The Time had Come...

On October 2nd we took our first trip to the ER. Something wasn't right. Chris and I were such rookies. When asked if I was having contractions I responded "I don't know" and when asked how far apart Chris and I would look at each other and shrug. I guess maybe we should have taken the prenatal classes. Oh well, too late now!! After a few ultrasounds and non-stress tests and betamethasone shots to help produce the girls lungs it was decided the girls needed to come out. Baby A (Abbey) wasn't growing and she needed the chance to grow outside of me. An induction date was given. I was to go in on Oct.14th (just about a month shy of my due date). We arrived at the hospital and the induction began with the picotin. A half an hour into the induction the nurse came in and turned off the machine since there was an "emergency multiple birth" that needed my OR (twins must deliver in the OR in case of emergency C section). I discovered it was quints - wow...she was only 29 weeks too. Understandably we waited until the next day only to find out there was no room in the NICU (due to the early appearance of the quints as well as an outbreak in the NICU in Regina causing the babies there to come up to Saskatoon). We discussed our options of me delivering in either Toronto or Vancouver but we decided to wait it out in Saskatoon. Then on October 16th I went into labour on my own. It was scary because if any of the girls needed a respirator they would be airlifted to either city as well.

After 36 long hours of labour I was finally wheeled into the OR on October 17th.



It wasn't long after I was wheeled in to the OR that Abbey Dawn Gibson made her appearance at 6:07am. Abbey is the name I chose and Dawn is after Chris's Dad (and Auntie Kelly's middle name too)



She was 3lb 15oz. We only got to see her for a few minutes before she was taken to the NICU. She never did require a respirator. Such a little fighter!! She was released from the NICU only 6 days later and came home to be with her little sister Aida. She might have been less than 4lbs but she was spunky and active from the beginning. She was the one we nicknamed "crazy" when she was in my tummy because she always moved and kicked and performed for everyone.




And 23 minutes later at 6:30am, Aida Margaret Gibson arrived weighing 6lbs. Aida is the name Chris picked out and Margaret is after my Grandma Brown (a wonderful lady that I still think about daily). She got to stay with us as we moved into our room for a few nights. We went home 3 days later without Abbey.





But on October 23rd both girls were reunited and we became a family!!


Abbey is so pale because she lacked iron and Aida had jaundice so she seems so much darker. It was hard to tell that they are identical twins.