3.5 Months Ago.

My life changed, again, for the better!  I really dropped the ball on this blog. Truth be told, there has been a lot happening in the Connley house since October 2012.

Sadly, I never posted a birthing story post, so I will do that now…More for a record for me to look back on.

November 17, 2012. 34 weeks, 2 days.

Saturday 11/17 was like any other day for us. I was feeling good. My doctors appointments were twice a week (Tuesdays for an ultrasound and appointment and Friday for fetal heart rate monitoring). I had been experiencing sporadic contractions and had felt new pain/pressure in my lower back for a couple of days by this point. I wasn’t concerned about either as I was measuring 39 weeks pregnant  (had there been just one bambino)

We had a busy day on Saturday. Whitney Paige and I had brunch plans with Whitney, Barrett, Alysun & Charlee (Aly is pregnant with twin boys who are due any day now!!) We had a great morning together and I was feeling 100%. That afternoon, Clark, Hannah, WP and I went shopping in the Bellevue Shopping District near our house. Bellevue was having a special “shop local” event at their boutiques and so we thought it would be nice to get out and walk. Hannah also had her BFF’s bday party that night so we needed to shop for Dana.

After an hour or so of walking and shopping, we were winding down. Hannah was in one last store and the sales associate had her try on a dress (one which I knew Hannah didn’t like but didn’t have the heart to say so.)  Hannah went to try the dress on and I immediately ‘lost’ it. By lost it, I mean, I had to get OUT of the store PRONTO. I couldn’t put my finger on it…I was kind of hot. I was tired. The store was small & I was huge. I don’t know, but I beelined for the bench outside of the store. I felt weird but, I thought it was just impatience.

We loaded up the car and headed to Dana’s neighborhood. We were running early so we decided to grab dinner. We were hoping for Zip’s, our favorite local burger joint. It was 4:45 and the line was out the door, so we went for something else. We had to stop by Hannah’s moms to get her overnight stuff for Dana’s, so we just popped into Jack ‘n the Box. I devoured a large coke, ¼ pound burger and fries. When we got in the car I told Clark that I felt contractions were becoming more steady.

 

I knew the time I had to call the doctor’s office was when I had 5 contractions within an hour. I started keeping a log at 5:45. I hit 4 contractions, though some were minor, within the first hour of my log.

**Insert Note Here: The interesting here is that I am a worrier. I panic at the least little thing that turns out to be nothing. The odd thing is…when it’s something, and I knew it was something, I went into avoidance mode.

 

Clark and I got back home at 7 and debated on what to do with WP should we need to go to the hospital. We decided to tuck her in and relax. This wasn’t really it.

I took a shower, as I heard that could make Braxton hicks go away. They didn’t. We got in bed and watched Arthur (unfortunately, the one with Russell Brand not the old one.)

**Insert another Note Here: I have a tradition of doing the same thing I did with WP each anniversary of her birth. I eat the same meal that I had before she was born, etc. In retrospect, I would have waited in line at Zips and would not have watched a Russell Brand movie--as Jack 'n the Box and Arthur are now two things I will have to do annually! ha.

The contractions remained around 5 or so an hour. It was 9:00 pm and I finally decided to call the doctor. After all, they said to call when they were 5 an hour and I was steady at that for 4 hours now. I knew they would tell me to take it easy through the night and to call in the morning.

WRONG…The nurse told me to get over to Good Sam asap. The reason they wanted to know when they reach 5 an hour immediately, is because they would STOP labor if it were pre-term. Oooppppsssie.

Clark and I loaded up WP and took her to his parents. I was cool as a cucumber. I still did not think this was birth-time.

We got to triage at Good Sam around 11:00 pm, and they did the standard: ultrasound, monitoring of heart beats, etc. Babes looked fine. They checked to see if I was dilating. I was at 3 cm when I arrived and ½ hour later, at 4cm.

Active labor was confirmed around 12:00 am. We were having babies. Silence. Shock. Fear. Clark and I just stared at one another. We were not ready for that news, even though we knew it was only a matter of weeks, regardless. Dr. Firestein informed us that there was one c-section ahead of us, should we choose c-section. I knew Eli was breach, and my worst fear was a V-deliver for Meg (and an emergency C-section for Eli—sheesh—pain in both spots was more than I wanted. So, we elected c-section, so the prep began around 12: 45 am. Whew.

The c-section process is so very different from the low-key experience with WP’s birth. It was very sterile, and formal, obviously. I did the normal drill. IV. Epidural (about 20 minutes after I REALLY needed it!!) I had horrific trembles from the medicine they had previously given me to try and slow labor down, and, the even more trembles from the nerves that labor wasn’t slowing down. Within an hour or so, I was in the OR, next to Clark…getting ready to meet our babes.  My doctor was not MY doctor, but from the same practice (I later found out that if the babes were one hour later, Dr. Knipper would have delivered them! Boo-hiss!)
 

