Our twin girls are here!

Our baby girls are here! They arrived on Thursday, February 10, 2011! Rena (also known as Baby A in the womb) came into the world at 5:13pm weighing 5lbs and Sophianne (known as Baby B) at 5:14pm weighing 3lbs 10.2 oz. We are thrilled that they are here!!

They are still in the NICU and will be for some time. However, we are so grateful that they did not seem to show any signs of respiratory disorder or seem to struggle with apnea. Although they have wires sticking all over their little bodies, they are breathing on their own. We're really thankful for that.

They are still being fed intravenously (fat and other essential vitamins) and using a tube that delivers food directly to their stomach. However, they have also started feeding the girls using the bottles of breast milk. Rena started out only with 5ml but has increased to 22ml and seems to be digesting well. She's drinking from the bottle three times a day. Sophianne started out at 5ml and is now at 12ml two times a day.

I love being able to "kangaroo" them -- skin to skin holding and spending some time bonding together.

Elijah has yet to meet the girls. He says, "Babies are in the hospital because they are sick." And at various points have asked me, "Babies out of mommy?" He won't be able to meet them until they return home with us. We're trying our best to help him understand what is happening; he's also trying to make sense of the situation too, it seems by playing "baby" with his stuffed animal. The other day I heard him say, "It's okay that you're crying....I cry sometimes too." So sweet.

Okay, time for me to go back to bed now that I'm finished pumping! ;)

Week 35!

This morning was devoted to medical appointments. I was initially scheduled for fetal monitoring and then an appointment with the perinatologist to get my last detailed ultrasound. However, I woke up this morning and realized that I had spotted while sleeping. I called my Ob and was told to go to Labor and Delivery to make sure all was okay. Thank goodness I didn't have to spend six hours there! I was out within an hour. It was kind of nice that the fetal monitoring was done early and I had a little time to spare before my next appointment with the peri.

I was looking forward to my appointment with the perinatologist because I knew I would be getting a detailed ultrasound scan. It was going to be my last ultrasound. I was curious to see how much the babies had grown in the last four weeks. We were surprised to find out that baby A measured 4lbs and 11oz and baby B measured 4lbs 1oz. In the last four weeks, baby B had only gained a pound and the doctor expressed his concern. Although it is very common for twins to stop growing as much starting week 32, he was hoping to see more growth. He felt that maybe my body has maxed out and that it is time to take the babies out.

Then we had a phone conferencing with our Ob and she suggested that we take out the babies today! I just did not feel emotionally or practically ready to agree to that, so I asked if we can do it on Thursday instead. Medically, although there was a concern for their growth, everything else looked good so it didn't seem like there was any real urgency that required a c-section today. I wanted to be able to make sure that the transition for Elijah would go as smoothly as possible and to give my in-laws adequate time to come down from northern Cal. So, we are scheduled to have a c-section at 5pm on Thursday!

When we got home, I was kind of an emotional mess. I think there were so many emotions going on all at once, and when that happens what usually flows is tears. I think I was disappointed that I didn't make it to week 37. I didn't want any NICU time or hard transition to nursing because their sucking reflexes or lungs aren't developed enough. I have no idea what to expect but we have been praying for super-natural lung development (if immature) in the next two days and that they would spend little or no time in NICU. I am hoping that they would be able to come home with me when I am discharged and that there would be no feeding issues. But, we will have to see. The doctors are pleased that I made it this far in my "small frame" but I wish I could have gone two weeks longer. I also wish the babies were bigger....I am hoping that the measurement is off by a pound (meaning they weigh around 5lbs plus), just like they were with Elijah! I tried really hard to gain lots of weight. I have gained 30 pounds and because my stomach is so big I have been having harder time eating and keeping food in....

Just the other day, P and I were talking about how much we missed Elijah now that he's in preschool five days a week. We have two hours after school to play and then, it's nap time, and then, maybe we have another 3-4 hours. I haven't been able to do as much with him since being on bed-rest. I felt sad that I won't get to have more Elijah time before the babies come. Nevertheless, we are so grateful to Jesus that he has transitioned well to being at preschool. He loves it and wakes up each morning looking forward to going. We officially created a space on our wall to hang up Elijah's work..... The preschool has been a huge blessing for us and for him.

Now, I am frantically trying catch up on Elijah's blog so that I can make a book of his first two years of life. I'm really close....a couple of more postings and then, I should be ready.... It kind of feels surreal that we will be meeting the girls in less than two days!! I'm not sure if I'm feeling "ready" but I'm glad P is! I think Elijah is getting himself ready too.....he keeps playing babies and today, we shared that they will be coming out in two days....In two days, we will become a family of FIVE! WOW! Who would have thought that two years ago? No wonder my emotions have been all over the map.