They're In the World

Introducing...

Rainer Daly

5 lbs, 15 oz, 18.5 inches

and 

Michael Phineas

6 lbs, 5 oz, 18.75 inches

were born on September 20, 2012, at 2:12am

Michael (left) and Rainer (right) minutes after birth

I went in for the induction on Tuesday, Sept 18 at about 7:30pm. At first, things progressed quickly, but when I got to 6 cm dilated, there was no progress for hours. Around midnight on Sept 20 (yes, over 24 hours in labor), Rainer, our Baby A, started showing signs of distress. Whenever I had a contraction, his heart rate dipped. The doctors monitored him carefully, but the situation did not improve and suddenly my doctor rushed in, putting on scrubs as she said, "We need to do a c-section without delay," and she repeated pointedly to the nurse, "without delay." I think it was literally 12 minutes later that I heard Rainer's good strong cry, followed swiftly by Michael's. It was the best thing I ever heard.

The nurses wrote A and B on their hats so they could keep track.

I can't even begin to describe the 2 weeks that followed - it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Mr Awesome and I fell head over heels for our little guys, and had many beautiful moments of bonding and joyful loveyness. The same day we all came home from the hospital (no NICU time for my big healthy babies!), I had to be readmitted to the hospital for 3 days for a uterine lining infection. That was not fun. We wouldn't have survived without the help and kindness of our moms and close friends. Now, at 3.5 weeks into this journey, things are settling down and we are starting to find our routine.

We wanted each baby to have a family name and a literary name. Rainer Daly, our Baby A, is named after Rainer Maria Rilke, our favorite poet. "Rainer" means "wise warrior." Daly is my last name.

So far, Rainer is a champion nurser, loves sleeping, and screams bloody murder if you take too long changing his diaper.

He prefers to be swaddled and hates the pacifier.

Michael means "Who is like God?" and is Mr Awesome's late father's name. Phineas is his favorite literary character (from A Separate Peace). It means "oracle."

This little guy, our Baby B, loves his tummy time, especially rolling from side to side. He likes to be cuddled and enjoys watching his hands.

Michael snorts when agitated. He really enjoys looking at mobiles.

They are both completely amazing and I love getting to know them better every day. No worries about telling these two apart - they couldn't look more different! Rainer has black hair and olive skin, big full lips and pointy ears. Michael is fair and his hair looks more reddish every day, his nose is turned up like mine, and he makes this hilarious little pursed mouth.

As the poet Rilke writes, "Every angel is terror."As we start a new life as a family of four, I feel blessed every day. And I feel overwhelmed, terrified, exhausted, and uncertain. But over it all is a huge umbrella of LOVE.

Family life is rich indeed.