"So, what happened?!"

I know this is what a lot of you must be asking:) I'll try to give you a short version for now:

Yesterday I had started feeling a little bit more crampy than I had been and mentioned it to mom. She had to convince me to tell the nurse as I wasn't feeling any contractions and didn't want to go back to labor and delivery to be monitored. The nurse called the resident and they wanted to do a vaginal exam. I asked if I could be monitored first to see if I was indeed having contractions before they did that horrid speculum exam.They agreed. I was sure the monitor would show that there weren't contractions and all was well.

Ahem. Apparently I don't know what contractions feel like. I blame it on the fact that I have always had HORRIBLE period cramps, so to me what I was feeling was just a dull, achy period like cramp. I saw mom's eyes widen as she watched the monitor and soon we were whisked away to L&D. I was having contractions like crazy. My vaginal exam showed that I was 100% effaced and 3 cm dilated!! I knew that the babies birth weight and Sam being transverse meant a Csection was coming, so I actually relished feeling the labor pains and watching the contractions on the monitor. Joel rushed into the room after finally getting our calls at school, and we both shed a few tears realizing that this was it! Our babies were coming out at 29 weeks gestation, and the OR I was going to be wheeled into was a far cry from a willow tree:) Mom and Joel both got to be there, though, and hold my hands through the surgery. There were no complications and the babies were whisked straight from the belly, through a window, into the NICU.

They are both doing really, really well right now. Neither of them had to be intubated and Amelia got to take off her little nose tube that helps her breath because she is doing so well on her own. Sam still has his little tube in and has to work a little harder, but the nurses say he is doing great and should catch up soon. Tonight I am supposed to get to hold Amelia skin to skin for the first time and I just can't wait. Joel is already the best Papa ever and loves to spend time in the NICU with his babies. He changes their tiny little diapers and listens to their heart beats and talks with them and then comes back and tells me all about it.

I am recovering well but am exhausted. The hardest part for me is the constant barrage of people coming in and out of the room all day and all night long. I think I'll do much better when I can rest in my own little home.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers. We still have a long way to go so please do keep remembering Amelia and Sam to the Lord. He has been so faithful to our little family. Much love, Jen