Our babies arrived happy and healthy September 19th 2014 and we have already since celebrated their first birthday – a big party with friends and family!

The end of my pregnancy went very well! I was nervous and scared to have a c-section but the risks outweighed the gains of having a natural delivery here and so looking back I’m so happy with the way it all happened!

I had an amazing doctor who was with me for my entire pregnancy from day one through delivery, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better experience!

The morning of the surgery I awoke to the power being out at our house!

Of course! Why not, right!

Our well water runs on an electric pump system that when it’s pressured up is just enough to have a quick shower in the dark! Or so I learned so early in the morning! The power was back on right before we left so we were able to see as we left the house and double check our bags before loading up the truck! I braided my hair knowing that lying on my back for an extended period of time with a ponytail didn’t sound fun!

When we arrived at the hospital the morning of the scheduled c-section we entered thru emergency because it was so early in the morning! My dad had made the trip to town early and met us at the hospital to give hugs before I was admitted!

Once we went through the admitting process we got ourselves set up in the room we’d be staying in for the next few days! Our nurse came in and began the process of getting me ready for surgery; our nurse was magnificent, in fact all our nurses were! So helpful, informative, and caring! I got changed into my “operation outfit!” a fantastic little garment in light blue paisley print, free flowing, and very airy! Steve in a matching blue number even managed to fit the booties over his big work boots he chose to wear that morning!

They were ready for us… We were wheeled into the surgical area and met the anesthesiologist Doctor S who settled one of my biggest fears, not remembering the birth for being too drugged up. He told me he didn’t like “groggy moms” so if I needed pain medication I could get some after but during he would just be freezing me. What a remarkable doctor! He even had time to snap some pictures in the operating room for us!

We were taken to the operating room where I pulled off what everyone in the room told me was some amazing yoga moves. Apparently the yoga classes paid off!! I leaned forward and Dr S started the freezing process. I crawled onto the operating table and the drapes were hung. Steve was brought in and the surgical procedure began!

Dr S told Steve he could stand up and tell everyone what the genders were as our babies were delivered. Steve stood and announced:

It’s a girl, as Jordan arrived! 

Then he stood again a moment later and announced:

It’s a girl, as Morgan arrived! 

            Now I have to give a disclaimer, Steve and I have chosen to respect the privacy of our children, and as such, pictures of them will not be posted until such time as they are old enough to give consent!

Jordan was wrapped up and snuggled in when Morgan arrived. Morgan took a little longer to join us cuddling because she needed a bit of oxygen to get her apgar score up! During the wait I began to panic! Steve helped keep me composed and in no time she was settled in with us and all four of us were together!

It was time for the girls and Steve to head out; I of course stayed to be sewn back together, not like I could have moved if I wanted to!! What an amazing job she did, one is barely able to tell I had the surgery!

I was taken to recovery still unable to move my legs and most of my body. While waiting for feeling to come back the recovery nurse kept asking me to lift my legs, “ah nope still can’t,” I said over and over wondering when I would be able to! My good friend and NICU nurse arrived with my babies! She received permission from her superiors to come in and assist with breastfeeding while I was in recovery! I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience. My girls were latched and eating for 20min within 45min of being in the world!

For anyone in this position if you can arrange to have your babies or baby brought to you while you are in recovery I highly recommend it!

From the time I arrived in recovery and then for the next 12 hours I threw up, constantly and violently, nothing seemed to help and although they assured me they were giving me everything they could to settle my stomach, nothing seemed to help. Finally that night I was able to keep down a ginger ale and some fruit salad!

The feeling eventually returned to my legs, although I don’t think it really took as long as it felt, lying unable to move, waiting with nothing to do, and staring at a wall while I waited to be reunited with my babies and husband was almost claustrophobic. At last I was able to lift my legs, the recovery nurse allowed me to return to my room and join my new family! Once I was situated and the floor nurses checked me over the rest of our families joined us well. There were four extremely excited Grandparents and some aunts and uncles who were eager to hold the two new bundles of joy. My friend joined us again and once more assisted the girls in latching. After that we felt confident that we could continue on our own and she headed off to Vegas! (She returned a few weeks later and with her visit brought some really cute outfits for the girls!)

We had many visitors while we were in the hospital, friends and family keen to meet the new babies, and delighted to share in our joy. My doctor checked in and was happy with my progress but I was still required to stay put until Sunday. Once my vomiting subsided I was able to get up and have a shower, ahhhhh I cannot illustrate adequately the feeling of the first shower after a surgery, one that left me bed bound unable to move for 12 hours. I was clean, I was refreshed and awake, and ready for sleep! The girls had a wonderful first night, they slept so well, and we doubled them up in one “container” better known at the hospital as a bassinet, for the two of them! Steve even got his own bed in our room; and we all got some much needed sleep that night.

The girls were put thru a battery of tests before they could leave, some were not pleasant and involved tears on all our parts, and some were quick and painless routine checks. The pediatrician made his way in and gave us the go-ahead to take them home as soon as I was discharged!

Home

Home sweet home, we were all so pleased to get there. The drive was bumpy and felt extra rough after an operation but overall it didn’t take long before Steve was carrying our two new babies up the stairs and into our own home!

Of course I cried, I cried a lot, I cried when we left the hospital, I cried when we got home, and I cried at everything happy, sad, or in-between, for then next few months. Emotions come with the territory of being pregnant and giving birth I suppose!

We settled in, or settled down I should say, I had some hands on help for the next week or more from my mom, she stayed, and when she was about to leave I cried so she stayed a little longer! Mom’s rock! I am one now so I know this to be true!

I was lucky that Steve was able to take the first 8 weeks off to be at home with us, there were a few quick trips to the office for minor things but outside of that he was at home with us for the full period of my recovery, and then some! I needed it, I don’t think he will ever fully understand how much I needed and am grateful for his being with us for that time, even if I cried!

Of course adding two new little ones to our previously quiet home, and becoming four from two changed our lives in an instant. Although these changes all come with its challenges and nothing will be the same again I wouldn’t change any of it!