Introducing - Brenna & Karsen Wickel

The day FINALLY made it!!! B & I left for the hospital Sunday night at 5pm. What happen over the next 27 hours and 41 minutes was absolutely crazy. Here's a timeline of events:
7pm - checked in to hospital and in room
8pm - stuck 2 times before getting a half ass IV and blood drawn. Then I got hooked up to all the monitors, which let me tell you, is not fun! Apparently I was having contractions 4 mintues apart on my own and didn't know it! (HA)
12:38am - epidural in place (no drugs just yet)
5am - Potassin / epidural started
7:55am - water broke and epidural fixed (it was only numbing one side)
So, we labored all day with minimal pain just discomfort from all the tubes and monitors...
Then, the dreaded decision time came. C-section it was going to have to be. 9:10pm I was rolled in the OR and preped. It was one thing to be scared and lonely BUT a completely different feeling when they ask if you can feel them poking on you and you can then they mention they MAY have to knock you out and your husband can't be in the OR...YES, that was a scary 10 minutes! Thank goodness my dear nurse stayed w/me and calmed me down while the anesthisiolgist worked his magic! Braden came and we had babies!
9:41pm - Karsen Wayne Wickel; 6 pounds 3.5 ounces 18 1/2 inches long
9:44pm - Brenna Gayle Wickel; 6 pounds 3 ounces 19 1/2 inches long
Both HEALTHY babies and impressed the Neonatal Dr.

After all that happened within 27+ hours, it became all so real when they laid our little babies on my chest I heared them 'oooh & ahhh'. Needless to say Branden and I are in LOVE with them. They are amazing little people who spent ALL day in our room yesterday and we plan on having them again today. Karsen is a mini Branden and quite the ssnuggler and oohs and ahhs all the time (like a comfort for him). Brenna is a beautiful combination of us and is quiet alert!

Hope you enjoy the new adventure in our lives with Brenna & Karsen!

***Thank you for the outpouring of support from our entrourage that sat in the waiting room / labor, delivery room all day and into the night.

Refelections

Today’s the big day. I wanted to take the time to reflect back on my pregnancy as a whole. It’s been such a journey and the twins aren’t even here yet. From time we found out we were pregnant until today, everyday has been so unreal to me. Who would have ever thought that Branden and I would be so lucky to have two sweet babies to call our own and be little pieces of us combined.

The last few days have been filled with love from family and friends calling to check up on us and to send their thoughts and prayers. We even had a great burger/fries dinner last night with a couple close ones. That was nice to reminisce on all our wild times!!!

But, today is still the big day. It's also the first day of Spring, which happens to be my FAVORITE season of all time as well as a one year anniversary for some good friends. None the less, today is still the big day for Branden and I. We’ve started off the day off with sleeping in and then some pancakes and chocolate milk J Then, at 5:00pm Branden and I will make a phone that will be the beginning of our lives as PARENTS!!! It's surreal that we will walk out of our house today with babies in my belly and the next time I'll be back, they will be on the "outside" and hopefully be home with us.

Strange to think how everyone’s “roles” are going to change. B and I will be parents, our parents will be Grandparents for the first time, siblings will be Aunts and Uncle, our Grandparents will be Great-Grandparents again, and our Aunts & Uncles will be Great-Aunts (some for the first time) and Great-Uncles. So neat!!!

So, with warm wishes everything runs smoothly and we’ll have babies home by the end of this week, here we go…off to have Brenna and Karsen…

"Bedrest"

Last Friday, Branden and I had our final appointment with our doctor until Delivery Day. Blood pressure was high (152/90) and she put me on bedrest...for about 5 minutes. I pled with her that I NEEDED my last two days at work to get things finished up and get my trainee prepared for the months to come without her training wheels (me). So, she still told me bedrest BUT I had conditions...I can go to work my last two days but stay off my feet, come home from work and 'bedrest'. YES, I am one happy camper!!! Our official check in date at St. Joseph's Hospital "Inn" will be sometime March 20th in the evening.
On the flip side, our last weekend before the BIG day did prove to be productive. Branden worked all day Saturday and Sunday while I rested and caught up on movies :) BURLESQUE...is pretty good! I was surprised. I also got in THE NOTEBOOK, which I don't recommend watching while pregnant because that movie is already a tear jerker without the added hormones of pregnancy, and a few others. We've made name placks for the kiddos and have them painted and asembled, just need to be hung up. B & I did fill up our official pantry started shifting things around to make room in cabinets for baby stuff.
It's a strange feeling knowing that one week (7 days) from now, we will meet Brenna and Karsen and begin the rest of our lives.

Let the COUNTDOWN begin

The date is set for March 21, 2011.14 days and counting!!! What a journey this has already been. We've got everything ready, or as ready as its going to be. All we need is babies :) It's hard to believe that in 2 weeks, Branden and I will OFFICIALLY be "Mommy & Daddy" to TWO sweet babies...
You must know that this is the first 'post' I've ever done. Hopefully I will get into a groove of posting  things that are happening and become a "natural". Here's to finding out what parenthood is all about...