Sorry for the delay in getting some pictures posted.  It’s been a busy and exhausting two days!  And I’m typing this while battling very heavy eyelids.

Tuesday’s delivery went very smoothly.  J, me, and 22 (I think) members of the medical community gathered for the much-anticipated birth of L and N!  I was a little bit nervous about the Spinal and the C-section, but overall I had a great experience.  The medical team was wonderful, and thanks to their careful efforts, I’m feeling pretty good now as well.

But on to the interesting parts!

L was born at 12:22, weighing in at 5 lb 3 oz, and measuring 18.5 inches.

N was born at 12:23, weighing in at 3 lb 11 oz, measuring 17.25 inches.

Both boys were a little quiet at birth, but they were BREATHING ON THEIR OWN.

We had boosted their odds with steroids, but still had concerns about whether or not these guys would have the ability or the fight.  We were ecstatic when they arrived breathing independently.

They brought them each over to me for a quick snuggle.

Nonetheless, they wasted no time in moving the boys in to the NICU.  The baby parade went down the hall by the waiting room where they were able to woo the crowd.  (Papaw, Nana, Mipa, Mima, plus some Uncles, Aunt, and eager cousins!)  But only for a few seconds!  Then the boys and daddy got settled in to the NICU while I recovered.

During this time, our Pastor arrived and was able to pray with J and the boys, as well as come back to where I was recovering to pray with me, J, and Nana.   News was trickling in slowly, yet the day somehow flew by.

The boys have good lungs, and are breathing on their own.  N gets occasional boosts, but is still keeping up fairly well on his own.  Everyone is thrilled with this.

No attempts were made to feed on day 1.

Each boy had an EEG that will need to be interpreted.  This will help us analyze their brain activity, both for seizures and normal activity.  Each boy also has a spasm involving the right side of their face.  We’re not calling it a seizure at this time, and it is mild.  N is doing that more than L.  Luckily, he did it during the EEG so we’ll be able to compare that activity with the brain analysis.

Each boy has somewhat low muscle tone.   But they are still responsive.

The boys are BEAUTIFUL.

After a few hours, they let me head down to the NICU in a wheelchair.  So around 10:00 Tuesday night, I got in some snuggle time with the boys, and J read them a good night story.

Here’s my first time holding N…

And my first time holding L…

We think they look so much like big brother did.

Overall, at the end of day 1, we were exhausted, but very pleased with how the boys were doing.   All of the grandparents got to visit in the NICU, as did Uncle Jared.  It was unanimous…love at first sight.