My pregnancy started out as a strangely normal pregnancy. Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, I didn't have any morning sickness, slept very easily, didn't have any weird cravings and hardly gained any weight. It was hard to believe I was pregnant, let alone pregnant with twins. But as soon as week 21 came around, things started to change. I had horrible, horrible back pain and learned about round ligament pain which was insanely painful as well.
At the beginning of December, David and I went on a marriage retreat in Dallas where we spent one day at the zoo and the next day at the aquarium. By the end of both days, I was completely worn out with a sore tummy and swollen feet. I should have taken it easy, but I had been wanting to go to Dallas for so long that I wanted to make the best of it. When we went back to Killeen, I had a regular doctors appointment where I had complained of some cramping and being very uncomfortable. My doctor wanted me to go up to Labor and Delivery to be monitored for a little bit to make sure that I wasn't in labor, I was only 24 weeks and 5 days. David met me in the waiting room and we sat there forever and ever. Two hours later, we were finally called back into a room where I was going to receive a pelvic exam. I thought that was a little strange since I hadn't received an exam in months but figured they knew what they were doing and I was just being paranoid. I should have listened to my gut. After they started the exam, it didn't take any longer than two minutes before everything went wrong. Before I knew it, a nurse was rushing out to get a doctor, David was holding my hand and asking the other nurse if "she did this." After an ultrasound was performed, they concluded that a sac had been ruptured which had started labor and I needed to be admitted to the hospital. That wasn't comforting. Hospitals are not my favorite place so the thought of spending the night was so scary. Then the doctor came in and told me that not only did I need to be transferred to another hospital, I needed to be prepared to give birth within 12 hours. Not comforting either. While we were waiting for a helicopter to come and pick me up, they started pumping me full of magnesium and steroids to try and stop the labor. I couldn't believe all of this was happening. I was not prepared to have babies so early, and the babies were definitely not ready to come out. But I had no choice but to go with the flow and see how everything played out.
Two days before I was admitted, 24 weeks and 3 days
When the helicopter crew showed up, I was already three centimeters dilated and having steady contractions. Everyone was very friendly, but I was very anxious to get this flight over with and get to the hospital in Austin. It's too bad that my first helicopter flight was spent having contractions because it would've been nice to be able to enjoy the Christmas lights but the combination of the uncomfortable gurney and loud buzzing and pain all over made the flight pretty horrible. Once I arrived in Austin, I was able to relax a bit and had another ultrasound done. I probably will never forget that first ultrasound. It was so relieving to see both of the babies and hear their heartbeats...it was literally the highlight of my day.
The next day, a doctor came into reaffirm that I was ruptured and that the best bet for the babies and me would be to stay in the hospital, on bed rest, until I delivered. That was December 10th, my due date was March 27th. The thought of staying in the hospital for four months was so scary. Who would take care of my puppies or the house? Who would get the nursery ready? Would David have to go back to work? And if he did, would I be alone in the hospital and for how long? It was a lot to take in but I forced myself to stay as positive as possible.
A few days later, I became stable enough to be transferred to the Antepartum Unit. This unit was so much more relaxed than Labor and Delivery. I only had to be monitored twice a day, didn't have to have an IV and got an ultrasound every three days. Getting used to only being able to get up to use the bathroom or shower was pretty difficult, but it got easier and I found ways to keep myself busy. About a week after everything happened, I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. It felt like there was always something!! Having to watch what I ate was such a pain, especially since I had to eat hospital food all day! I ate a lot of salad, oranges and crackers with cheese and salami. David and I stayed in the hospital for Christmas and for New Year's. The holidays for 2012 were not anything exciting but I was happy to still be pregnant and be with my husband.
