First, some pictures to capture the moments leading up to the "big day'!
This was at my first baby shower - I was already wearing the lovely compression hose because the swelling was so bad :-) May 3, 2008
Just 1 week later at my brother's graduation from Winthrop, May 10, 2008 - 6 months along!
This was taken at our Couple's Baby Shower - I remember I was given permission by the doctor to get out of the bed for a couple of hours - it was a great reprieve! I am pretty sure that as lob-sided as my belly looks right here that I was in the middle of a contraction! May 31, 2008
This was the day before delivery, July 21 - oh my goodness, I needed a haircut - but, more importantly, a good coloring :-)
We moved to Charleston on Sunday, June 15 - Father's Day, in fact! We stayed in the Residence Inn the first week we were there and found a house to rent on King Street, just "South of Broad"! I was seen by the MUSC Women's Clinic once a week and spent many an hour on the monitor at their office. It was a great place, though, and the staff was wonderful. However, there was 1 doctor that delivered multiples and I can't even remember his name. He would only see me every other appointment; but, I saw the same Nurse Practitioner every week (I really wish I could remember her name). I remember going in there those last several weeks in tears - the pressure was so great that I couldn't really move very easily when I was lying down which was my usual position. The sciatica was so painful and there was really nothing they could do. I remember saying, in tears, "There's no way I'm going to make it another week!" to which the NP would quickly reply "Oh, yes, you will, honey!" ... and I did!
My "flip day" each week was on Thursday - Thursday, July 24, would have been the completion of my 38th week (which is considered at MUSC to be full-term for twins), but because of Ian, they wanted me to deliver earlier in the week to ensure full hospital staff. So, we checked the doctor's schedule and the 22nd, it was.
We arrived quite early that morning - we were still talking at 2 a.m. the night before so the sleep was minimal - but that was fine. I got weighed - which was very entertaining - I gained 90 lbs even - and that was with gestational diabetes! Can you imagine how big I would have been if I could have had that milkshake I wanted each day? The doctor came by to check on me and the 2 residents - the ones that actually did the delivery - came by to introduce themselves. Kindof odd not having a clue who they were ... definitely do not remember their names at all! But, anyway, my blood pressure was pretty high towards the end and, of course, it was high that morning. It had the anesthesiologist a little concerned - but, hey, what are you going to do ... cut into my stomach without anesthesia? So, I guess they realized their options were limited and they got me ready to go into the O.R. about 8:30 a.m.
I remember getting into the OR and seeing that little skinny table they wanted me to get on ... I thought to myself, "You want all of me on that table?" Wow! Impressive that both cheeks actually fit. I must admit, though, when I sat down on it and it moved (like hydraulics), I had a weird feeling about the whole thing. I was sitting there with my feet dangling and the anesthesiologist telling me to make my back into a C ... a C? Really? I mean, I might could have made a V if they would have let me put my arms and legs out straight - but a C just wasn't happening. So I just leaned forward and - OUCH! The needle went in and the nurse, who was sitting in front of me, patted my shoulder and said, "You are doing great Mrs. Bloodworth". I opened my eyes and looked down at her and replied, "If I fell over on you right now, I would squoosh you like a bug!" At least I still had my sense of humor!
The epidural took quite nicely and the cutting began about 9:20 a.m. or so. I didn't feel anything as far as pain - just a yanking sensation that was a little weird. Stewart was very supportive and the anesthesiologist kept us both calm :-)
The first baby, Bonner, was pulled out at 9:40 a.m. and Ian, just 1 minute later. I never got to see them because everyone was so nervous, but I am not sure I would have remembered it anyway - I was so out of it. They stitched me back up and I was back in recovery about 10:30 a.m. or so. Very fast and pretty painless! When I got back to recovery, they offered me some ice chips which I devoured. They wouldn't give me anything to eat right away, of course, but I remember I was starving. I mean, I had been eating every 3-4 hours for the past 6 months ... and now I hadn't eaten in more than 15 hours ... I was starving! After I sucked down 3 cups of ice chips, they gave me some grape juice... and after 2 glasses of grape juice, they finally said I could eat - but I had to get into a room, first. So about lunchtime, they got me into my room and someone brought me a Chick-fil-A sandwich - oh my goodness, DELICIOUS!
Stewart went and checked on the kiddos while I rested - you gotta remember that both were in the NICU - Bonner in the Level 2 NICU, which was a hike down the hall, and Ian, in the Level 1 NICU, which was on a totally different floor. I just physically couldn't go that far. I took a shower that afternoon sitting in a chair - the nurse told me that I was the first person who had ever asked her for a chair to use ... who knew? She offered to hold my hair; instead, I asked her if she had some color she could put on it :-) The showering process itself wasn't all that much fun, but the feeling afterwards was wonderful! I wish they had weighed me right after the delivery - it would be very interesting to know just how much I had lost in a matter of an hour! I can tell you that maneuvering in the shower on the chair after delivery was MUCH easier than it had been for the past 2 months.
I vaguely remember the Level 1 NICU so I know I was there at some point that day; but, I remember vividly seeing them both about 10 p.m. that night. Ian had been moved down to the Level 2 NICU which was more convenient but he wasn't anyway near his sister ... in fact, they were in 2 different pods totally so we had to sneak him into Bonner's pod so we could get a quick picture. We know the nurse broke a few rules letting us do that, but the picture was worth it!
Well, that's it - that's the story :-) I know you enjoyed it more than you'll ever admit! Ha! Seriously, thanks for putting up with my antics long enough for me to get it down on paper!
The kids will have a birthday party at school Thursday (also their last day of school for the summer) - I even made cupcakes for them to take!
We'll take them somewhere fun to eat tomorrow night, I'm sure! We are heading to Perry this weekend to celebrate with everyone down there and then their birthday party will be next Saturday. Y'all know how much celebrating I do when it's my birthday - I couldn't deny my kids any fewer celebrations! In other words, stay posted as I am sure there will be LOTs of pictures coming your way!
Scroll down and enjoy the 2 videos from tonight! Hysterical!
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