Our twins Emmy Pearl and Max Davis came into this world on May 7th each with small bodies, but large spirits!
PREPARING:
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| 3 days before delivery |
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| CANKLES |
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| 35 weeks |
On May 6th I went for my checkup but was extremely swollen and I felt horrible at that point. Dr. Gatherum checked me and I was dialated to a 1 but their was protein in my urine which meant I had preclampsya. So he said to me "lets have these babies today". I said what? He said walk on down to labor and delivery and we will have these babies today. I just started to cry. Travis was not even there with me (for some stupid reason it was not even on our radar that we would have the babies today). I had been preparing for the babies for so long to actually have them coming today was such a shock. I was not mentally or emotionally prepared. As I cried and walked down to labor and delivery I called Travis and told him the doctor wanted to start me today. He came up to the hospital. I was still crying. My mom and dad took Boston and Addy was at school still so we called to have them pick her up. Dr. Gatherum came in and asked me why I was crying. I just told him I was not prepared. Not mentally. Not emotionally. I needed to prepare Boston and Adelyn. I didn't even have a hospital bag ready. Ya.... I know I was 35 and 2 days prego with twins so you would think I would have been ready. But I wasn't yet. I knew our world would forever change... for the good..... but would change. He decided he would let me go home that night if I stayed on bedrest and then came up in the morning at 8:00 am. I told him I would. We went and prepared the kids. I called my mom and dad and they were prepared to take Addy and Boston for a couple of days (turned out to be about a week.) We got our bag ready, made sure we had the last of the things we needed for the babies to come home and Trav and I spent the night preparing ourselves mentally and emotionally. I had a ultrasound the day before and knew the babies were 4 lbs 15 and 3 lbs 9 oz. I prepared myself to be in the hospital for about a month. This was my biggest concern. I was planning on not being home with Addy and Boston for a month or so and I wanted to just spend as much time with them in our home as I could and prepare both of them for the fact that I might not be around for a while. They were both so excited to meet their new brother and sister they didn't seem to care I would not be around. Plus they knew they were going to Grandma and Grandpas and it is always a fun time there with no rules! So..... we were all prepared the best we could be now.
DELIVERY
8:10 am May 7th: Dr Gatherum calls me and says are you coming. I told him I was just walking in the hospital doors and would be there in a second. I got to labor and delivery and had the same nurse I had the day before: Annie. She is simply awesome. She was such a good nurse. I changed in my gown and then they gave me the IV. They started Pitocin. 2:00 they checked me. I was at a 4. I told the nurse I hit a 5 with my other two and then go straight to a ten. So the anathesiologist came in for the epideral. He gave me only half a normal dose since I was worried about my bladder stopping and medicine works extra well on me. Then the contractions stopped. They stopped Pitocin and then started it again about 3:00. The nurse checked me 3:15..... I was at a 10. She said I am going to get doctor and they rounded up all the nurses (a team of nurses for each baby), the anathesiologist, Annie, Dr Gatherum and Trav all headed to the OR. I had asked Dr. Gatherum to do breech extraction (I knew boy was breech but wanted a vaginal delivery if possible). I remember feeling most everything by this point. The epideral had mostly worn off and I asked for more to which the anathesisiologist (who had come in earlier to see if I wanted more and I told him no) told me it was too late. I pushed as hard as I could. Dr. Gatherum looked me in the eyes and said "Chelsey... you have to push hard again so we can get her out." It was painful. But I gave it all I had thinking my daughter was stuck. She came out. She looked so small. I just started to cry. Travis was crying. The doctor then literally reached up and pulled out baby boy. He was a cinch to get out once she had come. A team of nurses took each baby and started cleaning off, weighing, getting oxygen ready. Miraculously both babies were breathing great on their own. They were so perfect. So small and so perfect. Baby girl was born at 3:35 pm weighing 3 lbs 15 oz and 17 inches long. Baby boy was born at 3:38 pm weighing 3 lbs 9 oz and 16 inches long. They took the babies to the nursery and of course Travis ditched me and went with the babies. The doctors finished everything up with me. They wheeled me back to the hospital room. They brought the babies in and handed them to me. I just cried. I was so happy. They were so perfect. A minute later Adelyn, Boston,Mom, Dad, Susie, Jenny showed up. When Mom walked in she just started to cry. Adelyn and Boston came over and met their sister and brother. We took pictures. After everyone left I attempted at breastfeeding them. I was kinda nervous they wouldn't know how to suck. Baby girl latched right on and so did baby boy when it was his turn to feed. They had to keep checking their temperatures. They were holding their own tempertures. They were doing so well.
NAMES
Travis and I had struggled for 9 months with names. We had a few girl names: Emersyn, Emmy, Emily, Preslee, Bristol, Sadie. We had no boy names! Travis, Addy, Boston, my mom and Lindsay were in the hospital room trying to think of boy names. Travis said "Max". We had tossed around the name Max and then then tossed it right back out. But for some reason I liked it in that moment. Everyone there liked it. We then started calling him Max Davis (Davis for Travis' grandpa Sam middle name) and started calling her Emmy. The name Max took a while to stick for me. But I LOVED the name Emmy Pearl (Pearl for my grandma Rowley). We made it official right before we left hospital and filled out the paperwork.
HOSPITAL
They remainder of the stay at the hospital was such a wonderful experience. With the exception of one nurse, I had amazing nurses. I spent the time in the hospital putting babies on the same schedule, learning to tandum feed, and trying to get my bladder to work again..... which it did. Emmy had a little bit of Jaundice so they put her under the bilirubin lights and decided it safer to put Max under as well. By morning her bilirubin counts were normal. There were many visitors, calls, and texts. So many I was never able to respond to them all. We are so grateful for all the love and support we have received from our families and friends.
HOME
The babies and I were released 3 days later. I couldn't believe it. I thought for sure where they were so small we would be there forever. But babies were eating well, holding own temps, breathing on own and doing so well. I felt great.... the best I had in about 4 months. Addy and Boston stayed with my mom and dad for about 2 or 3 more days and nights and I was so anxious and excited to all be home in our house all SIX of us as a family. Adelyn and Boston love both babies and both are such good helpers. It is so wonderful for each of them to have a baby to relate with. I was really worried about how Boston would react but he has just loved them and has not been mad at me. We are literally all in Heaven! We are so extremely blessed and I fully recognize the miracles were have received during this whole experience. I am forever in debt.
