♡ HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The twins were about 3 months old when I found out that I was pregnant again. I was SHOCKED to say the least. I had been working out for about a month and a half when I started feeling really tired and lacking energy. I'd be peddling my bike up a hill with my friend and I'd feel strong and yet my energy was just gone. My friends thought I should take a pregnancy test. I thought they were crazy and there was NO WAY I was!!! I mean come on the twins were 3 months old. But I took a test anyway feeling that I was wasting 5 bucks. However when those two little lines showed up I just about died. Joe didn't know that I was taking one so when I came out and said, "I'm pregnant." He just stared at me. He didn't say anything AT ALL. Just stared. Big eyes. I think his mouth was gaping just a bit and staring. I felt the same way!!!

It took us over 3 years to get pregnant with the twins so we figured no worries it would take forever again and even if we did get pregnant it would be fine. However we NEVER thought that it would happen that SOON!!! I didn't tell anyone for about 5 months or so, well besides family. I think I was still a little shocked and a little embarrassed at the same time.

We live in a really small town and our hospital isn't very big so it's lacking some of the things that you need if you want to do a vag delivery (vback) after having a c-section. I decided I'd go to my parents town to have Olivia. I really didn't want to have another c-section so that was my only solution. I went about 2 weeks before my due date with Emma & the twins. Emma was almost 5 and not in school yet so that worked out well. I found myself a doctor ended up not liking him AT ALL so I found another one and it turns out that he studied under my doctor that I had here. 2 weeks isn't much time to find a doctor and get things taken care of but it all fell into place even with having to "fire" my first doctor and finding another one.

My due date was not set in stone since my system was still wacky when I found out I was prego with Olivia. They said my due date was the 9th then changed it to the 24th. I didn't want to have her on the 24th I know I'm picky so when I went in for my "last" appointment on the 20th (a friday) they stripped my membranes and nothing happened until I was at church on Sunday the 22nd. We finished church, the whole time I was contracting but it wasn't bad. We got home and I called Joe he had JUST left that morning to go back to our town, which is like 4 plus hours away. So I called him and he had to turn around and come back. He had to make arrangements with some friends to take notes in class so he didn't miss anything important. Since Joe had 4 hours to drive my mom came with me to the hospital. My dad watched the twins and Emma for me. We waiting for a while to get a room. Which was fine I still wasn't contracting really bad yet. I finally got into a room and they got me hooked up to an IV and they said even if I didn't want an epidural they still needed to put the spinal IV thing in anyway since there is a higher risk of problems for people that have a vback. My feelings were if you're going to make me go through the pain of putting that honkin huge needle in my back then just give me the drugs. Why waste a good thing! :)

The doctor broke my water for me. No embarrassing ruptures in a restaurant this time! Doctor left and then things went crazy. A nurse was checking Olivia's heart beat and noticed that it was slowing down. So the Doctor did one last check and found that her cord was prolapsed and cutting off her oxygen. He figured it happened just after he ruptured the membranes. Everything went crazy after that. I heard code blue (I think it was blue, could have been some other color?) code blue and a rush of nurses and doctors came in. I have no clue what the heck was going on. My doctor is telling the nurse to get a surgical cart ready and I'm a little freaked out now. Finally I get informed what's going on. I have a nurse pushing Olivia's head back in and off the cord so she can breathe. Let me tell you, that was awkward. I get into the surgery room and I see this nurse who looks WAY to familiar. It's a girl I went to high school with. LOVELY. It's not like I was friends with her or even knew her very well. However I know she knew me. So I'm there in ALLLLL MYYYY glory. That's what I get for having my baby in the town next to the one I grew up in. I remember feeling very frightened for the safety of my baby and not knowing exactly what was going on. Finally Olivia is born at 4:48pm she weighted 8 pounds and 3 ounces and 21 inches long... I get a brief glace at her as they're rushing her off to the NICU. She was blue but breathing. I was trying not to break down. My mom is there which was a great comfort.

I finally get fixed up from the emergency c-section and back to my room when the Doctor tells me that they need to keep Olivia in the NICU for 24 hours. I hadn't even held my baby or anything. All I knew was that she had a ton of hair. My mom went to the NICU and got some pictures for me. These are the pictures that she took.

I was finally able to see her the next day mid morning. They only let me keep her for about an hour but it was the first time I had been able to hold her. The day before they had to give her an IV and do a bunch of tests to make sure everything was okay. The only nice part was that I got to sleep the rest of Sunday and part of Monday. I don't even remember much of that time. Joe had made it back about an hour after she was born. The nurse commented some time on Monday that I did really well the afternoon before with all the commotion. I must have been calmer on the outside but all I remember was my mind running a thousand miles a minute when it was all going on. She said that when things like this happen the mothers are usually freaking out crying and caring on. I do remember shedding a couple of tears during the c-section.

Joe had brought Emma and the twins in and it was a little crazy. The twins were so happy to see me. It was so sweet. Of course they were only 13 months old at the time. The maternity ward was crazy busy that weekend and so on Monday they moved me up to a different floor. It was so quiet and the floor was carpeted I had my own room (well I did the whole time) but it was just quiet and so nice. I remember feeling so calm and just being there with Olivia and taking care of her. I almost didn't want to leave.

Joe and his mom surprised me by doing an overhaul on the house while I was still at my parents. My mom watched the kids for me while I was in the hospital. It was a blessing in disguise going all the way there and end up having a c-section anyway. Even though I could have stayed home and done the same thing, I'm not sure how I would have done it by myself with the twins. Joe's mom was able to stay for a couple of weeks to help me even more, another wonderful blessing. The twins were still at the age of wanting to be held and cuddled. I couldn't have done it without both of these wonderful women!!!

This is a picture of my sister Gayle and Olivia just after Olivia's blessing. I love this picture! Olivia was just over a month old here...

3 months old...

7 months old...

1 year old...

2 years old...

3 YEARS OLD!!!