They have arrived!

WARNING BIRTH STORY AHEAD!

The babies are here!

On Saturday December 12, my mom came to be a part of my baby shower and celebrate our common birthday and wait out the arrival of the twins. We did some Christmas shopping, got two new tires put on the Mini-Van, mailed off some packages, started getting ready for Liana's 5th birthday on the 21st and baked some cookies.Thursday the 17th I went to bed like every other night, full of baby and heartburn. At 12:55 PM my water broke, we called to wake up the doctor, went to the hospital having contractions every 5 minutes. On arrival they found I was already dilated to 4cm so they gave me a shot to stop contractions and began prepping me for surgery.

At 3:05 AM Baby Girl Au Twin A made her entrance into the world.
At 3:07 AM Baby Boy Au Twin B followed closely behind.

Our little girl was wailing before she was out, she was only 3 lbs 11 oz, but very strong with good reflexes and breathing, they cleaned her up wrapped her up and brought her to me for a quick look and kiss before going to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)

Our little guy cried but not as loudly or clearly as his sister, we learned later he had inhaled some fluid. I saw only a glimpse of him as they sped him off in an isolette to the NICU after his sister.

Our girl continued to make good progress, she needed only a myriad of wires and monitors, and
an IV to hydrate her and get her to the point where she could begin drinking from a bottle. I got to hold my baby girl for the first time around mid-day!

Our son was put on a CPAP machine to remind him to breathe, occasional suction of aspirated fluid of course a plethora of wires and monitors IV nutrition.

On Friday we named our babies Amalia and Edward Jr.

On Saturday we named our babies Amalia Huilin Au and Anthony James Waikuen Au (A.J.) Amalia began to drink from a bottle, 5 cc at a time.

On Sunday A.J. graduated from the CPAP machine to being on Oxygen and I got to hold my son for the first time! Amalia graduated to 6 cc of milk.

On Monday I was sent home from the hospital, crying of course because I was leaving my babies behind. But happy to go home and see Liana who had turned 5 that day and thanks to my wonderful mother and my fabulous friends, she had already had a fabulous party.

On Tuesday my Dad took me to see the babies in the morning and Eddie took me in the afternoon and I only cried one time that day. Both babies were jaundiced and put under Billi Lights both quickly learned how to get out of their eye shields (picture foam sunglasses)

On Wednesday A.J. graduated to regular old air and got to start milk through a feeding tube. Amalia started increasing her bottle by 1cc each feeding.

Today is Thursday they are one week old and doing well, both are off the Billi lights for now, both are gaining a little weight and both are so cute I don't mind just watching them sleep, it makes me happy to see them here, and to know that they are being cared for by some spectacular nurses who answer the phone when it rings at 4 AM and tell me how the babies are doing, even if all they are doing is sleeping.

So Merry Christmas everyone, this year I really feel the JOY behind the message "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given!"

Each child is a miracle and I am grateful for the Son of God, Jesus Christ who answers prayers and watches over all His little ones.

Sick and Pregnant

Last Friday we went out to eat as a family with several other families we know and love. The food an company were great, but apparently we shared more than just good times. The stomach/intestinal flu BLECHHHHH!

By and large we actually got off pretty easy, just a 24 hour bug and I am the only one in our family who actually threw up. Maybe because of my limited stomach space in the first place, or lowered immunity, at any rate, I could not keep anything down Saturday night into Sunday Morning. This dehydration set me into a pattern of contractions every 5 minutes for several hours and so I decided at 5:00 that I should call my OB and see what I should do.

The OB of course said go to Labor & Delivery.
Let me remind you that it was 5:00 Sunday, the girls are still asleep and I don't really want to take them along to the hospital. I call my friend P who I now refer to as "Super P." I called her because I figured her Husband "Tall C" is a very capable dad and would be able to cover the home front, and because my girls love her and would be OK waking up to her in the house instead of Eddie and I. Little did I realize that she had been up with her own sick child at 3 in the morning, that her capable husband had to be to the airport by 10:00. My super friend came right over anyway.

As soon as she arrived Eddie and I headed off to the hospital, where they put me on monitors and established that I was indeed contracting regularly, but that the babies were both doing well. Eddie took off to pick up his mother and bring her back to our house in time for Super P to get her husband "Tall C" off to the airport. Back at the hospital, after conferring with my OB they put me on an IV to rehydrate, and eventually gave me a shot to stop the contractions which it did. Blood tests confirmed that I had no infection and no signs of immediate dilation or progressing labor and so they sent us home

In the continuing spirit of gratitude, I am grateful for the following;
My husband who stayed calm and shuttled back and forth to make sure that the girls and I were all OK.
My Friend who rescued me and took great care of my girls, they were fed, dressed, and had their hair done before my mother-in-law came to relieve her.
My mother-in-law who stayed several days to make sure that I could rest and recover.
My father-in-law who went to work alone so that his wife could be here with us.
Modern Medicine one shot and a liter of liquid = a little longer to prepare for our twin blessings.
All my family and friends who care about us and send prayers our way!