When it became clear that the muppets were not going to make their August due date, I decided a July birthday would be great. Upon my final admittance to the hospital, I had modified my expectations and was just desperate to get through May.

“June babies!” I insisted. They have to wait for June, I prayed. They are June babies.

The night of May 28, I called the NICU to see how the muppets were doing. (Since I was still recovering from the c-section I couldn’t go visit them just yet.) “This is June, I’ll be Search’s primary nurse so I’m sure we’ll get to know each other well. The boys are doing great.”

June. One of their nurses. I had prayed hard for June babies; apparently I was not specific enough.

Thanks to our team of amazing nurses – June, Anne, Margaret and Susan among them – our boys are now home. The muppets will grow up; they’re already getting bigger. But to most of our nurses, Search and Destroy will forever be tiny babies.

Once the boys grew big enough to move out of the closed isolettes, they started wearing clothes. I have always said that I will never dress my twins alike. They are not identical. They are very much two individual people. This saddened Nurse June. She was determined to see them dressed alike. For weeks she and Nurse Susan have been threatening to get little identical outfits for them and surprise me when I arrive to visit.

Well, the boys are home now – her efforts thwarted. But since fate dealt us such an ironic blow as to have June be the nurse for my May babies, the photo below is the one and only time you will see such a sight.

June, Anne, Susan, Margaret, Jennifer and the rest of the NICU team: Thank you for helping us bring our boys home.

Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Step right up. Come and see the amazing million dollar miracle muppets!

Cuter ex-preemies you will not see.

Only 73 days it took both boys to triumph. They have shunned ventilators; defeated breathing and feeding tubes. Tripling their weight in two and a half months, these chunky monkeys are not to be missed!

This almost surreal experience of having both twins together again has been months in the making. In January, they shocked their parents by being multiples. In March, they announced a future filled with blue. In April, they began plotting the great escape. In May, they arrived at 27 weeks and 4 days.

Now, this August 9, both boys are home!

After 10.5 weeks in the hospital following Mom’s six weeks on and off in the hospital the two have undoubtedly created one impressive hospital bill. Well worth every penny. Fattened from two pounds to almost seven. Stretched from only a foot long to 19 inches. These two and a half month old babies correct their gestational age to 38 weeks today. Mere newborns!

Stubborn and fighters. The million dollar miracle muppets are home. They’re both home. Finally. The experience of finally being all together as a family is surreal.

Step right up. Come and see the amazing million dollar miracle muppets – living with a finally full-time mommy and daddy.

(Please remember not to touch the muppets. Previously compromised systems are still developing into healthy big boys.)