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Monday, August 17, 2009

Quads "Birth Day"

I've been meaning to write down about the day the quads were born ever since they arrived. The day plays like a movie in my head till this day, especially lately. I'm truly amazed that they are already going to be a year old. It seems like just yesterday that this wonderful journey began. This year has been nothing but a multitude of blessings. From the moment I found out I was pregnant with four, their birth, their hospital stay, and life at home had been one answered prayer after another. It's only by God's amazing power that these four precious gifts are alive and thriving.

I had not felt good the day before thee babies were born. I chalked it up as not sleeping well and just being pregnant with four babies. But at about 2am it all began. I woke up soaked. I thought either my water had broke or I had just wet the bed since I finally had agreed to take something to help me sleep. I called the nurse to come investigate. She did 2 nitrizine test strips to see if it was amniotic fluid. Neither one gave a true positive result. So I went back to bed. Te rest of the night I slept very little, back was hurting some. By a little after 7am when the next shift came on I told the tech when she came for my vitals that I was having some cramps and what had happened the night before. She went and got my day nurse. When she came in, I gave her the run down of my night and she believed my water had broke. She went to call Dr. Tabor. One of his partners, Dr. Thigpen was already making rounds so he told them to get me on a monitor. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom while the nurse had gone to call Tabor. Now I saw a smear of blood. I'm beginning to get scared, because I knew I was in trouble,I was in labor. Dr. Tabor was there in minutes and checked my cervix. I was dilated 4-5cm and having contractions. He looks at me and says it looks like we'll be having the babies today. We would try to stop the labor but would probably have a stat section soon. He looks down for a minute and then grabs my arm and tells me there's a 70% chance of survival, that everything will be normal. Yes, its better than 50 or nothing but I still didn't like those odds. Not my babies. I was supposed to make it to 30-32 weeks. God and my body had other plans. Dr. Tabor told them to get me to L&D and give the max dose of Mag. Mag is a med to try to help to stop contractions but makes you feel absolutely awful! He asked how soon Randy could be here. He wanted him there stat in case the section was a go. I grabbed my phone and somehow got his cell called because he's already at work. I'm crying trying to tell him what was going on, that the babies were coming and he had to get here now. He tried to comfort me and tell me everything was going to be OK. So he bolted. He drove like crazy to get there in the pouring down rain! At this point there are tons of people in my room loading me up to get me downstairs. Then there were tons in my room in L&D putting in IV's, starting the Mag, drawing blood, putting a catheter in, and I'm laying there crying pretty much non stop. In between crying and organized chaos, I call Kristi to get Jenna, call Mom and get to the hospital. The Mag took me through the ringer but was doing the job, the contractions were slowing and about gone. Tabor came back in an hour to check me again (he had to go to another section while they worked me up). Contractions were stopped but now I was dilated to a 6! and bleeding. It I might be having a placental abruption! He wants to go now. I call Randy and he was less than 20 minutes away. He got there, changed and we headed for the OR. During all the craziness , my nurse in L&D, Stephanie was wonderful. I was blaming myself and why I didn't realize it sooner. I was blaming myself and that my babies could possibly not make it because I didn't react sooner. Nurses are awful patients, too much denial, and chalking symptoms up as nothing. She reassured me it was nothing I had done. God had decided that they would be born today. So in we went. I got on the OR table and got my spinal. Before Tabor left the room to scrub I asked him if he sewed good. He reassured me he did. The nurses took the camera to try to get some shots of the babies after they were out. Randy had the video camera. I'm trying to be a little more upbeat(it might have also been the drugs). I made sure they did the timeout before they started. A "timeout" is a step we do before you can start a surgery. Being an OR nurse I was trying to be helpful and participate. I also told everyone in the room to not contaminate the back table! And the section began. They had 2 baby warmers and crews set up in the OR and 2 more set up next door in an adjoining OR. The room was pretty small so no room for 20 plus people, 4 babies and supplies needed for each one, 4 warmers, transport incubators, not to mention the usual OR tables , anesthesia, etc... Its a very weird feeling the tug and pull when he was getting the babies out. At 11:01 Ricky Shane made his entrance, 11:02 Heath Allen was out, also sliding in at 11:02 was Steven Tyler, and Leah Grace at 11:04. She was being stubborn. Tabor had to T my uterus so he could reach up higher to get her out. I thought he was grabbing my throat from inside me! Very wild feeling him dig around for her. She wanted to stay a while longer! They were all intubated and stuck inside the bags that the ambu bags come in to help keep them warm. Very interesting I thought. They stopped as they rolled them out to head to Cook's. Harris was full so all had to be transported to Cook's NICU. I later found out that they first thought they were going to have to put 2 babies at Harris and 2 at Cooks because they were both full. But Cook's said no they'd make room and take all four, they didn't want to split the babies up. Thank goodness! After being sewed up, cleaned up it was back to recover in L&D. I started getting the shakes from the spinal so they gave me some demerol to help. Everyone was there waiting. We started deciding who would be named what. Leah Grace was a sure thing and first born was Ricky Shane. Heath and Tyler took at little longer. I had come across Heath when trying to find a name to go with Allen, a family name on Randy's side. Then came Steven Tyler. After all I had been through it didn't take too much convincing to name our third son what my sister and I had campaigned for for months. The babies were no longer just A ,B, C, D, they had a name.

