I grow humans, what's your super power?

Here it is, finally! I started writing down our little birth story the night we got home, and just finished it up - seems like I'm busier these days... I had Todd help me since I was a little preoccupied at the time to catch some of the details. These pictures are from my sister's camera. As soon as I got pregnant I told her I'd love for her to be there during the delivery (my Mom is chicken), so she was with me through the second half of my labor. But because the twins had to be delivered in the OR, she missed out on that part and I feel terrible. She has never seen a birth {other than her own kids and we all know that's not quite the same vantage point;)} and I was so bummed for her that she couldn't come in with me. But our fantastic nurse kept swingin' that door wide open, so she was able to get some shots, and here they are! They aren't in perfect order, just too sleep deprived to care:)

In the OR now, getting through the last few contractions while they get all set up.

Just waiting to get my doctor's okay to start pushing - show time!

 Our doula, Bobbette, is on the right, love her!

Just arriving back in my room with Mitch after delivering in the OR. Snuggles with Baby A:)

Being wheeled out of the OR to my room. First few minutes with little Mitch. 

Nursing Charlie for the 1st time, sweet boy finally gets to be with Mama.

One of my very favorite pictures. Charlie had to spend a little while in "time out," hopefully not a predictor of things to come (that's what they call it at our hospital) because he was grunting a little - didn't get all the amniotic fluid squeezed out of him. I have a new compassion for parents who have babies in the NICU. I was only away from him for less than 2 hours, and he didn't need any kind of medical treatment and it was still really stressful and SO hard to be without him.

Mitch's first bath. Clearly he prefers to be dirty.

