My Kids Hospital Visit . . . a.k.a. Chaos in Room 360

The day after the girls arrived my mother, husband and 3 kids drove to Sacramento to visit me in the hospital and meet Natasha and Anjali. Sanj and Menaka were hanging out with the girls in my room right before my family came in. I told them that my kids would be walking in at any minute and it was about to get really noisy.

They arrived and for the next hour I was reminded why women recover at the hospital after a c-section without their kids. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing them and I thought it was important for them to meet the girls and most importantly to see them in their dads' arms. My kids have known Sanj and George for about a year and Ruby and Preston have been very aware of the entire process of their mommy being a surrogate. Back to the chaos-

We were sitting in the room when all of a sudden the ground started to shake . . . loud voices went from muffles to screams . . . a nurse ran down the hall shouting something about a stampede heading our way . . . JUST KIDDING- my kids walked in on their best behavior (that lasted about 5 minutes). They immediately saw the babies in their isolates and went ga-ga over them. Preston was trying to hug and touch them, Ruby was smiling from ear to ear, and Sawyer had no clue where he was, what was happening and why I was there. His little eyes were wide, looking all around and you could tell he was wondering what in the heck was going on- then, he saw them . . . "Babies" he said. Rick picked him up and showed him the girls.

Everyone came over and gathered around my bed. I got hugs and kisses and we talked about the babies a little bit. Menaka held Anjali and I held Natasha so my kids could see the babies up close.



Preston, my little love bug, would rest his head on them (giving them hugs) and Ruby asked if she could hold them. She sat on the end of my bed and I handed her Tasha to hold. She just sat their for a while staring at her and loving her. She was very excited to be able to finally hold one, since she had been feeling my belly for their movements for the last few months.



The funniest part of the day was Sawyer's reaction when I fed one of the babies. I was giving Anjali some colostrum and Sawyer was not happy about it. He climbed up and sat on his dad's lap, across from me. He stuck his chin up and his bottom lip out and proceeded to stare us down. You could just imagine what he was saying in his mind . . . "Don't get to comfortable baby, that's my mommy" or "Put the Boob down and no one gets hurt" . . .

For the rest of the visit my kids were bouncing off the walls, couch, chairs, etc. It was time for them to go before I made sure every woman on my floor decided against having more kids in the future. I gave them all hugs and kisses and told them I'd see them in a few days. Rick, seeing that I was a little stressed over their behavior (and my physical inability to deal with it myself) thought he'd be funny and ask if I wanted them to come back tomorrow. "No, Thank You" I said. In my mind I was freaking out thinking in 2 days I'd be back home, still physically unable to "control" my children if they decided to take advantage of mommy's "condition". Luckily, my mother is sticking around until Friday to help out since Rick's mom is now unable to help out as planned because of a family emergency. (My poor mother, I swear, she'll be back home by at least New Year's).

Birth Story Part 2

When I left you last I was checked into the hospital, 4 cm dilated, IV in, shaved and waiting for Sanj to arrive. It's usually around a 2 hour drive from the Bay Area (depending where you reside) to Sacramento. The time flew by- for me anyway- I'm sure it was a long drive for Sanj . . . because his girls would be here that very night! Before I knew it Sanj and Menaka had arrived and George and Sanj were given their scrubs to change into. Then after signing some paperwork and some last minute explanations we were ready to go to the Operating Room.



I was taken back to the O.R. where I was about to take a trip to "Surreal, USA." I have never had a c-section so this delivery was totally different. I got up on the gurney and the anesthesiologist gave me a spinal. That hurt a bit. I guess my vertebrae are really close together so getting the needle in between bone was harder than usual. Later, George and Sanj would tell me they heard me during the process and they felt bad. It probably sounded something like this, "Ouch, Ow, Ouch, Ehhhh, Okay, Oww, Ouch, Oh God . . ." I think you get the idea. Once they had the spinal in, they laid me on my back immediately. I felt like I was going to fall off the gurney. I asked them if I was falling, they assured me I wasn't and that I was attached and couldn't possibly fall off. It was really bright, so I closed my eyes while the preparations were going on and kept telling myself, "This is it!" It's crazy, we've been on this journey for almost a year and here I was, in the O.R. being prepared to deliver their girls. I wasn't scared, the whole thing seemed surreal. I couldn't feel pain from the abdomen down. I could feel them touching and tugging and moving around, but no pain. They put up the curtain, swabbed my belly and when they were ready, they called for the parents. George and Sanj took a seat by my head and the surgery began.



