NICU Day 2 full day

So, today the boys both had ultrasounds done on their brains to see if they had any brain bleeds and we are happy to announce both tests came back NEGATIVE!! These tests are done routinely so there will be more to come throughout their stay. It is very common after birth for babies to lose weight so their new weights are Maddox 3pounds 5 oz and Mason 3 pounds 3 oz.  Very normal even though it sounds like a lot.  Maddox is on CPAP and Mason is a little behind him.  The next step above CPAP is breathing in regular air, so that is a big deal!!! Very exciting. Both boys are just so darn cute and tonight daddy got some skin to skin time with Maddox and Mommy got some time with Mason <3.  Mike had the opportunity to take Maddox's temp and change his diaper which was a fail...lol. Daddy needs a little more practice. He said Maddox was lookin at him like, "seriously, dad, you can't change a diaper!?" Wish i was there to see that! Mike was telling Maddox all about the things they are going to do when they get older...skiiing, riding bikes etc. So sweet <3

Those are the updates so far for today. Stay tuned!!!

Shannon and Mike

Our little Christmas miracles have arrived!!!

I don' t even know where to start!!  As you all know this has been such a long road and I still don't believe they are here.

We knew since my cervix was dwindling it was only a matter of time and we were really really trying to exceed 32 weeks, but I guess 31 weeks 5 days will have to do.  The middle of the night Wednesday morning the nurse kept coming in to check on me and I was barely able to sleep with my contractions. This was not new to me since I was contracting every day since 26 weeks. I did notice it hurt a little more than usual, but didn't really think too much of it.  So, around 8am or so Wednesday morning I noticed a leak and then a gush and was scrambling to find my nurse call button. Honestly, I can't imagine breaking my water any where else. It was sooo much water!! and that was just one baby. What if I was in  the car? bed? recliner? How do you clean that??  lol. 

The nurses came in and I was shaking. I was in shock. Even though  I was anticipating something happening soon, I was not expecting that much! The doctor wanted to wait a few hours because there are plenty of cases of women who break their water, but either don't contract or they are able to go days, weeks with a broken water. Mike and I were laughing to ourselves because we knew a cervix of less then 1 cm and non stop contractions it was only going to escalate from here. So, we waited a couple of hours and things got more intense so he checked me and I was indeed 2cm dilated and within the hour was in the OR.  Epidural was not bad at all, but the csection itself was  so weird. You feel everything just no pain. Very odd!!  After all said and done the babies were out and screaming and i cried. The sound of their little cries were what I was dying to hear. They showed life...they showed me we got another chance. Nothing more beautiful!

When in recovery I was offered a new treatment for pain that is relatively new. It was a pain blocker they inject into your stomach on each side. I didn't ask any questions and was thinking, "well, hell, I get lovenox, heparin in the stomach must be like that." Nope!!, it's a 13 inch needle they go in with a sonogram guiding the needle. It wasn't very painful, just uncomfortable, but let me tell you I didn't feel a pain at all until like 20 hours later. If I can remember correclty it is called the Teplock Shots? I am prob very off, but in my fuzzy state thats what i THINK it's called...lol. 

Seeing the babies were the most beautiful thing and scariest. I didn't know if I wanted to just burst into tears or scream in happiness that I had two beautiful boys in this world being taken care of. Ok, I am not going to lie, I cried. We saw Maddox first and i put my finger in to touch him and when i started to talk to him he started to wimper and cry and the fact that I couldn't pick him up to console him tore me up!! I felt so helpless :( We visited Mason after that and he was nice and calm with little wimpers here and there. All I can say is I am happy they will not remember this time in their lives.  