Fast forward to the week of January 6. I had been in the hospital for five weeks and was days away from being 29 weeks. I had finally gotten wheelchair privileges so I got to go outside for the first time since December 10th and was looking forward to the weekend so a friend could bring my puppies. A doctor had also started to talk about sending me home since it seemed like the rupture had healed itself. The babies were very healthy and I was very stable, everything had turned around, it was kind of miraculous. That Friday, the 11th, David was able to come be with me since he had been in Killeen all week. About two hours after he arrived at the hospital, my doctor came in and ordered a test to see if I was still ruptured and that test would determine if I would go home or not. As she started walking out of my room, I felt fluid and lots of it. Scary. My water broke. Oh no. Luckily, my nurse wasn't too concerned and said that we would just act like nothing happened and go about our business. I felt fine for about 20 minutes, I even had David go to Panda Express to pick up some dinner, but very soon after that, I started to feel a lot of pressure and tons of pain. 45 minutes after my water broke, I was being wheeled to the operating room to have a C-section. I was in so much pain by that time, I didn't care what they did, I just wanted it to end. Everything had happened so quickly, that instead of going with a regular C-section, they chose to put me under general anesthesia and deliver the babies.
Some time later, I woke up while I was being wheeled into the recovery room and could feel a huge incision and burning. Since my labor had progressed so quickly, they didn't have time to give me an epidural which would usually keep the pain of an incision hidden for awhile. Lucky for me, they hooked me up to a nice dose of pain killers and that got me through the night. Two hours after surgery, before I was wheeled to my room in Post-Partum, my nurse snuck me into the NICU where I saw my sweet babies for the first time. They were so little and skinny, and really hairy, with wires and tubes everywhere. But they were here and they were healthy, what more could I ask for.
Emmett Anthony Cole was born on January 11 at 7: 53 p.m. weighing 3 lbs. 3 oz., 15 1/2 inches long.
Kambry Rae Marie was born at 7: 55 p.m. weighing 3 lbs., 16 inches long.
My first time seeing them. (That stuffed bear was given to me by my dad, it stayed on my bed every night and even made it through surgery!)
Sweet Kambry, 1 day old.
Now that the babies were here, the thought of being able to go home very soon was exciting. Obviously, the fact that the babies wouldn't be coming home with us wasn't what either of us wanted, but I couldn't help but look forward to the day that I would be able to leave the hospital!! I was told to expect to be discharged on Monday the 14th, but the day after I delivered, the doctors noticed an infection in my uterus. I still don't know what caused it, but the infection is the reason why I delivered so quickly...my body was trying to fight the infection by getting rid of everything-including babies. So naturally, I was hooked up to three different kinds of antibiotics that would be running around the clock for three days. On that third day, which was Monday, I was told that I would be discharged the next day just to make sure that the infection was gone. When Tuesday came, I got sick. And I don't mean cough-cough sick, I mean really, really, REALLY sick. No eating or drinking, no talking, no moving. I had never been sick like this before and the doctors couldn't figure out WHY!! It was the most excruciating two days of my life, I was even quarantined!! And because of this weird sickness, I wasn't able to see the babies and that was rough. Finally, they stopped the antibiotics, since I had been on them for five days straight, and I miraculously felt better. I had color, I could move and I could even drink water and eat some crackers. Once Thursday came, I had made a HUGE turn-around and would be discharged just in time to pick my mom up from the airport!!
Moppy's first time holding one of her grand-babies.
Our sweet babies have progressed beautifully. Just a few days after they were born, they were taken off oxygen and about two weeks later they began bottle/breast feeding. Kambry is now getting close to five pounds and Emmett is getting close to being six pounds. Of course they are absolutely beautiful...and they don't cry!! Seriously, I've maybe heard Kambry whine for a couple minutes during a bath but that is it!! I wonder how long it will last...
David's first time holding baby Kambry.
My first time holding both babies at the same time.
These last few weeks have been tough: mentally, emotionally and physically. Since we live about 60 miles away from the hospital (and insurance won't transfer them closer) we aren't able to be with the babies as much as we would like. Thankfully, we have had the opportunity to stay at the Ronald McDonald House during the weekends and that has literally been life changing. I can't believe how lucky we are to have healthy babies. I have met so many people in the NICU who have had babies in there for over 90 days...I can't imagine.
Our first family picture.
Currently, the babies are 36 weeks and 6 weeks, 5 days old. They are absolutely precious and we are so in love with them. We can't wait to have them home and start our new life as a family of four plus two puppies. :)
