Sometime in the late morning, I wake up - hearing the soft whimper of one of the twins. I nudge a sleeping Gil, he raises up and instinctively looks in the bassinet. He carefully takes Anna Claire out of the bassinet, gently rocking her in his arms. He walks around the room, whispering to her, rubbing her back until she begins to quiet down. Strolling back towards the bed, he places a fussy Anna Claire in my arms, she begins to root and I position her to nurse. She quickly latches on and begins feeding. Minutes later, Harper begins to cry out - again, Gil gently picks her up out of the bassinet, walking the room, whispering and trying to soothe her. Deciding the she too is hungry, I ask him to bring her to my left side and help me settle her in to nurse. Nestling her in against my chest, she latches on and finally begins to suckle. Gil stands at the side of the bed - his eyes twinkling like stars as he watches our daughters nurse. The room is peaceful - Gil and I share several loving glances before the phone rings breaking the silence.
"Grissom, he quietly answers. Hello Mother. Yes, we are doing well. I was going to call you later this afternoon to let you know you are a grandmother." There is a long pause before he finally answers back, "Everyone is healthy and beautiful." Giving all of the details, he is beaming with pride. "I think we will be fine. Don't worry about coming here right now. I really think we will settle in without too much trouble - Sara is a natural - as a matter of fact Mom, she is nursing Anna Claire and Harper right now. You can come visit later, that will be fine. Really - If you will wait for a couple of weeks, we will pay for your ticket here. I promise. As soon as we get home, we will send you pictures. Love You. Bye." Quietly closing the phone and placing back in his pocket, he saunters over to the bed gazing at his newborn daughters. Asking him how his Mother was doing, he told me that she was thankful that everyone was doing so well. "She was ready to take the first flight out to get here. I told her I thought we would be fine. Personally, I think that we need some time to get settled in, just the four of us before we have any visitors." he adds. "Gil, I completely agree. I'm not ready for company just yet. Oh and you should probably call Catherine. I promised her we would let her know when I went into labor. And since it was so early and went so fast…." Glancing at the time, he pulls his phone back out and begins to dial. "Willows." She answers. "Hey Catherine, this is Gil. Sara wanted me to call you." he begins. "No, she isn't in labor. No nothing is wrong. Actually, just the opposite. Early this morning, Anna Claire and Harper Grace were born." he proudly states. He fills her in with all of the details, smiling and glancing back at us. "I'll have Sara call you just as soon as she's up to it. She's got her hands full right now. Literally." he jokes. I chuckle, looking down at the girls, still nursing. Before hanging up, he tells her - "Can you tell the rest of the team? It might be a while before we can talk to all of them. As soon as we get settled in at home, we will send pictures to everyone. Talk to you soon. Thanks Catherine."
A quiet knock against the door sends Gil to the door to answer it. Opening the door, Dr. Parker, the pediatrician stands there. Grissom talks to the doctor for a few minutes, before turning to see if I am still nursing. Noting that I am, he begins, "Sara, Dr. Parker is here to examine the girls. Do you want him to come back later?" Knowing that the girls need to have their newborn exams before we can leave, I ask Gil to let him come in. Pulling a blanket around my bare chest before sitting down, Gil allows the doctor to enter. He introduces himself to me, extending a hand - but soon realizing that both of my hands are occupied. Dr. Parker pulls a stool over to the bed and begins to explain to us what he will be doing before he starts the exam. Glancing down, I discover both girls are still awake, although neither seems to be nursing at the moment. Gil carefully places Anna Claire in the bassinet, as the doctor begins examining her. She protests at being removed from her warm cocoon and having her temperature taken, still screaming as the cold stethoscope touches her warm, delicate skin. The exam is finally over for her; Gil takes her from the bassinet and holds her close to him as he walks around the room. Her crying soon becomes just an occasional whimper, and soon she is sleeping in his protective arms. The doctor makes quick notes before beginning Harper's exam. Gil places a sleeping Anna Claire back in my arms