Finally!!! An update....

Well, it's been ages since I posted. I've been so busy. Most of you know by now that our babies were born on November 30 at exactly 32 weeks gestation. Not everyone knows the details, so I will do a brief summary of what has happened over the last few weeks:

On November 29 at supper time I went into the hospital because I was just feeling "not right" all day. I didn't really have anything specific wrong with me, but I just felt unwell and very anxious. I mentioned in my last post that I had this fear that I would somehow "overlook" signs and symptoms of labor and end up delivering my babies in the toilet at home. I was kind of joking,  but kind of not. I really was a little bit worried about this!  Anyways, I got checked out at the hospital by some very nice nurses and doctor who humoured me and took my vague symptoms seriously despite the fact that I was not contracting at all and had basically ZERO signs of labor. I was 1-2 cm and sent home totally reassured that all was well.

Well, these boys of mine must have been counting down to the "32 week" milestone! Because at pretty much exactly midnight on November 30 (32 weeks on the dot!) I woke up and started having contractions. They were quite mild at first, so I wandered around the kitchen timing them for about an hour. At 1:30am I woke up Mark and told him that we should probably prepare to go back to the hospital. While I waited for him to get ready, the contractions got a bit stronger. But still manageable. On the way to the hospital, I do remember thinking "maybe this is the night" but then quickly decided that no, I was likely just anxious again and maybe I'd be admitted but definitely would not be having babies.

Well imagine my surprise when at the hospital I turned out to be fully dilated! Apparently my superstar cervix had finally decided it had enough of holding babies in! I don't  fully remember all that happened, because it was so fast! But I was whisked off to the OR quicker than you an imagine and prepped for a c-section under general anaesthesia. I was completely unconscious for the entire thing, which contrary to what some people think, is probably the WORST way to give birth. But, for me, it was the safest thing to do given the situation. I am so grateful for the entire team of doctors and nurses that helped to safely deliver my babies so quickly.

So, our little miracles were born!
Baby A is Garrett Benjamin, born at 3:30, weighing 3 lbs 13 oz.
Baby B is our angel, Benjamin Mark, born at 3:32, weighing 2 lbs, 1 oz.
Baby C is Rhys William, born at 3:33, weighing 4 lbs, 9 oz!

I have to thank three very special nurses: Bonnie, Mia and Candice for their AMAZING care. Our family was so fortunate to have these special ladies look after us during our very unique and difficult birth experience. If you guys are reading this, please know that you made such an impact on our experience and gave us some very positive memories to look back on. Your gentle care of Ben was so comforting to us. Thank you.

Rhys and Garrett have been in the NICU since birth and likely will be for several more weeks. Garrett seems to be out to show Rhys that he is indeed the "big brother" as he has been making progress very quickly. He is disconnected from most of his tubes and monitors and just has a heart monitor and feeding tube in place. He is starting to be able to breastfeed and tolerating his tube feeds well. He is also gaining weight! As of today he is 3 lbs, 14.5 oz.

Rhys on the other hand, had a major setback on Dec 6. He was diagnosed with a  bowel infection called "necrotizing enterocolitis" which is common in preemies, and can be very serious.  It was a very stressful and scary day or so as we did not know what the outcome might be. Thankfully, he had great care by an amazing team of doctors and nurses and is on the road to recovery. He was not able to eat for a week, but as of yesterday is slowly starting up his feeds again. As a result, he is quite a bit behind Garrett, but hopefully he can catch up quickly.

Basically our lives revolve around NICU, and Rylen. Trying to find a balance between being there for the babies and spending time with Rylen is quite difficult. There isn't time for much else, which is why this blog post is so late! Thankfully I have a superstar husband and great parents to help share the load with.

Alot of people have wondered what our "daily routine" is like. The NICU environment is pretty much a mystery unless you have experienced it yourself! Basically, when I am there, I go back and forth between both babies, and pump breast milk in between. If I am not careful, I can get stuck in there all day without eating, drinking, or peeing! I have to really watch the clock to remind myself to take a break.  Parents are encouraged to do as much care as possible for your babies. So, at feeding times, I change their diapers, do mouth care, take their temperature and a few other things, and then often I cuddle them skin to skin (kangaroo care). The idea is to only handle the babies at feeding times and get everything done all at once so they have as much time as possible to rest and grow. Rhys and Garrett are not on the same feeding schedule so by the time I am done with one, it's the other one's turn! I have been spending most of my day there, and sometimes my parents watch Rylen while Mark is with me, or else Mark and I switch off around supper time and I go home while he stays with the babies. It's a lot busier than I envisioned it being, but I'm happy to have the opportunity to do so much for my babies despite the fact that they are in the hospital. The NICU staff are fantastic and we are amazed everyday at the technology that is used and the intensity of the care they receive. So thankful we live in Canada where I will not be getting a giant bill for their stay! (Garrett is totally busting their diaper budget. Seriously, the kid poops more than you can imagine. And he likes to do it in a clean diaper. So in other words, each diaper change involves 3-4 diapers and like 20 minutes of sitting there waiting for him to finally finish)

One of the biggest downfalls of a c-section while unconscious, is that you miss everything! It is a very strange feeling to "fall asleep" pregnant and wake up not pregnant anymore. And, the biggest thing that I found unsettling is that my babies were gone without me ever having seen them or hear them cry. The first time I went into the NICU to see them, I remember thinking " any of these kids could be mine" I totally relied on Mark and the staff to tell me which babies were my sons. Not a nice feeling at all. A complete opposite feeling from when I had Rylen, who never left my sight after the birth. Anyways, it took a little bit of time (mostly for all the narcotics to wear off), but eventually I fell in love with my little men and quickly got to know their little quirks and personalities. It's funny, but because Garrett is a lot tinier than Rhys, alot of people assume he is the "little brother", as in the younger one. But really, he is a whole 3 minutes older!  As a result we now refer to these guys as  "The Little Big Brother" (Garrett) and " The Big Little Brother" (Rhys) or "Little Big and Big Little" for short. I wonder if those nicknames will stick? Maybe they will even out in size eventually?  I can't wait for everyone to see how adorable they are. We don't have many great pictures yet, especially because they have been hooked up to so many tubes and stuff that it's hard to get a good look at their faces. But really, they are so cute and cuddly and we are totally smitten with them. They don't look anything alike each other and their size difference is so apparent that all my fears of mixing them up are completely gone.

Rhys, on CPAP

Garrett right after delivery

Garrett, on ventilator for a few hours

Garrett in the "tanning salon" :-)

Garrett "kangaroo-ing" with Mommy

Garrett

Rhys

Rhys "kangaroo-ing" with Daddy

Rylen holding Garrett and singing him Twinkle Twinkle. Precious.

Rhys

Garrett