The other most amazing and beautiful moment was seeing Mike with his boys <3. This man blows me away! He has been down there more than me bc i was having some issues with dizziness earlier and had to make sure I was stable and not going to black out so he was down their like three times already.

when he takes me down he goes over all the machines and what everything means and completely updates me all the medical jargon. With the lack of sleep I have and emotions of seeing them I couldnt tell you what machine they are hooked up to or what does what, but he is very good at breakign it down so I can understand everything at this point...lol.  He has that purell in his hand and is a nazi when it comes to making sure I purell even after i touch my shirt, face, chair etc...lol. He is so funny!  He is such a good daddy already and seeing him talk and touch the boys melts my heart so much!! <3

I have been lucky to start pumping already even though my milk has not come in. However, i am able to get a few drops here and there and they encourage bringing those little drops down just so they can give them that little bit.  Hopefully, my milk comes in soon and we can get that liquid gold :)

Ok, I am done bragging about my beautiful new family and will get off now :)  I guess this blog will just keep continuing. We blogged through infertility, pregnancy, loss, pregnancy and now will continue their stay at the nicu and then maybe I will turn this into "raising twin boys" as they get older. 

Thank you again for all of your support <3

Shannon and Mike

Update...31w4d

This morning we met with our HR doctor and like we thought, the cervix is around a 1cm.  Not really sure what is going to happen, but just waiting at this point.  We go back on Friday.  At this point, the cervix is just dwindling down and I am curious to see what Friday is going to look like if we keep going down .5cm every 3-4 days.  Contractions all weekend were the most I have had and between 2-4 min for most of the weekend. I wish I could say they weren't painful, but they def were not pleasant.  Sleeping is AWFUL! I try to start out on my left side and then extreme hip pain forces me to roll over onto my back which is very painful. I am up most of the night and having to get out of this bed by myself is a balancing act on its own.

I am trying so hard to be patient, but it is getting really rough.  I am a strong person, but between the pain of contractions every day, pressure on my cervix, lack of sleep, losing my private room permenantly and these horrible rude roomates I am at my wits end. I would do anything to be able to ride the rest of this pregnancy out at home.  Doctor said if I hold out I can go home at 34 weeks. Which is 2 weeks in a room with who knows who. I know you all are probably rolling your eyes and thinking you can do this, but the lack of sleep and constant pain and annoyance of people really puts you over the edge. 

In just four days of being with a roomate I have had to deal with projectile vomiting from her this morning and her constant sniffles and sneezing. ( I swear if I get sick bc of this girl I am going to be so pissed off!!) Last night she was on the phone til 1:30 am and her guests didn't leave until an hour after visiting hours (which is better than the other night when they left at 11:30pm) Guests who curse non stop and have no respect for others when talking. These guests were talking about how fat and ugly the nurses are and the "F" word is just flying around. What ever happened to manners? Oh and the fact that I had Chaplin Gardner here. I was so imbarrassed.  I don't understand how people can just just be so rude. 

Oh and the update on the private room. Well, i was told that the room was needed for someone with an infection and of course I would be happy to give that room to someone who was sick.  However, the person who was supposed to go in there had surgery and it corrected itself and she was sent home....so Mike and I are sitting in this room looking at my empty room for 2 days realizing no one is in there. So, our doctor comes in and tells us he did what he could, but the director is keeping one private room available in the case someone needs isolation.  Ok, I get that but the nurses even told us that it doesn't happen very often. So, we arent sure why we can't just be placed in their til someone comes in that needs it. I was in there 2 weeks before someone needed it. There is anotherprivate room but the girl who has been here for ten weeks is in there and god bless her she deserves it a whole lot more than me. 

Our doctor agreed for patients who are long term and to make them very comfortable the private room should be used for them when there isn't an isolation patient. So, I will be in my double room with a rotation of possibly sickly people and some very rude for the next 2 weeks. 

Like I said, I prob sound so miserable and ungrateful for the care I am receiving, but i promise you the nurses are fantastic. I have not come across one rude nurse thank goodness. Just rude guests...

Sorry, this is not the most uplifting blog post, but I am doing my best trying to keep sane.  

On a good note, here is a pic of Maddox from today. Mason was not cooperating :)