They’re finally here and things are crazy (but good). We dropped Daniel off at Ken and Linda’s last Monday morning (January 30th) and then checked in at the hospital. We were delayed a bit because there were more emergency c-sections and deliveries than anticipated, but around 1:45 pm, the anesthesiologist got Sandra hooked up to her IV and meds. We put on scrubs and Sandra was wheeled over to the operating room. The procedure was quick and at 2:24 and 2:25, respectively, Anastasia May Rousos and Josephine Marie Rousos were born! Stacie was bigger – 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 19″ long. Josie was still good sized, though, at 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and 18.25″.

Both girls had some amniotic fluid in their lungs, but Stacie was able to get hers up pretty quickly. Josie had to go to the NICU for observation. They watched her until around 7:30 and then sent her back to our room saying that she worked it out on her own and that she was fine. She still coughed and spit up a bit more than Stacie at first, but she’s doing great now.

Sandra did really well throughout the procedure and recovery, though the anesthetic did affect her a lot – she was numb for a long while and quite sick Monday evening. By Tuesday evening, though, she was feeling much better and up walking (slowly) around. The pediatricians that checked the girls said that they were perfect. One of the nurses at a follow-up appointment said that they’re the healthiest twins she’s ever seen! They’re lighter now than when they were born (they were both 6 pounds 14 ounces at their one week checkup – Josie caught up!) but the doctor said that he wasn’t concerned because they’re gaining weight (after initially losing some) and eating well. They’re only in the 25th percentile for weight, which is new for us, but that’s still pretty good for twins.

We’re still getting used to having three kids at home (and the fact that rarely want to sleep at the same time), but we’ve discovered the girls sleep well in their car seats and that Stacie likes her pacifier. So, we’ve got some tricks now for when we get really tired.

We were concerned at first that we might not be able to tell them apart, but that was unfounded. They’re clearly different looking (to us, at least) and although we didn’t do any tests, we can tell they’re fraternal twins. Stacie definitely favors Sandra’s side with a lighter complexion, broader face, and dimples. Josie looks more like me with a taller forehead and a cleft chin. They’re both, of course, adorable. Stacie is definitely more laid back. On the other hand, she also startles more easily, so she’s more likely to be bothered by Daniel or the cat making noise while she’s asleep. They both seem to sleep really well through the other crying, though, which is great.

Speaking of Daniel, he’s doing well, though it’s quite a transition for him. He’s been pretty emotional and very attached to Mommy lately. He’s really good with the girls, but I can tell that he’s having a bit of trouble adjusting to all the new rules (’don’t play with Josie’s car seat’, ‘Mommy can’t pick you up’), and the general decrease in attention. I’ve tried to take him to the park or other places just the two of us, but he still wants lots of Mommy time (which is scarce with all the newborn feedings) and he’s sensitive about us ‘getting rid of him’ (he’s decided not to go play with friends once or twice because his baby sisters weren’t going). At one point, he asked if it was time to ‘take baby sisters back’. I explained that, no, they were staying. Even though he’s been a bit emotional with all the changes, he’s a good big brother. When he first met them, he wanted to see them both and know who was who. Since then, he gets them mixed up on first encountering one (and will just call it ‘that baby’), but once we tell him that it’s Stacie or Josie, he remembers until he’s separated from them – and even deduces that the other baby must be the other one. He likes talking to them, touching them gently (which he does very well), and he kisses them goodnight now. Also, he’s getting really good at talking. He can say complex sentences. Yesterday, he said ‘Daddy carry Daniel up steps and down slide, please’ when he wanted to go down a slide at the park that was too big for him to do alone. Another good one was – ‘Daddy is big. Sisters are little. Daniel is little and big’.

Sandra and I never expected to have twins, but we’re both amazed and excited with our new little blessings.

Below are some pictures of our growing family.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 3:35 pm and is filed under Daniel, Josie, Mike, Pictures, Sandra, Stacie. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.