Birth Story

May 23rd, 2011
The whole week of May 23rd was a long one... My sister was in town and kept telling me I had to have the babies while she was here. Ha ha. I only worked for 4 hours on Monday. I was up from 2am until it was time to get up for work having pretty frequent contractions. The girls at work were surprised I was even there. Around 1:30pm I noticed my feet were so swollen and I was SO tired. I decided that it was time to go home and rest. When I got home I noticed that I lost my mucous plug. At least I was pretty sure of it. I knew my body was getting ready for labor. I didn't know when, but I could tell. I slept from about 2 until 4:30 that day. I knew if I slept too long that I wouldn't sleep that night, so I forced myself to get up. Justin and I decided that we would go swimming at Layton surf-n-swim with my sister and family for Family Night. I knew the water would be good for the swelling and just to relax. We got up to Layton, and realized that it was closed, due to weather. So instead, the family decided to go bowling. Not exactly an activity that I should be doing. So I sat and watched my family play. We went home that night and got in bed. Once again... I didn't sleep.

Tuesday & Wednesday

I felt so bad calling my work once again to say that I wouldn't be in. But after a long night of tossing and turning, going from our bed to the couch to try to get comfortable, I didn't get any sleep. I knew I needed to relax. I was having a lot of back pain and still having contractions on Tuesday. Everything just intensified on Wednesday. I could not sleep. I could not get comfortable. My back was hurting so bad that all I could do was walk in circles in the front room cause sitting or laying down was just so uncomfortable. I cant even count how many times I got in the bath tub. Even if it was 2am. I was doing everything I could to get comfortable and sleep. I was having Non-Stress tests at the hospital 2 weekly by now and every time I went, they said that the babies were fine, and they were catching my contractions, but they weren't anything close enough to be concerned. On Wednesday I had an NST. The nurse asked how I was doing cause she noticed how close my contractions were. I told her I was really uncomfortable and wasn't sure if I was dilating or not. She paged my doctor and asked what she thought I should do. Whether I should go to labor and delivery to get checked, or to just go home. She said it was my decision, but to be careful, because if things get too intense, I needed to come in as soon as possible. She also said, "So we may see you back tonight". I kind of took it worth a grain of salt, not getting my hopes up.

Wednesday night I went over to my moms house. My sister wanted to give me a pedicure. I wasn't going to pass that up! So she put my feet in warm water, made them all soft, painted my toe nails this AWFUL green color that I will never forget. She said she was doing it green for the boys. She also pushed A LOT of my pressure points. There is a pressure point on the front of your legs just above your ankles that is suppose to help with labor. She pushed so hard, I was squeezing my moms hand till it hurt her! But she insisted on doing it. We joked about me going into labor that night, but once again I wasn't getting my hopes up.

Thursday May 26th, 2011

35 weeks 6 days pregnant

Going to bed Wednesday night, I wasn't expecting to get much sleep. I got in bed around midnight, and woke up at 2 am with intense back pain and pretty strong contractions. I wend out to the front room and turned on the TV. I was sitting on the floor with my back against the couch, cause that was the only comfortable thing. I was watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and around 3 am I kind of felt like my water broke. But all week I had wetness so I figured it was just more of my mucous plug. My contractions intensified a little coming 2-4 minutes apart. I timed my contractions for an hour, then decided I would get in the shower to relieve some stress and pain. After the shower I dried my hair, then around 4:45am I decided to tell Justin what was going on. I felt bad waking him because I knew he had to work in the morning. So I went into our bedroom and Justin was curled up in a little ball, completely uncovered. I said "Are you cold?" I covered him up and he rolled over like, You woke me up for that? and then I said "Um, babe... I think my water broke, and my contractions are 2-4 minutes apart." He jumped out of bed and said "Let's GO!" So we grabbed a couple more things to put in the hospital bag, the car seats and headed out the door. On the way down my contractions continued, but I said to Justin "If this isn't it... I'm really sorry" I was so afraid it was going to be false labor. I knew I was only one day shy of 36 weeks.

We got to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray at 5:30am. It was dark and quite. I've never seen the hospital like that before. We checked in at the labor and delivery desk and they took me into a Triage room.

The nurse came in at asked a bunch of questions and hooked me up to the machines. She noticed my contractions were pretty close. Things kind of took a while to get me hooked up because their computer wasn't reading the monitors for some reason. So they had to switch those out. Meanwhile, while they were switching the computers, we were texting our families at 6:00am to tell them that we were at the hospital. Of course, they were all sleeping. No one wrote back... I was getting worried.

