It was a Tuesday. I was laying on the couch, as I had been for the majority of the past two and a half months. I was huge. I was 33 weeks and six days pregnant. Again, let me say, I was huge.
My mom was scheduled to help on Tuesdays, but on that particular day, she was sharing duties with my Dad. Dad had come over to take Clare to the park while Mom went to her book club. He brought Clare home from the park, we put her down for her nap, and Mom returned to take over the late afternoon shift. Thankfully, Clare was taking a late nap.
Mom was getting some laundry out of the dryer, I told her to throw it on the couch....I could at least help fold it. She threw it down and headed back into the laundry room. I reached over to grab an item of clothing and felt a gush. It was happening. And it was too early.
I had been to the doctor the previous day. The past two weeks had brought with them some "activity." I was having contractions; I got a positive read on a Fetal Fibronectin Test; I had spent one night in the hospital. Even with all of that, my doctor thought it was certainly still a possibility that I would go until 36 weeks. I was hopeful. I wanted to avoid the NICU and all that brought with it.
But, my water had just broken. There was no doubt about it, I was in labor. Frantic, I called my doctor's office who told me to go to Labor and Delivery. I was crying and scared. My mom called Casey and told him to get to the hospital. Next, she called Casey's dad and stepmom to come over and keep Clare. She also called my dad, who hadn't even made it home yet, and Casey's mom and told them what had happened. When Scotty and Mary arrived, I went in to peek on Clare one last time while she was sleeping, and then my mom and I headed out the door.
I had regained my composure while we were in the car, and I called Casey and talked to him while we were driving. He was more excited than scared. He was hopeful that this would actually be "it," and that it wouldn't end up with an extended hospital stay. He was asking details about what had happened and if I was sure that it was actually my water that had broken. I told him it was like a Sonic Route 44 pouring out of me....I was certain that is what had happened! We arrived at the hospital, and I got all checked in. Not too long later, my doctor came in and said they were going to go ahead with the C-section that evening. There were several nurses and doctors who came by and told me that because the girls were younger than 34 weeks (even if by a few hours), they would go directly to the NICU.
After blood work, epidural, and other administrative tasks, the nurse came to get me to wheel me to the operating room. Casey stayed behind to get in his scrubs. They assured me they wouldn't forget to go back and get him, and they didn't.
By the time he got there, it was go time. Not long after Casey joined me, we heard sweet Jane Jennings cry at 7:46. Six long minutes later at 7:52, Sydney Scott was out. We didn't hear her cry and they didn't hold her up for us to look at her like they did Jane. It was scary, but they passed her to the neonatologist who, thankfully, got her breathing before they took her to the NICU. When they wheeled the girls out, Casey went with them.
Jane in frontWhen I was in recovery, Casey came back to join me. He told me that he watched the "evaluations" of each girl, and they both did very well and neither were on oxygen. I felt a sense of relief. I knew that we weren't out of the woods yet and that the next few weeks would have ups and downs, but I felt good at that moment. My twin girls had arrived!
Sydney-left, Jane-right
And that was one year ago today. We made it! We survived the first year. The past year has been crazy for sure, but such a blessing. I am flooded with such great memories... holding them together for the first time, bringing each girl home from the hospital, watching Clare meet her sisters, seeing all of them start to interact with each other, watching each personality develop, and seeing how the twins crack up at Clare. Even smaller things stick out like taking all three girls to the grocery store by myself, getting the twins on a good nap schedule, and capturing simultaneous smiles on camera.
Sydney and JaneIt is so hard to believe that a year has passed. But the calendar doesn't lie, and today is their birthday! I am so thankful for these two precious girls, and I look forward to the next year. I am sure it will bring with it much excitement as well. Happy Birthday to Jane and Sydney!
Jane-front, Sydney on the drums
