November 14th 2020

This birth was complicated to say the least, started that my water broke for Michaela back at 19 weeks, generally they used to consider that the end for at least that baby but according to my high risk OB they started reconsidering that only a few years ago. I was going back and forth every 2 weeks still taking a bag with me just in case. Then they decided to give me steroid shots so I got admitted last Tuesday, they had wanted me to stay but I felt fine and wanted to go home so got discharged last Thursday. Then Sunday I had a tiny bit of blood so watched it and then nothing, til Monday morning, I was lightly bleeding and had a small amount of cramping. So at 11 I had my Mom come and take me to RVH they started monitoring me and could see babies heart rates dipping with cramping and I was 0.5-1 cm dilated, and cramping/contractions about every 8 mins, they got me an ambulance and I was transferred to Mount Sinai at about 230 got down there just before 4 all the while contractions were up to about every 3 or 4 mins, worst vehicle ride of my life lol. They got me into the maternity ward triage and when checked me there I was 3 cm dilated and contractions were definitely happening. They took me to labor and delivery ward and when they were checking me there they could feel Michaela coming and I was 8 cm dilated so off to the OR we went. All while I was trying to get Mike down to me. Got into OR got the epidural and Michaela came at 6:14pm vaginally, they took her away immediately then were decided what to do w Brianna and they had to do a vertical C-Section for her, she came at 6:32pm I hear her crying and saw her for a second before they took her away. I was hemorrhaging a lot so had a blood transfusion, they got me put back together and then I went back to the labor and delivery room Mike was there waiting, he had arrived 15-20 mins after the girls were born, I was so happy to see him. Then due to a large fibroid (they had removed a few small ones while doing surgery) that they couldn't completely stop the bleeding on I had to go for another procedure called an embolism. I was finally able to relax and try to process everything at about 10:30pm, Mike stayed with me that night and he was able to get to see the girls a few times. Once I was able to get my catheter out and get up and move a bit, I got to go see them Tuesday morning. Mike couldn't stay after that evening so I was again alone at the hospital, was hard cause wow I was all over the place emotionally. Then I had to have another blood transfusion Wednesday afternoon, that got me back up to normal and got released/discharged Thursday. Can't wait to go tomorrow and be able to hold them, I am so excited for that.

December 3rd 2020

Been quite a journey already. On Monday November 16th, we were approved to stay at Ronald McDonald House to be closer to the babies, we had only a few hrs to pack and get down there to check in. We also got a call from the hospital, Michaela was very pale so they were doing some testing. She ended up having multmore seizures but it was determined the infection in her blood and around her brain causing meningitis was caused by e coli, she was put on 3 different antibiotics. A few days later she went down to 2 then 1 antibiotic and some blood tests showed it was clearing up. She had an MRI that showed still some infection in her brain. She is goiiple seizures overnight so they moved her to SickKids hospital so they could closely monitor her, she had no ng to be on the anti seizure medicine for a few months but Dr told us today that a spinal tap done showed no further growth in the bug causing the infection. Michaela ended up moving back to Sinai to be with Brianna on November 26th. Today she looked so good, she's improving everyday. On Sunday November 29th in the evening after a wonderful cuddle time with me, Michaela started to have trouble breathing they had a staff assist called and there were  bunch of Drs and nurses helping her. They did an x-ray and a few other tests, everything came back fine, seems it was a fluke. Brianna was taken off the cpap on November 26th at 9am and she now has been totally breathing on her own for 8 days now, she's our amazing little pumpkin. Michaela had been put back on a breathing tube while at SickKids as the meds made her sleepy so she forgot to breathe, a few days later she was taken off tho. Other than her bad spell Sunday night she is now on cpap 6 (lowest is 5). Both girls are growing everyday and getting stronger, we are hopeful for them to be transferred to RVH soon. Michaela has a head ultrasound today and an EEG today or tomorrow, then an MRI on Monday, depending on the results will depend on how long antibiotics are needed and hopefully will give us a better idea of when they can be transferred. Both girls have eye tests on Tuesday, hopefully that goes well. Brianna gets to try latching for breastfeeding soon too 😊.

December 13st 2020

Almost a month has passed. Both girls are bottling Michaela needs a bit more practice, but she's had some more to deal with. Brianna is almost taking a bottle for every feeding time. Brianna is going to be discharged any day now and will stay with us at Ronald McDonald House. Michaela is doing well overall, they decided to continue the antibiotics for 2 weeks and repeat the MRI as well. She was put on high flow a couple of weeks ago and then moved to low flow around a week ago, she is now off the oxygen all together, totally breathing on her own! This happend on Sunday evening December 27th at 8pm. We are going to spend our New Year's with our precious girls 💜💜.

Brianna was discharged Friday January 8th 2020. She would have been discharged sooner but had a "spell" (stopped breathing) on January 1st. Michaela had her MRI on January 11th, results discussed the next day, plan was to remove the PICC line that day and they did, we got the go home news that evening. We all arrived home together finally January 13th in the evening, what a crazy couple of months.