On Thursday morning we had an appointment with the doctor for another ultrasound. It should have just been a half hour visit. For some reason I just felt like something might happen that visit. I told Jose to grab the camera, my overnight bag, our cell phone chargers, etc. He asked me if I knew something he didn’t know. I told him for some reason I just think we should have everything we need. Sometimes my mom goes with us and sometimes she doesn’t. I told her to come with us. I think it was just a nudging of the Holy Spirit.
We arrived at the doctor’s office at 11:00am. I was in the waiting room and I told the nurse I thought I was starting to have contractions. They took me to a little room and put me on the monitor. She told me that the contractions weren’t that bad and she’d be back in 10 minutes to take me off the machine. (Almost like I had wasted her time). She came back in 10 minutes and I was in full blown labor. No way to stop it this time. It was one contraction on top of another contraction. We couldn’t tell where one started and the next one began.
As soon as he checked me though – everyone started getting really nervous. Baby A started going into distress. All of a sudden we weren’t talking about just “making our way” upstairs for delivery but being told we needed an emergency c-section and was rushed to the OR prep-area. There wasn’t much time to think or process what was happening. I was pre-occupied by the labor and had people working all around me.
If you remember I had said I was nervous about the epidural because I had a bad one last time. I SAW the guy who gave me the bad epidural. There he was talking to another patient right next to me. I felt SICK to my stomach. I couldn’t believe I was going to have him again. I had wanted to take Jose and my mom back to the OR but they told me only Jose could go. I had less than 15 minutes before I go back – other patients had been bumped so I could take the OR. As I’m being hooked up to machines – I see Tammy Wrenn (who delivered Malaya) and has become a great family friend. I asked her if she could go back with us. She asked those in charge and went as one of the baby-catchers. I had 15 MINUTES before I go back and here is Tammy?? She told me she just felt like God wanted her to check for my name on the delivery board….
I had Jose trying to make phone calls, update the blog, and write a note on facebook so people could start praying. It seemed like we couldn’t get a hold of anyone in Haiti and I really wanted Magdala and Heather to know so they could have everyone praying. We had less than 5 minutes and still hadn’t gotten a hold of them.
Tammy immediately began praying for me and trying to calm me down. The contractions were hard and normally someone with these type of contractions would have had an epidural or at least lots of pain meds. I had neither. Tammy started helping me breathe through everything. I had told the other nurse that was monitoring me that I was scared to death of the anesthetist because he gave me the bad epidural last time. She told me to hold on a minute. The next thing I know I have a WOMAN coming towards me and says she is taking over my case. What? This friendly lady is now going to be my anesthetist? Her smile alone was calming. She too prayed over me.
They took me on back (without Jose) so they could prep me in the OR. I started to get really nauseated. The anesthetist gave me something for my nausea. She prayed over my back. She stuck me with no problems and this huge thing I had been scared of was over. I laid on the table and as I began to go numb she talked to me the whole time. She gave me just a little bit of medication to relax me. Jose was then let into the room and told me he had gotten a hold of Heather and Magdala and everyone was praying.
There was just this overwhelming peace – my body quit shaking. I closed my eyes and went over scripture that you all had sent me. I reminded myself that God never leaves. I thought about how God had already lined up everything – all these people – this specific OR staff – JUST FOR ME. I heard the babies cry and that was the last thing I remembered. I was given more relaxing drugs and I woke up in the recovery room.
I can’t tell you how many nights of sleep I lost thinking about this day. But from the moment the day started – God had everything taken care of. The fact that we brought everything we needed – especially the camera – we were already prepared. I was actually at the hospital when labor was impossible to stop – the OR was cleared out for me with no waiting – the anesthetist prayed over me and was more than I could ever have hoped for – there was Tammy praying and helping me breathe through the labor – in less than 30 minutes we were able to get the word out to everyone to pray – I mean the list just goes on and on.
The babies are doing much better and we hope to bring them home soon. I can’t even believe I get to write that sentence. When I was in the recovery room I saw my regular OB doctor. The one I wished I had again because I knew he would have delivered me back at 32 weeks like I was promised. Mom and I listened as he told the mother about the breathing machines her son would be on. It was the speech that I got with Gabriel. Another sign? It was just confirmation that God had put me in the right hands – despite my constant grumblings and suffering – He had protected me all along. He had protected these babies all along. It was almost unreal listening to all the things wrong with this little 32 week old boy. That could have been my boys.
I’ve spent the last few days in the hospital trying to process all of this. It’s hard to believe looking back through all my old blogs – this huge pregnancy drama – – just like that – it’s over. The light that we never thought would come – it came and it’s beauty was beyond anything we could have ever hoped for.
I know babies when they’re first born aren’t very cute – and maybe I’m a little biased – but I’m telling you – my babies are beautiful!! Fresh out of the womb and they’re perfect!! We’ve had a few set backs – they’ve been in and out of the NICU with breathing issues – but they’re coming home! They’re healthy enough to come home.
While I still remain in awe of God’s protection for my family – I can’t help but thank all of you for going through this journey with me. I’m sure you figured out things way before I did – – I’ve been so emotional trying to process everything that has happened these past 7 months. I know that God has been teaching me and stretching me throughout this whole adventure……. I thank HIM and YOU for your patience as I continue to learn!!