The nursed were in and out of our room. I wasn't really sure what was going on. The nurse asked me if my water had broke. I told her I think it broke around 3 am. She was shocked that I took my time getting in. I told her that I wasn't sure if it was my water, because it wasn't a big gush like everyone told me it would be. She took a little strip of tape and tested it. Yep, sure enough, it was amniotic fluid! So they started running more tests, they checked my cervix. I was a 2-3 dilated and about 75% effaced. We kept waiting for nurses to come in and out, and we also waited for family to write back. We also text Jalene, our photographer because she wanted to be there to get our birth story. Finally around 6:30 I told Justin we need to call my parents. I tried my sister, since she was staying at their house... Nothing. I finally called my dad. Of course, he answered all groggy. When I told him we were at the hospital and we thought that today was the day they were awake! They took their time though, because we didn't know how long it would be. Justin's parents also finally answered and they started getting ready, decided they would get Justin's brother to school then they would head down. Jalene was also on her way.

The nurses kept telling us that there were 3 other emergencies in the OR so it would be a while. We were never told straight up that they were prepping me for my c-section. Then the nurse came back in to put my IV in. I said "So... Are they coming today?" She laughed. She said "Oh yeah, you'll be going in about 20 minutes!" We looked at each other with wide eyes. We couldn't believe it was happening so fast!! The nurse was putting my IV in my left arm. She missed... So then she tried my Right arm. She missed again. Then she decided she would put it in my left hand. Finally she got it. She felt so bad. She was so embarrassed, but kept saying "Good thing I'm off at 7am!" she apologized so many times. Then came the shift change. My new nurse Kathy came in and had me sign some forms. Then the anesthesiologist came in and explained how the spinal tap and epidural would work and what I needed to do so it would go smoothly. Then Dr. L came in. I was SO glad to see her. It was a familiar face, and she had such a big smile. It made things a lot less stressful. She told me it would only be about an hour long process. That opening would be about 15-20 minutes, then the babies would join us, and then they would spend the remaining time closing up. I was so relieved that she would be the one delivering my boys. After Dr. L came in, Nurse Kathy came in and said "Ok! You're up!" Woah... everything hit me like a ton of bricks! At 7:45 they wheeled me into the ER. On our way to the ER, Jalene text me and said "WAIT! I want to get a picture of you before you go in!" I had to text her back and say "Um, too late" :( We were kind of bummed.

There were so many lights. So many nurses and people. But for some reason, I felt like I was in good hands. I got on the table and Dr. H (the anesthesiologist) told me to curl up in a ball as tight as I could and not to move. I held so still. He said ok you're going to feel a bee sting. I definitely felt it. My whole body twitched! He reminded me to hold as still as possible. He did a few more things and we were done. THAT WAS EASY! I hardly even felt anything! He was amazing! Then he picked me up in his arms and turned me on my back. He was so nice! Then everything started to go numb. He told me that if I felt ANYTHING that all i had to do was say his name and he would be there. I knew I was in good hands!

They began prepping me and Justin sat by my head. They put the blue curtain up and Justin held my hand. Things went really fast! Before I knew it they told Justin they could come around the other side of the curtain to watch the babies be delivered and take pictures. Then I hear by sweet baby Cade cry, and the nurse say 8:10 am! Only seconds later, Cole came out screaming. It was the cutest scream I ever heard! The nurse said 8:11am. They lowered the blue curtain and showed him to me, then he was handed straight through a window to a NICU nurse to join his brother. Then Justin was back at my head with tears in his eyes. I'll never forget it.

Until I saw my sweet husband crying, I didn't have any tears. Once he kissed me and put his forehead to mine, I started bawling. It was the best moment of our lives. Right then, I knew this was right where we should be in our lives. We cried together for a good few minutes. I never thought I'd see my husband cry like he did. Best moment ever!

Justin said while he was standing on the other side of the table they broke the other bag of water. He said it was like someone had dumped a bucket of water all over me and it almost splashed onto him! LOL!

Within minutes, still laying wide open on the table, the nurses handed us a scrapbook page, with pictures and stats of our boys

Baby A (Cade)

8:10am

5lbs 7oz

17 3/4 inches long

Baby B (Cole)

8:11am

5lbs 7 oz

18 inches long.

