Twins Born, Gary's Perspective

Location: Mercy Southwest Hospital, Bakersfield, California

Birth Date: May 20, 2009

August Henry :::

Time: 7:06 AM

Weight: 6' 11 oz.

Length: 18"

Liam Richard :::

Time: 7:08 AM

Weight: 6' 11 oz.

Length: 18 1/4"

The boys were born by c section in the surgery room. Cortnie was awake, with a large sheet blocking her and my view from the procedure.

Dr. Upadhyaya lifted August out first. He had been head down near the pelvis for awhile and ready to go. I saw him so beautiful and cried. Then he was off to the warming bed to get inspected.

A few minutes later the doctor managed to pull Liam out by the feet! She showed him to me, and I cried some more, relieved that they were both clear. I told Cortnie what I had seen. She looked tired and happy.

I went over to the warming table, and the nurses asked me if I wanted to cut the cords of the boys. I said yes. The cord was an opaque transluscent white and cut like fresh chicken would cut--firm, fleshy.

There were my boys.

I followed the warming table to the nursery. Each boy had a separate warming bed at opposite sides of the small space, and so I went back and forth to each, crying and saying their names. I just started calling August August and Liam Liam because the names just seemed natural for each one.

I touched them and spoke to them and sang to them and cried.

The grandparents were behind the glass, taking pictures and smiling and emotional. I held the boys up, one at a time to the glass for they grandparents to see.

I thought about Cortnie in recovery and when she would get to see the boys.

Finally, after they were thoroughly checked, I followed them down the hall to the room where Cortnie was at, and the nurses placed both babies on her breast. She looked so worn out, so tired, and so happy and in tears with happiness and disbelief.

There was my family on the bed.

We took them home, their first car ride, their heads lolling in the seats which were too big for them because we were just learning. We stopped and I tucked towels around them to keep their heads propped.

And then we were home, and our lives were never the same again. What double joy and luck this is. What a beautiful family this is.