The Best Happenings: May 2011

I guess since the babies are already 4 weeks old, I should probably post some pictures and update the 'ol blog! I ended up having a c-section b/c the little turkeys were both breech. I've always heard horror stories about c-sections and the recovery, so I was a little nervous about that. Let me just say, it was NOTHING like what I thought it was going to be. Yes, I was sore and it wasn't fun getting out of bed those first few times, but it was not bad @ all. I had a spinal block for surgery and it worked great for surgery, but wore off before I even got out of recovery, so I was in a little more pain than expected to begin with, but once they started me on the Toradol and Morphine PCA, I was good to go...minus being sick to my stomach from the Morphine. I was up walking the halls that first night, and I think that getting up and getting moving and staying moving was the smartest thing I could have done.

We got to the hospital on Monday around 11 and they of course got me hooked up to everything and got my IV started. Then about 1:20 they came and got me and we walked back to the OR to get my spinal and get started. Once they started my spinal, they laid me down on the table and were getting me all prepped and that's when things got a little exciting. Apparently Brady decided he was through being stuck inside me with his sister squishing him b/c he dropped his heart rate into the 50's and no matter which way they turned me or how much they messed with him, it wouldn't come back up, so what was supposed to be a routine thing quickly turned into an emergency situation. To say that I was terrified would be an understatement. The relief that washed over me when I heard his first little screams is a feeling I don't think I'll ever forget. So since he decided to rush Dr. David, both of them were born within about 20 seconds of each other. I remember thinking, "I can breathe" when they pulled Brady out and then when they pulled Hannah out, it felt like somebody had lifted a 45 pound weight off of me. It was such a surreal feeling.

We stayed in the hospital from Monday to Thursday. I could have come home on Wednesday, but am glad that I didn't b/c Wednesday night was a rough night for the babies, so I'm glad we got to send them to the nursery. Once we started supplementing them after they nursed, they were much happier with life and started to gain some of their weight back. I loved having people come up and visit us and come see the babies. Amy, Joi and Lindsey came up one afternoon and they brought Jace (5), Lauren (8), Gage (5) and Gracie (2) with them. The kids were so cute just looking @ the babies and inspecting them. Then they found the gloves and so they spent a good deal of time blowing up their gloves and playing. When they left, Billy said he felt like an F5 tornado had just blown through b/c the kids were so busy while they were in the room. :)

Billy had to leave on Friday after we got home to take his mom back to Louisiana, so my mom came and stayed the weekend with me while he was gone. We got the babies on a schedule in the hospital, and for the most part, have been able to stick with it since coming home. Just this weekend they have started sleeping for longer stretches @ night. Last night they ate @ 10:30 and were in bed asleep by 11 and didn't wake up to eat until 4, then went right back to sleep and slept until 8. I feel like a new woman having gotten that much sleep last night! :) They still eat every 3 hours during the day. When we first came home I was nursing them and then supplementing until my milk came in. Then I went to just nursing them, but we have since gone to me just pumping and then giving it to them in a bottle. I am much less stressed and they are in turn much happier. I am getting a scale from my cousin this week so I'll be able to update with their current weights for their one month post.

The first 2 weeks we were home it seemed like all we did was go to the doctor. I had to go in and get my staples removed and get my blood pressure checked on Monday, they had to go in for weight checks on Tuesday, and I had to go back for another b/p check on Thursday and they had to go have ultrasounds done on their hips (because they were breech and b/c they were multiples they were @ an increased risk of having hip problems so we had to rule that out...). Then, I had to go back on Monday for my 2 week post-op appointment and another b/p check (it was FINALLY back down to normal then), Wednesday was their 2 week appointment with the pediatrician, Thursday Hannah had to have a barium enema study done b/c she wasn't pooping, Friday Hannah and I both went to the chiropractor and got adjusted and then last Tuesday Brady got to go to the chiropractor for his adjustment. Thank heavens we are through with dr. appointments for awhile is all I have to say!!! One thing I learned through all of it is that I am totally capable of getting out with both of them by myself (at least for little adventures) and it is an odd feeling to only go somewhere with one of them! :)

They are both starting to smile some and have adjusted well to sleeping in their own beds @ night. We started out with them both in Brady's crib, but they got to where they were waking each other up so Hannah quickly got promoted to her own bed! They both love the swing and neither one is really a very big fan of tummy time. Brady definitely looks like he has grown a lot in the last 2 weeks, so we shall see. @ their 2 week appointment, he was up to 7 lb3 oz and she was up to 7 lb 8 oz.If they aren't both 8 pounds by now, they are both pretty close I bet. We are already having to retire the newborn footie jammers...not b/c they are too small around, but b/c they are too short for our long legs and tree climbing feet.

And now for the reason everyone really looks at the blog anyways...the pictures...