Three Weeks in the NICU and Counting

Update: I obviously wrote this and didn't publish it until I just saw the draft! It's now December 31st and both girls are home! Kennedy came home on the 24th and Kinley on the 28th. So happy to have them both home for New Years! 

We had our c-section scheduled for January 2nd and that would put me at 38 weeks and some change. I never thought I'd make it that far, but I never thought I'd have babies at 33 weeks and 3 days. To say the morning of the 26th was frightening is the understatement of the year. I was a Google, BabyCenter, Bump freak. I checked every Saturday, my weekly turnover day, what the chances of surviving on the outside were since about week 6. I will admit I'm a Type A freak show, but I needed to be prepared for anything. At 33 weeks I knew they had a 99.9% survival rate and they would be fine, but the NICU is not the most comforting place to think about sending your babies.

The first time Justin rolled me through the doors I had to catch my breath. I had seen pictures of the girls but seeing them in person hooked up to machines helping them to expand their lungs and monitors was frightening. Luckily, at first they weren't needing extra oxygen so it did make me feel somewhat better. Their little bodies were so tiny and looked like they were working so hard. The first few times we made the trip to the NICU I honestly felt so out of it that I don't remember a lot of what was going on or what anyone told me.

As the days progressed I became familiar with our nurses, what was happening, and felt comfortable leaving our girls with them. I got discharged from the hospital on Wednesday morning and honestly didn't know what to do when it was time to go. We live right down the hill from the hospital so I made the choice to not board at the hospital and come home to rest and recover from the c-section. We went and visited the girls for a little bit and then left to bring our stuff home. Driving away from the hospital without Kennedy and Kinley was the weirdest experience. I knew they were in good hands though so it made it better.

Our daily routine has turned into getting up and going to see them in the morning, coming home to rest in the afternoons, and then back to the hospital after dinner. We've learned all about desats, brady's, PDAs, feeding tubes, levels of NICUs, our nurses schedules, how to take care of premies, and how to have two more small people added to our family.

The only major hurdle they have had was on the first Friday we were in the NICU. The girls had an ultrasound done on their hearts and I was confused as to why and thought it was just a normal procedure. That night when we came back I noticed a paper sitting on the table in Kinley's room. I, of course, read the paper and freaked out before a nurse could come in an intercept it. She called the doctor in and he explained to us that Kinley was having a small issue with a PDA that was causing her to breathe harder than she needed to. Kennedy was also having an issue but it wasn't as bad as Kinley. After talking to him and hearing what he had to say I felt a little more calm. He explained that they would start Kinley on some medicine for 72 hours and then rescan her on Monday. When we came in on Saturday morning they had decided to do the same thing with Kennedy but with a medicine that wasn't needed as long since hers wasn't as open. The whole weekend I was on edge wondering if they were going to need to have a procedure to close their PDAs. On Monday we got to the hospital early and watched the ultrasound tech take pictures of the girls. She wasn't supposed to tell us anything but left each of their rooms with "She liked the medicine". The doctor confirmed for us two minutes later it had worked and we could get back to eating and growing.

The girls started off in different rooms next door to each other because the one twin suite was taken. During our second week we got to move into the extra large room that both girls could be in. It was nice to finally not have to run back and forth between rooms. I had felt like we were always in Kennedy's room because Kinley was only supposed to be "minimally stimulated". Now I feel like we are getting equal time with both.

We are now on our third week in the NICU. We have started trying to feed the girls without using the tubes so that we can show the doctors and nurses they can gain weight without them. They obviously have to be sucking and eating to go home. We also need them to stop having their breathing events, which are slowing down, but need to stop for 5 days before we can go home.

I can say that Tripler's NICU has been a fabulous place to have our girls. The nurses are amazing and the doctors are great. I love our girls care teams and will forever be grateful for the nurses that have put up with my constant questions. We are so blessed and lucky that the girls were as big as they were when they were born, they weren't sick and continue to grow.

Today, December 19th, they both weighed in at 5 pounds 3 ounces and while we wish they would be home for Christmas this year that probably won't be happening. I keep reminding myself that they weren't even supposed to be here until next year :)

More Update: We went back for a weight check today! Kennedy is 5 pounds 11 ounces and Kinley is 5 pounds 12 ounces! Growing girls :)

Kennedy and Kinley: Month One

What a first month of life it has been! You decided together, I’d like to think, to make your entrance to the world 6 weeks early.  Your due date was January 12, 2013. We knew we wouldn’t make it that far and you would be born January 2^nd, 2013. On Monday November 26^th my water broke and we headed to the hospital. While the doctors tried to keep you in to keep growing for a week that didn’t happen. Eighteen hours after I was admitted to the hospital you were born.

