Live, Laugh, Love with The Hill's: Love at First Sight

Thursday, February 13, 2014 was the big day.

I was scheduled to deliver my babies at 32 weeks and 1 day via C-section.

My life was changed forever.

Brayton made it home with no problems Wednesday evening, we spent our last night together prior to being parents in my hospital room and prepared ourselves for the biggest day of our lives. We were so excited to finally get to see and hopefully hold our baby girls for the first time yet so scared at the possibility that something could go wrong bringing them into the world 8 weeks early. I felt a cluster of emotions at no longer being pregnant and feeling and having those wonderful baby girls inside me and the responsibility of my body not 'working right' and forcing the premature birth of them. The fear and excitement we felt were overwhelming and we were both ready for whatever was to come the next day.

My morning was spent with my family visiting and hanging out, helping my keep my mind at ease and doing what families do - being there! The time passed quickly as I had my normal morning NST, nurse and doctor checks, vitals monitored, showered, and hooked up to IV fluids to prepare me for surgery. 12:30 pm quickly arrived, Dr. Spadola came in to make sure I was ready and I was taken upstairs to Labor and Delivery. There I met with my anesthesiologist and many nurses who would be part of my surgery. The time came where Mom, Dad and Bit were asked to leave and Brayton and I had our last few minutes together before meeting our girls.

I was taken into the operating room and Brayton was told they would be back to get him in about 15 minutes after my spinal was set and we were ready for delivery. In the operating room there were two big set ups for the girls, a team of nurses and doctors surrounding each of them, the operating table with a team of nurses and doctors surrounding that for me and a variety of other OR things - honestly, I was too overwhelmed to even take in my surroundings. I was put on the table and prepared for the spinal. Due to my swelling, I had an extremely hard time sitting straight and upright. I tried and the furthest I could get was with a lean to the right. Unfortunately, this was not conducive for a spinal and he had to try numerous times with no success except tingles on my right side. Finally, I beared the pain and discomfort, forced myself to sit centered and up straight and tall (with the help of doctors and nurses holding me in place) and within seconds the spinal was in and effective!! Brayton was then brought in - after about a 30 minute wait rather than 15 minute wait. This was the longest 30 minutes of his life!!

Delivery went flawlessly, Baby A was delivered and 2:31 and Baby B at 2:33. I was able to see and touch both girls and Brayton was able to watch the entire delivery! Both girls were healthy and were taken to the NICU with their teams. They were both put on CPAP which is just room air being pushed into the lungs to help prevent their lungs from collapsing as they aren't fully developed and their brains aren't developed enough to tell their lungs to keep working!

They were also put on monitors to track their heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen levels. They were given IV's to be fed through as the first few days they only received nutrients via the IV until we began breast milk on Sunday (3 days old). The girls bilirubin levels were both high and they were both put under UV lights on Day 2. There have been a variety of changes and the girls have surpassed the expectations of all the doctors and nurses. They are doing things ahead of schedule and making great progress each day! We have been blessed with two strong, loving, perfect baby girls <3

Post delivery for me was a bit more rough. I was really sore from the surgery and swelling that I had pre-surgery so I was quite out of it. I was also on some heavy pain meds and pretty much restricted to bed. I was not able to get out of bed enough Thursday night to go up to the NICU to see the girls. That was very difficult. Brayton went up to visit them numerous times and took lots of pictures for me. Friday morning, even though it was very difficult, I forced myself out of bed and into a wheelchair and went up to visit my girls for the first time. I will never forget how incredible, yet scary it was to see them attached to all their monitors and IV's and swaddled up tight in their isolettes. They were handed to me - one at a time because they were in separate areas of the NICU at this point - and holding my baby for the first time was an incredible feeling. Their tiny bodies, their wrinkly skin, their fresh baby smell, their fluttering eyes, everything about them was perfectly perfect.

Brayton had to return to St. Kitts to finish his final semester of Vet School on this past Monday. It was terribly hard for him (and for me) to leave the girls and know he wasn't going to see or hold them again for 53 more days. This pregnancy has presented us with many challenges, all of which we have overcome successfully and this is just another one that will only make each of us and our relationship stronger! We have an awesome little family <3

Today, the girls are 2 weeks old and have done an amazing job in the NICU. Each of them has surpassed all the nurses and doctors expectations and they have done everything they were supposed to do a day or two ahead of time. We, and all the doctors and nurses, are so impressed with their progress and strength. We have two strong, beautiful, and simply perfect little girls.

We couldn't ask for more!