Today is a birthday

Five years and two days ago, I waddled into my last MFM appointment. I was 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant and a c-section had been scheduled for April 16th, which would also mark Marathon Monday and the end of tax season. I was extremely uncomfortable and had been so for months but I never complained. I couldn't sleep for more than three hours at a time and in the middle of the night, I would find myself sitting on the glider in the nursery. I would rock back and forth while rubbing tiny limb bumps and kicks. In those moments, it almost seemed impossible that I would some day have three little babies to hold in my empty arms.

During that last appointment, my doctor announced that my c-section date was changing and in a moment of panic and confusion, I thought that the date was going to be later. And then I discovered that we would be meeting our babies within three days. We went home to wrap up loose ends and wait for the phone call telling us when the c-section would happen.

I had wanted to finish our tax returns before the babies arrived and the last item (a late K-1) had been delivered that week. In order for me to sit in a chair, the bottom of my belly (or Allie) had to be resting on the seat because my midsection was enormous. I could only stay that way for 10-15 minutes before the discomfort became unbearable and forced me to recline. I did manage to finish those tax returns though.

The next day, Wednesday, I received the call telling me to report to L&D the next morning, which made my brother, John, happy because he didn't want the girls to be born on Friday the 13th. Relief was slowly trickling into my system. I didn't know how much longer I could physically carry three babies inside of me.

By 6:10 this morning, all three girls had climbed up into our bed to snuggle with us. When we wished them a happy birthday, Allie said, "I still a baby," in a baby voice. Yes, Allie. You will always be my teeny, tiny little baby. And then Anna asked if I was going to be the momma to her babies. I told her no, that I would be the grammy. "NO! The babies will be in your tummy." Um, okay. Not sure how that's going to work out. And then Em said that she only wanted one baby because one baby was enough. Otherwise, there would just be too much crying.

Happy birthday, Baby Girls! You bring so much joy and light into my life. I love you.

(Okay, so I'm the photographer and Rich is the videographer. There's a clip right here of the girls when they were only 9 days old and we brought Allie and Em to visit Anna in the NICU. They're so little but big enough that I'm in awe of how the world works.)