The Birth Story - May 21, 2011

So as not to keep you waiting any longer (since it's already been 3 weeks), here is the birth story of Truett and Ellis.

On Friday, May 20th, I worked a full day in my recliner doing the usual bedrest thing that I had been doing for the previous three weeks.  I called it quits on my laptop around 5 and waited for Zach to get home and then our friend Angela was bringing dinner to us.  We started watching a movie shortly before she arrived and when she came we talked for a long while about the progress of the babies as well as the progress of her baby.  She brought us a great dinner of pot roast, mashed potatoes and veggies.  She also brought us a sweet treat of graham cracker mini pies filled with strawberries and blueberries with whipped topping.  Once she left, I made my plate and decided to wait a couple of hours to eat my dessert because I didn't want to go overboard with my diabetes.  So Zach and I finished watching our movie "When in Rome" and then we watched some of the Ranger game and about 915pm I got up to get my dessert.  Before I ate my dessert, I went to the bathroom and I got a little concerned because I just felt like I didn't have control of my bladder.  I called my mom and I called Shevawn and was unsuccessful in getting in touch with them.  When I finished in the bathroom, I came out to eat my dessert and I felt like I was leaking.  I went to the bathroom again and again and I just knew that something was up and since I couldn't get a hold of my mom, I called the on-call doctor.  He obviously couldn't confirm anything over the phone and so he suggested that we go to Labor & Delivery.  So Zach hurriedly packed my hospital bag (because we had no idea how long we would be there) and I finished eating my dessert all the while I felt like I was leaking.  

We left for the hospital about 10:30pm and I was admitted by 11:30pm.  My parents met us at the hospital since I was able to get ahold of my mom after talking to the on-call doctor.  The L&D nurse wasn't able to get in touch with doctor for a long time, so all they did when I was initally admitted was check to see if I was truly leaking amniotic fluid.  They also hooked me up to the monitors for me and both babies.  It wasn't until almost 1:30am that they finally had orders from the doctor that came on at 7am to start me on fluids and a round of antibiotics in case there was an infection that had caused me my water to leak.  So Zach and I settled in for the night and were under the impression that we would be at the hospital for the long-haul based on what the nurses and doctors had said.  

The doctor saw me that morning around 7am to tell me that they were ordering no food or drink for me just in case something might happen in that day.  He also told me that they intended to keep me pumped full of fluids and sustain me and the babies for at least two more weeks (I was exactly 32 weeks on Saturday, May 21st.).  So Zach hung out with me that morning and my sister showed up that morning to hang out as well.  My parents came up around 11am to see how I was doing before heading out of town to Tyler for a cousin's graduation party.  We were all under the impression that I wasn't going anywhere for a good long while and so everyone went on about their business.  I called several friends to let them know what was going on, but I didn't post anything on Facebook because I didn't want to cause a big stir.   

I called my friend, Amanda, and she happened to be in Lewisville that day.  She was excited to come up and see me because I had been one of the first people to see her when both of her children were born. Amanda showed up around 12:30 and hung out with me and my sister went to grab lunch.  Zach had gone home to get showered and ready for work and then he came back about 2:30 to see me before going to work at 3pm.  I told him to be on high alert in case something did happen though I was still under the impression that nothing would.  I remember at about 3pm that my contractions didn't feel too great, but they were definitely bearable.  I decided to get up to go to the bathroom at that time thinking that it would make them feel better.  So I got back in bed after that and they didn't feel any better, they actually started getting worse.  Amanda was then glued to the monitor watching when they would reach above a 10 and would cheer for me.  I didn't really feel like cheering, but she was enthralled with watching the monitor.  I was having contraction very regularly (1-2 minutes apart) and they were getting to be pretty uncomfortable.  Yet still not what I would call intense pain.  My sister was back by this time and the nurse, Clara, came to check on me again at 4pm.  When I told her that my contractions were hurting, she called the doctor.  The doctor told her to check me (which I might add, this was the first time that they checked me because they didn't want to disturb anything since they were trying to sustain me.  I have no idea if I was effaced or dialated when I came in on Friday night.) and when she did check I was 3cm dialated.  She called the on-call doctor back and within minutes she was back in the room telling me that the doctor would be here in 30 minutes and they would be performing a c-section.  Amanda promptly asked what the timing would be for me and the nurse replied that they would prep me now, and the C-Section would happen within 30 minutes.  Oh MY!

Me on operating table. 

Lisa called Zach on my phone several times until he finally answered and told him that he needed to be there now.  He had to excuse himself from some customers because he knew that it was obviously important.  He high-tailed it out of Home Depot and made it to the hospital in no time (it helps that it's only 5 minutes from the store to the hospital.)  He called his parents on the way to the hospital to let them know that it was happening now and that they needed to get in the car and head to Dallas.  She also called my parents to tell them, and they promptly turned the car around and headed for home (since they were about to stop at my uncle's house).  Zach arrived at the hospital about 4:45pm and the anesthesiologist was discussing with me what would go on in the OR.  Next thing I knew, I was being wheeled into the OR, and they were preparing me for an epidural.  This was actually the part that I was fearing the most because I knew that it was a really big needle.  It really wasn't that big of a deal though.  The part that hurt the most was the numbing medicine before the actual epidural.  They brought Zach in as they were started the surgery and he stood at my head watching the whole thing happen.  The anesthesiologist was my best friend in the OR because he talked through the whole procedure and would let me know when I would feel lots of pressure and tugging.  It was all very surreal!  Within minutes it seems of the start of the surgery I heard a crying baby, Truett and then not long after that another crying baby, Ellis.  They were whisked away to the cribs in the room and were tended to by the NICU nurses and neonatologist.  They were intubated immediately  and they showed them to me in their little incubators before they were taken away to the NICU.  They finished up with me and then I realized that my husband was gone, apparently he goes with the babies when they are taken to the NICU.  I was done with surgery and wheeled into recovery by 6pm.  Soon followed by Zach, and then, my parents showed up by 6:20pm.  My sister had to hold down the fort in the L&D room all by herself while I was in surgery.  Talk about a whirlwind!  

Truett

Ellis

After surgery, I called lots of people to let them know the news and Jason & Jacquie came to see me while I was still in recovery.  I remember thinking that the L&D bed wasn't so bad anymore now that I was numb from the chest down.  I hung out in L&D recovery until 8pm, when they then wheeled me through the NICU to see my boys before taking me up to my post-partum room.  I don't remember too much about that first night seeing them in the NICU, but I do remember thinking that this was all just unreal.  I couldn't believe that it had happened and happened so fast, but I had two perfect little boys.  After getting to the post-partum room, I was really itchy (from all the anesthesia) and they gave me some benadryl-like medicine.  At that time, Mark and Shevawn had come to visit and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open while Shevawn and I talked.  I was so glad to see all our friends though, but sad because I didn't have my babies to show them.  Zach and I then slept (as well as possible) through the night and went to see the boys in the morning.  And thus began, my ritual of going to the NICU daily on May 21st.  

Truett Reid Shirley was born at 5:23pm and weighed 4lbs 1oz and was 17 inches long (they at first told us 15 inches long.)

Ellis Jay Shirley was born at 5:25pm and weighed 4lbs 12oz and was 18 inches long.