The Birth Story

Last Friday, April 8th, was the day I had my c-section scheduled.  At the beginning of my pregnancy I knew I wouldn't make it that long.  Who makes it a week past what is considered full term with twins on their FIRST pregnancy?  Um, that would be me.  At my last doctors visit I was measuring 47 weeks.  My doctor happily told me that I was his second biggest stomach measurement EVER.  Yay?  Definitely a good thing, but not if I had any ambitions to become an ab model in the future (luckily I don't).

Since my hospital bag had been packed for a month and a half, we didn't have much to do to get ready.  Friday morning we checked in at the hospital at 5:30am, with a surgery time scheduled for 7:30.  After we checked in they brought me to a room I would be recovering in after surgery.  I changed into my gown and got my vitals taken and the babies monitored.  They made me drink some really nasty antacid stuff that tasted like a warhead, minus the sweet part.  I got my IV and my awesome doctor and anesthesiologist came in to talk to me.  At 7:30 I was walked over to the OR and Brent was left by himself for a few minutes to put his scrubs on while I got my spinal block.

Once I got to the OR they sat me on the table and I could not stop shaking for the life of me.  They said it was completely normal and that it was just from nerves.  Then they said, "Don't worry, there's nothing you can do to stop it."  Talk about magic words.  I am not a fan of being told I can't do something.  So I sat there on the OR table and willed the shakes out of me.  After about 20 seconds I was done shaking (so maybe these stubborn boys waiting until they had to be taken out at 38 weeks to come into the world take after their mother a little) and they gave me a shot of lidocaine to numb my spine a little.  Then they put in the needle for the spinal block.  It was not bad at all.  I was pretty nervous about this part, but it was NOT a big deal.  I started feeling more numb and Brent was brought into the room (he looked so cute in his scrubs).  The big curtain was drawn in front of my face and the c-section started.  I had no idea they were even cutting and thought that I was going to feel it, but before I knew it the anesthesiologist told me, ok we're getting close!  At 8:00am Riley Charles was born weighing 6lbs 12 oz.  At 8:01am Noah Rlynn arrived weighing in at a whopping 7lbs 8oz.  I will save the math for you.  That's 14lbs 4 oz of baby that was hanging out in my uterus.  No wonder I was measuring 47 weeks.  I started crying when I heard them cry for the first time (I'm choking up now just thinking about it, but everything makes me cry right now.  And I mean EVERYTHING) and could look over to my left and see them being cleaned off.  Brent got to help cut Riley's cord while they delivered the placentas and stitched me up.  They told me I would feel a lot of pressure but it really wasn't bad at all.  I expected my c-section to be so much worse than it was.  It was honestly not bad at all.  Recovery was a little rougher, but still not as bad as other people had made it out to be.

Once I was stitched up we got out of the OR and went back in to the recovery room.  I had hemorrhaged during surgery and was bleeding more than they wanted me to, so I had to stay in there a little while longer while they gave me pitocin to help slow the bleeding.  During this time they took the babies vitals and Brent and I were able to be with our sons (crying again right now) together as a family for the first time.  They put Riley on my chest for Kangaroo Care while Brent held Noah.  It was one of the most amazing moments of my entire life.  I've been told how people feel when they are with their kids for the first time, but I didn't know what to expect.  It was the most calm, peaceful, amazing love I have ever felt in my life.  As the days go by my love for them gets stronger and stronger and I cannot put in to words the way these boys make me feel.  They are the most miraculous little humans I have ever met and when I even start to think about how blessed we are to have them in our lives, I start crying (see a trend?).

After the bleeding had slowed down we were taken to our hospital room where we would stay until Monday morning.  My parents came and got to meet their grandsons.  Seeing my parents with newborn babies is the most adorable thing.  You can see how much they love them and it just melts my heart how excited they get just being around them and talking about them.  My friend Alycia came that evening to meet the boys and she took some awesome pictures (that's nothing new, she always takes awesome pictures).  The next day our good friends Dan and Brianne brought their cute family to visit.  It was such a nice stay at the hospital and it was so fun to have people come say hello and meet the babies.

The recovery part was the hardest.  I tried to sit up a few hours after surgery and ended up throwing up.  I was so mad!  I was pregnant with TWINS and didn't throw up my entire pregnancy.  A few hours after surgery and I'm gagging and reaching for the barf bag.  Annoying.  A few hours later, though, I was able to sit up and then stand and take a few steps.  Later that night I walked to the bathroom for the first time.  By the next day I was doing a few laps around the halls with the babies in their little portable cribs.  It was definitely painful, but it was not as bad as I expected.  I'm still in pain, but I've been taking my pain medicine to help.  I refused to be stubborn about that.  I was offered it and so I took it and I think it helped a lot.

Now here we are and the boys are a week old today.  I can't believe they're already a week old!  They are seriously the most adorable little babies I have ever seen in my entire life.  I love their little personalities (already VERY different) and the little facial expressions they make.  Even after only getting an hour of sleep last night (ahem...Riley...) I can't help but adore everything about these guys.

Now on to the fun part!  Pictures!

 Cute boy in his scrubs

 Drinking that nasty antacid stuff

 Proud dad!

 My mom brought the boys a birthday cake

 Proud Grandparents

 Riley after his first bath

 Noah after his first bath

 Sucking on his brothers head

 Heading home!

 Meeting Chip for the first time