And Then There Were Five

Well, our boys have officially arrived, as of last Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 1:23pm in the afternoon.  What a whirlwind.  We went in to my OB/GYN for a routine appointment Wednesday morning at 9am.  We had a sonogram, non-stress test, and regular checkup with my doctor.  When we met with her, we discussed with her how uncomfortable things had gotten.

I had had a rough night the night before we went in to see her.  Kind of at my wits end, if you will.  After 3 months of bed rest, including 7 weeks of hospital bed rest, things had most definitely begun to catch up with me, mentally and physically.  Ironically, everything seemed to come to a head Tuesday night before our appointment (can we say "nervous break-down??").  

I woke up early Wednesday morning with a relatively painful contraction, compared to what I had been experiencing.  We went ahead and got up to get ready for our appointment, and, in passing, I told Joe to throw our hospital bag into the car, just in case.

My doctor checked me and informed us that I had dilated 3-4cm, and that, "Looks like you guys are going to get your wish!  Let's have babies today!"  I looked at her blankly, like, "Seriously?" And then came the waterworks.  Tears of anxiety, frustration, physical discomfort, fear, etc., etc., all flowed out right in that moment.  Then I had to get it together.  We quickly shared our thoughts with her concerning C-section vs. vaginal delivery, and concluded along with her that C-section was the best option for us.  She told us to head on over to Labor & Delivery at University Hospital, that they would call and let them know we were on our way, and that we would have babies within about 2 hours.  No time really for nerves to even kick in.

And probably within less than 2 hours, I was lying on the operating table and waiting for Joe and my doctor to come in.  Within about 10 minutes of lying on the operating table, both babies were delivered at exactly the same minute, and I FINALLY heard those cries we had been waiting so long to hear.  They were assessed by the NICU team, who were already well-prepared to transport them both to the special care nursery.  After about a 5-minute assessment, they determined both babies were healthy enough to go to the well-baby nursery.  A miracle in and of itself.  I closed my eyes in between tears and thanked my heavenly Father right there on that operating table in the middle of all the chaos.

Matthew Hunter Todd ("A") arrived first at 1:23pm, followed immediately by John Wallace Todd ("B"), also at 1:23pm.  Matthew weighed 4lb 15oz, and John weighed 5lb 4oz.  Joe left the OR with both babies headed for the well-baby nursery, a thought almost inconceivable for us just a few minutes prior, while I stayed back in recovery. 

After all I had been through, I think my doctor thought it prudent to give me a nice little "cocktail" of medication to keep me sedated throughout the rest of the day.  This was nice, since I was allowed to sleep, but not so nice, because I was so "out of it" that I wasn't really able to even spend time with my new boys until the next morning.  Recovering from the C-section has not been that difficult at all!  I have been pleasantly surprised.  I don't doubt that it was the right decision for us, and I thank God for the clarity he provided when the moment was right.

Both boys continued to do well during our stay in the hospital.  The only issues they experienced had to do with temperature control.  Since they are small they have had some trouble keeping warm.  Keeping them warm is a constant struggle!  Even in the dead of July they are wearing fleece onesies and are swaddled in multiple blankets.  We are using space heaters, hair dryers, any method we can use to keep them warm.  That has been a bit stressful.  

Parenting twins is overwhelming!  We don't have much to say other than that at this point.  We are heading into only our second night at home, but we have been so overcome with joy that the fact that the previous phase is over with and we can now move onto the next with our boys.  

Many, many, thanks to all who have prayed and are still praying for us.  Thank you for the phone calls, the meals, the well-wishes, the visits.  They have all meant far beyond words can express, and we are so so grateful.  Time is short these days, but I hope to continue to stay on top of this as best I can.  We still have a long way to go before figuring this thing out, but we are up to the task!