Ethan and Christopher's arrival

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I was having a routine growth scan of the boys done on January 8. All my appointments, mind you I went every week to see the OB or perinatologist, were fine. Not once were they concerned with preterm labor, or expected anything. I had stopped working in August due to having such a strenuous job, and being on my feet 12 hours a day. My whole pregnancy I took it easy, volunteering in Noah's preschool, going to every appointment. The only downfall was I had hyperemesis gravidarum, SEVERE morning sickness. I lost 30 pounds, had a home health nurse, was on IV fluids at home, and a reglan pump(I had to change the needle/catheter every three days), and FINALLY at 20 weeks, I was able to eat.

The ultrasound technician, did the growth scan and said the boys looked good, weighing in at around 3lbs and 4lbs each. Then she checked my cervix, and I knew by looking at the screen that it didn't look good. I became very aware of what was normal and not during all my appointments. My cervix measured in at .5mm severely thinned out. Not even 5 days before it was at 4mm, normal. So the doctor came in and told me to get down to Sharp Mary Birch ASAP, she even wanted to call an ambulance. Once down there, they tried starting an IV, five sticks later they were successful. Then on came the monitor. It showed I was contracting every 5 minutes and were coming pretty strongly. They checked my cervix and I was dilated to 3cm. So, this is where it gets kind of hazy for me as they started me on magnesium sulfate, the most HORRIBLE thing ever. Almost immediately I was burning up and just felt like crap. It made me so loopy, I was calling people on the phone and would come to find out days later that I don't even remember talking to them. They all thought this was funny, me not so much. The mag didn't help so then came the turbutaline. This caused me to get a severe case of the shakes, freaking poor Justin out. This continued for the next few hours. I also received a dose of steroids to help the boys lungs mature. The contractions kept coming, I didn't even feel them. So the doctor then ordered for me to have Indocin, they were trying everything to keep me pregnant! So by now it is almost midnight...time to try and sleep. Didn't really happen because the monitor kept beeping because baby b, Christopher's heart rate would drop periodically. The next morning Justin got up and went to work, we assumed I would stop contracting and remain on hospital bedrest, but we were wrong. The contractions kept coming...the meds did too, but didn't work. Finally the nurse checked my cervix again and I was dilated to 5cm and baby a was extremely low. So the doctor called for a c-section. I called Justin, he left work in a haste and sped to the hospital. In the half hour from the doctor calling for a c-section and it actually happening, the nurses were busy prepping me, I met with a neonatologist, and they were ready to wheel me to the OR. I was begging them to wait for Justin to get there...they gave him another five minutes...luckily he walked in then. They gave him some scrubs to wear and booties...and we were off to the OR. They gave me a spinal, which had some sort of weird affect on me because I could barely keep my eyes opened...I just wanted to sleep. At 12:44 out came Ethan crying, a relief to both Justin and I. At 12:45 Christopher followed crying also...Justin followed the boys to the NICU as they finished my c-section.

In recovery Justin came in and told me the boys were doing good. Didn't need to be intubated, but were on what they call CPAP(continuous positive airway pressure). Ethan weighed in at 3lbs 9oz and was 15 1/2 inches long. Christopher weighed 4lbs 3oz and was 16 and 1/4 inches. This was very surprising considering I delivered at 30 weeks 3 days. He showed me some pictures he took...they looked surprisingly good...I expected to see little blue babies on a ventilator, but their color was good. An hour later I was being wheeled through the NICU, stopping first to see Christopher, then Ethan. It was so heartbreaking to see them, enduring all the needle sticks, being on CPAP.

I didn't see the boys again until that night, and it was then that Justin and I got a quick lesson on the NICU, all the alarms, etc...It was extremely scary when their monitors would go off because they were having a brady(a slowed heart rate), or if they would have a desat in oxygen. Over time this all became easier.

On day 5, the day I was being discharged, we got to hold Ethan for the first time. It was rewarding, but made leaving them behind even harder. It wasn't until day 8 we got to hold Christopher.

Christopher stayed in the NICU for 7 weeks, Ethan for 8 1/2 weeks. Through this time, we hit the lowest of lows, the highest of highs. Endured blood transfusions, trial runs off oxygen, Ethan had surgery for pyloric stenosis, bloody stools, renal ultrasounds, eye exams, x-rays, and so much more. Once we got the go ahead from the doctor to bring Christopher home, we were elated, but heartbroken when we left little Ethan behind.

Once Ethan came home, it was time to adjust to life with twins and a four year old...one word...CHAOTIC!!! But we would take it as our family was home! We got the boys on the same schedule, thank goodness, eating every four hours. Despite being on medications for reflux, they are doing well, gaining weight, and getting cuter everyday!

We had amazing nurses in the NICU, ones we will forever remember and be grateful for. Heather, Marie, Urvashi, and Megan, we wouldn't have been able to make it through the NICU roller coaster without you! Thank you! You all started out as nurses to our boys, and now we consider you our friends!