Meet Alora and Clarity

After about 24 hours in labor that was not progressing, the doctor did a C-section and at 3:53 pm Alora Taryn was born at 5 lbs, 7 ounces and 18 3/4 inches, on  Thursday, August 3rd , Clarity Arlen was born  at 3:54 pm, weighing 5 lbs. 13 ounces and 19 inches in Reston, Virginia.

Proud Grandma holding my firstborn named Alora about 2 hours after birth

Clarity and Alora 

Clarity after I fed her

Matthew gave Joe this t-shirt

Christin with Clarity on the 4th

Christin has been in a lot of pain due to the C-section, so it will take some time until her belly is pain-free.  The twins are so sweet.  Alora cries more than Clarity who can sleep through anything it seems.  At their first bath on the 4th, Alora cried and Clarity just relished the warm water.  Joe is the doting Dad, feeding and changing diapers.  

Update on the Grands

Joe called at 3:00  pm.   Christin is not progressing, so the doctor will do a C-Section in the next hour or two.  I am heading to the hospital to wait there.

Still Waiting and Monarch butterfly

As of 2:30 pm on Thursday, we still have not heard if the babies are here yet.  Joe called about 11:30 this morning and said that the doctor was going to increase the pitocin medicine to speed up the contractions. We are still waiting. 

In the meantime, I watched a monarch caterpillar change into a chrysalis.  What it actually does is turn itself inside out for the final molt.

It wiggles for a time then the back breaks open and splits the skin the length of the body and the final wiggles dislodge the skin and the soft jade chrysalis is there.  Took about three minutes.  It will stay in this stage for two weeks, then a new butterfly will emerge.  Don't know if I'll be here to see it or not.

Grandbabies

Praise the Lord I arrived safely in VA. Joe was to meet me @ airport, but Carolyn was there instead. Christin was at the hospital for her regular appt. She had high blood pressure so was admitted to induce labor about 11:40 AM. We went directly to hospital and found her in a private birthing room sitting pretty in the bed with an IV drip and monitors on the babies. Pitocin (?) drip was not started until 4:30, so I Ieft with Carolyn to go to her house nearby and get some much-needed rest (awake 24 hours by this time). At 7:15 pm she was having contractions and it is going slowly right now. Joe will give us updates. I am guessing by tomorrow the little ladies will be born. Here's a photo of the new parents taken just before I left the hospital room.