Zzzzz

I think Shawn and I have forgotten what sleep is.  We are doing well, though.  I'll start this post after the birth of our miracles.

I still can't remember what the two shots were in the thighs to firm my uterus and stop my bleeding.  I also remember them upping my pitocin.  Apparently it helps with that as well.

After Colt and Cora were born, my family got to come to my delivery room (I was in this room before delivery.  All twins and multiples are delivered in the c-section room in case of emergencies.) and they got to oogle the babies and hold them.  I think Colt looks a lot like Shawn and Cora looks a lot like me.  I was starving, so Shawn ran out and got me Subway while waiting to take me to the postpartum room.  They waited a little bit to take me because they wanted to give me the biggest room and the room was being cleaned since the person in it had just been released.  I also had some lovely tummy pains from those shots in the thighs.

Once in the postpartum room, we found my sisters and Zac and Abby waiting on us.  They loved meeting their new brother and sister.  Shawn and I slept I think 2 hours that night.  We were just too excited and couldn't put down our babies.  We have waited a long time for this. In fact, Shawn and I married March 11, 2006. We were blessed with the birth of our twins (our miracles) exactly 7 1/2 years later on September 11, 2013. That's a long road of infertility finally at an end.

The next morning I had labs.  I was already a little anemic during pregnancy, which is common.  After my blood loss after delivery, it got a lot worse.  I was cold and dizzy.  I had to have my IV hooked back up and I had a blood transfusion.  1 unit takes a little over 3 hours to do.  I had to have 2 units (which again, is common).  It hurt the whole time.  The blood was cold, so it made my vein ache in my hand and wrist.  Thank you to whomever shared their blood with me.  I appreciate using your nutrients!  My blood work Friday morning showed that I'm still anemic, but a lot better than I was.  I'm taking iron pills for at least 6 weeks.  Hopefully at my 6 week appointment, I will be better.  The Dr. said don't be surprised if I'm not.

We are really learning what it is to be parents to not only newborns, but twins.  We are exhausted!  Our babies are "sleepy eaters".  This can be common with any newborn, but especially preterm babies.  Our babies are technically preemies since they are not 40 weeks.  We could have weeks of this.  I pray not!  Its exhausting.  I am breastfeeding and pumping.  The babies have great latches and sucking now, but they fall asleep quickly, long before they are full.  They struggled with latching and sucking the first day or 2.  It was a learning process for us.  They both lost weight after birth, which is common.  Cora got down to 4 pounds 14 ounces and Colt got down to 4 pounds 10 ounces.  I hope they are gaining now that my milk is in.  I nurse the babies for an hour.  I should clarify.  I "try" to nurse them.  I spend most of the time stripping them down, changing their diapers, putting cold washcloths on them to wake them up to nurse more.  After doing this for 30 minutes with each baby, we bottle feed them with breast flow design nipples.  I don't want it easy for them.  I don't want them to give up on breastfeeding.  So far, so good.  They still enjoy nursing first, even if it puts them to sleep.  Everyone promises that this will eventually come to an end and they will get it.  It could take up to 5 more weeks.  Lord, I pray not!  It is exhausting.  I nurse one baby for half an hour then Shawn brings me the next baby.  He takes the first baby and encourages them to finish filling up on the bottle.  Then once the 30 minutes is up with the next baby, he bottle feeds them while I pump.  We have a system down.  Its just very time consuming and doesn't promote a lot of sleep.  We are both "trying" to get naps in the daytime while the babies sleep.  My mom came over this evening and spent time with Zac and Abby and took care of the twins while Shawn and I got a nap.  It was AMAZING!  We greatly appreciate her giving us that little bit of time to rest without having to worry about anything.  After seeing how much time is spent focused on nursing, I think she understands why we are so exhausted.

I told Shawn to call me Bessie and put me out to pasture.  I am producing quite a bit right now.  I hope it stays that way.  I want to tandem feed, but its hard to do when they aren't nursing without being pestered.

We were supposed to get out of the hospital on Friday evening, but both babies developed jaundice.  They were put on bili blankets.  Cora's got worse, so she was put under bili lights as well while Colton continued with his blanket.  They were finally well enough to come home on Sunday.  I cry when I look at all of the pokes and marks on my babies.  They had a little trouble keeping up their sugar the first couple of days, so they have a lot of heal pokes.  :(  Cora had labs again today.  She jumped when the needle went in and just sucked on her pacifier while it was done.  The lab tech really struggled getting her tiny vein.  In fact, she lost it and wasn't sure she had gotten enough blood.  I didn't want her poked again, so we stayed there long enough to see if they had gotten enough.  Thank God, they had.  I'm not sure I could have handled them poking her again.  She just lay there sucking her pacifier while I leaned in close to her talking to her and stroked her head.  I about cried for her.  I hate feeling like she's a pincushion.  She's had so many labs since her jaundice was worse than Colts.  Her levels were a little high again, so we should be getting a bili blanket delivered for home use tomorrow.  Their first appointment is Wednesday.  I'm sure they will have labs again to check their levels.  I think Colt still has it as well, but not as bad.  They are eating and messing diapers a lot now.  I really hope their weights are going back up.

Shawn is amazing!  I would be lost without him.  He takes very good care of me.  I'm so busy that I forget to take care of myself.  He feeds me and makes me drink often.  I am dreading him going back to work.  Maybe the babies will eat better by then.  I'm thankful he saved his vacation and was able to take the first 2 weeks off with us.  I'd be lost without him.

Well, Bessie had better get to work.  Take care!

~Sam