Randy took Jenna between 1&2pm after they had time to get the babies set up so she could see them. They were all doing well and about to try them on bubble c-pap and off the ventilators. Dr. Tabor about to put the drape on to begin the c-section.

C-section started, people waiting for the babies.


The 2nd room set up with 2 more baby warmers, transport incubators and needed supplies.



The nurses, respiratory, neonatologist also had 2 set up in our OR.




Baby A: Ricky Shane McLean





Baby B: Heath Allen McLean






Baby C: Steven Tyler McLean




Baby D: Leah Grace McLean



I started bugging them when I was still in recovery when I could go see my babies. They said it wouldn't be until around 11-midnight and that I would have to have my PCA pump d/c'd before I go go to Cook's. I told them I didn't care they had to take off the pain pump, I was going to see my babies tonight. I had to lay eyes on them tonight. So back upstairs I went. I stayed pretty groggy and out for quite a while. It was a good thing because I couldn't imagine what a basket case I would have been. Finally around 11, 11:30 they came in to take off the pain pump so I could travel the corridor over to Cook's. Getting out of bed was no fun task or the ride in the wheelchair. We headed through the corridor that connects the 2 hospitals. Into the NICU we went. We began our routine of scrubbing and gowning up so we could be near our little ones. They were spread out the first few days. They were so tiny. Ricky's right eye was still fused shut when he was born. So beautiful, so precious. They were already having to put Ricky back on the vent for a while and Heath was soon to follow. They would put them on a while to let them rest and them try the bubble c=pap again. But after a couple of days they were back to the vents for the long haul. They were so small but such amazing fighters.

I had the babies on Monday and stayed in the hospital until Friday. Everyday with the four is a blessing. They had a rough start but have continued to amaze us all. They are each so wonderfully and perfectly made by our Creator. I'm the Type A control freak who has to everything just so, my way. God had to deliver a big blow for me to realize that's not what was going to work. I had to turn it all over to Him. Yes, I still worry and fuss about things but I have a peace knowing He's in control and supplying for all our needs. He has done that time and time again this past year. Prayer works, we're proof that it does. Philippians 4: 6&7 "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for what he has done. then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Like the little onseies my Granny gave the quads: Such a big Miracle in such a small little girl and three small little boys. I am so thankful that I have four small miracles to love and hold everyday. Happy Birthday Ricky, Heath, Tyler , and Leah! Your Mommy loves you more than you'll ever know and grateful that God chose me to be your Mommy!





3 comments:

ANNA B. said...

Oh, this makes me all weepy!! Your babies are such a special blessing!

Sara Graham said...

Oh, Tina, I am crying. What an amazing, powerful story. Keep sharing it so that you can make an impact for Him. Congratulations on your presents...three boys and a girl!

One more thing, those two verses in Philippians were the first two I memorized during Jasen's first deployment. They absolutely got me through it. :)

Give Jenna a hug from Grace!

Morgan said...

What an amazing story!