Then before I knew it I was out of the OR on my way to recovery. Honestly, everything after they handed me the scrapbook page was a blur. I just remember laying in the recovery room and my in-laws and Jalene coming in. I didn't know where Justin was. I figured he was with our boys. I remember shaking. A LOT! And my face was itching like crazy. I was so mad that my body was shaking and I couldn't control it. I asked for some ice chips and Jalene was snapping some pictures and Cindy and Gary were on the phone. I hardly remember what we talked about. Then... the moment I was waiting for. The NICU nurse came in with my baby Cade.

Justin came in shortly after. I remember I was shaking so badly, I was nervous to hold the baby. Once the baby was in my arms, Everything stopped. Nothing else mattered. I was in heaven.

I think I remember the NICU nurse having me try to nurse the baby. It wasn't very successful. So Justin went back to the NICU with the babies, gave them their first baths, and their first bottles. I believe my sister came into the recovery room and helped them get my stuff together to move into the post partum room. I was only in recovery for an hour I think. Everything, besides holding my babies, is a little blurry until later that evening.

In Post Partum my sister came and sat with me. We talked about everything. I can't remember. I think I might have cried too cause I was so happy. But mostly, it was quiet. My mom, Justin's parents, and Jalene were all visiting the babies in the NICU. I also remember my sister brought her 6 month old baby, Tate. She wasn't allowed to bring him in because they didn't allow anyone under 14. Which I thought was a little silly! So my mom and her had to switch off coming in to see me and the babies. My dad came to the hospital around 11am, on his lunch break. He stayed in my room with me for a little bit, and then it was his turn to go to the NICU to see the babies. But, he only got to be in there for about 3 minutes because the boys were ready to be moved upstairs to the nursery because they were doing so well!

While everyone was with the babies, and they were getting their baths and bottles, I slept. I was SO worn out, and finally I was comfortable enough to sleep. So everyone let me be, and I don't remember how long I slept for, but it was the best nap I've ever taken. My brother and sister in law also came to the hospital to visit. Poor Shawn had to wait in the waiting room, because he wasn't allowed in. Family was in and out of the room all day, I hardly remember. I do remember my legs were completely numb all night long and my face itched so much that I scratched it raw! They finally had to give me some medicine for the itching! After the boys were checked into the nursery, they finally brought both of them into my room for me to hold together for the first time! We were so happy!!

I loved my hospital stay. I had the best registered nurses and CNA's! Some of our favorites were Rian, Sarah, April, and I think it was Courtney. They took such good care of us. I was up walking around the next morning. I went to a breast feeding class and was feeling really good! I had a really hard time breastfeeding at the hospital. My milk wasn't coming in fast enough, so we just fed them Similac. The first two nights, we had the boys sleep in the nursery to catch up on sleep. I'm not sure how much sleep I got tho, between nurses coming in and out, and I missed my boys at night! But I think the sleep helped me heal faster.

One of the things I remember about the hospital, was on night 3 my brother and parents came to visit us. We were all just relaxing in our room holding the boys and such, and I decided to get in the shower. I was happy and fine! But in the shower... the next thing I knew I was bauling! I didn't know why. I think I was worrying about going home the next day, and having to do things on my own. Justin opened the bathroom door a crack and asked if I was ok. I fibbed, and said Yeah! He said "Are you crying?" Again, I said no. He asked me if I was sure, I said yes... He hesitated for a minute. I stood there and started to cry again, I said... "Ok, I am crying. I don't know why!" He said "You mom asked me if you were crying, we can all hear you." I didn't know I was crying that loud! Haha! He came in the bathroom and closed the door. I stepped out of the shower, dripping wet and just hugged him and cried. I told him that I was worried but wasn't really sure why I was crying. He reassured me that everything was going to be fine, and I was going to be a great mom! He then joked about me making him all wet, and made me laugh. That was my one emotional breakdown at the hospital. My emotions were EVERYWHERE!

Going home day was tough, but we were ready. Except for that night at home, I went through the worst thing ever. Engorgement... NOT FUN AT ALL! I'd rather do anything else, besides go through that again! I was miserable. To all my family and friends that helped me out, listened to me when I needed to talk, and watched my boys while I slept: THANK YOU!

I would not change one thing about our birth story. I loved everything about it. I healed so fast from my c-section and my boys are SO healthy. I absolutely love being a mother. I am so blessed and grateful for the life that I have.

I love my little family!