I can’t believe the girls have been with us a whole week
already! I’ve been wanting to write out
the story of the day they were born but needless to say, I’ve been VERY
busy! I’m finding a quiet moment to
reflect and share the day that our beautiful girls were born.
On Weds, May 23rd, we took Ryder to school and
said our good byes to him. I was feeling
emotional as I gave him one last hug as my “baby”. I walked out the door of his class with tears
welling up, knowing that would be the last time he would be my only child. Joe and I held hands the whole way to the
car. It was cute. I felt like I was in high school again, minus
the big pregnant belly part.
After we dropped Ryder, we drove straight to Good Samaritan
Hospital. I was scheduled to check in at
9:30am. After we parked and unloaded our
luggage, we walked hand in hand through the double doors. We were like giddy school girls smiling ear
to ear. Everyone we came in contact with
Congratulated us or flashed us an excited smile. We were smiling on the outside but we were
both a ball of nerves on the inside.
 |
Last belly picture- 36w2
We checked into Labor & Delivery and got set up on the
monitors. Immediately, I began to get nervous. I said to Joe, “I really wish there was a way
for YOU to do the surgery, It’s not fair!”
He held my hand and assured me everything would be okay. Just then my nurse came in and introduced
herself. She explained what was going to
be happening and said she’d be starting my IV.
This was the first time I wasn’t nervous about an IV. I had been given so many lately that I
thought it would be cake. She puts the
needle in and I yelp! OUCH! That really hurt. She responds, “I’m so sorry, I missed your
vein.” I looked down and see that I have
blood EVERYWHERE! Of course in my mind,
I decided this was a bad sign of things to come for the day. I said, “if I bled this bad for an IV, how
bad do you think I’ll bleed on the table?”
|
 |
| Dealing with that IV |
 |
| My pouty face after the botched IV |
 |
| Re-doing the IV |
At 11:00am, I became extremely emotional. I was trying to focus on the fact that I
would be meeting our girls within 30 minutes, but I was overtaken with fear and
what if’s. What if the spinal doesn’t
work? What if the girls aren’t healthy?
What if I die on the table? What
if…. The tears began to fall. I don’t
want to have surgery. I feel like I’m on
the top of the big hill of a roller coaster and we are about to go down… but I
want OFF. It’s too late. Katie showed up to offer support. She’s such an amazing friend. She asks, “how are you feeling?” I snap back, “I don’t want to talk about
it!” And just then the tears came
pouring down my face and I began to sob.
All the emotions of the journey that led us to this moment were running
through my head. I couldn’t help but
think of the baby we lost and how that baby brought us to these two
beautiful girls that were about to come
into the world. I took a few minutes and
just reflected and silently prayed for the best.
When my doctor arrived, he assured me all would be okay and
that he would be with me every step of the way.
As he was talking to me, a nurse began to put my hair net on and Joe
began to suit up. It was happening. Before I knew it, Dr Rosenberg said it was
time to go. He asked, “Are you
ready? This is it, the moment we have
been preparing for, you are going to do great and you will be meeting your
girls shortly.” He gave me a hug and
said that I had handled the pregnancy beautifully and now it was time to meet
our girls. Joe and I hugged and kissed. He told me I would be okay and he’d be with
me soon. I walked out of that room and
into the OR with my doctor and my nurse on each side of me, and tears rolling
down my face.
 |
| Kiss for luck! |
 |
| cuddling before our babies are born |
 |
| The long walk to surgery... |
When I entered the OR, I was surprised at how small the room
was. It was so cold. There were a lot of people just looking at me
like I was the main event. My doctor
told me who everyone was and what their job was. The anesthesiologist helped me get onto the
table and they began to prep my back.
This was the moment I had been dreading more than anything else. Dr. Rosenberg stood in front of me and rubbed
my shoulders. He talked to me and
reminded me how far we’d come and how amazing it would be to be holding these
girls. The anesthesiologist said she was
ready to begin. The first stick was a
numbing medicine. It burned but it was
tolerable. She asked me to push my back
into her hand and slowly the needle went in.
“OMG,, OUCH” And I kicked my
doctor. “it hurts so bad.” My doctor asks, “what hurts?” Me:
“My leg”. Dr asks, “what does it
feel like?” Me: “I don’t know just pain
it hurts, please make it stop.” Dr. “You
have to try to describe it” Me: “It
feels like lightning going down my leg”
The anesthesiologist says we hit a nerve and we have to do it again. She pulled the needle out and I continue to
breathe deep. In my mind I just keep
repeating, “It’s for Nova & Bria” I
tried to keep my mind on other things.
The second attempt went in and it was just as painful. I was beginning to breathe hard. The anesthesiologist says, “the needle isn’t
long enough for her anatomy. I need a
bigger needle.” I’m pretty sure I
dropped the f bomb and said, “please tell me your kidding?” Dr. Rosenberg continued to talk to me and
assured me that I could get through this.
