It's hard to believe that Karyssa and Kyran are six months old. Partly because they look like they are four months old, but mostly because time is just flying. After the babies were born, the nurses insisted on taking my blood sugar before and after every meal. If it was high at all, they would give me insulin, and then an hour later, when they checked it again, my blood sugar would have crashed, and they'd make me drink awful juice and have blood drawn for labs. The third time this happened (or almost happened), one of the doctors witnessed it. He was pretty upset at the ordeal and told the nurses that I was not diabetic before the pregnancy and that I did not still need to be monitored. He was my favorite person that day!
There is a point to this story. That day, he told me to test my fasting blood sugar in six months, and if it was over 120, to call them, but if not, I was fine. When he told me that, six months seemed like an eternity. The previous five weeks on bed rest seemed like three years, so I never imagined that day would come. Well, that day is tomorrow morning (which also happens to be my thirty-first birthday)!
The babies have come so far in these six months! They continue to amaze us every day!
Last night during our bible study, Kyran started crying, so I brought him into the nursery and tried to find anything that would sing to him. I didn't find anything that would sing, but I did find a see-'n-say. After pulling the handle a couple of times, he caught on and started cracking up laughing! It was one of the most precious and hilarious things I have ever witnessed. He has such a hearty laugh. It almost sounds like his cry, but he does it with a huge smile on his face!
As I've said before (I think), Kyran is our "social butterfly" and Karyssa is our "thinker". Her new thing is her right hand. Now, she found her hands a long time ago. She plays with her fingers and puts them in her mouth, and she can grasp things for a limited amount of time. But this weekend, she started figuring out how her right hand works. She would hold it out in front of her and bend each finger one at a time. You can just see the wheels spinning in her head as she realizes that she is truly in control of her body! How amazing!
Moving on from the babies, I'd like to focus for a bit on their favorite man, their daddy!
When Jason and I met, I lived in Charlotte and he lived in Columbia. We met at his birthday party (it was a setup) and talked all night. It was two weeks later when we had our first date. I went to Columbia to spend time with my family and go out with him. When the date was over, he asked if he could see me again the next night. I told him I had plans with my mom to take three of my favorite little boys (who aren't so little anymore) to Chuck-E-Cheese. He asked if he could go, and I said of course! Watching him with John, Christian and Joshua that night, I think I started falling in love with him. He was so good with them and they adored him!
He was also very good with his roommate's daughters and when my nieces came along, he was great with them too. My niece, Marley, was the first newborn he had ever held, and although he was nervous, he looked so natural with her. All of this to say that I have known all along that Jason would be a great daddy. What I didn't know was just how great he would be.
He was so excited when we found out I was pregnant. I wasn't allowed to take the test unless he was home, because he wanted to share in the joy with me. After seeing that it was twins, he got a little nervous, but was still excited. He came to every doctor's appointment with me and held my hand as we watched the babies' hearts beat. When I was put on bed rest, he took over completely. He took care of the house, dog, cats, bills, and everything else, and still came to see me at the hospital every morning (with a PB&J for me for lunch) and sat with me every night until I started to drift off.
When I came home, he made me breakfast every morning and dinner every night. It was not easy for him, but he did it for our children.
The day the babies were born, he was right there and followed them to the NICU, but was also waiting for me with pictures of the babies when I finally woke up. That night, he stayed in the NICU until about 2 a.m., only coming back because he didn't want me to be alone all night. When we were allowed to hold them, change them, feed them, each new step, Jason was right there. If he was there, no one else was allowed to change a diaper, feed them, bathe them or dress them.
He got up early to see them in the morning and then rushed after work to be there with them in the evenings. When they were in their isolettes, he would sit in a chair next to them and put his hand through the porthole to hold their hands while he was reading or watching TV. When they moved to the cribs, he would always have one of them in his arms.
Because he did so much and paid so much attention in the NICU, he was extra prepared to bring them home. Two babies is difficult, but two babies with monitors and one with oxygen was even harder. I have friends with one baby, and either the mom does all of the feedings or they take shifts at night. One will do the midnight feeding, one will do the 3 a.m. feeding, and so on.
With twins, Jason didn't get that luxury. When I was up, he was up. Kyran sleeps on his side of the bed, and Karyssa on mine, so the plan was that when the baby on our side of the bed would cry, we would soothe that baby. Now, though, the only time they wake up is when they need to be swaddled, and since he is the Master Swaddler, he gets up every time they do.
On bath nights, he comes home and bathes one, while I'm nursing the other. I've only given the babies two or three baths since we brought them home.
Aside from the things he does, though, is the way he is. He is so loving and fun. This is not to say that he doesn't get frustrated, because he does, but he doesn't take it out on them. He talks to them, plays with them, sings to them and cuddles with them every chance he gets.
They are so lucky to have him for a daddy, and I am so lucky to have him for a husband!
1 comment:
Yep!!! That's my brother!!! What a great guy :)
Post a Comment