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October 02 The Week AfterThroughout the week after my delivery Keith wheeled me down to the NICU every four hours to feed the babies. Yes, they were still being feed through a tube, but we were allowed to hold them while they ate. They ate (and still eat) at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm, 12am, and 4am. The routine was for us to arrive, chnage their little diapers, feed them, change their diapers again, and put them down for their nap. This was all under the scrutiny of the NICU nurses. Preemie babies are so different than normal babies, we (including both of our mothers) had to learn how to do everything. For example, you don't rock them, you burp them by squeezing slightly, etc. We were very blessed to have wonderful nurses while we were there (I actually had WONDERFUL nurses the entire time that I was at Covenant Lakeside). One nurse was assigned to our babies and no one else. You honestly felt comfotable leaving them to get rest yourself. These nurses gave us lessons every time we were in there. It was nice to have all that info, and to have everyone hear it. I am a little disappointed in one thing... no one bothered to tell me that preemie babies could projectile poop. Uhhh... owwooooo!! Can I trade this one in for a cleaner model??? Since that surprising moment, I have also come to find that they projectile pee and puke as well. ... neat. On Thursday after my delivery, I was being discharged, and Dr. Sutter (the neonatalogist) came into my room. That doesn't happen, so I got a little nervous. She informed Keith and I that Bishop had kicked the plug to his iv out, and had bled out a third of his blood. She stated that it was caught by our nurse. She had been sitting by their crib, and noticed his heart rate getting higher and higher even though he was asleep. She immediately went to him and started unwrapping him. What she found was a large pool of blood. Dr. Sutter informed us that Bishop would need a blood transfusion. That was slightly heartbreaking. I was imagining the worse case senario, but I was allowed to hold him while he received the blood, and he slept through the whole thing. After that, he ended up having to receive some platelets a few days later, but then started to completely recover. It was a scary time, but the Lord was watching out for us, and we made it through. October 01 Birthing Day... Part 2 Something I forgot to mention in Part 1, was that they pulled the babies out in a different order than what we had been calling A, B, and C. So when they pulled out the first boy, I said that the he would be Bishop, and the second would be Thomas. After Keith and I looked at the boys for a little while, we decided that we had it all wrong. The first boy pulled out did not look like a Bishop Palmer, but the second did. Therefore, the nurses had to change all the information on the boys (especially since I waited until the NICU to change their names). Now, the names definately fit each boy. It's weird how that happens. After the surgery, I was wheeled into recovery and then into the NICU to see my babies. They were all in separate warmers, under oxygen tents, had IV's, and were being fed through a tube that went into their mouths. Apparently, this is all standard when a baby enters the NICU. We weren't allowed to hold them, however we could stick our hands under the tents and touch them. Within 24 hours, they were off all oxygen, and we were allowed to hold them while they were being fed through their tubes. It was somewhat surreal to hold such a small child, not to mention your own. As the time passed, their size (as well as the sizes of all the other babies in NICU) became the norm for us, and when we would see a normal sized baby they looked gargantuous to us. Also after the first 24 hours, the babies were taken from their separate warmers and put into a crib together, as they will be sleeping for some time now. We were on our way to healthy babies! They were almost 2 months early, but all the nurses commented on how healthy and big they were. Good job me! :-) September 28 Birthing Day... Part 1Well,... it all started at 5:00am on September 8th with the ritualistic shave. What a way to start a day! I was hoping that they would leave that up to the Labor and Delivery ladies because I would have preferred to remain annonymous, but alas it was the duty of the sweet nurses I had grown to know and love over the last month. That being done, they started my IV, and within a couple of hours I was sitting on the operating table getting morphine shot up my spinal cord. Quickly my legs went numb, and there I lay getting my stomach scrubbed for surgery. As I lay there I realized that I may be somewhat exposed. So, I turned toward two nurses that stood next to my head, and asked, "Is my business out there for everyone to see?" The first nurse said, "No, not at all." But, as the words left her mouth, I noticed the other nurse standing by her side, nodding her head yes in response to my question. There I was, begining to ponder whether or not to be disturbed by this new discovery, and a third nurse walked up to my side. She simply said, "Honey, I hate to disappoint you, but your business isn't that special. In fact, in a few moments we won't even remember it." Huh, well that's one way to look at it. Especially since there were 18 different people in the operating room. Each baby had to have their own team, my high risk doctor, the OB, the neonatalogist, her understudy, the anestheologist, and two nurses for me. Oh yeah, I was there too! Finally, Keith arrived, and the surgery began. Within a couple of minutes the first baby was out (9:30), then within the very next minute, the next two were out (9:31). I got to give the babies a quick kiss, and they (along with Keith) were wisked out of the room to the NICU. They all gave a good scream when they were born, so I was comforted by the fact that their lungs were developed. Their weights were as follows: Thomas 4lbs 7 ozs, Bishop 4lbs, Isabelle 4lbs 1oz. September 26 Be PatientPlease be patient with me! I promise I will get back to writing, but right now I am busy getting pooped, peed, and puked on by three little cuties. I have added a few more photos to the album, and will continue to add as I take them. Just keep checking in, and soon you will find that I HAVE RETURNED!! September 07 The Final Count DownWell, my time as a human incubator has come to a close. They will wheel me out of my room tomorrow morning (in a flattering, butt revealing gown) at about 8:00am for my c-section at 8:30. The babies all still look ok, but my blood levels have started to show signs of toxemia. That is where my body begins waving the white flag. I (or my mother) will give updates tomorrow to let you know how everything goes. Thanks for all your prayers!
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