February 13, 2014

The babies are here! The babies are here! Today, March 6, was my due date for the twins (been trying to write this for weeks...alas, being a mommy comes before blog posts...ha). But they had other plans and arrived at 37 weeks, to the day, on Feb 13.  I haven't written very much about our journey but plan on going back and sharing more now. The day the babies arrived was anything but typical. My water didn't break, I wasn't in labor, I wasn't induced nor was my c-section scheduled that day.  Here's our birth story. There are some parts that are probably TMI so stop reading if you get grossed out ;).

The week the babies were born we were having another freak snow/ice storm in Atlanta.  We had previously had one several weeks prior. The first one was quite a journey for us. We ended up getting stuck in our car for over 11 hrs b/c traffic was bad. This 11+ hr journey is normally a 15 min trip to and from the dr's office for us.  After that experience we decided that we would definitely stay put during this 2nd storm.  I had previously been on bed rest from week 29 to week 35 of my pregnancy.  But once I was taken off had gradually been moving more and more to try to get my body acclimated to being up and moving around.  But with the 2nd snowstorm, I decided to stay put and basically just rest and work from the couch. This was Tues, Feb 11 and Wed, Feb 12.  Both of those days were pretty normal for me. I didn't have any contractions and everything in my belly was chill. That Wed night Drew made the comment that we had almost made it through the snow and if the babies could hold off another 12/13 hours we would be good (everything was supposed to melt by midday on Thurs).  Dunh Dunh Dunh Dunh...(that's scary cartoon music).

Well, around 11pm that Wed night I mentioned to Drew that I didn't feel very well and felt kind of nauseous. I went to the restroom and still didn't feel better so I laid down. About 10 minutes later I ran to the bathroom and started projectile vomiting.  Nice huh?!?  That was only the beginning. Within the next 30 min it got worse and I started going off from both ends every 10-15 minutes (sorry, told you it was tmi). It was awful and I was miserable. Drew found my anti-nausea medicine from the first trimester and I tried to take it. I couldn't keep it down. He gave me some anti-diarrhea medicine...couldn't keep that down. By 5am I was still getting sick and told Drew I was really getting worried b/c nothing would stay down and I was starting to have some contractions. I was so dehydrated and the force at which I was dry heaving was making everything ache. So he called the dr on call at my practice. She told him to wait until 7am or 8am (once it was daylight so we could at least see the ice on the roads) and if I was still sick to come on in to the hospital. Her worry was that being so dehydrated would cause me to go into labor and they would at least get me on iv fluids. 

Fast forward to 8am, after one hour of sleep and several costumes changes later (it was bad you guys) I told Drew we needed to go the hospital. At that point I couldn't keep ice chips down.  Drew decided to call our friend/pseudo brother Mark, who has a truck, to see if he could get out of his driveway.  Mark was able to and Drew also thought he could get our car out.  But Mark wouldn't let us and told Drew he was coming to get us and take us to the hospital. I'm really glad we did that b/c poor Drew probably only had 3 or 4 hours of sleep himself and it was probably better that we didn't drive.  Anyway, Drew showered and I tried to get dressed. I felt disgusting but knew there was no way I would be able to shower. It was hard enough getting clothes on.  I told Drew we might want to take "the hospital bag" just in case they made me stay for a few days or we ended up having the babies. Drew decided he should probably grab the camera "just in case."  I said to Drew I really hoped they would just give me fluids and I could have another day or two to sleep before the babies came...Dunh Dunh Dunh Dunh...(more scary cartoon music).

Well, Mark picked us up and carefully drove us to the hospital. I was armed with some watered down gatorade and a bucket (the same bucket that saved my life in the previous storm...darn snowstorms)! The roads to the interstate weren't too bad and Mark was super careful. The interstate was fine if you stayed in the lanes to the right. I thought the vomiting was done but as soon as Mark pulled up to labor and delivery I lost all the gatorade in my lovely bucket. Thank goodness we thought to grab it!  Drew went inside and grabbed a wheelchair and wheeled me up to the check-in area. We explained why we were there and I had to answer a whole bunch of registration questions. I was kind of annoyed bc someone had called me on Wed to pre-register since I was originally getting induced or having a c-section on Feb 17 and I answered everything over the phone. I told them this but she said I still had to answer them again. My only complaint about the hospital. Everything else was great there! 

After what felt like a thousand years they finally wheeled me back to a labor room. The nurse asked me what was going on and I explained everything. They had me change into the beautiful hospital gown and gave me a vomit bag just in case! They immediately starting taking my vital signs, having me sign lots of things and put monitors on me and the babies.  That's when things got nutty.  They got baby girl's heartbeat easily but were having a hard time finding baby boy's. Once they finally found his things got kind of scary. The room had been just me, Drew and a nurse and all of a sudden there were about 4 or 5 other people in there.  They were having me turn from side to side and working really hard to get baby boy stable, as he was decelling. They also put me on oxygen.  Finally baby boy's heart rate was stable and even and things calmed down.  The nurse then informed us that Dr. Jeffers (the dr on call from my practice) was doing a c-section and she would come in as soon as she was done and they would decide what we would do. They warned that she might want to go ahead and deliver the babies today. 

WOW...not what we were thinking at all. Drew immediately called our parents to let them know that we were at the hospital b/c I was sick w/ a stomach bug or food poisoning and he would let them know as soon as we heard from the Dr.  As soon as he got off the phone with the last parent Dr. Jeffers came in and said that we were going to have the babies right then. She said since I was 37 weeks and with me being so sick and baby Boy decelling that it was best to do it right then. They were both head down but she thought c-section was the wisest choice.  From there it's a blur. We signed more things, I got an epidural, Drew changed, called our parents and only had time to text like 3 people.  We checked in at 9:45 and they wheeled me back at 11:30.  I thought the vomiting was over but as soon as the put me on the OR table I had one more bout with it.  NICE! Celia Elizabeth arrived at 11:45 and Joel Andrew arrived at 11:46.  She was 5lbs 11oz, 18.5 inches and he was 5lbs 14oz, 19 inches.  Joel's umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck so it was a REALLY good thing that we did a c-section. Feeling really grateful for God's protection over our little babies.

So there you have it. The story of the day our lives were forever changed. It wasn't exactly the way I pictured it but I wouldn't change anything about it. We later found out that it was a stomach bug that I had bc Drew got it later the day they were born. Unfortunately other family members got it too. What is interesting is that no one got nearly as sick as I did. If I had only been a little sick like them I never would have gone to the hospital. Kind of feel grateful that I was as sick and the babies are safe!

This scripture kept coming to my mind as I praised the Lord for these miracles.

Ecclesiastes 3:1: There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens!

Thank you guys for all of your prayers, encouragement and love during this journey.  I will share more about the whole adventure to get here soon. 

Mommy at 6 weeks preggers

 Mommy at 36 weeks

 Proud Daddy right after they were born. 

Mommy with her babies

Joel and Celia