6:45 - 6:46 pm......

5 years ago this morning...I woke up around noon time and my water broke. Although I didn't know it was my water (first time cluelessness). So I went back to sleep, woke up, ate breakfast and called my sister for our morning chat. She always asked "how are you today" and I said "fine.....well". I told her what I thought happen and she told me to hang up and call the hospital. So I did - and they said to come right in. I was feeling fine. I called Brett at work - he quickly came home. Just to find me standing in the bedroom closet trying to find something to wear. I had just had my shower and did my makeup.

We got to the hospital and confirmed it was my water that broke. My parents were in the car and on there way out. We did a quick ultrasound and Baby A was breach - Baby B was head down. So the doctor order a c-section. However, because I had had breakfast I had to wait 6 hours.

My parents arrived. Just towards the end of 6 hours my contractions had really picked up. I was wheeled down to the OR and we were on our way. Baby A - Cody was born first 6:45 pm. I remember him not crying much. He was quickly whisked out of the room and was being looked at by the NICU staff. The babies were 5 weeks early. Baby B - Dylan, was born just one minute later at 6:46 pm and he came out crying. He too was taken out of the room. Each baby had their own NICU team to look after them.

Brett quickly left my side and went to meet his sons. He was confronted in the hall by the Chief of the NICU and was told some news. Baby A was born with a cleft lip and palate. He stayed with the boys and came with them so I could see them for the first time. Cody was in the front and Dylan snugged right behind him - in one bassinet. All I saw was Cody's face and asked "what is wrong with his lip". Brett then told me he had a cleft lip and palate. To be honest - it was all greek because I had never heard of that.

I went to recovery, the boys went to the nursery to be weighed and such. I cried a lot in recovery. I knew my family was in the waiting room and they had to be told the news. Cody weighed 5lb 12oz....Dylan weighed 5lb 8oz and both were 20" long. They never did spend a night in the NICU. Both came right to my room where I took Dylan and fed him and thankfully, thankfully we had a great nurse that night that knew what to do with Cody. She got him his special bottle called a haberman and showed him how to eat. He tired easily so we would have to rub his jaw to get him to start chewing again. He couldn't suck - the room of his mouth was completely open.

We left the hospital 3 days later and that's when the real emotions of having two babies took over. We had no warning that Cody would have a cleft. I look back now and realize how lucky we were that he did so well with feedings. So many kids have troubles. I had to get on the internet to start doing my research on what we were up for. We did leave with an appointment to a plastic surgeon and looked very forward to that first meeting.

I had so many emotions as I had to focus on Cody. I had to feed him and make sure I understood it before I could trust anybody else too. My mom and Brett took over with Dylan. I cried because I couldn't feed Dylan as much and sometimes feel we didn't get that connection right away.

The first year with a baby is always a roller coaster. Having 2 babies was like a never ending ride. We are still on the right - 5 years going strong!