called her Dad and told him the good news.
We finally made it up to the room as the Trio was coming back from dinner with their pet name for Matilda...Tilly. Little did they know that Gina and I had came up with the same pet name for her while in Recovery.
As I finish this it's 2 weeks later and I can't remember if I went to the nursery to get the girls or if they brought them in to see us. It's all such a blur.
A 4 day blur with a few lucid moments!
That first night I learned how to hold them for feeding and burping, how to change their diapers, where to get lemonade, how to find the nursery, how to make up the cot, 2 ways to swaddle.
Mostly we just looked at the girls. Little hands, little feet, tiny noses. Beautiful, just beautiful. Much like our time spent with Teagan, we just marvelled at their beauty and perfection and the miracle that they are.
There was a lot of that the entire time. It was all so surreal but in the end we got to take them home with us.
Reality has hit...usually around 4 in the morning these last couple of days! A little sleep deprivation and I'm having a hard time thinking straight!
"It's only temporary"...that's what I'm told. That is more like a mantra...no...
Maybe it's more like a prayer... does anyone know if there's a Saint for peaceful nights and restful sleep?
"Can we take pictures and a video?" said I.
"There are signs posted that say you can't, but if anyone says anything tell them I said it was ok." he said.
The Grandparents -1 came in quickly to say hello and then headed up to the waiting room, then I changed into my "scrubs". Actually it was a paper-like fibrous suit that had so much static in it because of the weather.
Shortly thereafter (actually after our 5pm scheduled start time) we headed up ourselves.
Shelby had me wait in the hall while she brought Gina into the O.R. to get her prepped for surgery. Not more than a couple minutes later she came out and said they were letting me in early. I think it was Paul that gave the ok on that, too.
I was told not to touch anything...ANYTHING, so I just stood in the middle about 3' from anything.
Gina got her spinal and I got into position at beside her head. The surgeons suited up, washed up and came in.
Dr. Green was the primary surgeon. She did the proper introduction of the other surgeon that would be working with her and qualified him, them, as the team that has probably delivered more twins than anyone in San Francisco...at least at CPMC. She did introduce the co-surgeon, but never herself. Gina had appointments with her but I wasn't able to attend so I didn't know her from those. And when I say never introduced herself, I mean, not in the O.R., not in the hospital room when she was making rounds, not in the hallway. I still haven't "met" her! I mentioned it to a couple of the nurses and they weren't surprised at all! If I had anything to complain about it would be that...and that nobody really checked the juice machine to see if it was low or out of concentrate so they could defrost some more and have a continuous supply (good thing I worked in a restaurant and knew how to use the microwave!) but that's all.
Back to the story...They put a cover on Gina that had some sort of adhesive "window" that was placed over her belly, where they were going to do the c-section and unfolded it over her legs and towards her head, where it was clamped up to become the curtain. It was perfect because I didn't really want to see what was going on "down there".
So Paul, took a video of us while we were waiting for things to begin. The teams that would take the babies and clean them up came in and were in position.
I smelled something funny, like buring hair and thought it was just the heat lamps above where the girls would be placed to clean them. Then I hear Dr. Green say, "I went in right through the old scar." Turns out that buring hair and skin smell quite similar. I know that sounds awful but the scalpel cauderizes the incision as it cuts to prevent bleeding.
So Dr. Green says, "Time." And Paul says, "I've got 51." I am sitting there, camera running and waiting for them to hold the girls up over the curtain when I hear, "Daddy, do you have your camera ready."
With that, I stood up and was in time to see Baby A being pulled out and flipped down onto Gina's legs. The put the first clamp on the umbilical cord, then the second and then a cut, followed by a pass of a very floppy, flailing baby to the first team for clean up.
From where I was standing I had a great shot at them wiping her off and suctioning out her mouth and bundling her up, amidst a constant cry, one of the most beautiful sounds EVER!
Gina was craning her head, trying to get a glimpse of her.
I turned the camera back just in time to see them cutting the cord on Baby B and then the pass of her, also floppy and flailing, to the team that would clean her up. Now there were beautiful sounds in stereo.
