The morning of March 20th was a crazy one. I was scheduled for surgery at noon, but my obstetrician was able to get me in just a little bit early. The twins were born at 12:00pm and 12:01pm- but only twenty seconds apart.
My doctor was great. The c-section was the easiest yet. The babies are perfect.
After the boys had finished preschool, my sister-in-law, Lauren, brought them to the hospital to meet their siblings. I think these pictures taken by Uptown Photography speak for themselves.
Let me tell you, guys: narrowing which pictures to share was a challenge. I highly recommend Jessamyn.
The months following the twins birth are kind of a blur. My mother and mother-in-law were both an amazing help in getting our family adjusted to our new size. I don't know what I would have done without them (maybe died of exhaustion). Kathy stayed with us for a few nights after we were home from the hospital and my mom did also in the weeks to follow. We slowly transitioned into becoming a functioning family (ha... ha...).
From the second they were born, the spirits of these children have impacted my heart. Claire is a very gentle and peaceful spirit. I like to call her, "princess." Cliche as it is, she is always missing one sock, she is the joy and the peace, the calm in our storm of boys, she knows what she wants, but she is very polite about it. She is her mom's girl. She is always wanting to be close. She preservers until she has accomplished for what she has been working. Of course, she is a little spoiled. It will be interesting to see the person into whom she becomes. Landon is, "Sunshine." He is the joy and the light; the entertainer. All he really wants to do is get you (it doesn't matter who you are) to smile. His smile starts with a grin slowly radiates from every piece of his body. It is usually followed by a deep gut laugh. He is both strong and determined. He has a heart so big for his itty bitty body. The first thing I get in the morning is a great, big Sunshine kiss. He clutches to me for snuggles, but he is also eager to let go and be himself (as long as he knows I am watching him be himself and I am impressed).
The twins were named with care. Abby Claire was named for her mother, and her great-great grandmother. Abby also means, "father's joy," and she is the only daughter to be dad's girl. Claire is a name derived from latin meaning, "bright and clear." She is appropriately named as she is bright in mind and spirit and clear in her intentions. We found Claire to be an elegant and charming name appropriate for her childhood years as well as her adult.
Matthew Landon was first and foremost named for his daddy. All of our children have one Biblical name: Daniel, Thomas, Abby, and Matthew. He is his dad's boy. He lights up when Matt walks into the room (and also when his Grandma Jan walks into the room). He is very much like Matt in many ways- he is of joy, of love, and of peace. Landon was named for my father in a round about way. The O'Neil/Petersen side of my family has an abundance of "L" names. In fact, it is almost impossible to find an L name that has yet been claimed. Landon had yet to be claimed, so we snatched it in honor of his Papa Lloyd (and a little bit for his Grandma Lola, who I hope was helping him get here from the other side). I hope that because he is named for his ancestors, that Sunshine is intrigued and fervent in learning about his genealogy and heritage.
Mason and Brennan are the greatest big brothers. Life changed entirely for them. It opened a new part of their hearts and I was surprised to learn that they could become even more loving than they already were. I really shouldn't have been as surprised as I was. Mason, after all, prayed Claire here. Brennan is the one that really warmed my heart. I knew Mason was old enough to understand and to love, however, I incorrectly assumed Brennan was just a little young to get it. He wasn't very excited during the pregnancy. In fact, he was quite the opposite. There has never been a greater big brother than is Brennan. The first thing he does in the morning is tip toe into the nursery to check on the babies. He loves them when they're sad. He always gives them a goodbye kiss before school and a hello kiss as soon as he sees them again. He is a special and tender soul and he will be a strength to those kiddos through their life. Mason will always be a strong example of work and of love. He is constantly finding things to make the babies happy. He is always trying to surprise someone in our home with acts of love, and while it is usually me, his three younger siblings are far from left out.
I could write about these blessings for days. I will, but I'll break it up a little bit. I'm sorry to our family that waits for my blog for an update. Here is a teeny update, and know you can always call. I am a constant hot mess with the chaos that currently embraces me, but there is always time in my day and space in my home for our family and friends.
Well Wishes. <3 Here are some more pictures. Newborn pictures by Vanilla Tree Photography.
And here they are posing for their Mama just before they turned six months old. Harry Potter and Belle. Little bookworms. Their current favorite part of the day is story time.
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