48 and a Few Hours Old

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on the birth of our two miracles! I am living in a dream and have had an ear-to-ear smile on my face since Friday.

I'm still at the hospital and can't post pictures from my iPad. So, I'll just try to summarize the last few days (or at least as much as I can remember) and post pictures later this week - once we're home.

The Delivery
Once the amnio test confirmed the twins' lungs were mature, the doctors scheduled me for a c-section at 4:30 pm.

First, the nurse came to explain the entire procedure and get me to sign consent forms. It was nice to go through things with a semi-clear head.

Next, the anesthesiologist (he called himself "Howard") came in to ask questions about my medical history and prior reactions to anesthesia. He then explained what the epidural process would look like and had me sign more consent forms. He was clearly very experiencced and had a great personality. I knew I was in good hands.

About 30 minutes prior, Dr. Porrecio came in and briefly went over the c-section procedure. It was clear that he is the "executor" and everything else about the procedure revolves around him. As I said in previous posts, it's like having Oprah deliver these kids - so I imagine things work the same on her set. She shows up to do what she does best, and hundreds of other people address the details.

My DH arrived around 4:30 pm and the nurses started to "prep" me. They had my DH change into scrubs. Never saw him in scrubs before - pretty sexy!

We delivered in the L&D surgery room - so it did look like what I imagined from TV. Operating table, overhead lights, walls lined with medical equipment, everything was sterile, etc. There were no less than 25 people in the delivery room. It was strange to have all that attention. Dr. Porrecio and Dr. Bronwyn Kahn (another doctor in his practice) arrived very last.

They took me into the delivery room first and Howard adminisered the epidural. He had me sit up to give me the initial shots, then I lied down on the operating table with my arms spread to either side. I felt like I was being crusified in a horizontal position. Very quickly, everything below my armpits went numb. They then brought my DH into the operating room, sat him in a seat by my head and put up a drape so I could not see anything below my arms.

I felt some pressure below the curtain, but before you could blink your eyes, one baby was out. They asked my DH if he wanted to announce the sex and he said "no, you do it" - so the next words I heard were "It's a Girl!" Within 30 seconds, the second baby was delivered and I heard "It's a boy!"

They quickly brought F up by my head to show me for a second and the next sound I heard was one of the babies crying. I started gushing tears...not believing what I just heard!

Within seconds, they rushed both babies to the nursery to perform all the necessary tests. My DH said G(Baby "A" who was my gymnast) was quiet and hardly cried, and F (Baby "B" who was my "couch potato") was like a squirmy worm. While the Twinkies were in the nursery, I was being "sewn up" and then taken to a "recovery alcove" to wait with my DH.

About 15 minutes later, we were taken to a recovery room and introduced to our babies for the first time. I was heavily drugged and don't remember much, but I do remember the beautiful sight of seeing them for the first time. I don't know which was more miraculous - seeing their HB's for the first time or seeing them for the first time. They both were equally astounding.

The rest of the evening was spent holding them, feeding them, and in a drugged haze feeling like I was on top of the world.

My DH made some phone calls, but I don't remember much because the next day I kept asking him "Did you call so-and-so?" and him replying "Don't you remember? You talked to them too." No, I don't remember much.

Saturday, November 12 - Day 2
Even though my DH went home (there was no reason for him to stay here with me and our dogs don't do well alone for the night) and the kids went to the nursery, I cat-napped all night. It seems like each time I woke up and asked if the Twinkies had been fed, they either already had or the next feeding was at least an hour away - so I didn't get to feed them that night.

I woke up early and had them bring F in (since he was up too) while G stayed in the nursery. F and I snuggled, skin-to-skin, for a couple of hours (he slept and I smiled and cooed) and it was the most magical time of the day! I am so glad I got to spend the alone time with him.

The day was filled with various medical professionals stopping by - nurses, doctors, lactation consultants, and other professionals stopping by. Between feedings, burpings, snugglings, checking vital signs, pumping, and various other activities, it was a whirlwind of a day, but one of the greatest days of my life.

I remained on a clear-liquid diet all day - meaning I could eat nothing but broth, tea, and italian ices. Fortunately, I was so overwhelmed with joy, I didn't have much of an appetite. Despite being on liquids, my bladder didn't get very full - so the nurse encouraged me to drink more fluids.

Sunday, Novembe 13 - Day 3
By the time I went to bed last night, I was so overtired that I didn't know how tired I was. I woke up in the middle of the night with a FULL bladder and terrible cramps (probably a combination of my full bladder and [hopefully] my uterus starting to contract). They had been measuring my urine and this time I nearly overflowed the measuring cup - so they let me off of that test.

I got up around 5 am again, and this time retrieved both of the Twinkies from the nursery. While F slept in his bassinette, I snuggled skin-to-skin with G. All I could think about was how I still feel like I was living in a dream. We both fell back to sleep for about two hours and didn't move a muscle.

Today was again filled with visits from various medical professionals testing me and the babies.

Both kids passed their hearing tests - where they hook electrodes all over their bodies and play clicking noises in their ears. I can't say I am surprised, based on how they'd wiggle around in-utero any time I was around live music.

Our "normal" OB - Dr. Stettler - was on-call today and came to see us. He said we all looked wonderful and allowed me to take a picture of him with each twin. When I mentioned that I was surprised that it was a boy and a girl, he said "Really? You didn't know?" I replied, "Nope - the only people in the world who knew were you, the u/s tech and the Twinkies themselves."

My DH and I are now getting very good at swaddling, feeding and changing diapers. My DH even reminded me to wipe G from front to back (a detail the nurse said most Dads who have their first daughters forget).

Despite pumping and trying to get the Twinks to latch onto my breasts, my milk has not come in yet. The nurses said to keep at it and confirmed it may take up to a week for it to happen (or it may not, but at least I know I've given it my best shot).

Just as I imagined, my DH is a natural at being a Dad. Even though he is quiet and extremely stoic, the babies bring out the best in him and he talks to them in his witty, but sincere manner. For example, when they cry because he's changing their diaper he says, "Hey, this isn't much fun for me either." He even calls his daughter things like "sweetie pie"! It's so cute.

Both babies have long, lean legs and fingers and toes longer than any I've ever seen on a newborn. The nurses think the babies are going to be tall like their Dad.

Well, it's now 11:30 pm local time - time for another feeding, a sesison with the breast pump, and time to get some shut eye.

Until next time...