Twin Birth

{Friday June 6, 2008}

The boys were born on the day I hit the 37 week mark.  My contractions started at 2am.  By 6am they were intense enough that I woke Josh up and told him he should call in to work.  We arrived at the hospital at 8am.  At 10am when Dr. Plaut came in to check on my progress she said I was dilated 1cm, which meant that the labor was progressing. She suggested we do the c-section, and scheduled the OR for 2pm.  (We had planned a c-section in advance due to Logan being so small & face down, but Jack being transverse- across my belly- and the larger of the two.)

When she said she was scheduling the OR Josh and I high fived! We were so excited! Later the fear crept in:  This was major surgery. I was worried about the boys' sizes and health.  Knowing our lives would never be the same. But luckily Josh has a way of calming my fears.  He held my hand, let me cry and told me it would be okay.  In my heart, I knew he was right.

At 2pm we walked down to the OR and Josh waited in the hall while I had my spinal done.  When he came in, he sat in a chair by my head and we waited.

At 2:54pm Logan Henry (Baby A) came into the world crying. To hear his cry, was the sweetest moment of my life. I had finally become a mother.

At 2:55pm Jack Sawyer (Baby B) came quietly into the world.  When Dr. Plaut said he had arrived, I felt complete.

 I had done my  job.  I had grown those babies and delivered them safely into the world.

 After the boys were born they were taken to the NICU (aka the nursery) to be monitored.  Josh went with them. They were concerned about the boys keeping their blood sugars up. And about Logan keeping his body temperature.  Meanwhile I was wheeled to recovery.

 A short time later they brought the boys in to be nursed.  But first I got to just hold them.  Finally, after months and months of dreaming about holding these babies, they were in my arms. Already I felt torn by there being two of them. If I looked at one, I wanted to be looking at the other!  I couldn't believe there was really two of them.

I was informed that Jack was going to stay with me from that point, but that Logan would be taken back to the NICU.  So I took advantage of him being in the room to nurse to feast my eyes on this tiny boy.  His small size was completely shocking to me. I couldn't believe I had had a four pound baby!
 Everything about him was miniature and perfect.

 On the way back to the NICU after nursing Josh & Logan ran into Grandma Carol. She was so overjoyed for these boys to arrive.

 During the 18 hours Logan was in the NICU Josh traveled back and forth between our two rooms. I was unable to walk (from the spinal) so he fed, changed and kept Logan company. Then he came back and did the same for Jack & I.  He was amazing.
This is our favorite picture of Logan in the NICU. He looked so tiny on Josh's forearm.

 Here is Logan all hooked up in the NICU.
He was just the most precious thing I'd have ever seen.

 While Logan was in the NICU with Josh, I focused solely on Jack.  He was named after Josh. Josh's initials are JAC, and we thought Jack would be fitting, since we didn't want a junior. And Jack looked exactly like Josh.  It was unbelievable.

The day after the boys were born my sister flew home from California, and when she walked in the room, I nearly cried. I didn't realize how much I had wanted and needed her there. I needed her to see my babies, hold my babies, love my babies alongside me. And oh did she love them!!!
 I love this picture of her with Logan because of how alert he is. He was always like this.  Like my wise old man, just taking it all in.

My mom had been there off and on from the get-go.  She was there while I got prepped for surgery and she took care of me in recovery while Josh was with the boys in the NICU.  She took incredible care of myself and my boys.  With two babies for Josh to care for, and myself recovering from surgery, that third set of hands was much needed.

 The Cunningham Twins
{Logan & Jack}

 Logan Henry

 Jack Sawyer

On Monday, it was time to go home.  We put the boys in their car seats, packed up and headed out.

  This was my favorite sight... My husband carrying our precious babies out to the car, to go home together.

And so began our adventure as a family of four.