Gina said I was sobbing when I saw them...If I was it isn't on the video, not even the audio, so I don't believe it! I was definitely tearing up, maybe even crying, but not sobbing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
So they bundled them, in a big poofy Christmas Story down jacket sort of way, and brought them over so we could see them and I had the honor and privelege of holding one for the first time, again Paul got it on video. We were both crying and then they put them into a crib together and said this baby train is leaving. So I got onboard and headed for destinations unknown while they finished the surgery.
We passed 3 of the grandparents enroute to the Wellness Nursery.
Once inside, didn't let up a bit. The girls were quickly taken from their lucite crib, unwrapped and placed under a warming element like a cheeseburger and fries waiting to go out to the table. They were each weighed and measured. Matilda was 4lbs 8oz and 18" long, Poppy was 4lbs 0oz and 17" long. They put ointment into their eyes, gave a vitamin K injection, manipulated their legs to check their hip sockets, pricked their foot to test for blood sugar levels and gave them a bottle. I don't know how long this took, but it seemed like 2 minutes.
There was an Asian family looking at the girls as they were checked out and boy did they look happy. It dawned on me that I should call the grandparents and have them come down to the nursery to get the first glimpse of the new arrivals.
In no time their familiar faces were peering in...their noses might even have been pressed against the glass!
So I'm rolling video with my right hand and snapping pictures with my left and the grandparents are taking pics looking in. And it's a good thing we have the documentation as the whole thing was, and is, such a blur.
So I leave the nursery and stop to visit with the 3 grandparents (the Trio) on the way to Recovery to see Mommy. Of course they want to know names. We had managed to keep them secret until now...mostly because we hadn't really decided on them. So I tell them that one is named Matilda and the other is Poppy.
They weren't thrilled. They weren't even amused. The looks on their faces spoke volumes, and immediately wanted to know if they could call them something else. To which I blurted out, "You'll call them what we say you'll call them!"
It was a rude and defensive reaction on my part and it hurt feelings, for which I'm sorry. But this was the happiest day of our lives and I was just told, in not so many words, "we don't really like the names you've chosen." Gina's dad thought she was kidding when she told him the names.
It must be generational...the grandparents and their generation don't much care for their names but our friends love them. Interesting...very interesting. Kind of like when I had long hair!
So the grandparents went to get some dinner and I went to Recovery to see Gina. While we waited for Gina to get discharged to her (our) room, I called her Dad and told him the good news.
We finally made it up to the room as the Trio was coming back from dinner with their pet name for Matilda...Tilly. Little did they know that Gina and I had came up with the same pet name for her while in Recovery.
As I finish this it's 2 weeks later and I can't remember if I went to the nursery to get the girls or if they brought them in to see us. It's all such a blur.
A 4 day blur with a few lucid moments!
That first night I learned how to hold them for feeding and burping, how to change their diapers, where to get lemonade, how to find the nursery, how to make up the cot, 2 ways to swaddle.
Mostly we just looked at the girls. Little hands, little feet, tiny noses. Beautiful, just beautiful. Much like our time spent with Teagan, we just marvelled at their beauty and perfection and the miracle that they are.
There was a lot of that the entire time. It was all so surreal but in the end we got to take them home with us.
Reality has hit...usually around 4 in the morning these last couple of days! A little sleep deprivation and I'm having a hard time thinking straight!
"It's only temporary"...that's what I'm told. That is more like a mantra...no...
Maybe it's more like a prayer... does anyone know if there's a Saint for peaceful nights and restful sleep?
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The twins are 1 week old.
Well it's been a week and this is really the first time I've had a chance to write. This has been such a great week even with the lack of sleep. I love my family.
What have I learned this week?
How to feed, how to burp, how to swaddle, how to change a diaper, how to hold the girls. The learning curve is quite steep when thrown into it.
The scariest part of this week was when Poppy spit up and it came gushing out her nostrils. Talk about panic. And I mean everyone freaked out starting with Poppy as she struggled for air, followed a millisecond later by Gina. So we also learned how to use the "bulb" to suck the gunk out of her nose. Gina has become much more calm when it happens.