They told us they were cutting and Sanj took some pictures of the events.

At 7:05pm Natasha made her grand entrance. I could only hear her cry and then when the nurses moved her to the station to check her out, I could see her thick black hair. She was 6 pounds 2 ounces and 17.5 inches and Beautiful!



One minute later Natasha's little sister Anjali was born. She weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces and was 17.25 inches long and Adorable!



The nurses were attending to the girls and George, Sanj and I were in awe. Multiple cameras were being used (Thank you Sanj for using mine too) and the three of us were completely giddy! It was an amazing moment. Seeing George and Sanj with their girls was spectacular! It is unlike any other feeling I've ever had. To be a part of something so special, I can't even really put it into words. All I know is that it was a moment that I will never forget.


*Recovery stories to follow*

Birth Story Part 1

It was Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and I was heading to Sacramento for my last Non Stress Test appointment before our scheduled c-section (Sunday the 30th). I wanted to stop and get some lunch since I had only had a bowl of cereal a few hours before for breakfast but I wasn't sure I'd make it to my appointment on time. I figured I'd just grab a bagel sandwich afterwards on my drive home.

At 1:00 I met George and his mother in law at the appointment. I'm hooked up to monitors and the tests go well. They do notice I am having contractions and my blood pressure is a bit elevated. They page my OB and he tells them to send me to delivery so they can monitor me a little longer to keep and eye on my blood pressure. We settle into a triage room and start making a few phone calls to find out where Sanj is in case he has to drive to the hospital (it's about a 2 hour drive). I also call my family to let them know that I may be either late or not coming home tonight. The staff takes some blood and I pee in a cup so they can run a few tests . . . let the good times begin! Taking blood sucks for me because I have little veins- heck, I couldn't abuse IV drugs even if I wanted to! Peeing in a cup, now there's something I was born to do (great aim)- no problems there.

After an hour or so they decide my blood pressure is okay but they want to check my cervix for any progress since I'm having contractions every 2-3 minutes (75% of which I can't even feel). George and Logi leave the room and the nurse checks my cervix. I'm at 4 centimeters, which is another way of saying the girls birthday will be born in a few hours, not the 30th of November. I call my family to let them know I'll be home in a few days . . . George calls Sanj and Menaka (Sanj's cousin) to let them know they need to leave ASAP because we will be going in for a c-section in a few hours (2 other mom's scheduled before me). When you have a c-section they advise you not to eat or drink several hours before and luckily for me I hadn't eaten since eight o'clock that morning and I hadn't drank anything since noon. *Personal note* by this time I was indeed hungry and thirsty but knew it would be a few hours until I could eat or drink anything.

They check me into the hospital and begin preparations for the c-section. I get on my gown, they give me some medication to slow down the contractions, they start an IV in my hand and last but not least, shave my pubes. When the nurse was shaving me I had to giggle because instead of thinking about how painful the incision from the c-section would be I was complaining in my head, "Man, this is going to itch in a few days".




So now we just wait for Sanj to arrive.

11/28/08

Thankful for Mothers!

My mother and I had this great plan- She would come up to help me with my family and house for the time leading up to the girls' delivery. We had it planned out perfectly based on my last three deliveries, she'd come up November 7th (35 weeks) and she'd stay until the 21st. That way she'd be able to help me out at the very end, be here for the delivery and maybe a few days of recovery. Of course, as you know it's now November 27th, the girls haven't arrived yet and my mom is still here. HA! So much for my perfect plan, eh?

