I can hardly believe it’s been a week since these sweet little ones’ arrival!! It’s been one incredible week, to say the least! Below is a shortened version of their birth story. If this is not your type of thing to read, feel free to skip ahead to the photos! :)

On Tuesday last week, I checked into the hospital to be induced. The journey was nothing as I anticipated. I had expected the induction process to be fairly quick and eventful. Instead, the labor process was very slow and I found myself wishing I had brought books and things to keep me busy! I was also shocked that I was never in terrible pain during labor, as I had expected to be. The worst “pain” was the awful itching from the rash on my belly and arms! I received an epidural about half way through, after the doctor broke my water. My pain was very manageable, but the nurses kept being shocked that I could talk through contractions…so I figured it would get super painful very soon. I had NO idea an epidural would make my entire lower body numb – what a strange, out of body experience! To turn me or adjust me, the nurses had to pick up my legs to move me. WEIRD.

Around midnight, I suddenly began feeling a ton of pressure and quickly called in my nurse. Sure enough, I was fully dilated and ready to meet these babies! Even though both babies were still vertex (head down), I had to be wheeled into the operating room to deliver them, just in case they needed to do an emergency c-section (standard procedure for multiples). I guess I had a glorified vision of what the OR would be like…I certainly didn’t envision a room with the brightest lights I could imagine and having to lay on a very skinny metal operating table while pushing. At this point in the morning, I was starving. Like I could eat five big macs, and coming from a girl who would never choose to eat a big mac, this said a lot! Needless to say, I began this next process exhausted and so very hungry – certainly not the best physical condition to have to push two babies out!

Pushing was also nothing as I had anticipated, and for some reason I really struggled getting enough air. I felt like my head was going to burst each time I had to push…apparently I’m not so great at taking deep breaths and then having to hold my breath! Grant was INCREDIBLE during this time. I absolutely could NOT have done it without him and the way he coached me perfectly. He was so gracious as to give me ice chips to munch on in between contractions. It sounds like a little thing, but that was SO needed. I remember telling the nurses at one point to feel free to yell at me to push harder and not be so kind about it, as I was SO ready to get baby A out!! After an hour and a half of pushing, baby Madeline finally arrived, the most inexpressible moment ever! She immediately cried, which was then immediately followed by my tears :)

However, rather than be focused on her, I knew I had to focus on the next task at hand: deliver baby B. Unfortunately, my body decided to contract down, which meant I had to be given an increased dose of pitocin. I had expected baby B to be relatively easy, after baby A paved the way, but the opposite was true for me. By the time I began pushing for Abram, my body felt completely exhausted and the contractions were spread far apart. I began doubting I could do it. My mental and physical strength were completely drained, to the point where it took so much work to even open my eyes. The look on my doctor’s face was one of awful concern throughout this process, and little did I know, I was only minutes away from having a c-section, as Abram’s heart rate was beginning to sky rocket. I praise God for giving me the strength needed for little Abram, and I sobbed immediately after his birth, out of complete exhaustion and utter gratitude that I had avoided a c-section!

Madeline Paige was born at 2:06am and weighed 6lbs 3 oz, and Abram Nyle was born at 3:46am weighing in at 6lbs 7oz. Two perfectly healthy babies!

What an amazing, beautiful journey that was nothing as I had expected….just like my pregnancy! I will forever be grateful for Grant’s incredible support and encouragement as well as the best doctors and nurses I could have ever asked for. I feel utterly blessed by these two babies, amazed that God has entrusted them to us!

Enjoy some photos from their 2nd day of life, taken by Amber at Bella Baby Photography :)

First up…Madeline!
Madeline has my dimples, though you can’t see them in these photos!!!
And here’s brother Abram! I am THRILLED that he looks JUST like Grant! :) He has the squishiest cheeks ever!Amazing. I truly can’t believe they are ours. That we have TWO babies! And that they are so beautiful. LOVE.My heart about bursts with joy every time Grant interacts with these two. He’s an amazing father already!