Birth Story

It's been three weeks since I last blogged, I've been a little busy :) Anyway I thought I would write down our birth story for anyone interested. If you read my last post you'll now a little bit about what we were dealing with. I went in for high blood pressure. It went down, but my platelet count was low. They sent me home Thursday night on strict bed rest. Well Friday morning I got a phone call from my doctor, not her office but actually her. She told me she was a little concerned that the low platelet count could be a sign for pre-eclampsia. I had to go in to triage again for monitoring. I was a little nervous as I waited for Morgan to pick me up. We went ahead and packed all our stuff for the hospital, just in case.

We got to triage and had to wait for what seemed like forever. We were able to go back. They hooked me up to the monitors and drew blood right away. Then it was just a waiting game. While we were waiting my Fetal Medicine doctor I'd been seeing came down to triage to do an ultrasound to check the babies and placentas. He told me that he suggested going ahead with delivery as soon as possible. In his opinion I'd made it to 36 weeks which is pretty good for a twin pregnancy. The babies were at a good weight and with my low placenta count their could potentially be problems with the placentas providing enough nutrients, especially Rose (Baby A) had a "older" placenta...whatever that meant. He gave his opinion to my OB.

The Doctor on call came and saw me and said she was moving me to the Antenatal Floor. This is where you go if you aren't ready to deliver, but have to stay in the hospital. At this point I knew it wouldn't be long til I saw my girls. We got settled in a room and my OB came by to talk to me. She said in her opinion she wanted to wait til I was 37 weeks to deliver which would have been in about 4 days from that point, and she would keep me at the hospital. But, she was waiting to see the lab results to make a final decision. We got settled in our room and tried to relax, but that's not easy to do in a hospital.

Sometime in the afternoon I got a call from my doctor that the lab results weren't abnormal but my platelet count was still low and that we would be delivering that Friday evening around 7:30 or 8:00. The nurse came in to give me my IV, which I hated. She also gave us some pretty hard news. She told us that because my platelet count was low that I would most likely be put under general anesthesia, and Morgan would not be able to be in the room with me. To hear that I would not be awake to see my babies be born and hear their first cries was devastating. And not to have Morgan by my side was too much to handle. I told her I understood, but as soon as she left I lost it. Morgan assured me that the staff knew what was best and he'd make sure I was the first one to hold our girls.

Around 5:30 or 6:00 the doctor on call came by our room. She told us that she had been so busy today. Their were 10 c-sections alone, and she performed about half of them. Because they had been so busy the NICU was full. Since I was delivering pre-term twins they needed to have space available for them if it was needed. We would be having our babies on Saturday morning instead. I was actually glad to hear that. We would be able to have one last solid night of sleep (yeah right). And that day just happened to be the anniversary of when Morgan proposed. April 30th would be an even sweeter day to us now.

So I slept alright that night, but I was up at 4 ready to go. The nurses came by at 5:30 a.m. to get me ready for surgery and we started our way down to the L&D floor. They put us in a room to wait until it was time. Morgan's parents were there to see us, and our pastor came by to pray with us. The emotions were starting already. The doctor came by to check on me and introduce me to the nurse anesthesiologist. He told me we would be doing a spinal block and I would be able to be awake through the surgery!! Yay!! I was so relieved when they handed Morgan a gown for him to wear in the OR. My doctor stopped in to say hello, and then we waited about 30 min. That time was some of the sweetest as Morgan and I spent the last moments just us. We laughed and cried and prayed God would make us the kind of parents He wanted us to be.

I was wheeled by myself back to the OR. I got up on the table to get my spinal block. Very similar to an epidural but it's just a shot. I found it funny when they asked me to hunch over, excuse me have you seen this twin momma belly. I did my best and they gave me the bee sting shot. They told me to tell them if I felt something similar to an electric shock in my back. Yeah, that settled me down! It took a few minutes but he got it in and I almost immediately started to feel heat and numbing sensation in my legs. It wasn't long and I was totally numb from the ribs down.Unfortunally I started gagging from the meds, but the fixed that fast. Morgan came in and it was time to go. The put the sheet up, and I just watched Morgan the whole time. About 10 minutes in I started to feel some tugging in my belly and heard the tinniest little cry I'd ever heard. Baby A was born at 8:01! Morgan went to look at her and I could see her kicking and screaming.While they cleaned her I heard the Doctors laughing. They were getting Baby B out who was breech and they noticed she was trying to climb back inside my uterus. She was comfy in there now that she had so much room. Baby B was born at 8:02! While they were cleaning her up, they brought Baby A over for me to kiss before she went to recovery with her daddy. Baby B had needed aCPAP for a little fluid. After a few minutes they were satisfied and brought her to me to kiss. My babies were born and with their daddy and I was being sewn up. The c-section went great and they wheeled me to the recovery room.

They bathed the girls and that's where I got to hold them and decided who was who. My littlest girl was Baby A. She weighed 5 lb 7 oz and was 17 1/2 in long. She was my Rose Adalie Oliff. Baby B was 6 lb 3 oz and 19 in long. She was my Katherine (KATE) Lela Oliff.