So everyone knows I was up to here with this pregnancy, it had just been a long road in a lot of ways and the end was just more and more uncomfortable by the day. I hadn't slept through the night in literally 5 weeks, and it's hard to chase 2 kids around (especially with the belly I was sporting) when you aren't getting more than a couple hours of sleep each night. I played musical chairs from the bed, to the couch, to the recliner all night. As you can see from a post a couple of days ago, one of my more recent discomforts was a big ole foot, which was attached to a much larger version of my usual leg. I was quickly approaching the day I'd delivered Dawson (gestation wise) and was proud and happy I'd made it that far, but knowing they were healthy and term made me all the more anxious to get them out! I'd been having pre-labor symptoms for a solid 2 weeks and it was getting old, every other night felt like "the night" and I was getting discouraged. Friends and family were a life saver those past 2 weeks especially, keeping me busy and listening to me whine. So as the end of last week rolled around, I was happy to have a few things to keep me distracted, one of which was a BBQ with friends Friday night. I felt like I might have sprung a little leak right before we left, but I knew I wasn't in labor and that if it was in fact my water breaking, it would be obvious before long! I wasn't about to sit around yet another day wondering if this was it, darnit, I was going to drag my club foot to that dang barbecue come heck or high water. I felt kinda crummy all night, but that was nothing new at this point:-) So I called our doula on the way home to give her a heads up about my new little development. When we got the kids bathed and to bed I finished up some loose ends, just in case... But surprise, surprise, I woke up Saturday morning still pregnant. I talked to some girlfriends and whined yet again, I cried at the kitchen sink yet again. Why weren't these babies coming? Why were they giving me every sign that they were on their way, but then staying put day after day? Saturday after lunch I was still trickling here and there, but this had happened with Dawson and I was just sure it wasn't an amniotic fluid leak, but thought we'd better get it checked out. Since it was a weekend we headed to our hospital for a quick exam to see what was going on. I was right, it wasn't my water bag that had broken - but I didn't know that quite yet.... The nurse that wound up being assigned to check me out was actually the nurse that was with me when I delivered Dawson and we loved her. In fact, when we went through my list of prayers for this delivery, she was on it. I even told Todd I felt silly praying for a specific nurse, like that could happen! So we proudly showed off our Dawson to her, and off we all went as a family to a hospital room, waiting for an exam and the verdict. I had been to see my doctor the day before and was 3.5-4 cm, and this exam showed me to be about 4 cm, not much change but it had only been a day, so no biggie I thought. Our nurse took my vital signs and we chatted and visited. She asked if I'd had any problems with my blood pressure, I hadn't ever, in fact I'm usually on the low side. I teasingly said the only problem I had was this delightful itchy rash (yes, I got the dreaded PUPPP rash at the end too, and in fact as I write this it is literally all over my body and next to the 6 months of morning sickness, this is a close 2nd for the WORST pregnancy symptom I've had - but I'm not pregnant anymore....hmmm) and my elephant foot. She took a look at my foot and then checked my reflexes. As a nurse I quickly knew where this was heading, but I was still shocked when she said that my blood pressure as 174/90, not good. She said she'd call my OB and see what he wanted to do. They started an IV and drew labs to see if I had preeclampsia. So at this point I realized our plans for a quick exam and maybe dinner out were not gonna happen. The nurse came back and said that they didn't know the results of the lab work, but that my OB didn't want me going home with BP's that high. So we called my sister and asked if she could take the kids. Todd drove them home and then back into town which took over an hour, by then it had been decided, they would induce me by breaking my water. I'd been on the monitor and it showed that I was having regular contractions, but they weren't like labor pains, these were the same annoying ones I'd been having for 2 weeks. Two of my best girl friends had come to hang out with me while they figured out what the plan was, and it was a lifesaver to have them there to distract me. I was a little nervous, but this was my golden ticket to the delivery room! I ate hospital mac n cheese, and we laughed and visited. I'd wanted to try for another natural birth, but they said I wouldn't be able to walk because of the risk of my placenta abrupting from my high blood pressure, or a stroke, so I kinda figured that was out the window. Sitting in a bed laboring isn't so easy, I knew I'd need to move around if I was avoiding the drugs. Plus I'd been teasing Todd for a month that I wanted an epidural just for my pregnancy symptoms. I'd already told Todd I'd give it another try, but I had the experience with Dawson and if it didn't work out that way again, then that was okay. I'm glad things moved quickly because I didn't really have time to worry about the risks associate with my blood pressure, or the fact that I was about to deliver twins, which can be risky too. So my nurse broke my water at about 8 pm and put a scalp electrode on Baby A so at least one of them would be easy to monitor. About 20 minutes later I could already tell labor had started (or at least changed) and was taking more of my concentration. I just breathed through the contractions, and D and Kel would just let me do my thing and then we'd pick up our conversation until another came. D and Kel decided to leave and get back to their families at around 10 pm, and I had told Todd to have our doula on her way so we were expecting her soon. Not long after that she arrived and so did my sister. Things got intense fast but I was glad I was progressing quickly so I was able to have another natural birth. I figured things were going "well" because I was feeling like I did just before the pushing stage with Dawson after just a few hours of labor. By 11:30 they were getting ready to wheel me into the OR which is where I'd deliver the twins just in case something went wrong. Everyone got suited up in their blue scrubs, I couldn't believe I was about to do this, it went so hard and fast my mind was reeling. At about 10 minutes to midnight I was set up in the OR and started pushing at around midnight. So 36 minutes after midnight my sweet little Mitch was born and was a miniature version of Todd. After a few minutes my doctor broke my water, again, and after 3 pushes our snuggly Charlie was in my arms. There are no words, it literally takes your breath away to bring a life into the world. I am blessed, doubly blessed, and so, so in love.

Answered prayers:

*Morning sickness didn't last the entire pregnancy

*Making it to term

*That the babies would be healthy and come home with us

*That I could avoid the recovery of a c-section

*For my "dream team" as I call it, to be there for the delivery - my Honey obviously (this one had me worried when Todd went away on business), my amazing OB/therapist;), our favorite nurse from Dawson's delivery, and our doula. God actually trumped me by blessing me with the company of my sweet friends and my Big Sis.

*That I could have another natural birth