C-Section delivery is very anti-climactic. I could feel movement and I knew something was happening behind the sheet, but, when Dr. said “Are you ready?” I thought he was talking to his team. Next thing I know, I heard the sweetest little cry. Clark still had his arm around my head and his face right next to mine. We were praying, and crying, and panicking a little. They held up our Little Margaret Anne @ 2:17 am on Sunday November 18, 2012. Clark was talking to me and didn’t hear her little cries. I told Clark “There she is.” He looked up and was shocked. It had happened so fast.

 

We were amazed at her beautiful, small, perfect body. We were totally in love. To top it off, her eyes looked just like Whitney Paige’s--something that immediately took me back two years earlier when I saw WP for the first time. It was magic all over again. I knew she was ours, despite the head full of Very dark hair. I was watching the Neonatal team do their thing (my least favorite part of having preemies is watching the team scramble to put them in plastic bags, get them Oxygen if needed, etc.) I kept saying to Clark “Is she breathing? Is she crying? Is she ok?” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEG

 

 

 

 

 

All of this was probably the course of 30 seconds max, because….

Little Elijah James made his first peep @ 2:17 am on Sunday November 18, 2012. Unfortunately , the hospital didn’t report the seconds, so I don’t know exactly how long Meg was here before Eli, but it was certainly under 60 seconds.

They were ½ an inch different in length and a few hundredths of an oz. apart in weight (though he is officially the baby, Eli won both length and weight!)

 

 

 

ELI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having preemies is hard. They are little bitty. They need help. Mommy only gets to love on them for a second before they are whisked away. This time for me is the worst. It’s all I know from all three of my babies, and it’s horrible. I go to worst case scenario, instantly. Clark always leaves with the NICU team and my little babies go into the special care unit while I stay in the OR to get stitched up, then to recovery.

The minutes inch by as I wait to hear who is breathing on their own and who had to be intubated. I pray that they are both doing what they need to do, own their own. I pray so hard and sit by myself until Clark has enough information to report back. It’s a long ½ hour or so before he makes his way back.

In the midst of waiting, I go from my worried state to a state of total bliss. I later find out that there was a dose of morphine that was part of the last step of the c-section. I am staring into space, beaming, when Clark comes back to report that babies are fine.  He later told me I was appeared quite high, even though I didn't realize it!  Meg was on O2 support while they took her from L&D to the NICU. Once she settled into her new home, of what would be 7 days, she took more independent breaths and was taken off of breathing tubes. She never went back on! Good girl. Eli was not on O2 support until he arrived in the NICU. I believe he realized all the pretty nurses were there to love on him and wait on him, so he decided he would let them literally wait on him hand and foot for what would be a 14 day NICU stay.

After my stay in recovery was complete, I was wheeled into the NICU before heading up to the 13^th floor “new mom” rooms. My TWO babies were gorgeous. I couldn’t believe they arrived so easily. No preeclampsia, no emergency birth…just a normal “I went into labor” labor. I touched their little backs and heads and said a prayer of thanksgiving.

Then, my nurse carted me up to my room, and unlike all the other moms who’s babies weren’t in the NICU, I went to sleep! I have found through these two pregnancies, the only silver lining in NICU stay is that an entire staff takes care of your little ones for every single second, allowing mom to recover and rest.

Over the three days of my hospital stay, I got up each morning, afternoon and evening to visit with Meg & Eli. We ate, sang, snuggled and had the best few days together. I would have liked to stay in the hospital a little longer to continue this “honeymoon” with my babies. However, my sweet little Whitney Paige was waiting at home for her mommy to get back. And I sure did miss her, too!

What now? 3 ½ months later. We have three amazing children. Whitney Paige went through ZERO jealousy issues. She loves Meg & Eli and within weeks was asking where they were, what they were doing and when she could play with them. She likes to "hold" them, hold their bottles, and then go play with her big-girl things. It couldn’t have been smoother between the three of them!

Meg & Eli are growing like weeds. Both quickly soared from 4 ½ lbs to the over 9 ½ lb babies that they are. They are into 0-3 months clothes now (at 3 months) and are healthy as can be.  They smile a lot, have big, bright eyes like their sister and are sleeping through the night!! It’s unbelievable how quickly the “painful” part zips by.

After 8 wonderful weeks home, and 4 more split between home and work, I am back to work full time. Clark stays home with Meg & Eli during the week and is fortunate enough to have a band gig that plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  It was not hard to come back to work this go-round, since they are home with Daddy. Whitney Paige stays home with the crew 2 days a week and goes to daycare the other 3. After flu season and the threat of RSV is over, Meg and Eli will go with big sis to daycare (Peggy & Mary, who WP calls MARY PERRY—she thinks every one is a double name.)

**Insert note: She calls Aunt Whitney: Whitney Barrett and Mommy-Daddy is often one word to her, too! It didn’t help that we brought home two babies who are only called MegEli as one word!

It’s really a tremendous time for our family. We are so blessed and are so in love with these little nuggets!