Maundy Thursday

Not only is Maundy Thursday the day of Christ's Last Supper, but it is the day our lives were changed forever. On Maundy Thursday 8 years ago, I had been in the hospital for 3 days at just 30 weeks gestation with triplets. I had entered the hospital after midnight on a spring Monday night because my water broke. DH & I were very worried and sang hymns for the entire long ride from Raleigh to Chapel Hill. If you are carrying triplets, you need a perinatologist, and we chose one at UNC. For three days, I felt very sick and they gave me magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions. The goal was to keep our babies in the womb as long as possible. DH was working full-time and in school for his MBA at the same time. Thursday morning he wrote a paper in my hospital room (and received an A!) and then I insisted he go home to change, take a shower, re-group, etc. I don't remember much about that day but he said he had just arrived home when I called and asked him to come back. I had a sudden fever and felt awful. Suddenly the doctor and about 7 interns were in my room. The next thing I knew, they were saying it was time to have the babies!!! I was scared because I knew it was too early. The doctors feared there might be infection in the womb. The babies had to come out.

DH made it back in time. A college friend of some of my best buddies was doing a GYN rotation that week & stopped by to check on me. She was in her residency, so DH asked, "Have you ever seen triplets born? Can you ask if you can watch?" Had you told me a few days earlier that one of my peers was going to see my nether region all up close and personal, I would have had a heart attack. But, at that point, I didn't care who saw me naked, I just wanted our babies to be okay. S came back and said, "Dr. M said I can do it! I'm going to deliver the babies!" Again, most people would have fainted at the thought of their fellow 29 year old friend cutting open their stomach, removing their inner organs, and delivering three tiny babies, but we were fully confident in Sarah's ability. The last thing I remember is telling Doug goodbye and being wheeled away and then losing all feeling by the time I saw D again.

Sarah did a great job. She is a fabulous doctor. Our son was born first. His tiny 2 pound 5 ounce body was quickly whisked away. Then our daughter, D, was born. She is always looking after A! She weighed a whopping 3 pounds 2 ounces. Lastly, CP was born with her right arm raised and lots of fight in her! She weighed 2 pounds 13 ounces. D & I were overjoyed. Then I saw D's face darken. "What's wrong?", I asked as I followed his eyes. Our little D had to be resuscitated. Their lives were very fragile. Thankfully, she was revived. I can't imagine if we had lost one of our precious babies. Throughout our pregnancy, their delivery, and their time in the NICU, each of our babies was almost lost. They are so precious. They are no longer preemies in the NICU, but they are our precious firstborns, and I cry, no, I weep, every time I think about that joyous day. What a GIFT!!! How appropriate that their eighth birthday is on EASTER SUNDAY this year!!!

I did not get to see or hold our babies right away. I will tell you more about that tomorrow!!! Happy Maundy Thursday!! I am going to go hug my three 7 year olds for one of the last times!!! I can't believe they are almost EIGHT!!!!