We learned that we weren't doing as good a job as we needed at burping so we have become more thorough at it and now don't really have the spit up problems.
It's off to bed now as I have a 4am feeding but I'll write more soon.
What have I learned this week?
How to feed, how to burp, how to swaddle, how to change a diaper, how to hold the girls. The learning curve is quite steep when thrown into it.
The scariest part of this week was when Poppy spit up and it came gushing out her nostrils. Talk about panic. And I mean everyone freaked out starting with Poppy as she struggled for air, followed a millisecond later by Gina. So we also learned how to use the "bulb" to suck the gunk out of her nose. Gina has become much more calm when it happens.
We learned that we weren't doing as good a job as we needed at burping so we have become more thorough at it and now don't really have the spit up problems.
It's off to bed now as I have a 4am feeding but I'll write more soon.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Surprise!
As Ty Penington would say: "Welcome home, Baby Girls. Welcome home."
We were all discharged from the hospital yesterday, even Poppy. There was the possibility that Matilda would come home with us and Poppy would have to stay in for a while, but she proved that she could put on weight and so they were happy to let us bring them both home.
Now both are sucking down their bottles like they've been in the desert for 36 weeks! Well maybe not that bad, but still quite quickly. It took a while to figure out which nipples we should be using and which formula to use for which but I think we've got it figured out.
We were all discharged from the hospital yesterday, even Poppy. There was the possibility that Matilda would come home with us and Poppy would have to stay in for a while, but she proved that she could put on weight and so they were happy to let us bring them both home.
Now both are sucking down their bottles like they've been in the desert for 36 weeks! Well maybe not that bad, but still quite quickly. It took a while to figure out which nipples we should be using and which formula to use for which but I think we've got it figured out.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
I promise more...
I'm having a difficult time getting a signal at the hospital, I'll write more and post more pics when I can.Thanks for all the comments, we love them.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
One last look.
We had our last NST today. Our last chance to see the girls before they arrive.
It really is difficult to imagine how big they're actually going to be based on what is on the screen. If it were actual size, they'd be HUGE! The foot we saw was big, like about 2.5-3" long. But we could see toes... they looked like pudgy little toes. And long fingers, or so they seemed. We'll find out in 2 days time.
We have been so fortunate to be able to see the girls develop during this pregnancy. It has allowed me, and I'm sure Gina, too, to bond with them in a completely different way. I can't feel them the way she can, obviously, but I could see them and all their bits. It's also been reassuring because we were able to see they were developing properly. It's really been quite awesome.
Everyone asks if I'm getting excited. I've been excited for about 35 weeks, 6 days but I don't have that belly full of caffeine feeling...yet. I don't know if it's going to start tomorrow, or on Thursday morning, or when we are going into the O.R., or I first see them, or the first time I get to hold one of them. I do have a sneaking suspicion we aren't even prepared for the whirlwind that is about to hit us. Sure, everything is stocked up and in it's place, but as soon as the girls get dropped in the middle of all this organization it'll be a different story. .. I'm guessing we won't even have time to notice.
It really is difficult to imagine how big they're actually going to be based on what is on the screen. If it were actual size, they'd be HUGE! The foot we saw was big, like about 2.5-3" long. But we could see toes... they looked like pudgy little toes. And long fingers, or so they seemed. We'll find out in 2 days time.
We have been so fortunate to be able to see the girls develop during this pregnancy. It has allowed me, and I'm sure Gina, too, to bond with them in a completely different way. I can't feel them the way she can, obviously, but I could see them and all their bits. It's also been reassuring because we were able to see they were developing properly. It's really been quite awesome.
Everyone asks if I'm getting excited. I've been excited for about 35 weeks, 6 days but I don't have that belly full of caffeine feeling...yet. I don't know if it's going to start tomorrow, or on Thursday morning, or when we are going into the O.R., or I first see them, or the first time I get to hold one of them. I do have a sneaking suspicion we aren't even prepared for the whirlwind that is about to hit us. Sure, everything is stocked up and in it's place, but as soon as the girls get dropped in the middle of all this organization it'll be a different story. .. I'm guessing we won't even have time to notice.
