That last week was relatively uneventful, as I said before I wasn't able to do hardly anything so I spent that week mainly resting.
The morning of Friday, February 18th Chad woke me up at 6 AM so that I could eat for one last time before the c-section scheduled for 3:30 pm. I asked for Fruit Loops and toast but I remember eating only a few spoonfuls of Fruit Loops because I was just too nervous/excited. Then I took a long bath because I wasn't sure the next time I was going to get a shower or bath in the hospital.
Later that day Chad said he had a surprise for me. He pulled out a small jewelry box that had a beautiful necklace with an amethyst heart pendant inside. Amethyst is the babies' birthstone. It was such a beautiful and thoughtful gift that he had picked out with my mother and it was such a loving gesture that we all started to tear up a bit. I wear the necklace everyday and I am reminded of how lucky I am to have my family.
By Noon we had everything ready to go and we were just sitting in the living room trying to figure out what Mom and Chad should do for lunch when the phone rang. The hospital was calling to see if we could come in early for the c-section as the doctor had some time open up. Of course we were delighted and we all commenced a flurry of activity getting the bags downstairs and in the car.
Our dog Sadie came with us since we had to drop her off at Doggy Daycare, where she stayed during the several days we were in the hospital. I kissed her on the head and I was a little sad because I knew this was the last time she would be our only baby.
We got to the hospital and checked in and at first I was very nervous because we were in a little recovery area with just a curtain between us and everyone else instead of a private room like I had the last 2 times I had been to the hospital. Chad explained that since I was having a surgery I had to wait in the recovery area before going into the OR and for a few hours after the surgery so I could be monitored before being transferred to my own room.
Here is my last pregnant picture:
Here we are just before we became parents:
There was a couple on the other side of the curtain that went into the OR before us, and they came back with their baby after the surgery and I could hear their baby's first little cries. It made me very emotional because I couldn't believe that in a matter of minutes I would hear my own children cry for the first time.
The nurses took what seemed like a lot of my blood for tests and put in an IV, then the anaesthesiologist came and spoke with me briefly about the epidural. My doctor also came by to talk with me and then it seemed in no time at all it was time for me to go back to the OR.
There were at least 6 or 8 people in the OR with me. Chad was not allowed to be present until I was prepped and ready for surgery and so I felt very alone even with so many people there. I remember being lifted from one bed to another and then positioned so that the epidural could be put in place. There was one doctor in particular who had such a calming manner, he walked me through the whole process of what was happening and what to expect in a way that made it seem less scary.
Having the epidural put in wasn't painful at all, but it did have quite the effect on me. I was tingling all over and eventually completely numb, and unfortunately very nauseous and I ended up throwing up several times. The nice doctor told me the nausea was due to fluctuations in my blood pressure caused by the epidural. He told me almost everyone throws up (I'm not sure if this is true or not but it made me feel less embarassed at least).
Finally I felt less nauseous and Chad was allowed to come in. He sat beside my head and held my hand. I could tell he was very nervous too.
They began the surgery and I felt nothing at all. I could hear my doctor and the assisting doctor chitchatting about different types of flooring they were considering putting in their homes and I remember thinking that everything must be going well if they were talking about flooring while doing the surgery, LOL.
Within minutes Brady was ready to be born and they told Chad to look over the curtain so he could see his son being born. Brady was born at 2:50 pm. All I wanted to do was hear him cry and I held my breath for what seemed like eternity (he didn't cry immediately) until I heard him cry. What a wonderful sound! Chloe was born a minute after her brother at 2:51 pm and she cried immediately.
Chad wasn't allowed to go over to them until they had been cleaned off and examined by the nurses and doctors but it only took a minute or two.
Here is their first picture with their Dad:
They told us Brady weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and Chloe weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and they both recieved great Apgar scores. We were so happy and relieved!
Chad brought them each over to me and I was so happy to be able to see their sweet faces! It was an overwhelmingly emotional experience and there are no adequate words to describe how wonderful it feels to meet your babies for the first time.
So that is the story of how Brady and Chloe were born on Friday, February 18th! Next post will be catching up on the last 2 months as newborns!
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