Kate was not quiet as pink as they wanted so they gave her a little oxygen and she got a better color. After about 45 min they decided to take Kate to NICU to monitor her and make sure she was perfect. I got to hold her for a little while then sent her with the doctor for NICU. I wasn't too upset because I knew she would be fine. I got my Rose and we made our way up to our room. The rest of that day is a blur. We made it through our first night and by the next afternoon we had both babies with us and were a family of 4!!

Sometimes I hold these babies and can't believe I have twins. I love them so much and can't imagine being happier then I am right now.

The best sub of my life

So today is Thursday which means it is the day that I visit my OB. I've been going to my OB visits by myself since they pretty much have consisted of the same things; weight check, blood pressure check, check the heartbeats, and ask if I have any questions. But since we are nearing the end Morgan decided he wanted to take me. We were hoping to get a little more info about a date to plan our c section.

We were in the lobby and happened to see a couple that we had a childbirth class with. They were telling us that they were headed to triage due to a high blood pressure. After they left we got called back. I did all my normal check up things and then the nurse took my blood pressure. She grimaced a little and said "Well it's 152 over 80" I don't speak nurse so I asked if that was bad and she said it was a little high. I've had great blood pressure my entire pregnancy so they tell me so I was freaked out something was different.

We went to an exam room and the doctor came in to check the babies. They looked great so she checked my BP again. Still high so she said I'm now on bed rest and also I would be taking a trip to triage to be monitored for a while.

Now I was assured that this was no big deal, I was probably going to be sent home after a few hours, but I was still freaked! We got to the Women's Pavilion and got checked in. After a few minutes we got put in a triage room and I had all kinds of gadgets and whatnots strapped to me. My blood pressure had already started to go down. They drew blood and kept monitoring me for 45 min. I'm so glad Morgan was there or I would have gone crazy. After we were there for a bit I told him I was STARVING but I didn't want him to leave me. He called his m0m and asked her to bring us some lunch. In the meantime I was told my labs came back normal and my BP was going down good. The girls heart rates were super. Harriet got there and had the best sub I've ever eaten. A Jimmy Johns Beach Club, yum! I realized as I was eating it that it was 3:30 and I had nothing since 6:30.

We got discharged and headed home. Now I begin my exhausting bed rest. I'm hoping I don't go stir crazy. But the good news is it will only be for a little more than a week.

Countdown

I decided this week it was time for a countdown. I have loved being pregnant I really have. Some of my favorite things have been

1.Feeling my girls move and being able to see my belly roll around like crazy.

2. Getting the sweet encouragement from complete strangers whenever I'm out and about.

3. Getting spoiled by my sweet husband, family, and friends.

But I've reached that point. If you've had a baby you know what point I mean. I'm done. I just feel like I've got this giant growth on the front of my body that prevents me from doing easy task. I feel tired just from putting dishes in the cabinet. I miss sleeping through the night on my tummy.

Enough complaining, nobody likes to hear that. So I'm 34 weeks and in twin pregnancy my doctor has told me I won't go past 38 weeks. Since my weeks start on Tuesdays that means I have just a little over 3 weeks left!! 38 weeks for me would mean I will have 2 babies by May 10 at least.

We are still hoping to have a regular labor and delivery, but Baby B decided to move sideways again. We go again on Monday and I'm hoping to see her little head down, but if not I'm ok with having to have a c-section. Whatever gets my babies here the safest way possible. I'm nervous because I've never really had any surgery before, but I know it's so routine now that there is not much to worry about. Even still I'd much rather be able to deliver my babies without a section.

So what's left to do before our lil ladies come into our world? Actually not that much. We've been so blessed by family and friends We've been able to get our cribs, car seats, stroller, high chairs, bouncy seats, breast pump and mattresses as gifts. Not to mention the countless diapers, sheets, cute outfits and tons of other misc gifts. Each one has meant so much to us. I've got my eye on a special nursing pillow by My Brest Friend that is made for twins. We need to pick up a baby swing, and just a few little things here and there. There will probably be things that come up, but all the "big" items are taken care of for now.

So this week I'm focusing on starting to pack our hospital bags, just in case. We might also put in the car seats so that can be taken care of. Ok think my ramblings are over for now. Time to eat some chicken wings!!

What a year it's been

Last year at this time I was going through what has probably been the hardest time in my life so far. Most of you know our story, but on April 1st of last year we found out that our baby had passed away at 11 weeks gustation. Having a miscarriage is one of the most emotionally painful experiences a woman can have. Even though I never saw or held that baby, my whole heart loved it. On April 7th, I had a D&C at the hospital and that was both the harsh reality that our baby was gone, but also our first steps in moving on. Unless you've been through that type of loss yourself there is no way to understand what someone who has had a miscarriage is feeling. I had a lot of sadness, hopelessness, and anger. But I also had a lot of love. It helped us so much to know there were people across the country praying for us. It's been a year, and sometime that pain is still fresh. Even though God has blessed us with twin girls who will be here soon, I can't help but think of the baby I didn't get to meet. Was it a boy or girl? What would it look like or act like. These are things I can't know now, but what a blessing to know that one day God will introduce me to this precious child and I'll finally be able to hold them. I may never understand why I never got to see them, but I know God has given that sweet baby more love then I ever could. God has brought us from the most intense pain to unspeakable joy. Morgan and I only have a few short weeks before we will be holding our two little girls. We had wonderful news Monday that both babies were in a head down position, making my chances for a vaginal birth a lot more likely. I still have been able to work and get around without bed rest which is a blessing. Baby A is a little more skinny then we would like so hopefully she'll fatten up in these next few weeks. I just can't believe how far we've come. I know that each April I'll remember the hardship we had to go through, but as each year passes it will become easier and easier.