Kennedy was Twin A born on November 27^th, 2012 at 2:41 am. You weighed 4 pounds 4 ounces and were 17 ½ inches long. Kinley was Twin B. You were born at 2:42 am weighing in at 4 pounds 7 ounces and 17 ½ inches long. You were both breech and so we had a c-section. We could plan to meet you on January 2^nd, but since you had other plans we were all ready!

You started your time with us in the NICU at Tripler in two different rooms. This was hard because I felt like we were always running back and forth into rooms. You had so many great nurses and so many great doctors who always made us feel welcomed and loved. It helped to have such great people keeping an eye on the both of you for so long.  You had so many great nurses, but your primary nurses were Beverly for Kennedy and Katie for Kinley. We learned a lot of information while up in the NICU and we are thankful for the people who are willing to work with the tiniest people.

It seemed like if one of you did something the other did it shortly after. Both of you had open PDAs or Patent Ductus Arteriosus that required a course of medicine over a couple days. Luckily, this was the only major issue you both had and didn’t require a small procedure. After a few weeks you were brought back together in the twin room. Mommy loved that! We were able to hold you together and get snuggles in. Since you were in the NICU at Christmas time you had your first visit with Santa and you didn’t even cry! We will see next year.

Together you spent 29 days in the NICU at Tripler. Kennedy got to go home on December 24^th.  Your first night home you decided that you wanted to state at mommy from 1 am- 4 am. I’m guessing you wanted to catch Santa in action. After a few hours I let Pop hold you so I could get a little sleep. Kinley, you decided you needed a few more days in the NICU by yourself. We are ready for you to come home!

We love you two girls and are so excited to watch you grow. You are already showing to be exactly like you were inside. Kennedy is the calm and quiet one and Kinley is the feisty loud one. You’ve made our family complete. 

Claire meets Kennedy and Kinley

Since the girls came in the early hours of the morning it was just Justin and me at the hospital. We had planned on having our friend and photographer Brenda come document this crazy wonderful day, but that didn't work.  She texted me early the next morning when the news was made public the girls had arrived and volunteered a little time that morning to come take some pictures of the girls. Of course I said YES please come! I just love her work and her ability to capture the best pictures.

My nurse Tan wouldn't let me go to the NICU until I could walk to my wheelchair without getting dizzy. I was bummed, but Justin and Brenda went down to the NICU and took some pictures of the girls. She got some of the most precious pictures of them in their first few hours of life. Pictures I will always love because they will always be able to see how far they came in the first few days and weeks of life. She brought her camera back down and let me have a sneak peek of the goodness to come!

Then the best gift I could ever ask for...she volunteered a bit of her evening to come back and take pictures of Claire meeting the girls. Seriously. Amazing. Watching Claire meet her sisters was something I had been excited about for months. She was timid at first but then wanted to go back and forth to the two rooms to just stare at them.

My favorite pictures include Claire rounding the corner into Kinley's room and Claire reaching in Kennedy's bed to touch her back. Such precious moments that none of the girls will ever remember, but I will and I have the pictures to always look back on. Claire looks so big in the pictures compared to Kennedy and Kinley. Also, Brenda put together the sweetest video. Talk about some tears.

Thank you Brenda for coming and spending time with us! If you missed her blog post here it is:

http://www.brendavanphotosblog.com/2012/11/29/kennedy-and-kinley-are-born/

Baby Time: Kennedy and Kinley Part 1

We had a big ultrasound to see their growth on November 21st. Everything looked great and they were each measuring in at the size expected of a singleton. We scheduled our 36 week growth scan and our appointment for 34 weeks. The guy at reception laughed and said we wouldn't make it to the scan, but see you next week! We enjoyed the weekend, finished a few things for their room, asked my friend Serena and my mom if I would know if my water broke (it didn't break with Claire), and went to sleep on Sunday not expecting a big week.

Monday morning my mom and I had planned to go pick up some Christmas presents and go to lunch with a friend. Kennedy had other plans for us. I woke up at 8 am and went down the hall to tell my mom I was up and was going to jump in the shower quick and would be ready soon. When I turned around I felt something pop, literally, and then I started screaming "my water broke I think!". Some people told me it would be like a trickle and not like in the movies. This was the movies. I called the hospital and they asked me if I peed myself. Nope. For sure not. They told me to relax and come on up. I had called Justin at work before the hospital and told him what happened. I'm pretty sure he has never gotten home so fast in his life. Good thing we live 10 minutes from work and 5 from the hospital.

