The boys are here!

On Tuesday, June 23rd Granseur and I left our house at 5:00 a.m. to head to the hospital for my scheduled induction. I was 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant. We got to the hospital around 6:00 a.m. While we were on our way there I was already having contractions on my own about 11 minutes apart.

We got set up in our room and by the time I got my ultrasound done, (to make sure that in fact Baby B had not turned head down) epidural, monitors, pitocin started, etc. it was about 10:30. I had the sweetest nurse! :) Her name is Suzy and we went to college together. We lived on the same hall my freshman year. I just happened to see her one day while I was getting a NST done ( I had several of those since I was pregnant with twins) and recognized her. She said that if she saw me on the schedule, she would try to be my nurse for that day and she was! She was wonderful.

After I had my epidural I felt MUCH more comfortable and was able to relax and visit with Granseur. Around 3:30 or 4:00 I noticed that my epidural wasn't working as well. I got another bolus and started to feel better again. This epidural was MUCH different than the one I had with Audrey. With Audrey I couldn't feel or move my legs at all. In fact, after she was born, the nurse handed me Audrey and I started to fall off the bed and did not have the muscle control to catch myself. Luckily Granseur caught me! This time around I was concerned the epidural wasn't working properly since I could move my legs since that's the experience I had before. They said this was fine. I still can't believe how different this birth was than Audrey's. I could actually feel pressure down there.

After I got my extra bolus, the nurse checked me and I was ready to go! All we had to do now was wait on an OR. We were doing the delivery in the OR even though I planned on a vaginal birth since Baby B was breech. The plan was to deliver Baby A who was head down and then do an external version on Baby B and deliver him head first as well. In case things didn't go as planned and I needed an emergency c-section, we would already be in the right room.

Finally it was time to be wheeled to the OR. I had been laughing and fine the whole day but at that moment I started crying on the way down the hall. My thoughts consumed me. My life was about to be forever changed. I couldn't believe my twin boys were going to be here soon and I would be a mom of three. I was VERY nervous about the delivery since I didn't know how it was going to go. I wanted my babies to be okay. *I'm crying all over again now thinking about it all.* I couldn't believe that after our struggle with infertility our family would finally be complete and I cried because I felt so blessed! How many people never overcome their infertility to start a family?! and yet here I was .... so lucky. There were many reasons for my tears and I just couldn't hold it all in anymore.

We got in the room and I was laid on the table which felt extremely narrow. I didn't want to fall off! After only a few minutes everyone was ready and it was time for me to push. I pushed once and my OB made a face of almost disbelief and said "Okay, stop!" I was worried at first but then I saw that everyone was REALLY on alert then and he started suiting up to deliver the first baby. I guess he didn't think it was going to go that fast! Ha! I may have pushed only once or twice more, I can't remember, but Baby A was out! (I'm still calling them Baby A and Baby B because at that point we still had not decided on names.) He cried and it was wonderful. He was born at 4:59 p.m. I was so happy to see him and hear him but I also knew I wasn't finished and this would be the scary part!

My doctor started to perform the external version and the feeling was so strange. I could literally feel the baby turning inside of me. He didn't get very far though and said, "Oh...Shannon...I feel feet. This baby has to come out now and breech." Then I really started to cry. I was so nervous! We were warned about entrapment and possible neurological defects. My OB didn't seem too concerned about those possibilities because I had delivered a larger baby before (Audrey was 8 pounds, 6 oz.) and she was delivered face up meaning that her head never crushed so she could come out. I had purposely picked this doctor to do my induction as well because when I had been going to the hospital all the time for my NSTs all the nurses seemed to really like this doctor and he is comfortable doing versions and delivering babies breech. Most other doctors would have ordered an automatic c-section which I did not want. I would have been fine with one if need be but didn't want that to be my only option. Anyway, I was nervous for my baby and was hoping I had not made the wrong decision regarding going this route. I had even told my Dr. that if the version couldn't be done successfully I wanted a c-section for the second baby because I was concerned about the health of my child...but apparently there was no time for that and I had to deliver this way.

Once again, the epidural this time was SO different. I could feel everything with both children being born. I could feel when the doctor pulled his arm out and I could feel his head still in there and I could feel the rest of him come out. It was very strange, but I am glad that I got to experience it. Luckily Baby B came out very quickly and safely! He was born only 3 minutes after his brother at 5:02 p.m. He scared me at first because he did not cry right away but the doctor took him after showing him to me and he started crying. I couldn't believe it was over and my boys were here and I didn't have to have a c-section. Once again.... I would have had a c-section if that's what was best for my child but I wanted to try to do it this way since I now have three kids under a year and a half old and stairs at home. If I was able, I wanted a quick recovery so I could keep up with it all.

Granseur was so wonderful during the whole thing. He encouraged me, comforted me, and held my hand. I would have been an absolute wreck without him.

Now for their names..... Baby A is Samuel Jonathan. We chose Samuel after the story of Hannah in the Bible. We chose Jonathan after Granseur's brother who passed away in 2003. Baby B is Anderson Granseur. Anderson is just a name that I like and its also a family name on my side. Granseur because its a unique name. We didn't want it to be lost in generations to come but we also didn't want a Jr. so it is his middle name.

Now for pictures! :)

Just arrived at the hospital. One of my very last pregnant pictures.

My breakfast - a popsicle. I was SO hungry and that's all I could have.

Waiting

Final hours of rest!

Contractions and heartbeats


Getting ready to go!

Samuel Jonathan born at 4:59 - 6 pounds, 14 ounces.

Anderson Granseur born at 5:02 - 6 pounds, 15 ounces.

Holding Samuel

Admiring both babies.

How did he get so good at this already?! He's comforting both babies so I can try to get some rest.

Audrey meets her new brothers


Samuel is on the left, Anderson is on the right.

Samuel

Anderson


Going home