My grandsons were born on May 31, 2006 around 5 and 5:30 AM. Frankly, it ranks very high in the traumatic events category of my life. Here is the birthing story.

When the call came that my daughter in law was escorted to the hospital next door to the Ob-Gyn office, I got someone to stay with my husband and raced down to Richmond, VA, 50 miles away. Everyone, including my son on a business call, was about an hour away. I was the first one there. My daughter in law, Kara, was having contractions but not really feeling them. My daughter, Holly, arrived 10 minutes later followed by my son, Will, then her parents, brother and wife, and many friends. There was an entourage in the waiting room. Throughout the first 11 hours of the vigil, we all took turns being with Kara and Will.

By the twelfth hour, only family was left. The 9 of us sat there. But early on I was the basket case. Too much knowledge is not helpful when one’s duty is waiting. My husband thought a vaginal delivery of twins with one transverse (sideways) was risky and I was anxious. Frankly, I cried on and off all night. At one point I went to look for the chapel and couldn’t find it, so I was so distraught, I just got down on my knees in the waiting room downstairs when no one was looking. A lot of praying went on that night by everyone.

However, by 5AM Kara’s mother, my daughter, and I were all in tears, because it became an ordeal for Kara trying to push out that first twin. Kara was a real trooper. And my son was very supportive.

Around that time, a new baby entered the nursery. I was the first one at the window admiring the little one. Babies had arrived in the nursery all night long. But this time the nurse held up the baby. I still didn’t get it at first. So I called everyone to the window to look at the baby, and it slowly dawned on us. This was the first Lloyd twin.

So here are, all of us standing and crying as we are looking through the window. Then for comic relief I said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we were crying over someone else’s baby?” So we called on the phone and sure enough it was Peyton Thomas Lloyd. (Thomas is one of my husband’s names.) We all laughed because he had big feet just like my son, me, and my father. My son in law climbed up on a big chair to look down at the baby and get the first pictures. We were overjoyed and elated, but still scared. The other twin wasn’t coming right behind.

So the sheer terror returned. Finally, thirty minutes later Carter Patrick arrived. (He had the middle name of his other grandfather). Both looked in really good shape. Then my son finally appeared beaming, exhausted, and looking like he had endured one of the biggest traumas of his life. The first twin he said was a vaginal delivery, but the second turned into an emergency C section. The doctor had a hard time getting the baby out even then. My son was right there through it all, and he saw more medicine in action then he ever wanted to see.

I wish the trauma ended there and the rejoicing about the twins remained. However, it was not to be. My daughter in law was not been able to stand or walk the first three days postpartum. She had two MRI’s to rule out the worst things. The doctors were puzzled but settled on the diagnosis of femoral nerve damage. They fitted her with a leg brace and walker.

Two days after the delivery, my husband and I finally got back to Richmond to hold the boys. This was my husband’s first big outing since his heart attack two weeks ago. These are his 9th and 10th grandchildren. And my first biological grandchildren. They are so beautiful, but I am prejudiced I guess. Through it all, Kara has an amazing attitude and fortitude. She is also a great mother already. Our son, Will, has made us proud. He has barely left her side, helping with the babies and taking care of his wife. He jumped into fatherhood like he had done it all of his life. Of course, I told my son how I felt several times. But Will’s father says fewer words than I do, but they are always profound and important. And he told his son exactly how he felt.

Will and Kara and the boys went home 5 days after the delivery. Kara got around with her walker and brace. I got to Richmond that day with groceries just in time to see them come home. It was quite a sight watching the boys in their car seats, and coming into the house to meet the dogs. Will and Kara have two big part labs and they did their sniffing and gave their approval. The dogs have a big job to do guarding those two precious boys.

We count our blessings everyday. However, it has been a difficult situation with Kara’s mobility. Those twins were a full time job for Kara, my son, and her mother helping as much as she could. Her father was also there as much as he can. (He is taking care of another grandchild during the day.) All of us have been very concerned over this unusual situation. My husband never saw this with 6-8,000 deliveries. When someone can’t walk themselves, the babies have to be carried to the mother, changed etc.

Our son went back to work last week. Kara’s mother continues to be a Godsend. The twins are growing well, and we all continue to monitor Kara’s recovery. She was able to move her leg up a few inches yesterday. And she gets around now quite well without the brace. However, she is at risk for knee buckling and falling which has happened. Tomorrow she sees the rehabilitation doctor.

Yesterday was a big day for all of us. Father’s Day takes on a whole new meaning when you are watching your son be a father. Yesterday we took a picture of him holding both boys. Then we had to take the generational picture of two babies, my son, and my husband. My husband’s Father’s Day present from the “boys” was a picture with them both wearing toy stethoscopes and holding toy thermometers. The caption was “Our Opa, Our Hero.” It was really cute.

The smile on my husband’s face when he holds those babies is so touching for all of us. It brings him so much joy and he is constantly asking when we’re going to Richmond again? Being a grandma (Oma) is wonderful. Life goes on. . . .