If you read the last 2 posts, you know I was having a problem with my left leg swelling significantly and the doctor giving me steroid shots on Thursday and Friday (10-23 and 10-24) just in case they had to take the babies early cause of the leg. That weekend I was on complete bedrest for my leg and was wearing compression hose to help with the pain and swelling. I remember being unusually tired that weekend and it was probably because I couldn't do anything. Sunday night (10-26), I started having these sharp pains around my left rib cage and my epi gastric area being super sensitive. I woke up the next morning (10-27) and took a shower and was still having those pains and decided to call the doctors office and just see if that was normal. I was assuming it was from a growing uterus. I called at 9:50am and they said to be there at 10:45 to see what was going on. I was going to get someone to take me but since I live 35 minutes from the hospital I drove myself. That previous Friday when I went to get my 2nd steroid shot, I had mentioned to Dr. McKee that I had been itching so bad and it was way worse at night so he drew some labs to make sure I didn't have something called ICP (cholestasis of pregnancy) and part of those labs included liver function tests. When I got to the doctor, my blood pressure was elevated but not bad. Dr. McKee said my liver function tests had come back elevated (double the normal range) and he needed to figure out why. The other tests indicated I did not have ICP. He sent me to ultrasound to check on babies and to look at my gallbladder and liver, that was normal. He decided to send me down to labor and delivery to run some labs to make sure I didn't have PIH or preeclampsia. We got down there and they hooked me up to a monitor and the babies looked awesome. I was having some contractions but wasn't in active labor. They drew the labs and I wasn't able to eat or drink anything just in case the labs came back and they had to take the babies. The nurse came in and told me that my labs were all elevated and Dr. McKee was coming to talk to me... I knew what that meant! He walked in and said "well, we are having babies today!" I immediately got emotional... I was 33 weeks and 5 days which meant I was still super early and the babies had to automatically go to the Nicu. He said my liver had become toxic and my levels had quadrupled since Friday. That was about 2:30pm and my c section was going to be at 4:30pm. They started my iv and paperwork was signed and I was flooded with so many emotions. Anxious, nervous, excited and terrified all at the same time. They had to start me on a magnesium drip to help my liver and boy does that stuff make you feel terrible!!! The time came and they wheeled me back to the OR. I got a spinal block and that was terrible cause the anesthesiologist couldn't get it in the right place so he kept having to do it over. All my coworkers and peers were in the c section room which was very comforting cause I knew they would take good care of me and our babies but that didn't mean I still wasn't nervous. The time came and the doctors started the c section. Dr. McKee and Dr. Davis did the c section. At 1655 (4:55pm) I heard the most amazing sound, the sound of my baby girl crying for the first time. What an amazing sound, she was just perfect with Apgar scores of 8 and 9 which is great! One minute later at 1656 (4:56pm) I heard yet another amazing sound, the sound of my baby boy crying! I couldn't believe it, they were finally here and they were both healthy! Garrett also received apgar scores of 8 and 9! They brought them both over to me to and I saw them for the very first time. They were so beautiful, I was overwhelmed with joy and love! They were the babies we had been praying for for over 7 years and they were finally here! Alyssa Brooke weighed 5lb 9oz and was 18in long and Garrett Keith was 5lb 14oz and was 18in long. Perfection! I got to hold them both for a few minutes and then they took them off to the Nicu. The rest of the day and day after I was feeling terrible cause of that magnesium drip and itching from the pain medicine. I got off the magnesium drip at noon the day after and finally got to hold them at 3pm that day. It was so wonderful! I cried as soon as they put them on my chest for skin to skin. They were both doing beautifully!
As I think back, it is just so apparent how everything was guided by Gods hand. If my leg hadn't gotten like it did, I would have never gotten those steroid shots to help the babies lungs and they wouldn't have done as good as they did. They have really done phenomenal and no one expected them to do this well! Yesterday we took Garrett home and we are taking Alyssa home Friday as long as she keeps behaving. She had a few oxygen desaturations and is on a countdown right now. She is day 5 today! We thank you all so very much for all the prayers and support throughout this journey! We wouldn't have gotten this far without them! Jesus has blessed us beyond measure and we couldn't be more happy! God is sooooo good! Enjoy the pics :)
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