We began the 3rd attempt at the injection and again, I felt
that lightning go shooting down my leg.
Again, my leg jerked and I kicked my doctor. At this point, I was trying so hard to focus
on my breathing. I was trying to think
of other things and my doctor says, “look at me.” I look up and he says, “Beth,
you have to slow your breathing down, you are almost hyperventilating. You can do this, You will get through this.
“ The fourth attempt at the spinal was
also an epic failure. I began to worry,
“what if they can’t get it in? How will
we get these babies out?” ON the 5th
try, it was perfect. I knew instantly
she got it in right. There was no
pain. My butt began to go numb. I was so thankful it was over. They laid me down on the table and began to
set up the blue sheet. I could hear
nurses in the background counting instruments and prepping for surgery. I asked, “When can Joe come in?” Dr Rosenberg says, “he’s on his way”.
Just a minute later I tilted my head back and saw Joe come through the
doors. Instantly, tears began to
fall. Joe wiped my tears and said, “it’s
ok. You are doing great. We are about to meet our girls.” I began to tell Joe about the spinal and he
said, “I know, they told me. You are
doing great. Just think the girls will
be out in 8 minutes!” Dr Rosenberg asks,
“Beth how are you feeling, do you feel anything?” I said, “No.”
He told me that they had begun.
I was really grateful that I couldn’t feel ANYTHING this
time. I felt so much more with the
c-section with Ryder. This was so
different. Joe and I talked and waited
and tried to just keep ourselves occupied for those 8 minutes. I must have asked a dozen times if they were
almost ready to be born. Finally, the
doctor says, I just broke your bag of waters.
Oh, I can see Baby A’s head and she’s about to be born. Just then, he says, “Congratulations, she’s a
girl.” I listen and hear nothing. Of course, I ask, “Why isn’t she crying? Is she okay?”
They tell me to look to my right and I see this purple tiny little
peanut go flying by. Doctor Rosenberg
says, “Beth, you are doing great. Baby A
looked great and they will give you a report shortly. Are you ready for Baby B?” He then announced that Baby B flipped and was
going to be delivered feet first. And
then he says, “Congratulations, Baby B is out!”
And that’s when I heard Bria begin to cry. She sounded like a little puppy dog
wimpering. I looked over to my right and
watched as she was taken to the NICU nurses for evaluation. Joe and I kissed and I said, “Go, Go with the
girls…” I layed there wondering how my
girls were, if they were okay, and when I would hear something. Finally, I asked Dr Rosenberg, “Are they
okay?” He said, “If there was anything
wrong they would have told you by now, they are probably cleaning them and
getting ready to bring them in.”
Physically, my body felt amazing.
I felt lighter. The pressure and
the pain was gone. Emotionally, I was
still so afraid. That’s when I saw the
doors open and Joe came in with a baby in his arms. The nurse was
behind him with another baby in her arms. Joe was smiling ear to ear. “They are perfect!” Joe said!
The nurse added, “apgars are 9/9.
Congratulations! “ They brought
each baby to my head so I could see them and give them a kiss. They were beautiful! I was so proud, so in awe, and so grateful to
have them here and healthy!
Baby A, Nova Nicole, was born at 11:59 am weighing 5lbs 14oz
and 18 inches long. Baby B, Bria Belle,
was born at 12:00 pm weighing 6lbs 5 oz and 18 inches long. As soon as they finished stitching me up,
they wheeled me off into recovery and I was FINALLY reunited with my husband
and our babies. They asked if I wanted
to breastfeed and I said yes.
Immediately, they took Bria and put her on my breast. She latched right away. She wasn’t able to stay latched and she
didn’t know how to suck, but it was the start and it was promising. Next, they gave me Nova and she also latched
but it was much shorter and much weaker than Bria’s. But again, a great sign that both girls
latched and were interested. We hung out
in recovery and oohed and awed over our babies for the next 2 hours. I was chopping at the bit to get to my room so
I could really see my girls and hold them both together.
 |
| Fresh |
 |
| Nova Nicole 5lbs 14 oz |
 |
| Bria Belle 6lbs 5 oz |
 |
| Fresh from the oven |
 |
| Just back from surgery |
 |
| First attempt at breastfeeding in recovery room |
 |
| Hanging out in the recovery room |
 |
| Our baby girls- Bria & Nova |
 |
| Proud Daddy and his girls |
 |
| So excited to be holding both girls for the first time |
Finally, I was taken to my room and transferred to a new
bed. Finally, both girls were placed in
my arms. Both my arms and heart were
overflowing as I looked down and saw two precious, beautiful, and peaceful
little girls. I smiled ear to ear as
tears rolled down my cheeks, I whispered,
“Happy Birthday my sweet loves”
 |
| Mommy and her babies! |
 |
| Our family<3 |
 |
| The nurses made Ryder a "big brother" bracelet to match Mommy & Daddy |