When we got to the hospital there were a couple other women waiting in the waiting room in obvious pain and one walking the hall. I sat on a beach towel as I tried to not freak out that today could be the day. At 33 weeks and 2 days we weren't prepared for this event. They called me back before the poor woman who were sitting there before me and I got hooked up to the machines. Sure enough water had broken, I was at a 1 (I'd leave that out, but it gets important), and they were still breech.

They wheeled me back to a room where various doctors started coming in to brief us on what they wanted to do over the next FEW days! WHAT! I wasn't having contractions I didn't think and I figured it was going to be an emergency to get them out since someone had broken their water and the risk of infection would be high. Apparently not. My nurse was great and got me nice and comfortable in bed while I was told I wouldn't be getting up anymore due to the medicine they would give me. My doctor came in and had me sign some forms that I knew I would have surgery and I knew the issues we could have.  He then told me they were going to start some antibiotics so that we could keep the babies in, they would give me some medicine to stop the little contractions, and we were going to keep them inside until 34 weeks which would be Saturday. I also would get a steroid shot at 9 that morning and then one in 24 hours. After the first one I wasn't sure I'd make it through the second one. (Who the heck willingly shoots themselves up with steroids is beyond me) I wouldn't be leaving labor and delivery for almost a week. I know there are women who are up there for months so I tried not to complain, but my butt started going numb by hour 2 and I wasn't going to make it 5 days on that bed not getting up.

At that point I told Justin he could go back to work and finish whatever he was doing for the day. Since he's on shore duty it's pretty nice and he gets off mid afternoon. Off he went to work and in came the NICU doctor. She came in and started the NICU brief with me- their lungs aren't developed hence the steroids, they would be in the NICU for awhile, she answered my questions if there would be long term issues, and was overall wonderful. She told me we would shoot for Saturday but would like me to wait until next Monday (tomorrow) to have my c-section because the full staff would be here. So, one week. I figured okay get me a more comfortable bed and I'll sit here for a week and try not to go insane. My nurse was on it. It never came.

I sat there all day and it wasn't too bad. Justin came back, my friends Serena and Karissa came by, my mom and Justin ran to Target to get me some magazines, went and got Claire, and brought her back up to see me. I hadn't been allowed to eat just incase something happened during the day and they needed to do the c-section. Everything was good though and at 3:30 they let me eat.

At 6, I got my dose of medicine to stop the contractions and was settled in to be there for a week. My nurse left and a new one came on duty. Justin and I decided to watch The Hangover and just hang out for a bit before trying to sleep. At about 10:30 Justin decided he was going to sleep and maybe I should too. I could not get comfortable! I kept moving and we kept losing the babies on the monitors. I called the nurse in at 11:30 and asked to move on my side. At midnight I needed to take another dose of medicine to stop the contractions which had started to increase. My blood pressure, which is always low, was too low and they couldn't give me the medicine. We tried moving from side to side for about 30 minutes to see if it would go up. No luck.

At 1:00 the doctor was called in to evaluate what should happen. He decided he would see if my contractions had made me make any progress. I'm praying no and yes at the same time. No because I would love for the girls to stay put for the second dose of steroids and yes because I was so uncomfortable. These contractions felt like they did with Claire and I knew I had made some sort of progress. Justin asked the doctor at what point would I need to be at for something to happen. He said more progress than this morning. Well well well....I was at a 4 and that was for sure more than this morning. He looked at me and said "we will have babies within the hour".  Dr. Squires must have seen my panic because he asked if I was okay and if I had any questions. I just looked at him and said please don't kill me. Cue the anesthesiologist who had obviously just been woken up from his nap. I thought he was drunk, but my nurse assured me he'd been asleep and he was just a weirdo who got paid too much and had too much on the line to be drunk :) He did turn out to be amazing at his job and talked to me through the whole procedure he did before the surgery and after the girls and Justin were gone from the OR. He was from Houston I found out so I knew he would be okay!

Within minutes my nurse was out of the room and back in dressed for the OR, Justin was in scrubs, and I was in a wheelchair making my way into a freezing cold OR without Justin to get ready to meet our two newest babies.

I think I'd been in denial for 33 weeks that we were having twins until I rounded the corner to see two little isolates and two warming beds waiting for Kennedy and Kinley to make their debut.

Stayed tuned for Part 2!