TXT sent to Anna, April, Janice, & Dr. Su. this morning.(this could have gone out to many many more, but we don't have their personal #)
Just one short year ago, our lives were completely changed with the early arrival of our precious babies.
Dr. Su was one of the very first people to lay eyes on them and helped ensure they stayed with us. Their journey had just begun. From that moment, they had the most amazing guardian angels watching over them 24hrs a day.
They owe their very survival to the angels that perform miracles on a daily basis.
They will grow up knowing the struggles they worked through and the amazing people that were there to guide them through safely.
You will never know how grateful we are that each one of you were there to give them the attention and love they needed to grow strong so they could come home to us.
Happy birth day Jenna & Blake.
Love to all of you as well.
-Jason & Kim
Well, last night/this AM Kim and I went through all the picasa web photo albums. It certainly brought back a lot of memories.
This morning both Kim and I woke up in a great mood. We greeted the lil ones with a happy birthday song and gave them a bath.
While we were sitting around down stairs, a little inspiration hit me and I wanted Dr. Su and our nurses to know how much we appreciate all the things they have done for the twins and us, so Kim and I wrote out a txt.
It just so happened that Dr. Su & Anna were in a big staff meeting. Anna said that in the middle of the meeting, she hopped up and ran around the table to show Dr. Su. Both of them got a little misty. Thats ok, we were misty writing it.
It also worked out that they had a few spare minutes to visit with us after their meeting. "Luckily" for us, it was chilly and raining, just like the day we brought them home. So we bundled the kids up and took them up to the hospital to visit with their guardian angels. :)
It was really neat seeing several of the nurses and doctors that spent hours and hours looking over our babies, making sure they made it to another day.
Kim and I have talked many times about how much these nurses and Dr.'s put "everything" into their jobs and the babies they care for. It's kinda sad to us that they don't often get to see the results of all their hard work. I test software for a living.... If software breaks, or doesn't go out on time, nobody is really going to notice. What these people do Every day; effects peoples lives, for the rest of their lives. There are not too many professions in this world that have such a profound impact on so many people. Keep up the great work; you have our heartfelt gratitude!
The rest of the day was great. We spent the rest of the day playing with the kids, then after dinner we gave the kids their present and took some birthday pics. We decided not to have a big birth day party on their actual birth day. Instead, we will celebrate on their original due date when they will be 1 yr old developmentally. So, we had a pretty relaxing day with the kids. We'll also do a little family dinner so everyone can get together.
All in all, a great day.
Here are the pics from the NICU visit and BDay present.
Click me for BirthDay Pics
Click me for NICU Pics
~Jason
FLASHBACK FRIDAY~BEFORE/AFTER
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Well, I can't seem to fall asleep so I may as well post.........
Like Jason reported, we started the day with singing Happy Birthday to Jenna and Blake. They woke up in great moods and greeted us with smiles and outreached arms. We figured since they really enjoy bubble baths, we would continue our morning with giving them some new bath toys and letting them get "squeeky clean". Jenna enjoys splashing the water so much that by the end of her bath, I'm soaked, the floor is flooded and the tub is *nearly* empty. Blake on the other hand goes into automatic "mellow" mode while in the bathtub. He calmly plays with his bath toys and relaxes as if he is enjoying a day at the spa. I call Jenna our"Splasher" and Blake our "Bather".
After their bath we brought them down for some play time. We played on the floor and then in the walker and jumparoo. These days, Blake gets around so well in their walker that he strolls all over the kitchen, diningroom and livingroom. He knows how to "shift into reverse" as well as into "turbo"-haha. He manuevers around here like he owns the place. Jenna is starting to explore what it's like to "walk" around in it. She especially is curious about the see through window in the tray of the walker. She likes to look at her feet and at the things that pass under her as she "walks" around.
Once we sent the text this morning and found out that Dr. Su and Anna would be available for a visit, we dressed the kids in their "birthday shirts" and headed that way.
It was a unique feeling walking those hospital post partum hallways again. I couldn't help but to take note that even though it had been a year, the smell, appearance and atmosphere made it feel as though everything had stayed the same, just the way we left it. ;) I then thought about how many patients must've been there and gone since our time there......then about how much time had really passed and how much things had changed at our house....how far the kids have come from the time they were born a year ago today, to that very moment. I walked that trek to the NICU more content than I think I ever had before.
We were able to visit with several people of our NICU family. As we were catching Gabe and Amy and a few others up on what Blake and Jenna have been up to, Anna finished up in her meeting and came out to visit. It was so great to see her and to have the kids see her again. She was with the kids since day 2 of their stay. I can't say enough about the care she provided Jenna and Blake (and us). Shortly after, Dr. Su finished up in the meeting and came out. All I could do is give him a huge hug. He asked us about their development and health and just couldn't be happier to hear that we had such great reports to share. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with them today just catching up and visiting. I can't imagine going through Blake and Jenna's bday without at least talking to them and thanking them.
Jenna enjoyed playing with Amy's retractable name badge when we first got there. She went from nurse to nurse visiting and saying "Hello, look at me now". Blake looked around curiously and hammed it up from time to time. We got there at 11:45 and were there for probably an hour. They had yet to nap today. Jenna was really tired. Poor thing could barely keep her eyes open half way through our visit. It was really cute though cause once she got so tired, she got to snuggle while being held my Anna, Crystal and then Dr. Su. Blake got to have a few laughs with Dr. Su and really wanted to get ahold of his glasses. After some time, the fun had to end....afterall, there were little babies who needed the care and attention like we needed and received once not too long ago.
On our way through the hospital we saw Lucy, Kat and a few other postpartum nurses. Lucy and Kat were like my "primary" nurses when they were on shift. They both recognized us right off and greeted us with "drop jaw" smiles as they saw Blake and Jenna. There were a few other nurses that came over to see what all of the "fuss" was about. They were pleasantly surprised at Blake and Jenna's story of strength and accomplishment. Lucy and Kat asked how old they were and when we told them it was their first birthday they just couldn't get over the fact that it had been a year. It's funny how time sneaks away. As we were leaving a strong feeling of relief, pride and contentment was felt by both Jason and I as we strolled Blake and Jenna out with us. It was still raining, but I didn't care. It reminded me of the day the kids were released from the hospital and it brought upon a feeling of deja vu.
When we got back home, we spent the rest of the day playing, taking pictures and playing with their birthday toys. It was a nice evening. One of the best parts was holding Blake and Jenna in our arms, remembering how we longed to snuggle and hold them for days following their birth, and knowing how wonderful it is to do it now.
I really enjoyed celebrating their first birthday and I hope Blake and Jenna had a good day too. Even though they yet to know what birthdays are all about, I hope that especially today, they know how very much I love them, how very special they are and that I am taken back by the amount of joy they bring to my life each and every day.
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