before laying Harper in the bassinet. She clearly doesn't like the exam, either. Sprawling her arms and legs, she wails as the doctor begins. The exam is identical for Harper, who continues to fuss throughout it. Not soon enough, the doctor is finished and Gil cradles a still wailing Harper. He gently rocks her, rubs her back, anything to soothe her but nothing is working. Bringing her to me, he takes Anna Claire, still sleeping and begins to rock her, whispering to her as she sleeps. I cuddle Harper close against my skin, stroking her cheek, murmuring softly to her. Even now, she is still not content - Offering my breast to her, she roots against me and latches on, finding comfort in nursing. Dr. Parker makes notes in the chart and finally turns to us and begins - "These girls are extremely healthy - I am quite surprised at how well they are doing. They show no signs of respiratory distress or temperature problems, both common in preemies - especially twins. They seem to have taken to nursing quite well, a must for premature babies. But don't be surprised if they do lose a little weight - it's perfectly normal. As long as neither of them drop below four pounds, I don't see any reason that you won't be able to take them home when you are discharged in a couple of days. Before discharge, they will need to have an eye exam and a hearing exam - just to be proactive since they were born a little early. They also will need to receive the first dose of Hep B vaccine." Before he leaves, he asks if we have any questions - none that we can think of, so he quietly closes the door. Gil turns to me and says "It broke my heart when Anna Claire and Harper were so upset during the exam." Nodding my head in agreement, "I see you have quite the way with Anna Claire." acknowledging that she is still sleeping, nestled tightly in his arms. She looks incredibly tiny - more so than what she is, wrapped in his strong arms. He smiles, placing a kiss on the top of her head. The two of them stroll over to the bed and peer over my shoulder - I can hear Gil quietly gasp as he watches Harper nurse. He whispers, "Sara, there is nothing more beautiful, more natural. I feel like I am privy to an intimate stage play - and you are the main act. I could watch you all day. " Feeling tears waft towards my lashes, I blink - hoping to keep them from falling. I turn my gaze back to Harper, her eyes closed and mouth turned up into a tiny smile - she is finally at ease, although still somewhat latched on. I brush my fingers across her little face, hoping to ease her away from my breast. She turns her face ever so slightly away and I am able to reposition her without waking her.
The rest of the day is calm and quiet for the most part. Aside from the nurses and a short visit from Dr. Seavers, we are left to ourselves - enjoying this time together to bond with the girls. After a light dinner, I feel well enough to take a quick shower - hoping to relax a little before bed. Making sure the girls are sleeping in the bassinet, I tiptoe to the bathroom. Gathering a few items, I make my way into the shower - adjusting the water to a comfortable temperature. I begin washing my hair, when I realize this is the first shower in weeks that I have taken - alone. It almost feels wrong not to have Gil in here with me. I quietly call his name, and he appears at the doorway instantly. "Gil, are the girls still sleeping?" I ask. He replies, "Yes, they are very content. I don't think they have stirred since you put Harper back into the bassinet. How come?" My eyes meet his, and I ask him to join me in the shower - not for any reason other than I need him in there. He carefully moves the bassinet close to the bathroom door and places the sign on the door that requests privacy before getting undressed. He steps into the tub and I turn around to embrace him, his hands pulling me to him. We stand there in the shower, water beating down on us for several minutes before actually showering. He tenderly lathers me up, letting the water run all over my body rinsing the bubbles away. After the shower, he wraps me in a soft, cottony towel before getting out. We glance at the girls, still nestled snug in the bassinet - two tiny miracles tangled together. Gil finds a clean gown for me, along with some comfortable panties and helps me get dressed. I climb back in bed and wait for him to dress. We lie in the hospital bed together, content listening to each other breath. One last glance at the girls, and I decide to not rouse them to feed - knowing they will wake when they are hungry. Minutes later, Gil and I drift off to sleep, holding each other tightly.