Sunday, April 6, 2008

Alex & Olivia have Arrived!!!

I went into the hospital on March 26th to be induced, and Ben and I were convinced we were going to have the kids on the 26th. Little did we know that the induction could take 2 to 3 days! By the morning of the 27th, I was only 2 cm. Ben and I could not believe it was progressing so slowly. However, shortly after lunch on the 27th I was up to 4cm, and they broke the water around Alex, and we were excited to think we would have the kids by the end of the day on the 27th. By that evening I was only 5 cm, and stayed at 5 cm throughout the night and into the morning on the 28th. I was having contractions pretty regularly but they were not strong enough to allow labor to progress. In fact, I barely felt the contractions and would always turn to Ben and ask "am I having a contraction now?". By the morning of the 28th, I was on the highest level of pitocin they could give me, so the dr. came in with two options - 1) stop the pitocin for a few hours and start back up and see what happens over the next 12 - 14 hours, or 2) have a c-section. We chose the c-section, as there was no guarantee that the first option would work, and we just did not have the stamina to be in the hospital for another 12 - 14 hours with no babies! Within the hour of the decision being made the babies were born! Alex Cameron arrived at 7:51 a.m., weighing in at 5 lbs, 14 oz, and 18.5 inches long.
Alex's sister, Olivia Alexandra was born at 7:53 a.m., weighing 6 lbs, 5 oz, and measured 19 inches long.

It was so great to hear them cry for the first time. Ben got to hold both of the kids in the operating room as they worked on putting me back together.
We arrived home on Monday, March 31st after a long 5 nights in the hospital. It was nice to finally be home and sleep in our own bed. So far the transition home has been smooth, and we are enjoying every minute with these little guys. Alex seems to be the more fussy one of the two, but luckily his crying does not bother his sister!

2 comments:

The Life and Times of The Fetscher Family said...

They are gorgeous! I can't believe how big they are since it is twins. Mommy is a good incubator! Have a great time and do your best to sleep when they do. It is the only thing to keep you sane!

Jen said...

Oh my goodness, they are so cute! Alex already looks so cute and mischievous in his picture and Olivia is a doll!! We couldn't be happier for you guys! Jackie, your birth story is CRAZY, you are such a trooper- I can't believe how long you were in the hospital!
Hang in there guys- the first 6 weeks all feel a little bit like groundhog day but obviously most people forget about it and have more kids so it will all be a blurry memory soon :) As always, we look forward to more pictures!
Love you guys!
The Zinks