The last 3 weeks...what a blur!

Well, the babies are just over 3 weeks old. The past few weeks have flown by and I can hardly believe that they have been here for this long already! I figured it was time to write about their birth before I forgot it.

The babies were breach or transverse pretty much the entire pregnancy, so I was pretty sure all along that I was going to end up having to have a c-section. I talked to a lot of people so that I would have an idea of what to expect. At my 35 1/2 week appointment I asked my doctor when we would schedule the c-section. He told me that he wanted me to make it to 37 weeks but that he didn't want me to go much past that due to other complications that can come with twins. At that appointment we scheduled my c-section. It was so nice knowing that there was an end in sight! I was so sick of being on bedrest and not being able to do anything.

The night before the scheduled c-section Ben and I went out to dinner - just the two of us - before our lives were going to change! After dinner we took the girls over to my parents to sleep over. We had to be at the hospital at 5:30 in the morning. The girls were excited to sleep over and had been looking forward to it for a little while. They were going to sleep at grandma's for 2 nights and then at their cousins for 2 nights.

This is me at exactly 37 weeks and heading to the hospital. You can't tell in the picture but I REALLY am excited!

My c-section was scheduled for 7:00 am and I was supposed to be there at 5:30. They ended up bumping us back to 7:30 and then an emergency c-section happened and we got bumped to 8:00. At 8:00 they had me walk back to the operating room and they started the whole process.

Ben, my mom, and his mom went into a room close by to wait until the surgery started. It was cold in the surgery room. The first thing they did was give me my spinal tap (like the epidural but they don't leave the tube in). After they gave it to me I thought that I was going to pass out. Everything got really bright and started to spin and I got really hot. My blood pressure had dropped so they gave me something to bring it back up and then I felt fine. Once they had the drape up they let Ben come in...that was at 8:30. Ben peeked over the drape and said that they already had me cut open. He was grossed out so he stopped watching. The anesthesiologist told Ben that he might want to watch what happened next and at 8:36 they pulled Sadie out. I guess when they cut open her sack her little bum popped right out. One minute later, at 8:37, out came Stockton. When they cut open his sack his legs popped out. The doctor said that sometimes they have a hard time finding the babies but mine were ready to come out and were very cooperative! They paused by my head with each of the babies and let me take a quick peek as they rushed them into the next room. The room they took the babies into was between the surgery room and the room that our mom's were waiting in. They opened the window and our mom's got to see them as they cleaned up the babies. Ben left me for a while and went with the babies to check them out. He would come back in and give me updates on their weights and lengths and showed me pictures that he had taken of them. I think that Ben liked this delivery because he was only in the room for less than 10 minutes instead of 17 hours worth of labor like our two previous deliveries!

The doctor put me all back together (using staples). I could hear them stapling and it kind of grossed me out. I could also smell my flesh burning as they cauterized something! I was back in my room by 9:00 - total process was only 1 hour.

As soon as I was back in my room I wanted to see my babies. I kept asking the nurses but they said that Sadie was having some problems breathing so I couldn't see them yet. Ben's mom stayed in the nursery with the babies and my mom and Ben kept going back and forth between me and the babies. I didn't think that it was fair that I was the only one who couldn't see them. Since I was still numb there was no way for them to get me in there. They took me up to the postpartum floor and I still kept asking when I could see them. They said that there was a chance that Sadie was going to have to go down to the NICU. Once they realized that I had been diabetic they tested the babies blood sugar and found that it was low. They fed each of the babies and all of a sudden everything was alright. A few minutes later they brought them up to me. That was at 11:00. I was so excited to finally see them and to hold them for the first time!

They were (and still are) so beautiful and perfect:) Ben handed me one of them but I needed them both. I told him the problem was that I couldn't just sit and stare at both of them...I had to go back and forth between the two of them!

Stockton's body temperature kept dropping so they had to keep putting him under the lights. I love this picture of him with his little ear bent!

Once they figured out that Sadie's blood sugar was low and all she needed was food she was perfectly fine and we didn't have to worry about her anymore.

We ended up staying at the hospital for 3 1/2 days. I wanted to make sure that I had the whole twin thing figured out before I headed home to our new life with 4 kids!!!

This picture shows just how small they were when we brought them home! They are so tiny in their carseats.

When we were leaving the hospital, Ben went to pull the car around since it was cold outside. The nurse and I waited inside but we got circled by a bunch of people who wanted to look (they weren't the cleanest looking people). The kept asking questions and wanting to peek at them. Thankfully the nurse was quite insistent that they stayed covered up. Finally she picked up both the carseats and walked outside to get away from everybody. The last thing I wanted was for one of them to get sick.

When I got home I had these beautiful flowers waiting for me from my parents,

and these beautiful flowers from my work.

After 4 days it was nice to be able to take off all of my bands:)

Sadie with Grandma Beckstrom

Sadie and Stockton love to cuddle. I think that they are used to being close to each other.
(can you believe that they were both inside me at the same time?!)

Ady & Emma showed up a couple of hours after we got home from the hospital. They had had a great time playing with their grandparents and cousins all weekend. They did come to the hospital but could only see the babies through the nursery window so this was their first time getting to hold them.

Ady has been planning all along that she was going to get to help with Sadie and Emma would help with Stockton. She had also decided that Sadie was going to look like her. I guess you don't always get what you plan for:) Most everybody thinks that Sadie looks just like Emma.

The girls each holding Sadie.
Ady was excited to get to help.

After being home for a couple of days I realized that I didn't have many (only 2) preemie clothes and that the newborn clothes still were huge on them. Our neighbor brought us these cute outfits and then I had Ben go to the store and pick out a couple more for each of them so that we could at least dress them for the first few weeks.

Ady & Emma always want to hold the babies.

Sadie & Stockton - 1 week old
When I took them to the doctor at 10 days the doctor was very impressed. They were both back to their birth weight (Sadie 4 lbs. 12 oz. and Stockton 5 lbs. 4.5 oz.). The doctor said that since they looked so good he didn't need to see them again until their 2 month visit. He said that he never does that with twins but they were ahead of schedule.

Our new family...we really have four kids!

Just the girls:)

One day when I moved the blanket this is what I found.

More cuddling:) I seriously could just sit and watch them all day. They are so sweet together.

Hanging out with mom

and dad. When I took them to the doctor at two weeks just to get them weighed they had both gained a pound since being at home. Stockton was 5 lbs. 15 oz. and Sadie was 5 lbs. 12 oz. They are growing!

Sadie at 2 weeks.

Stockton at 2 weeks.

Sadie

Stockton

He pulls some of the funniest faces:)

We are having a blast and enjoying this fun newborn stage. They are growing so fast and I am just trying to take it all in. They really are the best babies!