Welcome Alexander Dwight
Welcome Isabella Lauren! 
Welcome Helen Ann!
Being monitored 
Cecil made it in time!Cecil and I are bursting with joy to announce that our three children were born on November 29, 2007 at 7:39, 7:40, and 7:41 PM. Helen Ann (Baby A) was 4 pounds, 5 ounces, Isabella Lauren (Baby B) was 3 pounds 9 ounces and Alexander Dwight (Baby C) was 3 pounds 11 ounces. Thankfully, Cecil was able to be there for the birth but just in the nick of time.
On Thursday morning, I went to my doctor for my regular check up and my blood pressure was elevated. The doctor diagnosed me with pre-eclampsia which is a condition that if left untreated could result in a stroke or seizure in me. He sent me straight to labor and delivery because the only cure for this is delivering the babies. While the doctor called the Red Cross to get Cecil permission to come home, I was calling Cecil on his cell phone to tell him to get on a plane and get here ASAP. He was in the middle of a convoy in a field in the middle of Kansas doing some training so he had some challenges getting back to civilization and an airport. When he got back to Ft. Riley , he got straight in his car and drove to the airport. He was able to get there in time to catch a flight that would put him in Jacksonville around 6:15 PM.
In the meantime, I'm in the hospital having my blood pressure monitored. The doctor said he would only be willing to delay the delivery for Cecil to be there if my blood pressure did not continue to rise. I found it ironic that in the midst of trying to get my husband home, my mother here, talk to my doctors, the neonatologist, the anethesiologists and fill out all the paperwork, I was supposed to be staying calm and relaxed so that my blood pressure stayed low. I was not doing a very good job so they started me on some medicine that was supposed to lower my blood pressure. But this was some nasty medicine and made me feel awful. It was enough though that I was able to bargain with the doctor to hold off for Cecil.
Thankfully, Cecil's flight was on time - he landed a few minutes after 6:00 and was in my hospital room by 6:30 - wearing the same clothes and carrying exactly what he had on him when I called him 7 hours earlier. By 7:00 I was in the OR being prepped for the C-section. Thankfully it all worked out and he got to see the babies come into this world. The delivery was very quick and after a quick peek at the babies, they were wisked into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I was taken back to recovery and my mom arrived shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, things got pretty bad for me after that. The blood pressure medicine they had me on was such nasty stuff that the next 24 hours were completely miserable for me. Cecil and my mom were able to go to the NICU and see the babies right away. Alex was put on a breathing machine to help with his breathing but the girls were both doing fine. Alex only stayed on the machine for a day and then came off.
Friday night when I was finally able to stop taking the medicine I felt like a whole new person again. I was finally able to enjoy being a mom and get to see my babies. On the one hand they seemed so tiny yet amazing that all three of them fit inside of me too. We are very very lucky that they have not had any problems other than being small. They are all feeding from a bottle now and just need to get bigger and stronger. Hopefully their progress will continue. We've taken lots of pictures and have to confess that sometimes we cannot tell who is who yet. But the girls seem to have Cecil's darker coloring and Alex seems to have my lighter coloring. As we spend more time with them, we are learning their personalities more and can tell them apart easier.
I came home from the hospital today but the babies are still there. We are not sure how long they will be there - hopefully they will be home before the end of the month. Cecil is home for now - he'll have to go back to Kansas for a couple of days this week then will be back on Saturday until he leaves for Afghanistan . He has been doing most of the feedings and diaper changes in the hospital while I've been recovering. He is a natural at being a dad and the babies just love to lay there and stare at him.
We'll have some pictures out soon so everyone can see them. We are all thrilled to be doing so well!
On Thursday morning, I went to my doctor for my regular check up and my blood pressure was elevated. The doctor diagnosed me with pre-eclampsia which is a condition that if left untreated could result in a stroke or seizure in me. He sent me straight to labor and delivery because the only cure for this is delivering the babies. While the doctor called the Red Cross to get Cecil permission to come home, I was calling Cecil on his cell phone to tell him to get on a plane and get here ASAP. He was in the middle of a convoy in a field in the middle of Kansas doing some training so he had some challenges getting back to civilization and an airport. When he got back to Ft. Riley , he got straight in his car and drove to the airport. He was able to get there in time to catch a flight that would put him in Jacksonville around 6:15 PM.
In the meantime, I'm in the hospital having my blood pressure monitored. The doctor said he would only be willing to delay the delivery for Cecil to be there if my blood pressure did not continue to rise. I found it ironic that in the midst of trying to get my husband home, my mother here, talk to my doctors, the neonatologist, the anethesiologists and fill out all the paperwork, I was supposed to be staying calm and relaxed so that my blood pressure stayed low. I was not doing a very good job so they started me on some medicine that was supposed to lower my blood pressure. But this was some nasty medicine and made me feel awful. It was enough though that I was able to bargain with the doctor to hold off for Cecil.
Thankfully, Cecil's flight was on time - he landed a few minutes after 6:00 and was in my hospital room by 6:30 - wearing the same clothes and carrying exactly what he had on him when I called him 7 hours earlier. By 7:00 I was in the OR being prepped for the C-section. Thankfully it all worked out and he got to see the babies come into this world. The delivery was very quick and after a quick peek at the babies, they were wisked into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I was taken back to recovery and my mom arrived shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, things got pretty bad for me after that. The blood pressure medicine they had me on was such nasty stuff that the next 24 hours were completely miserable for me. Cecil and my mom were able to go to the NICU and see the babies right away. Alex was put on a breathing machine to help with his breathing but the girls were both doing fine. Alex only stayed on the machine for a day and then came off.
Friday night when I was finally able to stop taking the medicine I felt like a whole new person again. I was finally able to enjoy being a mom and get to see my babies. On the one hand they seemed so tiny yet amazing that all three of them fit inside of me too. We are very very lucky that they have not had any problems other than being small. They are all feeding from a bottle now and just need to get bigger and stronger. Hopefully their progress will continue. We've taken lots of pictures and have to confess that sometimes we cannot tell who is who yet. But the girls seem to have Cecil's darker coloring and Alex seems to have my lighter coloring. As we spend more time with them, we are learning their personalities more and can tell them apart easier.
I came home from the hospital today but the babies are still there. We are not sure how long they will be there - hopefully they will be home before the end of the month. Cecil is home for now - he'll have to go back to Kansas for a couple of days this week then will be back on Saturday until he leaves for Afghanistan . He has been doing most of the feedings and diaper changes in the hospital while I've been recovering. He is a natural at being a dad and the babies just love to lay there and stare at him.
We'll have some pictures out soon so everyone can see them. We are all thrilled to be doing so well!
