A Year of Change

Michael and Emily celbrated their first birthday this past Saturday. It was a low key event, no party like when Sophie turned one. ( The injustice of being the 2nd and 3rd child) My sister Mary and her son Dave were visiting from NJ for a long weekend, so that in itself was a celebration. On Friday we all went to the Aquarium, and on Saturday we went to the pumpkin patch. Terry and Sophie carved their traditional Jack O Lanterns, and they came out great. The twins skipped their afternoon nap on Saturday, so they were asleep for the night at 6:30. We had to wait till Sunday for them to have their birthday cupcakes. A day late, but still just as good. I thought I would post some pics of the past year......a child's first year goes so fast, and this year went even faster.

After 11 days of bedrest at the "Northside Hilton", we are ready for delivery at 34 weeks.

At Northside, all twins must be delivered in the OR. Even though the same midwife was attending us, it was quite a different experience from Sophie. I think when we counted, there were 25 people present....no dim lights for this birth. Michael arrived first at 7:10. Emily decided to throw us a curve and went breech once she had room to move. Luckily, the perinatologist on call agreed to deliver her, so we were able to avoid a Ceasarean. She arrived at 7:20, a bit bruised, but perfectly healthy. In this picture, Michael is the one with the "A" on his hat. That was his position all along, Emily was Baby B. The best part about the delivery: not knowing the gender and being so surprised with a boy and a girl. As Terry told everyone, "We hit the jackpot, one of each."

They were tiny; here's Michael in the hospital next to my cell phone. At 4 lbs., 5 oz., and 17 inches long, even my old pro mother was a bit hesitant when changing his diaper. His arms were the width of Terry's thumb, it was really amazing.

Michael came home after 2 days, this is his first night home. I could palm his head in my hand....but what a cutie! Emily stayed in the NICU for a week. She was not in serious condition, but had "apnea of immaturity", which is a breathing problem. They did not want to send us home with two preemies, one on a breathing monitor, so she stayed until she was breathing steadily on her own. Terry was able to visit her every day, but I didn't see her for almost that whole week. I don't think I even changed her diaper until she was a week old...however, I have more than made up for it since!

Here's Emmy in the NICU. The box to the left and most of the wires were due to the hearing test they were administering. She failed her initial screen, so she had an ABR, which she then passed. The sunglasses were to protect her eyes from the bilirubin lights. It was very difficult to see your baby, so tiny and so poked and prodded. But when we looked around the NICU and realized that she was the only baby in an open isolette, we realized we were very fortunate. She was such a trooper, the nurses said she rarely cried or fussed and ate right on schedule. Nothing has changed there, she is an extremely content baby even now.

Exactly a week after Michael came home, Emily left the hospital as well. She regained her birth weight while in the hospital and came home at 4 lbs., 13 oz. Terry and I joked that we didn't have to pick up a baby the following week, did we??

Here they are today, two happy and healthy toddlers. So very different from each other, but so close to each other as well. We are truely blessed!