It is hard to believe that it hasn't been a quite a week since your brother and sister have arrived, and I am actually finding a few minutes to share their birth story with you. We have been very blessed to have help from Grami, Aunt Becca and others in the past week as we've adjusted to life with twins.
Before we ever got pregnant with your brother and sister, I prayed that this pregnancy would be very different from the pregnancy I had with you, knowing that somehow that would lessen my anxiety. And from the moment we learned we were expecting twins, this pregnancy was certainly different.
As we approached 36 weeks, the point in my pregnancy with you when we found out you were gone, my anxiety was high. So many people were praying for us. I truly believe that it lead to God orchestrating a situation that would ensure my anxiety was under control as we prepared for the arrival of the babies.
At our 35 week appointment, my blood pressure was higher than it had been. It wasn't dangerously high, but since it had been normal the entire pregnancy, the doctors office did a test for preeclampsia. The doctor called me back two days later to let me know that the test had been negative, but that she wanted to call and see how I was feeling. I told her that I was feeling fine, but she suggested that I take my blood pressure if I was able just so we could be sure everything was okay. She told me to call her back if it was above a certain number.
I went with Daddy to check my blood pressure, and this time it was very high. We called the doctor back, and at her request, we headed to the hospital for monitoring. After an afternoon of monitoring, and a positive preeclampsia test this time, they decided to admit us to the hospital overnight. The next morning, the doctor let us know that she felt the safest thing would be for us to remain in the hospital until delivery, which she was recommending for 37 weeks. For the next 10 days, I was monitored every four hours and the babies were monitored twice a day. While it was difficult to spend so much time in the hospital, knowing we were all being watched so closely calmed my nerves.
The night before the C-section was scheduled, I was a nervous-wreck. I barely slept worrying about how the next day would go. The nurses came in at 5 AM to start prepping me for surgery. Daddy and I spent our last minutes together as two saying a prayer for the safe arrival of your brother and sister. Daddy hugged me, gave me a kiss, and told me that he loved me and that it was all going to be alright. I think we were both in shock that the day we had been waiting on for so long had finally come.
Mary, the midwife that delivered you, was with us for the big day and walked with me to the operating room. Her presence with us on delivery day meant the world to us. On the way into the OR, she and I noticed a picture on the wall of a rainbow. Mary snapped a picture with me and it on the way in and later captured the twins and I in front of it on the way out.
In the operating room, it seemed to take forever, but the moment finally came when I heard your baby sister cry. I had been preparing myself this entire pregnancy for another silent delivery room. Instead, Baylor Paige Rankin entered this world with a loud cry that sent me into immediate sobs. It was one of the most emotional moments of my life. She was born at 8:54 AM on August 29, 2016, weighing 5lbs 9 oz. and measuring 19 inches long. Just a few short minutes later, at 8:57am, your brother Griffin Morris Rankin joined her, weighing 6 lbs. 4 oz. and measuring 19.25 inches. He was a quieter than your sister which had me worried at first, but it wasn't long before both babies were brought to me to nurse. Back in the recovery room, we took our first family picture.
It has been a crazy week getting used to being the parents of twins. There has been lack of sleep of course, anxiety over the babies' weight gain and breastfeeding, and other worries. To top it off, I've developed something called PUPPS rash, which is an incredibly itchy rash that has spread over my hands, ankles, feet, legs, stomach and back. Because of my desire to breastfeed, there aren't many prescription options for me. So far the remedies I've tried haven't worked, and honestly, a few times my mood has been affected because I'm feeling so miserable. I am trying to remember in the midst of this that no matter what physical discomfort I am faced with after the birth of your siblings, it is nothing compared to the emotional pain of losing you. I know that somewhere right now is a mother with empty arms who would suffer any amount of physical pain and discomfort if it meant she could hold her baby. I am so grateful to God for his faithfulness during this pregnancy, and if it is his will, I pray that he takes this rash away soon. I have asked all the prayer warriors I know to pray along beside me.
The day after we came home from the hospital, my mom brought me a gift from a family member. Inside was a beautiful painting of an angel elephant in the clouds pouring out love to his siblings below. It took my breath away, and I'd like to imagine that in the moments Baylor and Griffin entered in this world that you were there doing exactly as the painting shows...pouring out love over all of us.
My sweet angel, know that we are thinking of you, missing you, and offering our love for you up to the heavens as we begin this next stage of our lives.
Love,
Mommy
