Twin Day!

All of you who know me are aware that I love children.  I spent my professional life with children - tons of them.  However, I have never had children of my own.  I have never known the joy of seeing my very own newborn brought to me seconds after being born.  I just haven't been able to understand all the hoopla!

Today I took Erica to her doctor's appointment in Jacksonville - a very early appointment but it's better that way because we don't usually have to wait as long for her to see the doc.  Since it was getting close to the arrival of our two little grandsons it is better that she not go alone.  Uneventful visit - mention of some small contractions but no big deal.  We decided to go on to Gymboree to exchange some items and then have lunch at Ruby Tuesday at the mall.  As we walked to the car Erica said, "You know....I feel like I'm leaking."  WHAT???  Eeeek!  Okay, stay calm, this is not a big deal....

We drove around Jacksonville the looooooong way to avoid the traffic from a terrible accident on I95.  I only called John about 6 times to get directions. Seriously. We made it to the hospital about 2 p.m.  I dropped her off, parked the car, took a very deep breath, and found the right elevator to the third floor.

Erica was taken immediately back to something they call "triage."  Sounds like something from ER to me and made me think of highway pile-ups or tornado victims arriving by the dozens at a hospital while George Clooney scrubbed for surgery. I was told to wait in an area where a sign read "Mothers Only - Visitors Must Wait in the Family Waiting Area."  Okay.

John, Jr. arrived and they hustled him back to Erica.  What seemed like a short time later several official-looking medical folks in scrubs came scurrying by and I overheard the words "twins" and "operating room" in the same sentence.  I jumped up like a shot - not an easy feat, by the way - and went back to the admissions lady.  Luckily for me, she was a nice admissions lady and found out that Erica was in the operating room. She sent me down a very empty hallway to wait and said someone would tell me when anything happened.  A nurse came by and took me down the hallway even further.  She said, "Wait here!  They will come by here."  At that moment I heard a baby cry - so loud!  I said to the nurse, "That is a really loud baby!"  She said, "Honey, that is YOUR baby!" 

Well, I can't tell you the feeling that came over me at that moment.  Standing in that empty hallway, knowing that a precious little boy that belongs to our family had just entered the world - our world - was just overwhelming. 

Shortly after that, Baby B was born. Yep, I heard him as well. Double joy! 

In what seemed like hours - maybe 20 minutes - the big double doors opened and John was there in his pretty green outfit.  Two thumbs up and "Everyone's doing great!" brought tears to my eyes. 

Later, when John and I stood glued to the nursery window we watched as the nurses did their important jobs with those precious little boys.  So this is what it is all about, I thought. 

Happy birthday, Trevor and Zachary!  We love you already!