Cullen Spencer Kahl has arrived!!!!

Disclaimer: Daddy finally has permission to enter a post on the blog.  Hopefully, I will be invited back, so please take it easy on a washed up English teacher.

So, 245 days disappeared as quickly as ice cream in our freezer.  Really, as many of you know, it has been a very long road- but all has fallen to the wayside as our Cullen is here, and most importantly, he is healthy!

Angie and I spent the majority of our time last night and early this morning looking forward to today as children do Christmas.  We rarely slept, engaged in conversation once we felt the other shuffle around in bed, and imagined what fun today would bring.  Needless to say, we were not disappointed.  Biddie and MiMi stayed the night and helped prep for departure at 10:00 this morning.  Once we arrived at Women’s Hospital, and went through the lengthy check-in procedure, Angie and I found ourselves passing time before the 1:30 planned C-Section…check that, 3:00 C-section…and then waited longer until they took Angie in at 4:30.  Apparently, there were a number of emergencies that came up beforehand, but let’s face it, we completely understand how the unthinkable happens. 

I waited in the Father’s Waiting Room for a while until it was show time, and they called me back to the OR.  Grossly overweight,and breathing heavily from running to position, I shuffled through the list of Angie’s requested videos and still pictures, and then I began following through with my obligation.  To my surprise, Angie was awake and having a full-blown conversation with our OB, and cracking jokes about her attempt to keep us waiting another six hours until Angie was a full 37 weeks.  Once Cullen was taken, I video taped for what seemed like hours, and then was working on swapping the video camera out to now take the still photos when something unexpected to us happened- Cullen began crying, screaming, almost roaring to us that he was alive and well.  This is exactly what we had been praying for, to have a child who would be given the chance to start out free from assisted breathing, without the sounding monitor bells, and one who would not have to suffer through multiple injections/heel sticks.  What a miracle!  Cullen has very dark hair, and lots of it.  After peeing on the nurse as she cleaned him off, he tipped the scales at a whopping 7lbs 2oz!  Once they cleared his airways and swaddled him to snug, the nurse delivered him to Angie’s arms, and time stood still.  That is, until the staff informed us Cullen was headed to the G E N E R A L nursery- the day keeps getting better…

We took a number of pictures in the OR, and will post them soon, but the real treat was to watch Ellie’s reaction to her baby brother.  I followed the nurse down the hall to the waiting room, and once we were swarmed by family, I found Ellie beside Cullen’s bassinet, welcoming him to the family.  Ellie went so far as to urge her Biddie to tell Cullen hello.  When it was time to take Cullen to the nursery, his big sister was there to push the cart with the nurse.  Ellie was so proud as she explained to the nurse who Cullen is and how she was going to take care of him. 

As Angie was recovering, the family migrated to the general nursery to peer through the windows at our new baby boy.  These were the windows we passed before having the twins, when we thought all babies were destined to pass through their doors, the same windows that seemed to be out of reach to any of our kiddos- how wrong we were.  Our family was finally able to smile, laugh, and fill the room with the joyful rush that is having a baby- what a time!  After a few trips between the nursery windows and to visit and update Angie, we were finally able to move to the room.

Biddie, MiMi, Ellie, and I were happy to see Angie being wheeled to the our final destination here at TWH.  Soon we would be joined by Uncle Dave and Aunt Katy, who were kind enough to bring food for dinner, and they were able to stay and catch up for a while- what good times.  Ellie has her first dance recital tomorrow, so both Grandmothers and Ellie had to leave soon after Ellie opened her ”Big Sister” goodie bags, which were a hit.

We heard a knock on the door about an hour after the ladies headed home, and we were then presented our son, bathed and wrapped to stay the night with us- WOW!  Angie was finally able to hold and cuddle Cullen, and a few minutes later, Bennett and Ellie’s primary nurses dropped by to visit.  We had a great time sharing this moment with all of our nurses from the past because they truly are family.  These very special people were Bennett’s guardians when we had to leave him here in the hospital, they were our eyes, hands, and hearts when we were away.  God put them in our lives for a reason, and they have been the best of friends since.

We are truly blessed.  All guests have left our room, Cullen is swaddled and nursing in Angie’s bed, and I am lucky enough to document the day’s events.  God is good!  We have received well wishes, thoughts, and prayers from people we don’t even know.  We have experienced the roller coaster that is prematurity.  Most importantly, we have been able to bring beautiful children into this world to be loved and brought up to raise up to Him.  Our circle is now complete. 

Thanks for keeping up with us, offering up your prayers, and please continue to follow along with updates on our family. 

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 118:24

A very humble, proud, and blessed man, 

Brandon