Luckily, My mom is a realtor, so with the market totally sucking right now she has been able to come up for a few weeks . . . actually, it will almost be a month by the time she leaves December 2nd. I am so grateful she was able to come up. I even told her in October, when we were planning everything, that if she left before I delivered that her being here would still be a tremendous help. I haven't been able to bend over really for weeks and it's amazing how quickly my house gets cluttered with 3 kids, most specifically my 2 year old. Not to mention my house is over 3400sf, which means a lot of house to keep in order when you're lugging around twins and can move a little quicker than a snail. Honestly, I think by having my mom here to help me get the kids ready for school, helping me taxi them everywhere, helping me with the house, meals, etc. it's probably the reason I haven't delivered yet. With my own kids I work up to the day I deliver and don't have any extra help until relatives visit after the birth. With my surro pregnancy I was pulled off of work at 30 weeks and for the last 3 weeks, when I'd usually deliver, I've had help 24 hours a day. So really, I guess I should tell my mom it's her fault :)

It has been great having her here for so long. Besides all the invaluable assistance, it's been nice for her to be able to spend so much time with her grand kids. Ruby's school even had a "Grandparents Day" that Granny Red (my mom, who's a redhead) was actually able to attend because she was already here with us! My kids are LOVING the fact she's been here so long, but I think we've all been spoiled. They're used to grandparents just visiting for a weekend, now whenever any of them come up they'll wonder why they have to leave so soon.

Another great thing was that my mom was able to meet the Intended Parents and will be around to see the girls she helped "keep in" for so long. Also, my mother in law will be coming up on the induction date (November 30th) and will stay with us until December 7th. That way, she can meet the parents and the babies and will help us out with the kids while I'm in the hospital and for the first few days I make it home with stitches and staples. At first Rick and I felt really bad about our mom's taking off work to come help out when the twins aren't their grandchildren. But they both had communicated to us that they wanted to help us because they were nervous about the twin pregnancy/birth and ultimately, we are their children and their grandchildren would need them. Not to mention my mother in law gave birth to triplets over 30 years ago and she knows the journey of multiples.

Honestly, the whole surrogacy process has gone flawlessly except for waiting for the delivery. We met great parents right away. Our transfer succeeded the first time. The parents ended up with twins. We've had 37 weeks of great reports on the girls and my health. Everything has been wonderful. The only "bummer" part in the whole process was my inability to plan my mothers visit better. But really, I swear, if she didn't come up when she did, I would've had the girls earlier, I'm sure of it. So I guess I should try not to feel bad. I know she has enjoyed herself but she also has left a husband, job and animals for almost a month and when she returns home will no doubt have tons to do. Perhaps I should start thinking of a nice Thank You gift to send her upon her return.

Kelly's Fantastic Turkey Day Twin Diet- Yours only $40!

Last Friday we had an ultrasound and they estimated the girls weight. I'm carrying over 11 pounds and 3 ounces of cargo! Baby A was 5 lbs 10 oz and Baby B was 5 lbs 9 oz, which is a great weight for twins at 36 weeks. We've passed the gestation and weight where it is very likely that they'll be discharged from the hospital before I will.

Since I'm still pregnant (I swear every blog will be my last before I give birth) I figured I better blog since it's been several days. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so we'll see if I get to eat with my family or if I'll be eating Sutter Memorial's version of turkey day dinner after we deliver. If I am home, it will probably be the least amount I've ever eaten for Thanksgiving, ever. I should market "Kelly's Fantastic Turkey Day Twin Diet" to the world. It would be based on the fact that there is no room to really eat. I figure I could write a comedic "How To" lose weight on America's most gluttonous day brochure, have it accompanied by about a cup full of food (envision military rations) in flashy packaging and charge about $40 each. Where I think I'll fall short is the FDA approval on the 11 pound fake twins we'll need to try to have surgically implanted in the customer's abdomen. Obviously, I'll need to think this through, but as a quick brainstorm, I may have something here.

I actually do have a plan for eating tomorrow. First, we're going to eat earlier in the day to try to help avoid my nighttime heartburn. Next, I think I'm going to start at the end of the meal knowing that I'm going to run out of room. This way I can ensure pleasure of eating Pumpkin pie and not "waste" my room on green beans.

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, Happy Turkey Day tomorrow. For those of you who don't, Happy Thursday.

I'll try to do another post in the next day or two since time is running out . . . . Who knows what you'll be forced to read in the upcoming months when you can't visit my blog anymore. I will make sure to post some support group information soon since I'm sure several of you will no doubt, go through withdrawals. I know at this moment, some of you are yelling at your screen, "Say it ain't so Kelly" . . . Sadly, Denial is the second step after Shock in the Cycle of Grief. Just know I'll be here for you.

