A Decade of Dual Dynamos

(Ahhhh, The Havoc They Can Wreak)

Ten years ago today our world was turned topsy turvey by the arrival of two long awaited individuals - Willam Padraig Gabriel and his twin James Eamon Gabriel.  If the road to their conception wasn't long and arduous enough, the day of their both was a tortuous affair all on its own.  Let me sum up;

 

You see, the boys were originally due in April but it had not been an easy pregnancy for Amy.  First, we had an amniocentesis to make sure the boys were going to be healthy and unfortunately it caused one of the amniotic sacs to rupture requiring Amy to be on bed rest for weeks.  Not too long after she recovered sufficiently to be get out of bed she had to be taken to the hospital three separate times for extreme dehydration due to the incredible morning sickness she was experiencing.

 

Then at the end of January, the second sac (not to be outdone by his brother) ruptured as well and this time they hospitalized Amy instead of having her stay on bed rest at home.  The idea was to keep her from going into labor as long as possible and also to try and introduce steroids into the boys so their organs would continue to develop.  If they could make it two weeks then it might be enough time to let their lungs (the last of the internal organs to fully develop) grow completely.  I would go and visit her as often as I could which was difficult since Sarah was only 3 1/2 at the time and I couldn't always get her there.  Yes, I was Mr. Mom and the entire world did not end.

 

The night of Februay 6, 2003 started out with a heavy snow that just kept coming down.  We knew that becuase of Amy's condition she could go into labor any day and we were trying to be ready for it but deep down we hoped we could just get past this blizzard they were predicting.  Now back then they didn't name the winter storms as they ahve taken to doing since last year (as of this writing Winter Storm Nemo is bearing down on us) so I couldn't tell you what the storm was, only it was piling up outside my door. 

 

At about 6:00 in the morning I get a phone call from Amy telling me to call her mother and ask her to drive to Smithtown to watch Sarah because I should probably get to the hospital.  I called her and she said she would come out and in the meantime I got Sarah dressed and I proceeded to start shoveling the driveway which at this time had about a foot of snow.  I then get another phone call from Amy telling me I should get the neighbor from across the street to watch Sarah because we weren't going to be able to wait for her mother to come.  By now it's really coming down and I don't even have the back of the Volvo wagon uncovered but I go and get Sue and she comes over to stay with Sarah.

 

I'm digging feverishly when Sue comes out to tell me there's another call from Amy.  I get on the phone with her just in time to hear someone in the background saying that she can't talk to me and they are taking her now.  I can't even get anyone to answer me, I'm just hearing it all over the phone.  So I hang up the phone, I shovel what I can and just make the decision to drive out of the rest.  And its still snowing hard!

 

I get on 25A ( small winding two lane road) and suddenly I find myself behind every person who should ABSOLUTELY NOT on the road in the snow.  It truly seemed like everyone had completely forgotten how to drive - especially everyone in an SUV!  But eventually I get there, get parked and get to the delivery room - only to try and get myself into the paper jumpsuit and into the delivery room to be with my wife.  Apparently Amy was still composed and conscious enough to tell the nurse to tell me that one of them was already delivered just to see if I would freak out.  Luckily for me she didn't do that.

 

The boys were tiny, only 3 lbs 5 oz, and 3 lbs 6 oz.  We were able to glimpse them just for brief moment before they were rushed off to the Stonybrook NICU where they stayed for the next six weeks.  We were so lucky because not only were they in arguable the best NICU on Long Island, they had no physical complications due to their ten week prematurity.  And this is what we were finally able to see once they got them all cleaned up;

 

 

It's been a rough ten years and for the first three or four we were constantly worried that some sort of physical complications would arise becuase they were born so early.  We would attend all the March of Dimes meetings with parents of other preemies and always feel so guilty that our sons were healthy and doing so well.  After a while we had to stop going because our "survivor's guilt" was just too much.  And now it's ten years later and they are the joy of our lives.  Our little fighters made it through all the possible complications and they are smart, inquisitive, giving, empathic, funny, brave, helpful, kind, polite, and so much more.  We are truly blessed by all they give us.

 

And yes, we are still dealing with waiting on the results of William's operation.  Although the surgeon was 98% sure it was benign we are not going to be completely at ease until we get the pathology report that says 100%.  Until then we just wait and count our blessings - both of them.  And now a brief retrospective of their young lives;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there you have it, a quick retrospective in the lives of our two miracle boys who made it through the blizzard, survived the improbability of no complications after six weeks in an incubator and now they are the twin terrors tornadoes joys of our lives.  We couldn't imagine what life would be like without the topsey turvey journey they have given us but we wouldn't trade the ride for anything!

 

Stay well and I'll see you on the road (I'm still riding for William)!