Another Nursery Project

So it's pretty popular now to have a baby's name above their crib. Something cute that goes with the theme of the room. Well I didn't want my baby girls to be any different. So I thought about what I wanted to do and made a run to Michaels. We picked up some 9" letters that happened to be white.

Here are the letters for Rose,

and Kate!

We looked at several types of letters they had there, but these white ones where the only ones the size I wanted. I took probably too long walking back and forth trying to decide. The white ones were a little pricier, but just what I wanted. Then I was struck by a brilliant idea. Instead of buying fabric for Mod Podge, how about...

Just some pink spray paint and white yard sale stickers, about 3/4 inch in diameter. We're making pock a dots! I found this paint at Wal-mart and loved the color. Not to babyfied so they can keep the letters for awhile. I think it was called Watermelon.

So step one was to put the white stickers randomly on the letters. I did this part because bless his heart, Morgan is too OCD to adhere to randomness. Also I can't get near the spray paint so this is the only real job I could do.

Step two, Morgan taped up the sides. This wasn't necessary but we liked the idea of the sides remaining white while the top was painted.

Step three, after everything is taped up Morgan took the letters to the garage to apply the spray paint. We didn't mess with any primer. I didn't get a picture of the next step.

Step four was to peel the tape off the sides and carefully peel the stickers off the front. I think Morgan used a razor blade to start the stickers. I didn't watch because I was too nervous something would be messed up. I also enjoyed the anticipation of waiting to see the finished project.

Ta-Da!! Here is the one for Rose. I love how simple it looks and the pink really blends well with the lavender walls.

And here is Kate's. Oh the letters had holes to hang them from on the back. This was another Morgan job because I'm not really known for hanging things up straight. Also I have a giant belly that gets between me and the wall.

And here is what they both look like. I have some more things to get done in the nursery but more things are finished then need to get done! Less then 6 weeks till we have two baby girls to enjoy this room!!

You know you're loved when...

.....Your husband doesn't make fun of you when you come home from the grocery store crying for no reason.

.....Your husband will rub your ugly swollen feet every night even if a big belly has prevented you from shaving your legs for awhile.

.....Your husband helps make dinner every night even if he's been working hard all day, or at least takes you to Chick-fil-a.

.....Your husband gets excited when you tell him about a great deal on diapers you got online.

.....Your husband tucks you in every night and kisses you then the belly that is holding his babies.

And the clincher that lets you know you are loved....

.....Your husband goes to childbirth classes with you where on the first night they show "the film" of a live birth and still wants to attend the rest of the class, and talks with you about the stuff you learned, and practices breathing with you only making you giggle a little bit in class, and lets you know he is going to be right there with you when your babies make their appearance.

Yep, that's how I know I'm loved!

My pretty girls

Okay so Morgan has asked that I not put our ultrasound pics on Facebook. Something about showing my uterus or something like that. Anyway instead I've put a few on my little blog. We went to the Fetal Medicine doctor on Monday. They have a higher lever ultrasound and do all kind of measurements. When we went there for the first time at 12 weeks the tech told me "You'll get so tired of ultrasounds by the time your done!" I didn't believe her. Well while I'm not tired of seeing my sweet baby girls, after this trip I was tired of the ultrasound itself. My belly was poked and pushed on so much I felt sore afterwards. It was worth it though. Both girls are doing great and getting close to 3 lbs a piece. That's almost 6 lbs. of baby!! When the doctor left the tech very quickly got out the 4D wand and took a few freebie shots for us. Just the faces but here they are.

This is baby B who is up top. She is my mover and kicker. She is also the one who likes her personal space and gave us a hard time showing us her privates at 19 weeks.

See told you Baby B was shy. This was right after the first pic of her and she let us know she wanted privacy by putting her arm in front of her face! I'm thinking this may be my stubborn redhead. She still is holding out on getting head down for us.

This is Baby A, the one on the bottom. She's a good little girl already in a head down position. I'm thinking she has a little bit of an Oliff nose on her.

Another of Baby A's face....oh wait, also a little Baby B foot too. These girls are in pretty tight quarters and apparently already pushing and shoving each other. Or fighting for attention. Either way, it made for a cute pic. The tech assured me that even though we couldn't see it they were separated by a membrane so little girl A wasn't really getting kicked by her sister.

I can't wait to meet my little peanuts!!