Emily Elizabeth
6
lbs. 7 oz.
Sarah Elizabeth
5
lbs. 14 oz.
born: February 20, 2013
at 4:42 pm and 4:45 pm
Emily and Sarah
The delivery went smoothly and we were able to bring them home two days after they were born. We feel so blessed to have two healthy, beautiful babies in our home. There is nothing like a newborn baby to bring heaven into your home, and we have felt that so strongly with these two sweet girls.
Sarah and Emily couldn't be more different from each other - Emily has blue eyes; Sarah has dark eyes. Emily has fair skin, Sarah has an olive complexion. Emily has long, slender fingers; Sarah has the tiniest hands I've ever seen. Emily has type B blood, Sarah has type A blood. Emily seems a little feisty, Sarah seems more mellow. Somehow, despite these differences, it is so obvious that these two girls know and love each other and absolutely belong together.
The day we brought them home from the hospital, I was watching them snuggle together and thinking about the miracle it is that we have these two girls. I thought about the miscarriage I had eighteen months ago that put me on the path of wanting another baby. I looked at those girls and wondered which one of them might have been that blighted ovum who said, "Not without my sister," and went back to get the other spirit that so clearly belongs in our home. It struck me as a little funny, but there is no doubt that these two girls belong together and this was the only way they were both going to make it into our family.
Sarah and Emily
We have felt so blessed over the past few weeks to have so much help from family and neighbors. Andrew had the first ten days off work and he ran the house and the five other kids while I really did nothing but take care of these babies. Last week my mom was here to help so my baby-fest lasted even longer. Talk about heaven! Two weeks of nothing but swaddling, nursing, and drinking in their sweetest baby smells.
These days are so fleeting and I am doing my best to memorize every part of them: the shape of their ears, the fuzz on their shoulders and backs, the way Sarah wrinkles her forehead when she looks up at me, the way they grunt and sigh and seem to be communicating with each other, the look in their eyes as they gaze around this big world for the first time but are still a part of heaven, their skinny little chicken legs that fold on top of each other like they did when they were inside me, the glazed look they get when they are full of milk, the way they smell, the way they rest their heads on my shoulder when I burp them. I know I've said it before, but these two girls are my last babies, and I am clinging to every ounce of newborn perfection I can.
Our five other kids are completely smitten with their sisters. There are always offers to hold babies, help change diapers, burp babies, or just keep a watch while they sleep. And while these offers may not last forever, Sarah and Emily are lucky girls to have five older siblings who adore and love them.
First minutes home from the hospital.
(That glow may be sun coming in the windows, or it may just be a little bit of heaven.)
We feel completely blessed that my pregnancy went so well. There were times toward the end of my pregnancy that I was wishing someone would please put me on bed rest, but truthfully, there is nothing better than delivering two healthy babies at 37.5 weeks.
These girls are a such a blessing for our family. It's amazing how something you never even knew you wanted can fill your life to the point that you can't imagine living without it. That's how we feel about these girls. Our family just wouldn't feel complete without them here filling up our days and nights. Needless to say, we are all in love.
