Way Back When-esday:March for Babies

Saturday, here in Boston, is the March of Dimes March for Babies.  Since our twins were in the NICU with RSV when they were just weeks old, we have been invited to join the Children's Hospital team.  Unfortunately, I have not raised any money other than what I plan to donate myself, but that is another story.  It always amazes me to look at my kids and remember how small they were when they were first born.  Unfortunately, I was put on bed rest for about 3 months for fear of going into premature labor, had many doctors appointments, ultrasounds, and Non-stress tests, and a couple of scary times.  I was luckily given a steroid shot at week 28 to help ensure that the twins lungs would be more developed if I happened to deliver early.  I did end up delivering early, but was able to make it out of the scary danger zone.  I delivered my twins at 35 weeks at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA and they were just about 4 1/2 pounds each.  They were in a level 2 nursery and on monitors, but when I was discharged, they were able to come home with us.

Unfortunately, they ended up with RSV just a couple of weeks later (which I have probably written about way too much and won't bore people with more about RSV!).  They ended up at Children's and thankfully thrived while they were there.  I am absolutely one of the lucky ones with regards to how long I carried my twins, their size, their time at Mt Auburn and their time at Children's.  I owe so much to the great care that I received throughout my pregnancy from my OB at Fresh Pond Women's Health and my perinatologist at MGH west and the staff at Mt Auburn, as well as the twin's doctor and all the staff at Children's Hospital from the ER to the NICU. I know my donation won't be much this weekend, but I hope it helps other people that need to have their children in the NICU at Children's Hospital.

I decided that I would show pictures from when they were swaddled just a couple of days after they were born and show them now laying on those blankets that they were swaddled in.  Ok, so that was my plan, but unfortunately , after looking at pictures, I realized that i din't have any of them swaddled in these blankets.  Most likely, that is because they were always double swaddled at the hospital and the receiving blankets were always on the outside.  So I just included pictures from when they were at Mt Auburn just a couple of days old!

Eva Rose with Daddy 2 days old (most likely double swaddled)

Eva Rose laying on the blanket we used to swaddle her in almost 15 1/2 months old

Thomas being held by Daddy 2 days old (most likely double swaddled)

Thomas laying on the blanket we used to swaddle him in almost 15 1/2 months old

So my plan didn't work out like I wanted it to and you really can't see how small Thomas was, but I like the contrast between them being just a few days old and being almost 1 1/2 years old

Amy