Quick Update

The girl's pediatrician asked us to bring them by the office today to have them weighed again. Addilyn weighed 5 pounds 2 ounces and Ella weighed 4 pounds 14 ounces. They are both up and over their birth weights which is fantastic! We don't have to return to the pediatrician until April 10.

Addilyn & Ella

Just wanted to do a quick update on the pediatric visit the girls had on Thursday. Their two week follow-up resulted in being weighed and measured. Addilyn weighed 4 pounds 10 ounces and measured 18 inches long. She's lost three ounces since birth. Ella weighed 4 pounds 6.5 ounces and measure 18 inches long. She's lost half of an ounce since bringing her home. Both are doing great. I'm posting more pictures.

The girls have arrived!

I know this blog is more than a week late in announcing the arrival of our baby girls, Addilyn Kate and Ella Grace, but motherhood keeps me VERY busy.

My doctor induced me Monday, February 9 at about 8:00 a.m. He broke my water around 9:00 a.m. only to discover later that day that he had only nicked the sack and had to re-break it when my chief complaint was that the blood pressure cuff was more horrendous than my contractions.

After that, the blood pressure cuff wasn't noticeable and I was asking for an epidural within 30 minutes. Everything sort of gets hazy and happened pretty fast after that. I'm not joking when I say I dilated from 5 cm to 10 cm in a matter of about 30 minutes.

I was whisked away to the operating room (just in case an emergency c-section was needed) while Matthew fumbled with getting scrubs on trying to keep up with my rolling bed. I think I endured an out of body experience delivering our girls. I didn't think I had it in me to do, but it was done and before I knew it they were both here!

Addilyn Kate Hutchison arrived at 7:26 p.m. weighing 4 pounds 13 ounces and measuring 17.75 inches long. Ella Grace Hutchison arrived 13 minutes later at 7:39 p.m. weighing 4 pounds 7 ounces and measuring 17.5 inches long. Both girls immediately began breathing on their own and never had to go to the NICU. We are so blessed to have such healthy babies considering they were born 4 weeks early. We all got to come home from the hospital on Thursday, February 12.

The hospital stay was especially difficult on me. I never knew how much the nurses bug you when you're trying to rest. The stress of childbirth and being in a hospital and fatigued brought on a minor case of Bells Palsy. The right side of my face is slightly paralyzed, but thankfully enough not droopy. I saw a neurologist on Monday, February 16 and he thinks we started treatment soon enough that I will recover. The bad thing is that it could be a few weeks to months before I recover. I'm trying to stay positive about it, but it is hard not being able to smile at my baby girls. Eating, drinking, and even brushing my teeth is a bit of a challenge now too. I vow to never take these things for granted again. I'm also struggling to regain a normal blood pressure. My doctor had to prescribe meds to help get it down. So far it hasn't done any good and is still in the 180/90 range.

The girls go in for their one week follow up to the pediatrician tomorrow. We are hoping to hear good news about their jaundice depleting and that they are gaining weight. I'll update again after their appointment.

Enjoy the pictures!

Addilyn & Ella

Addilyn Kate

Ella Grace

36 Week Update

I made it to week 36 in my pregnancy without any MAJOR problems or complications. It was a very busy week with doctor appointments. Here's the scoop...

Monday I had a non-stress test (NST) at the hospital to monitor the girls heart rates. They looked beautiful. The test also recorded any contractions I was having, and let me tell you I was having a lot. The nurse called my doctor to tell him what was going on and he advised her to check me. I was 60% effaced, 1 cm dilated, and Baby A's head was at a -2 station. The nurse called my doctor back with her findings and he told her he wanted to see me first thing the next morning and that I was not to go to work.

Tuesday morning I see my doctor and find that my blood pressure is up a bit, 140/80. My doctor rechecks me and agrees with with the nurse about my progress. I discuss working with my doctor and let him know I've finally reached my point of exhaustion. He said I could do whatever I wanted about work and if I didn't want to go back, he'd furnish the note. As I was checking out his nurse tells me there is a change of plans. A slight trace of protein was detected in my urine and I am not allowed to go back to work.

Thursday I return to the doctor to have my urine and blood pressure rechecked. My blood pressure is now 160/80. I was reexamined by the doctor and told that I am dilated to 1.5 cm. He sent me to the lab to have some bloodwork to check for pregnancy induced hypertension. He calls me at 5:30 to let me know that my lab work looks good. When I left his office earlier, he had me scheduled for another NST on Saturday morning and to be induced Monday morning. Pending my lab results he was going to induce me Friday.

As things stand, I go in for the NST on Saturday and arrive at the hospital by 7:00 a.m. Monday to start the inducing process unless I go into labor over the weekend on my own. I can't believe in just a few short days we will finally get to meet Addilyn and Ella!

36 Weeks, 0 Days

February 5, 2009