Into the Mystic

Here are a few of our favorite pictures as well as a few newer photographs.  Cheers from the four of us!

La, La, Love You, Pretty Baby

And So it Begins

This posting is just a little footnote to focus on the journey of our little Irish lads to date.  On May 11th, Liam and Collin, the artist formerly known as Declan, were placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to receive treatment.  And yeah, we are starting to speak in acronym coding by the way.  Their little lives depended on the timely care of their specialists and the respiratory treatment they received.  After 15 minutes of respiratory therapy our little ones began responding to the therapy.  They were given IV lines which were placed into their umbilical stems.  Those lines have since been replaced with PICC lines that were inserted in through their arms and into the arteries leading into their chest cavitities (Collin had his removed first... Just sayin', don't count out the underdog).  Poor little dudes!  They are both receiving photo therapy to lower the bilirubin levels since they were off balance, thus, the cool-guy shades in the photographs.  They have already lightened considerably and are a lot less reddish-orange.  Liam had been receiving oxygen through the CPAP mask, which is a breathing apparatus that is placed over his mouth with a chin strap attached to keep his mouth closed.  Think, fish lips.  Yeah, that is kinda what it does to his little face.  He has since responded well and is requiring less help to breathe. 

Today, Liam joined his brother.  Both boys are now in incubators to eliminate noise and the potential risk for infection.  They seem to really enjoy the incubators; it is pretty cozy and warm inside and they have a cool blue light that keeps things ultra-cosmic.  I had the opportunity to hold Collin and give him skin-to-skin kangaroo therapy which was probably the most incredible feeling in my life.  My fatherly instincts were heightened to a whole new level.  Now, I understand what Peter Parker underwent when he received his spidey senses.  Just magical!  It was a whole different level of awareness.  I can't wait for Becky to experience it tonight.  We are headed to the NICU tonight to hold the little guys.  They have begun to eat 3 MLs of mommy's milk at each feeding which will be vital to their health and well-being.  Now, that Liam has had his IV replaced with a PICC line he can receive skin-to-skin therapy as well.  We will keep you posted with any updates, but so far all is quiet on the western front.  Well, maybe not at the Shark Tank... Boo Hawks!  Oh, and if the Flyers win the cup this year I will definitely know God is tossing me more than my share of blessings. 

Collin Patrick and Liam Ryan

Becoming Mommy and Daddy and Beyond

The last 2 months as many of you know have been emotionally draining on all of us. Having Becky in the hospital while the dogs and I carried on with our daily routines was probably the toughest thing I have ever faced in my lifetime. There were many days when I wasn't sure if I had any emotional energy to give, but I prayed to have my wife return from this journey safely, and for God to provide me with focus, strength, and patience. Becky, despite her situation, was in great spirits on most days because she knew her sacrifices would ultimately result in two cool little dudes. And quite honestly, she is the most remarkable person I know, and she is loved by so many people. She had rough days, but our parents were there to comfort her along the way. Sandy spent many hours with Becky mastering the art of Boggle; we spent our time trying our best to cuddle in a hospital bed; Don spent hours comforting his little girl in his stoic way, and Polly frequently dropped in to shower her with comforting gifts that helped pass through time. We thank everyone for the support and love.

On May 11th, the phone rang at 4:36 in the morning, or as my grandfather used to say, in the AM; it was Sandy calling to inform me about Becky. Her condition had gotten much worse and the nurses had moved her to labor and delivery due to the contractions and gut-wrenching pain she was experiencing. When I arrived at the hospital she was in a great deal of pain and the contractions hadn't subsided. And as you know, for Becky to complain, things are nearly dismal; she just doesn't do that sort of thing. After a few hours our shift nurse stopped by our room and handed me a set of scrubs and said, "Just in case he says we're going, be ready." Of course I replied like any strong husband would, "we've got this".  Even though I am not sure what I thought I had, or why those words came stumbling out of my mouth. The truth of the matter is,  I was frightened like a 5 year old lost in a corn maze due to all the potential complications that come with a high-risk pregnancy. At about 11:00 am Becky was wheeled into the delivery room, and the nursing staff asked me to wait until the room was ready to witness the birth of our boys. Of course I couldn't sit on the flower covered chairs DMC so gratiously provides fathers-to-be, so I proceeded to pace the floor... I probably wore a small hole into my booties, and if I was wearing a steps counter, I am sure I would have surpassed a mile... Well, maybe that is somewhat exaggerated.

At 11:12 am the nurse beckoned me with a wave, and I came nearly running like a little kid at Disneyland who sets his eyes on Mickey for the first time. When I arrived in the room Becky was sedated and they had started cutting her lower abdomen. The doctors were listening to the Beatles via Pandora and humming along to the tunes.  It was just another day at the office for them.  Doctor Palitz is a true master of his craft, and he operated quickly with precision.  All I could think is, we are about to become a Mommy and Daddy and that feeling was overwhelming. I looked at my wife's beautiful face to assure her that all was well, and she sweetly asked me two questions before she passed completely into a state of unconsciousness: 1) Can you see them in there?, and 2) Are they curled up together?. Aww! How sweet. The truth was, I could see one, but I couldn't tell if they were curled up or not, so I said, they are curled up babe, and they are going to be alright.

The next few minutes went by so rapidly I hardly had time for the photo shoot. The doctor pulled out two little lads within two minutes of each other. Liam Ryan was born at 11:16 am and weight a hefty 3 pounds 4 ounces and was 15.25 inches long. Doctor Palitz delivered him from his hips with his two index fingers because he was breached.  I wasn't exactly sure what that meant in medical terminology.  In my mind, I was thinking of a rock fortified castle wall that had been pounded by an army of germanic nomads wielding a battering ram, but that doesn't really apply to pregnancy.  He came out bottom first, and he wasn't breathing or moving much, so he was immediately passed through an open window in the operating room that led into the NICU. Collin Patrick was born at 11:18 am and weighed 2 pounds 14 ounces and was 15.50 inches long.  What he lacked in weight he gained in size.  He will be a tall kid someday.  He received the same fate as brother and quickly made his way through the NICU window. Doctor Palitz informed us that Becky had an abrupted placenta and a large blood clot, which was causing the excruciating pains. He said. "these kids needed to be born today". The next few hours were tough because it took the doctors nearly three hours to inform us that our lovely little boys were responding to the treatments, and that we could spend time with them. Seeing their faces for the first time was one of the greatest experiences of our lives and a true milestone for us.

I love you Rebecca Langum, and welcome to the world Collin Patrick and Liam Ryan.  More to come about the little lads soon... Stay tuned.