Births Day!

It was a wonderful morning at Edwards Hospital! Sharon had a scheduled c-section this morning, and after carrying the twins for 38 weeks, she gave birth to Evelyn at 9:56 AM, followed by her brother, Gavin, at 9:57 AM! Sharon came through beautifully and the whole operation went off without a hitch! You can see the whole set of the day's pictures here.

Evelyn "Evie" Rose, 5 lbs., 17.5"long

Gavin Thomas, 5 lbs. 9 oz., 19" long

Look at how long he his! He's going to be 6' 6', I know it! Look out NCAA! He loves to stretch and often kicks off his swaddling clothes.

You can see the whole set of the day's pictures here.

We had an extra special surprise when we arrived at the hospital because our good friend, Gina Goodbread, happened to be working that morning and was Gavin's delivery room nurse. It's a bit surreal seeing your high school friend caring for your baby! Here she is examining Gavin.




We were able to hold Gavin and have him in the post-op room with us, but Evie was quickly whisked away to the NICU (Neo Intensive Care Unit) to be examined by the pericardiologist.

Everyone in the NICU was awesome. I was really impressed by all of the nursing staff we met. It made the whole experience that much nicer.

Sharon was able to see Evie only briefly before heading to her recovery room.




So far neither of have been able to actually hold her, but we can feel her soft little back and hold her head. Evie passed out shortly after her examination and slept like a rock for the rest of the day, and all through a parade of family members who were all able to caress her back, and she barely moved a muscle! Check out the whole set of the day's pictures to see what I mean.

All bundled up! She didn't move from this position for hours.



















So far Evie is very stable and breathing without an oxygen tube (she kept taking it out! She's so cute and fiesty!) . We may have (a little) good news about Evie tomorrow but it's a bit too soon to know for sure. She definitely has the heart defect that was observed during her in utero ultrasounds, and she will still need two major surgeries within the next two years, but the good news is that she may be able to "skip" the first surgical procedure that was to take place at Christ Hospital later this week. So that means she can stay at Edwards this week and come home with us at the end of the week! We'll know for sure tomorrow, but it's wonderful news.

And so, with that bit of good news, it capped the end of an incredible, emotional day. I think this photo says it all.



Again, thank you to family and friends for all of your continued prayers!