The Story of Liza's Blog Post

Honey's Blog Entry.....


I recently returned to my home in Fort Worth after spending a great nine days in California with Hillary, Phil and the twins. I’m so in love with those young ‘uns. My friends who already have grandchildren have been telling me just how much I would adore these babies and how it is the same but different from ones’ own kids. My mother told me many times, “you love your children, but you idolize your grandchildren.” Now I really get it!


To see my daughter in the faces and eyes and reactions of her babies is nothing short of amazing. When I look at them I first see Hillary in Landon. We’ve laughed that we could put him in a dress and call him Hillary because he looks so much like her. Don’t think his daddy is too keen about that idea! After seeing a baby photo of Phil, I see him in Landon, as well. Reagan, our little old man, is still quite a bit smaller than Landon, who is our chunky monkey. Reagan looks more like his daddy, but I see glimpses of Hillary in him, too. We’ve nicknamed him The Button after the movie “Benjamin Button” because he started out looking like a little old man. He’s the cutest little guy and quickly growing out of the Button stage. I’m wondering if the nickname will stick. Naturally, we think both babies are nothing short of darling! How could they miss with such good looking parents?

This trip was more fun and less stressful than my first trip to California shortly after the babies arrived on January 13. They seem to have turned a corner with all of the health crises and drama, thank God. We went to the pediatrician while I was there and the babies were gaining weight. Landon was 10 lbs. 3 oz. and Reagan was up to 7 lbs. 15 oz. They were going to the doctor again today, so it will be fun to find out what they weigh this time.

I’ll never forget that 3 a.m. call from Hillary on January 17 when I heard Hillary on the other end of the phone saying “Momma, Reagan has taken a turn for the worse. They are Careflighting him to Children’s in Hollywood. My heart is breaking. I need you out here now, please…” Every day since I received that call, every time the phone rings and I see that it is Hillary, my heart stops, then lurches, all over again. I was terror struck that morning with that first phone call. I jumped out of bed, raced to the office to get to the computer to look at flights to California and promptly rammed my little toe into a cart that sits against the wall outside Tim’s office. Think I broke that toe. For a few weeks after, it was black and blue and purple and red and yellow. It’s still sore, no thanks to me hitting it again on some other piece of furniture that jumped out at me from somewhere. Hopefully our grandsons did not inherit my clumsy gene. Stupid toe is still sore.

Anyway, I was on a plane by 9:30 that Sunday morning and with Hillary by early afternoon. What followed in the two weeks I was out there is already becoming a blur. Phil, Hillary and I, as well as Phil’s family members, sprung to action and went about the daily routine of making trips to Los Angeles to Children’s Hospital to be with Reagan and to St. John’s to be with Landon. One day Phil would drive to L.A. and spend the day with Reagan, then drive home and go see Landon. The next day, the roles would reverse and Hillary and I would drive to L.A. to see Reagan, and then back to Oxnard to spend time with Landon. I’m driving; Hillary is riding and part of the time pumping her breasts to get the much needed breast milk for her babies. She was such a trouper, up running just a few days post c-section; pushing herself way past what she should have been doing. I don’t know how she did it. Phil, bless his heart, was driving himself the three hour round trip to L.A. to be with Reagan then going to St. John’s to see Landon, taking care of Amanda when she was home, and even doing some cooking for us, too. Hillary and Phil are a good team. I give them all the credit for doing a remarkable job then and now.

I left Port Hueneme to come home on the morning of January 28th. Cindy Poulsen made that easy for me by driving me to the airport…thanks, Cindy! The evening before, Phil announced to us that Reagan was being transported back to St. John’s. We thought he was coming back on the 28th, but it turned out he made it back on the night of the 27th to rejoin his brother. Phil went to St. John’s and was there when Reagan arrived via helicopter from Children’s. Needless to say, that was a very joyful moment for Reagan’s daddy and mommy and all the rest of the family. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Surely the worst was over. It wasn’t. Just a couple of days after I got home, I got another one of those dreaded phone calls late one night that started out with Hillary saying, “don’t panic, but….” Landon was having what appeared to be apnea episodes where he would quit breathing for a few seconds and turn blue around the mouth. After talking to Dr. Coppa, Phil raced off to the hospital with Landon where he was admitted for observation and tests. Landon stayed nearly a week but never had another episode like the ones he had at home. He underwent more tests than anyone should ever have to endure. I cringe just thinking about it now. Still not sure the neurosurgeon knew what he was talking about and after listening to Dr. Coppa, I think he was wrong with his diagnosis. Bottom line is that Landon has been doing great since he came home, with no more episodes. Hillary has peace of mind through the night because Landon has an apnea monitor. Sometimes the littlest things can make the biggest difference. If he didn’t have it, Hillary wouldn’t be sleeping at all at night. I know her. She would be hanging over the end of the bed, looking into the pack ‘n play every five minutes to be sure he was breathing.

That’s about all the news I have for now. Suffice it to say, Tim, Chickie and I are ecstatic over the birth of these precious boys and we think Hillary and Phil now have the perfect family….a smart, beautiful and sweet daughter, Amanda, and two darling little boys to round out the mix.

We predict lots of fun, lots of headaches and lots of joy. With the love Hillary and Phil have for each other, this will be a great adventure and the children could never have better parents.

In the meantime, here in Texas, all three grandkids have a family who love and adore them and can’t wait to see them again.
 
Liza AKA “Honey”