In The Final Stretch

My bag is packed and hanging out in the back of my van. I'm ready to go . . . just waiting for that whole "labor" thing to begin. My family and friends are so surprised I haven't given birth yet. I am actually the most stunned- I guess I jinxed myself blogging about how early my own kids come. I thought for sure between my early births and and with twins usually making an early appearance, by today, the parents would be experts at wiping spit-up, changing their girls outfits 4 times a day after multiple "blow outs", and trying to function on minimal sleep with no showers. But here I am . . . still VERY pregnant and they are still very clean and well rested (with plans to see the new Bond movie Friday).

Back to the packing . . . it was much easier to pack for my hospital stay this time around than when I was about to birth my own kids. I get to pack a few things I would have never packed before and get to leave several items at home. More than likely I'll be having a c-section, so instead of staying for only one day, I might be in the hospital for 2-4 days. New items I packed this time are books. With three kids at home, a teaching job, a children's boutique and a television addiction reading a book for pleasure (written for an adult) isn't usually my top priority. So, I made sure to bring two books that I've been wanting to read, When You Are Engulfed In Flames by my favorite author David Sedaris and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach. Since I won't need to care for the twins or my own children, I may actually be able to read both books from cover to cover! Heck, with a c-section I'll have a catheter in, so having to stop reading to go pee won't even be an issue! I'm also debating about bringing my laptop. Sutter Memorial has free Wi-fi so I figured I can keep up with the blog during my "down time". I can create magical blogs in my hospital bed and later have a nurse help me up to walk around and post it from the free Wi-fi area . . . or when my family comes to see me, have them post it. Seriously, if not for the fact that this will be major abdominal surgery with a few weeks of recovery, my hospital stay has the makings of one of the best vacations I've taken in the last few years.

On the other hand, no need for me to bring car seats, the girls won't be going home with me. Don't need to pack any outfits, diapers, or any other baby gear. I also don't need to bring anything for Rick, as he won't be staying overnight with me like he did with our kids. We've discussed his "job" through all this and it doesn't need to be much. These aren't our kids, so it's not like he needs to be there during the birth. Yes, he could give me encouragement and support, but the parents will be there, and their excitement for the outcome will undoubtedly be more than Ricks, so they may be the better bet. I do think if something goes wrong, maybe I would want him there, but I hate to go there . . .

Even though it may be a downer, it is part of the whole experience, so maybe I will mention some of my anxieties. Let me preface this by saying I have a huge imagination, so there have been a few things I've thought about during this process. Ultimately, I'm very optimistic, so my overactive imagination hasn't gotten out of control. As we get closer to delivery and it became apparent that I would probably be having a c-section, some new thoughts started to tip-toe into my mind . First, I could lose my uterus but the fact is, our family is complete, so it's not like I would be devastated that a future baby wouldn't have the chance to join our family.

One of the things that does make my heart skip a beat is that I know dying during birth does happen, although very unlikely. I have thought a little bit more about this just because I've never had a c-section before, so I've devoted a little bit of time to all my what if situations. The biggest sadness I feel besides of course my children losing their mother is the thought that Sawyer is too young to remember me if I did pass. (Again, it is not my goal to freak people out here or have them to start to tear up, but I have tried to stay genuine during all my posts, and this goes for the sad thoughts as well as the funny ones). Perhaps I should insert a pooping during delivery joke here to cut the tension? Again, I'm very positive and know that everything is going to be fine, but I would be lying to say that the thoughts above never have entered my mind.

Well, it's the end of the post and I'm still pregnant- damn it! *smile*

I'll keep you posted. I'm hoping things happen soon. No one, including my OB, thinks I'll make it to November 30th (which is our induction/c-section date) but you never know. I do hope that I give birth before this Monday or after next Friday. It would suck to spend Thanksgiving without my family in the hospital. Although, it may suck more to be pregnant at Thanksgiving since more than a cup full of food seems to give me heart burn. Perhaps I need to see this in a more positive light . . . as a diet technique. I will no doubt have several pounds to shed in the next few months (or years for me) this could be a blessing in disguise, my inability to eat or enjoy Thanksgiving. Perhaps the twins should stay in longer so they can help me not eat Christmas Cookies?