The Big Day

This is a little late but I wanted to try and capture the day our lives were blessed.  I'm hoping to use this blog as our story to share with the girls when they get older so I thought I'd go back a few weeks.

We had planned on having the babies on July 20th but after several ultrasounds, we decided to move up the date to July 16th as Rylee was running out of room. Reghan was basically sitting on her and overtaking the space... I wonder if that will be any indication of their personalities.  It is hard to describe how I was feeling being in another country and not knowing what to expect.  Would I understand what they were saying to me?  Would they do things the same as they do in the US?  Are things "up to code"?  Nerveracking to say the least.

We were scheduled for 7:45am to begin so we headed to the hospital around 2:00am so we could get settled and catch some zzzzzzzzz's before the big event.  It was really a sweet time for us as Joe snuggled up in the bed with me for what could potentially be our last peaceful night for awhile.  I'm not sure how much sleep we actually got as our anticipation and excitement were overflowing.  Around 4:30, the nurses started coming in to prep us and around 6:30am, Meme and Aunt Caron showed up ready with the cameras.  As the time got closer, they wheeled me in to the OR and sent Joe to get scrubbed up.  I was super nervous but ready to go.  I will tell you, I'm not a fan of having my legs numb AT ALL.  If I was to do it again (and I'm not), I would want a normal delivery and forgo the C section.  Joe got situated next to me and he could watch as they pulled Rylee out.  I just watched him as I could not see anything and saw the big alligator tears well up in his eyes and knew we had begun.  One minute later, Reghan appeared and she was screaming at the top of her lungs!  Again, any indication of her future?  My tears were flowing!  Joe was off running back and forth checking them out and trying to give me updates as they worked them over.  FINALLY, Joe brought them to me and I just couldn't believe these two little angels were ours.  I kept thinking about all we had been through to get to this moment and the tears continued to flow with overwhelming emotions.  Our awesome Anestheologist grabbed the camera from Joe and started shooting.  And for all of you that made comments about how I looked, that is the "pro" of having a scheduled c-section!! 

From there is when I really  hated the c-section!  Joe got to go with the babies as they left me to get stitched up and sent me to recovery.  Hated it!  All I wanted was to be with my babies and it felt like hours before they got me to my room.  In reality, it was probably less than an hour but still too long.  And then I learned that the girls needed to be in NICU for a while.  Again, I would not get to see them for a long time.  Luckily, Joe had the video camera so with Aunt Caron and Meme in tow, they headed to NICU and took lots of video so I could see that they were okay.  I sent Joe several times that day down there to get more video for me.  Finally, Reghan was released and able to come see me but it wouldn't be until the next afternoon before I got to see Rylee.  It was awful!!  All I kept thinking about was my niece, Meggan, and all the time she had to wait until she could hold her little miracle just months before.  Anyway, our reunion was indescribable and life was good!

 

We stayed in the hospital for 5 days with Joe sleeping on a very uncomfortable cot but he never left my side.  The girls both had jaundice so they were required to be under the light so we only got them a few hours a day.  It was hard but we wanted them to get better so we could head home.  My hormones were all over the place and poor Joe just reassured me and handled it like a champ.  At one point, I had the breastpump working and tears flowing down my face for no apparent reason. Joe was wiping my eyes and my snot nose and telling me everything was going to be great and how blessed we were with these perfect little girls.  No one told me about the hormone rush you feel and I could not quit crying.  The nurses were coming in and I was just boo hooing like crazy.  And then when I finally walked down to the nursery and saw my babies under the lamp with those masks on their eyes, I was a goner!!  Plus, Rylee had dropped to 4 lbs. and I was convinced she was going to starve to death.  Of course, my smartass sister asked me to find out the statistics on newborn deaths due to starvation at the hospital.   BUT as all things come to an end, my hormonal meltdown did too but only after I got a good kick to the ass to my sister. 

Finally, we got the green light to head home!  We were beyond excited as the TV at the hospital was a little to be desired with only 3 channels that we could actually watch.  I had their going home outfits monogrammed but due to their extra small size, there was no way they could wear them. In fact, they still can't fit into them.  Luckily, I had also packed some preemie clothes that my niece, Holly, had given us so we squeezed them into that.  Their legs are long so it was a tight fit but it was better than taking them home naked.  The nurses all bid us a good bye and I was secretly wishing I could take a couple of them home.  After all the worries of delivering in Singapore, I can tell you that I would do it again and again as it was an incredible experience.  You could not have wished for better care.  But let me be clear, I will NOT be doing it again and again!  I'm not sure we could get this lucky a second time around!

We feel very blessed and are excited to get home to show them off!  They are near perfect in our eyes and are enjoying every minute!  We are still missing Kelsey to complete our union but we'll all be together soon. Family pictures are in our future!!