5 Months Later...

Staring at my phone for minutes, hours on end.

Anxiously awaiting the call or text my entire family had been waiting for.

Let's rewind.

It's coming up on a year when my sister told us she was expecting. See the reaction HERE.

My mom and I had been given boxes that were VERY light. Vacation? Lol...no. Even better.

Eventually, it came to be known that my sister was pregnant with twins.

One night in June, she had text myself and our friend, Melissa, saying she was going to the doctor. She wasn't feeling well. Typical for an expecting mama, right? Perhaps it was slight shock setting in for me, but I just went on with my day.

A while later, a short to-the-point-text of, "I'm heading to the U by ambo," lit up my phone. All that was going through my head was, "WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!" What did it mean? I was absolutely clueless as to how my sister was really feeling and what was going on.

I'm usually in bed by 9/9:30pm...I got a call around 9:45pm saying that my sister was going to have to have the boys tonight. I can't exactly tell you my next thoughts...perhaps something along the lines of, "HOLY SH*T!"

My dad and step mom drove through Ames to pick me up. The boys had already been brought into the world by this time.

The boys were something close to 7 weeks early.

Not realizing how crazy having babies early is (it's common for twins), I entered my sisters hospital room with ease. Half due to the hour we showed up at the hospital. She was well. I was happy to see her in good spirits, but could also see how much her body was hurting. I can't imagine...She's a McGrath though...Tough stuff, for sure! ;)

We were escorted to the NICU, where we got our name tags and signed in. I had NO idea what I was in for heading to this part of the hospital...

Walking anxiously into the boys' room, I was greeted by my mom, the boys' other grandma, and grandpa. Just for giggles, of course, I didn't have a filter on the volume of my voice, I definitely remember a "HIIII!" screeching from my mouth. (The NICU is a very quiet place at 2AM!)

As I turned to their beds, I couldn't help but get super emotional. So many things were going through my head..."They're here!" "Oh my gosh, I'm an aunt!" "They're so little!" but what just did it in for me was seeing the feeding tube and all of the cords they were connected to and there was nothing I or anyone else could really do to help them.

Today is World Prematurity Day. At almost 5 months, my nephews are more than 3x the size they were when they were born...

I can't help but be SO in love with these two. Can you blame me?! 

The Colors

I'm quite certain I have never elaborated on some of the finer things that happened on my trip to Hawaii this [past] June.

That's been 5 months, already? Huh...

Anyways, I was scrolling through Facebook today and found this photo of the resort I stayed at...

 

If I were to say one thing that I will never forget about that trip, it would be the colors. This photo is probably touched up a little, but honestly, my mind remembers this being exactly what it looked like. It was so rich and satisfying to my brain. A mushy, melting-in-a-good-way feeling, if you will. I was so mesmerized at how beautifully calm it was. The sun made you feel the perfect amount of warm, never too hot (IMO).

There were multiple times I'd stop whatever I was doing during the trip to inhale a deep breath and open my eyes on the exhale...I knew this wouldn't last forever and I'd soon forget the feeling. Sadly, I have forgotten what it smelled like, and the cleanliness of the air that I inhaled. But the colors...never.

One of the mornings, I woke up and went on a run by myself. And to be honest, I've never ran so fast in my life. Haha! It was the Hawaiian oxygen! I'm telling ya...
I ended up at a beach at a neighboring resort. Just a few people were up getting their day started. The sun had just barely peaked over the horizon and the colors of the sunrise were exactly what you would picture...the [most] perfect pink, yellow, and orange. I remember turning my music down, taking my shoes off, and sitting right next to the water. (Typical movie scene, right?) The sand was so soft and still warm from the day before. I totally cheesed it the entire time...I watched mini black crabs, which are called 'A' ama, scurry across the sand and rocks to eat...whatever it is that they eat. Those guys move quickly...the slightest shift of my leg and they were gone.

The day we went snorkeling is one I will also never forget. The sun, makes the water the clearest blue/green you've ever seen and I can still feel the slight chill of the water as I dove in [dolphins hundreds of feet away]. The bright colors of the coral and the different kinds of fish and urchins made my heart beat out of my chest I was so excited. Not to mention...the SHARK that swam right underneath [our group]. Probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Those suckers are FAST a gift from Mother Nature. I'm not sure what type it was...He was big enough to eat one of my limbs--that I do know.

Some days, I wish I was still there. But, until next time, the memories I do have are spectacular and I hope you get to experience Hawaii some day. Absolutely worth it.