Thank you Saint Jude.
Have you ever been looking through the classifieds and seen this? I have, but never knew what it meant. I now know.
Being raised Catholic, Saints are normal to me. If you aren’t familiar with them, they are people that performed miracles or were martyred while living and have performed miracles in death. They all have an area of “expertise”, if you will, and can be petitioned to help. It’s sort of like asking a friend to pray for you, but as a Saint, they will pray directly to God on your behalf... sort of like whispering in His ear!
Saint Jude helps out when all is hopeless. I will tell you that I know first hand, the power of prayer and St. Jude’s intercession.
I said this for Teagan's pregnancy and we were blessed with an Angel. 2 months later we went to New Orleans, to the police memorial, which used to be a Catholic church. There we visited the largest statue of St. Jude and in his shrine, like so many others, we slipped our written requests under his statue, and said a prayer for his assistance. Here in the City we've visited his shrine at St. Dominic's and lit a candle, and prayed for his assistance. At home we have a St. Jude candle that we burn for him and I'm sure more than a few prayers have been said over it. And then there's the Novena, a prayer to St. Jude asking for his help, followed by 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be and 1 Sacred Heart...said 9 times per day for 9 days. With Teagan I prayed the Novena for more than 27 days (just to be sure.) With the twins I prayed the Novena 1 time (9 days).
For 36 weeks we've been blessed with the miracle of Life, watching the girls grow and develop literally from embryo to birth this Thursday. Do I believe St. Jude played a role in this blessing? Absolutely. So I give thanks to God for our daughters, all 3 of them, and a special thanks to St. Jude for his "whisper".
As part of seeking his assistance I am to make his name and works known, in the hopes others would seek his assistance should they find themselves in a truly hopeless situation.
I pray you should never need his help, but if you ever find yourself in such a situation don't be afraid to ask.
The prayer is known as a novena. It is said 9 times a day for 9 days. There are many versions which can easily be found on the web, I found these at www.stjudenovena.org. Being Catholic, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria are also part of my novena. This is what I prayed:
“Holy Saint Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all Who seek your special patronage in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition, (insert what you are praying for). In return I will make your name known and cause you to be invoked. Saint Jude pray for me and all those who invoke your aid, amen."“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kindom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as weforgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, amen.”
“May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved, and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. Saint Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. Saint Jude, helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Amen.”
Now repeat 8 more times.
Don't forget to give thanks for the many blessings in your life, and there are many if you take time to recognize them.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, THURSDAY!!!
I can't believe we're, that is to say, Gina, is going the full 36 weeks...to the day! Are we ready? I'd like to think so...probably not.
The house is decorated for their 1st Christmas. The nursery is ready, wet wipes in the warmer, tiny diapers in the basket, sleepsack in the crib. All the bottles have been washed and are ready for sterilization.
Still, the whirlwind of those that are our greatest blessing is still unknown.
This weekend it's just about relaxation, maybe a mani-pedi for Gina, getting the decorations up and tying up a few loose ends before the big day.
Be sure to "tune in" on Thursday night, as I'll be posting the first pics of the girls here as soon as I can take them and get a signal with my cell phone to upload them. That's right, I get the exclusive scoop and you'll get to see them before anyone who hasn't visited before you!
The house is decorated for their 1st Christmas. The nursery is ready, wet wipes in the warmer, tiny diapers in the basket, sleepsack in the crib. All the bottles have been washed and are ready for sterilization.
Still, the whirlwind of those that are our greatest blessing is still unknown.
This weekend it's just about relaxation, maybe a mani-pedi for Gina, getting the decorations up and tying up a few loose ends before the big day.
Be sure to "tune in" on Thursday night, as I'll be posting the first pics of the girls here as soon as I can take them and get a signal with my cell phone to upload them. That's right, I get the exclusive scoop and you'll get to see them before anyone who hasn't visited before you!
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