The Twins turn ONE!!!!

It is really hard to believe this day is here. Really hard. It was one year ago today that a little over two hours ago, Phillip Rush and Sydney Frances entered this world. I was just going in for an ultrasound, mind you...one of our favorite things. We loved going to see the babies. But, this one wasn't like the others. She didn't say much and then she said "Things aren't looking like they should be looking at this point." Not what an expectant mother EVER EVER EVER wants to hear. I immediately burst into tears. She got one of the doctors to come in to talk to us. So many words were flying around.. 33 weeks, Level 3 NICU, not measuring correctly, UAB, hospital, labor and delivery, transport by ambulance... and the list goes on and on. Phil and I left and went to Labor and Delivery... my home away from home over the last three weeks. They got me all hooked up and started watching those monitors like crazy. Dr. Marino was so calm, but he had a little bit of worried tone in his voice. He made the decision that they would be delivered that day. Rush was having decelerations in his heart rate and his small measurements meant there were some growth restrictions in there for him. He also only had 3 cm of amniotic fluid in his gestational sac. Sydney Frances, meanwhile, was as happy as a lark in there. "When?" Phil asked, "how long?" "In about thirty minutes," he said. It was the beginning of a long journey to get to THIS DAY!!! I got to touch their hands before they were taken by ambulance to the nearest Level 3 NICU. I really saw them and got to look at them when they were three days old. We survived a 6 (S.F.) and 7 week (Rush) NICU stay. I am a different person because of that experience. It changed the way I look at things, and I had the opportunity to see how very lucky we were to be able to bring those sweet babies home with us at the end of their stay. I also realize how very fortunate we are that they were healthy even though they were so tiny... healthier than most babies there. (I realize that this doesn't sound like a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" post at all, but we are getting to that!!! There are cupcake pictures coming.)I just wanted to take a minute to reflect on how far we have come! These pictures tell it all.





Top photo is Rush on Aug. 20, 2008. The rest are from my first visit to see them on August 23. Phil had been going on all the days in between to visit them. For a little perspective, the diapers they are wearing in the bottom three are "preemie" diapers. They were too big.

Now.. this morning we got to celebrate with these sweet, healthy one-year-olds!!





The cupcake t-shirts were made by my friend, Lynn! LOVE THEM!!!

And tonight, the celebration continued!





Then, the day ended with a fun visit from Granddaddy. He gave airplane rides and all! Rush didn't want him to stop!


I wanted to end with one of my all time favorite pictures of the two of them. This was the first night they were BOTH home from the hospital...sleeping so peacefully in the bassinet together. AT LAST!!! Sweet dreams!

Phillip Rush, 2 lbs. 12 oz., 6:46 p.m. (right)
Sydney Frances, 3 lbs. 13 oz., 6:47 p.m (left)

P.S. The birthday party is Saturday, so there is more fun to come!