Conjoined twins from Wisconsin became two separate children for the first time in their lives this week.

Sheboygan's once-conjoined twins, Mateo and McHale Shaw, woke up in separate beds Thursday morning.

Doctors successfully finished the boys' separation surgery at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The marathon surgery at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., took more than 65 people and about 12½ hours to complete.

After separation, the 4-month-old boys underwent some reconstructive surgery.

Mateo was finished with surgery first -- at about 12:45 a.m. -- and was transported to the neonatal intensive care unit.

McHale followed at about 1:15 a.m.

They were then reunited with their parents, Ryan Shaw and Angie Benzschawel.

Milwaukee television station WISN talked to them moments after the surgery was complete. They said they were exhausted, but relieved.

"It's been the longest day, but it's been the second greatest days of our lives. Obviously, the birth of the sons was the first one. It's going to be great and amazing to see them for the first time," Shaw said.

Both boys are listed as in critical but stable condition.

Previously, Dr. Robert Keating, chief of neurosurgery at Children's National Medical Center, said the boys' spinal cords were conjoined "relatively high up" in their back and they are also joined at the lower back, adding that those areas would have to be separated and reconstructed.

Both of the boys also have spina bifida.

A Web site about the case has been set up on CaringBridge.com.