Milestones

Some important dates in Jack and Maddy's life:

Saturday April 3, 2010: we saw two blue lines...a little baby on the way (or so we thought...)

Friday May 21, 2010: our first Dr. appointment.  She says, "I'm excited to see this little pregnancy, are you?"  We nod in excitement.  I lay down, she puts the jelly on my stomach and Brad stands at my feet.  I watch her face.  It changes.  I start to freak out in my head.  "Just give me a minute to make sure I know what I'm looking at."  A few seconds pass, it felt like eternity.  "Well, it is kind of a surprise, but I see two in there."  I look at Brad and we both laugh, admittedly, these were nervous laughs.  She leaves the room and visions of two carseats, two cribs, twice the toys and clothes start going through my mind.  We spent the rest of the day in complete shock.  Since that day, I haven't been able to imagine it any other way.  Don't all babies come in twos!? 

Thursday July 8, 2010: anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks.  We get confirmation that our twins are fraternal and one sweet baby girl and one sweet baby boy are on the way.

Tuesday October 5, 2010: we are admitted to the hospital for pre term labor at 30 weeks.  We spend three days on IV magnesium and I get two steroid shots to help mature the babies lungs.  We spend Brad's birthday in the hospital.  After three days we are sent home on bedrest, and return three times a week for appointments, amniotic fluid level checks and non-stress tests, we make two more trips to labor and delivery for evaluation.  I start to develop preeclampsia.  I start counting days instead of weeks. 
Thursday October 28, 2010: I notice contractions occurring more frequently.  These are barely noticeable, or I have become so used to contractions in the past several weeks it feels like nothing.  I count them, 9 in an hour.  Hmmm.  I drink water, lay down, try to sleep.  Something just doesn't feel right.  We call labor and delivery and I talk to the Ob on call.  He wants us to come in.  Just in case, we grab the video camera and my hospital bag, but we plan to be home in only a few hours.  We spend another uncomfortable night in labor and delivery.  My cervix changes from 1 cm to 4 cm and from 50% thinned out to 80%.  This is happening now, and at 34 weeks 1 day they won't try to stop labor.  We weren't expecting it to be this morning.  They do an ultrasound to confirm the positions of the babies.  They are still both breech, so have to be delivered by c-section.

Birthday: October 29, 2010.  Jack is older by one minute.  I was quickly prepped for a c-section at about 4 am, by 5:44 am I heard Jack's first cry.  One minute later I heard Maddy's first cry, she cried twice.  They each had their own team of NICU doctors and nurses and were immediately taken to another room while I was put back together.  Several hours later, after a lot of blood loss, a lot of meds to try to help stop the bleeding and combat the nausea, I throw up.  Then Brad throws up.  Then I start to shake uncontrollably.  This lasts for several hours.  In the recovery room, still shaking, Jack is rolled in to meet momma for the first time..he is sleeping peacefully and looks so tiny in his little plastic box.  I can only stare in amazement.  Then Maddy is rolled in, also sleeping peacefully in her little plastic box.  They are so beautiful.  More tiny and precious then I ever could have imagined.  Later that afternoon Brad wheels me down to the NICU and I hold my two little babies for the first time.  Their little noises were like kittens.  They were so tiny yet I was so amazed they had both been inside of me just that morning.  They were breathing on their own (yay), but had IVs in their tiny little hands.  A few days later they had feeding tubes placed while they built up the stamina to take oral feeds.

Friday November 12, 2010: Jack comes home.  We are so sad to leave Maddy behind.  Jack is too small for his carseat so we have to put a rolled up towel between his legs (this was cleared by the car seat safety inspector, don't worry)!  I sit next to him on the ride home just staring at him. 

Saturday November 13, 2010: All three of us (Jack, Brad and I) go to pick up Maddy.  Finally, after 34 weeks of pregnancy, 3 weeks of bedrest, 2 weeks in the NICU, our two precious babies are home.  The sleep deprivation begins :-)

December 9, 2010: Jack and Maddy's due date

~10 weeks old: Jack's first smile
~12 weeks old: Maddy's first smile
~3.5 months old: able to hold their heads up 45 degrees when doing tummy time, more cooing
~4 months old: more head control, Maddy discovers even more volume in her voice :-)  Jack smiles ALL the time.  We are starting to hear the beginning of little giggles.  They are also starting to look at each other...who is that other baby?!