Six years ago today I asked the labor and delivery nurse to wake my husband up, I was ready to deliver the twins. There was deep snow outside the windows of the Bellingham Labor and Delivery room.
I asked her for two tylenols and within minutes was ready to push Baby A, Thomas William McMillan, into our OB's hands. Six pounds and thirteen ounces of sweet baby!
Twelve minutes (.... long .... minutes...), the ultrasound on my belly showed Baby B had not turned head down. And without missing a beat, the second OB calmly told me to take a deep breath, and she reached to find two feet and delivered Liam Scot McMillan, our footling breach. Seven pounds and one ounce.
Sorry for the details, but one person out there I'm sure likes a good labor and delivery story.
Names in our family mean alot. Hannah and Nathan are both old family names on the Schlagel side of my ancestry. Hannah's middle name is her grandma Ilene's. Nathan's middle name is his father Michael's name. Thomas was one of my favorite cousins growing up and his middle name is my father's name. Liam is the last four letters of my father's name and his middle name is Colin's middle name (and yes it's Scot with one two, old school scottish). Three names are Hebrew, Hannah (Grace of God), Nathan (Gift of God), and Thomas (the Twin).
The twins were born on the 12th month, 12th day and 12 minutes apart. Which today is even more wonderful thinking it's 12/12/12 for their 6th birthday! Tommy's teacher shared that it won't happen again for 100 years, what a neat date today is.
Liam stayed on oxygen support most of the first day. I really missed not being able to hold him but that rush into the world didn't help his lungs deflate and then inflate the way they should have. Thomas was layed on my chest and after many attempts to breastfeed he was seen to be failing by Colin in various ways. And even with a prenatal possible diagnosis of Down syndrome.... little did we know the rest of the story. That his heart had two large holes. That he had Hirschsprung's disease. That the rest of the year would be spent restling with do not resusitate and quality of life. Thank God to our miracles! Including how the twins have changed us as a family, for the better.
Happy Birthday Tommy and Liam. Oh my you both have been treasures!