Beautiful Babies

[HEATHER'S NOTE: Claire is the fair-haired baby, and her brother Reid has very dark hair. They're beautiful! Congratulations Vanessa & James, and families!]

Update on Twins and other stuff

Vanessa came to the Easter Gathering on Sunday. She is looking very well and happy. The babies are still in hospital but she hopes they will be home for the Shower in May. If they are not. I am thinking the Shower will have to descend on the hospital. We were planning a caravan for the birth, but that didn't happen.

It was a plane that brought them to Guelph from Windsor, not a helicptor as I first indicated. Vanessa had a room at the hospital while they were there. The mother needs to be close.

Reid is over four pounds and Claire is just three ounces behind him. They will still be in Canada when the Forrester family cottage is opened at Christie Beach. Mary tells me they will have their feet dipped into Georgian Bay before they leave for America. So they will always know where they come from.

Vanessa has to go to Montreal to the American Legation for an Immigration Hearing for the three of them to enter The States. Stephen will take her and Mary will have the babies to herself. Arms filled with a soft sweet smelling bundle of baby are fulfilling nature's best purpose. Twins must be doubly satisfying.

We were a merry throng on Sunday. A number of birthdays happen around Easter. The practice is to have birthday cake, sing the Birthday Song, They Are Jolly Good Fellows and a round of three rousing Hip Hip Hoorays. No gifts are exchanged. We are each others gift.

This year Robyn again made the birthday cake. But she decided it would be a chocolate layer cake. Of course it wasn't big enough. The Masters golf tournament was on television. The songs were not sung, the cheers were not shouted and to his great disgust my son Frank did not get a piece of birthday cake.

But the ham and roast beef were done to a T and my gravy was delicious. Next time, Robyn can make the cake again but there will be a back-up just in case.

While we were together, someone else was visiting friends in Aurora and sharing memories of happy days in the Factory Theatre. Gail Kendall had acted with Frank in a play called "You Can't Take it With You" and sent her best wishes to all of us through an e-mail.

It was a very nice ending to a great day.

Bulletin.

The twins are in Guelph. That's closer to home. They were transported by helicopter one at a time.
Big brother came first on a high-wind Saturday and the pilot had trouble landing. So little sister was brought on Sunday. Apparently there's only room for one infant with all the trappings and attendants .So they had to be brought one at a time.

Vanessa is able to sleep at home now. James had to go home to Takoma the Friday before the little family were transported. So it's a blessing, they didn't have to stay in Windsor any longer.
The babies are still making progress.

Vanessa is a strong person but the experience must be taking it's toll.

The New Family

The twins are still progressing. But in Windsor. If two spaces become available in Kitchener
they will be transported immediately. But if a preemie arrives in Kitchener and there is a space, the new arrival will have priority. Two spaces are even more difficult to come by than one.

Vanessa is discharged but has to stay in hospital to be with the little ones. James will be going back to Seattle any time. She has her lap-top but can only use it at the library. Stephen and Mary go down at the week-ends. She is a very strong young woman and the circumstances require it. The main thing is the babies are making good progress. The care is excellent.

The clan is gathering on Easter Sunday but we don't expect to see them here. These babies will be going to live in America when the documentation is completed and transport is sensible. That will be a heart-ache. Especially for Stephen and Mary. I hhave never had to contend with anything like that.