October 13, 2011

I want to write out about Alexa and Lindsey's birth day before I forget! I have been typing this up in small increments as I have had time! What a sweet, sweet day it was and the Lord was so gracious to us! After the girls' growth scan at my 35 week appointment, the doctors thought it best to schedule a c-section at 36 weeks, 3 days since they were concerned about Baby Girl B's size the the blood flow from the placenta to the girls. We had to report to Duke at 6 since the c-section was scheduled for 8 and I couldn't have been happier about getting up at 4! I wasn't sleeping much anyway and I was so ready to meet our little girls! When we got to the hospital, there really wasn't much going on in the L&D unit. At that point, we were the only ones in a triage room. Triage rooms are private and they also serve as your room for recovery. Another great benefit was that the same two nurses were with me in triage, in the operating room, and in recovery with me. Surprisingly, the time went by really fast. I watched 18 Kids and Counting reruns on TLC as nurses were monitoring the girls and I, as I was signing paperwork, and as OB and anesthesia residents were coming in to talk to us.

A little before 8, they rolled me down to the OR to start getting everything ready for the c-section. Since there was some extra time, the anesthesiologist did a lesson with his resident as they were prepping me for my spinal. I loved being at teaching hospital, but because the spinal was one of the things I was least looking forward to, I was just so ready to get it over with! After they gave me my spinal, it took a little while for it to take full effect, so we were just waiting for a good 20 minutes for that to happen. . I didn't see all the staff in the room because I was already laying down and the sheet was up, but the anesthesia resident by my head (who was awesome about letting me know what was going on) said there were at least 7 pediatric residents and nurses there for the girls in addition to the nurses and doctors there for the surgery. Finally it was time to bring Peter in. And just a few short minutes later, I was being told they were getting ready to pull the girls out!

Miss Alexa Elizabeth (our Baby A) was pulled out first at 9: 07 AM.

Lindsey Madison (our baby B) followed after at 9:08 AM

They brought each girl around the curtain for me to see before they went to check them out and I just remember thinking how beautiful they were and how great they looked! I was just so uncomfortable during the surgery from having to lay flat from so long with all the pressure on my belly and I was shaking from the anesthesia. I couldn't really concentrate on much of anything because I just couldn't wait until the surgery was over, but it was so good to catch a glimpse of my girls. Peter went over to be with them as they were checking out the girls and he would come back every now and then to give me updates! It was music to our ears when we heard their weights announced. Alexa weighed in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces and Lindsey weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces. Lindsey had been measuring much smaller in utero and the concern over her size was one of the reasons my doctors wanted to take them early. Oh what a gracious God we have! Peter and I with our two youngest daughters!

After the c-section, I was taken to recovery and the girls were taken to the nursery for observation. At first, Lindsey was just laboring a little to hard to breathe and Alexa would be able to come with us to recovery, but then Alexa started laboring to breathe a little harder as well. Another praise is that both girls were taken to the full term nursery to be observed! The NICU and Special Care nurseries were full, so the girls were taken to the full term nursery! Also, since it was such a light morning for delivering babies, Alexa and Lindsey were the only babies in the nursery so they were WELL taken care of! The physicians and residents that look care of the girls were absolutely phenomenal!

Alexa

Lindsey. That Styrofoam cup was used to blow oxygen in her face. We are thankful to the Lord that was the only intervention that was needed.

Laurel came to visit me in recovery. She was unsure what to make of seeing me like that. She thought the bed was my crib and she asked Peter out loud in the lobby why I didn't have any clothes on! Ha! (Although I will say about two weeks after the girls were born, Laurel talked some about the hospital and she talked about my blue dress.) While I was in recovery, the girls were in the nursery. They were still laboring harder than they wanted when they were breathing so they stayed in the nursery. Although I hated not being able to see my newest daughters, I was feeling so rough after the c-section, it did give me a chance to rest. Since I wasn't able to see or hold them yet, Peter took lots of pictures for me and went back and forth to the nursery updating me on their progress. My nurses were also great about going to get updates on the girls for me.

After lunch, I was taken to my post partum room and I was finally able to see the girls! They brought them around 2:00 to do kangaroo care to see if that would help with their breathing. It did, but then they started up again and needed to go back to the nursery.

I have to rave about my nurses now. I had been praying for the doctors and nurses that we would have and God answered! I loved every single nurse I had and hated when I would only have them for one shift. Thankfully, I ended up loving each nurse that came! They were so knowledgeable, cheerful, encouraging, and took such great care of us! This is a picture of my first nurse in post partum. She has 3 kids and was 35 weeks pregnant with her 4th here!

The girls ended up being in the nursery for about 24 hours, with a break for us to hold them and introduce them to family. They did a few tests on them and everything looked good. The next morning they were not laboring to breathe and they were able to finally be in the room with us full time! We were told that it just look them longer to transition (they said it usually is about 4 hours).

By God's grace, Alexa and Lindsey were discharged on the same day we were!

We are praising the Lord for our newest blessings! Oh praise Him for how He grew and sustained these girls and the pregnancy! We are excited to see the Lord's plans unfold for their lives!