Two peas in a Pod: We're Parents...

I don't have time to type all of the details but here is what is going on in our lives: I wrote this on sat. 11/15 to some friends and family: I just wanted to give you a little update on the babies. Unfortunately yesterday morning my water broke for our little boy. I was 32 weeks, 4 days which is obviously still early for twins. I was admitted to the hospital and will be here until the babies are born. I am only 1 cm dialated and I was given steroids to develop their lungs. we have been told that so far they have been "textbook babies" and that everything is going well. They are both weighing in around 4.5 lbs. the goal is to keep them in my belly until 34 weeks at which point it would actually be more dangerous for them to stay in then to have them since the water is broken. So...andy and i are slowly adjusting to the idea that we will be parents of NICU babies within the next 9 days (hopefully the babies will not come before then). The best guess is that they will have to stay in the NICU from 2-4 weeks. While this is not ideal we know that are being given excellent care and the babies will be fine. Then Andy's update on 11/16: This is Andy. Apparently, the babies decided they couldn't let us get settled too comfortably into any particular routine. I left to go home for the night at about 11:30 last night with Meg stable and holding steady. However, I got a phone call summoning me back to the hospital around 2:45 am this morning (11/16). Meg had started to go into an active labor and the OB decided that we needed to start prepping for a Cesarean section. We then got bumped for a more pressing case, but Meg went into the OR at about 5:45 am; we became parents at 6:15 am. Our son, Coleman Brooks, was first with his sister Gwyneth Pearl soon after. (Very soon. Literally, no more than 30 seconds.) Cole weighs 3 lbs, 10.5 oz while Gwen weighs 3 lbs, 13 oz. Due to their early gestational age (32w6d), both babies were taken immediately to the NICU. Fortunately, once we got up to see them, we found out that both are doing very well for their early age. Neither has required any breathing assistance, and they have stable vital signs. Meg is now getting some much-deserved rest/sleep. She got about 1 hour Friday night and about 90 minutes last night. After a rest this afternoon, the nurse is supposed to come back to help her get set up with the pump so that she can start producing milk for the babies. This will be a whole new adventure for sure. Around 6:00 this evening, Meg will have finished the 12-hour bed rest post C-section. At that point the staff will try to get her into a wheelchair so that we can go see the babies again. This is all very new still, but I'm hopeful that this is the last of the major surprises. Right now, Meg's anticipated discharge date is Thursday, 11/20. Obviously, she is in a different room than before.I'm sure she would love to hear from people (once she is a little more rested.) As far as the babies go, they will have to be in the NICU until they reach at least 35 weeks, and then we go from there. As of today the babies are progressing beautifully. They are not out of the incubators and are in their big boy and big girl beds because they are now regulating their temps. All they need to learn how to do now is feed which is difficult because they have to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing. Thankfully i have been able to pump and they are receiving all breastmilk. whoo hooo!! They are now at the point where they can take a little milk in a bottle but get warn out very easily. We also have put them to the breast and Gwen appears to know what to do but gets really pooped out. Please keep us in your thoughts and feel free to call us for updates.