Happy Birthday Nova & Bria

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 23^rd, 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 3^rd 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 5^th 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