Hello from Sleep Deprivation Labs in Rochester, NY

Hi all!



Anyhoo- our new family is underway. Hard to believe.. but we're home and living under one roof. I apologize to all who have received incomplete or concerning updates- so much has happened in the last 2 weeks (or is it one long day?) that I have no idea who I've talked to about what and when. So here's a quick summary of events-to-date.

27th- Water broke at 6:45 am. Contractions started right up, and the doc said to come on it. We hurriedly packed our last-minute items and headed out the door (things we forgot: the phone list, and clothes for dave) (i was wearing clothes already, thankfully)
We were already 3 cm at arrival, and progressed to 9.5 cm by noon. Epidural was had... as soon as that back labor showed up, the anesthesiologist was our new best friend.
The head OR resident made the call to bring her into the OR (All twin deliveries are done in the OR, so we all had to suit up) Turns out she had a little bit more to go... about 7 hours...
I think the resident was a bit embarassed, but we didn't mind, as it was kind of a "practice run" for us.
There followed the experience that is aptly named "labor". Contractions continued to cook most of the afternoon, and around 5pm, they told her to start pushing.
"How?" was the question of the hour, as Sabrina found it very difficult to push "properly". How does one attempt to push your insides out between your legs? I still don't know.
After an exhausting 3 1/2 hours of pushing, the attending presented us with a choice :
1. keep going as long as she had energy.
2. deliver now with vacuum extraction
3. c-section.

A new development was the fact that Sabrina now had a temperature, and certain proteins in her blood indicated the onset of pre-eclampsia, a not-so friendly circulatory condition that makes a unfriendly place for babies to be in. She was put on magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures. (this is that nasty medicine that makes you cross-eyed and sicker than a dog (a sick dog, that is)) BUt all of that is better than a seizure...

We chose 2... wheeling into the OR again around 7pm. The vacuum extraction (medical staff lingo= 'the hoover') is basically a small toilet plunger that goes on the baby's head. Then you just pull on it, and out comes Mr. baby. Turns out that was just what we needed to get past the last little bit of cervix. Corban came out quite easily.. with a goosegg on his head from the plunger (it went away quickly)
They cleaned him up, gave him to me, and i held him as i watched a 200-lb man put most of his wieght on my wife's midsection to get Jayden to come out before her cervix closed up. He knew what he was doing... Jayden came out 15 minutes later in good shape.
Both boys were mellow fellows.. they had magnesium in them, which sedated them a bit. I held both of them while they did a little sewing on Sabrina (small tear)
So the babies were off to the NICU, and Sabrina was wheeled back to the room. She was out of it, in every way possible.
Corban had no issues, but they kept him in the NICU to see if he had an infection from the temperature that Sabrina had.
Jayden had some fluid in his lungs, and a high breathing rate, so he stayed in the NICU longer and had an IV line for 24 hours.
Both boys stablized within 48 hours and were released to the regular nursery.
Meawhile, Sabrina's condition got worse the next day. Her pre-eclampsia symptoms rose and she became more and more out of it. They kept the mag in her IV for 36 hours post-delivery.. which means she had a tremendous headache and couldn't get out of bed or eat anything for that time. She couldn't see the babies because you have to be in a wheelchair to come to the NICU.
So.. that was a tough day.
But her condition improved by monday, and they took her off the meds by the end of the day. The next few days were a whirlwind of recovery milestones (standing, walking, eating breakfast) as well as all the new-parent stuff (nursing, baby care, who's babies are those?)
Her milk has been slow to come in which had made nursing difficult to start up. We've had to feed the boys formula in a cup (avoids nipple confusion) until they get enough milk from mama.
Feeding a newborn with a cup is not the most fun thing to do, although it is very cute to watch.
The boys also had a day in the tanning booth, as they had some jaundice.

BUt all that is behind us now, and we are home.
We're both at about 9.5 on the Richter Scale of Parental Overwhelmedness.. but we must be doing something right, as the boys are still here, and even gained a little weight since discharge. This round-the-clock marathon is quite an experience. I have never been so tired. Yes, we're both ecstatic at the outcome, and grateful beyond words for how healthy our little peanuts are. But that has still to sink in... right now, its just survival and hoping we don't screw something up! This is all so new... everything is a learning experience!

Fortunately, Sabrina's mom and aunt (twins) are here to help during the day. Amazing how it takes 4 people to take care of two 5-lb babies. Any "free" time we get is usually the only chance to grab a nap. We're getting trained to sleep in 10-minute increments.

So- I've used up all my free time for this week to write this post. :)
Soon.... I will get pictures published. Its very high on my list.. i know you all are eager to see them.

PS- thanks MattW for posting the links to the names. Their meanings were a very important part of why we chose the names.

Corban- a gift dedicated to God
Tobias - God is good

Jayden- God has heard
Gabriel - God is my strength