Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Happy Birthday


WOW! I can't believe how fast this year has come and gone. One year ago today, I was just getting ready to order breakfast, when out of NO WHERE, I felt this piercing pain in my upper right side. I remember at first thinking that Cooper was just pushing on my ribs. WRONG!!!! It seemed to get worse every breath I took. I managed to crawl up the bed to push the nurse button. I was in such pain, I could barely speak. In seconds, Maggie (mine & the quads Angel) came into my room, for what would be the last time she would care for me in Anti-partum. Of course I didn't know that at the time. She tried to get me hooked up to the monitor to see if it was contractions, but already having a baby before, I KNEW it wasn't contractions. She pushed the button to call for some help. She then looked at me eye to eye and very calmly said, "Brandy, I have been a L&D nurse long enough to know that something is wrong, I am paging Dr. Reiter 911". She then says again very calmly, "You need to get your cell phone, we are taking you in your bed to the ultrasound room to check for heartbeats only, and then you are probably having some babies". I did exactly that, but I had actually already called my mom and told her to get Jeremy up, who by the way had just come off of working the 12 hr night shift. I told her for them to get up to the hospital ASAP, something was wrong, and I thought I would be having the babies. They wheeled me into the smallest US room ever, and Dr. Reiter came running in, ripped the WHOLE top of the US jelly and dumped the bottle of jelly on my stomach. He looked at me and said, "I am just checking for 4 heartbeats, and maybe try to see what is causing the pain. I still at this point was in excruciating pain. I stayed very calm, and I called Tammie and told her she needed to pray, something was wrong, and I was probably having the babies. Dr. Reiter announced 1, 2, 3, & 4, yes, we have 4 heartbeats. Brandy is this where the pain is? Yes, I said. He then says to me, "How fast can Jeremy get up here?" "We need to take the babies NOW"! Baby C, which was Cooper, placenta is tearing off the wall, if we don't get him out, he will die! Then the hustle and bustle began. This TINY roomed was filled with L&D nurses, anesthesia, OR nurses, Maggie, & Dr. Reiter, along with Dr. Adams. They started prepping me for an emergency C-section. Everyone was asking me questions at the same time, and all along the while I am still on my cell phone with my mom and Jeremy who were on there way. The anesthesiologist, says we are going to try and give you an epidural, but if it doesn't work we will have to put you to sleep. I turned over and sat up in the bed and said these exact words to him" Let me tell you something, I have fought a long hard battle to get these babies this far, I absolutely will not be put to sleep, so you better get the best you have on staff to get the epidural done right and make it work, you got it?'" I then laid back down and his reply, "Yes we will make sure we do that" That is exactly what happened, I was rushed to an OR, and trying to get my camera ready and still on my cell phone for the big day. They took me into the OR, got the epidural in right away, and they were trying to keep monitoring Cooper's heart rate. The nurse then yells, "I can't pick up the heartbeat for the baby anymore, Dr. Reiter looks at me and says I can't wait any longer for Jeremy, I am starting now. At the very moment he began to cut me, Jeremy was rushed in and was right by my side for the whole thing. At 9:36, we welcomed Ella & Cole, 9:37 Cooper, and 9:39 Casen was born. They were born at 28 wks 5days. I remember the moment that I heard I had to leave my older kids at home, and stay in the hospital until delivery, because I lived so far from the hospital. I was so sad to leave them, but on April 2, at 7:30am, I knew why God had that plan for me and the babies & why I was in the hospital, because had I not been there, Cooper's placenta would have probably completely abrupted and we would have lost him. It was truly a miracle from the conception of 4 babies to the birth of 4 healthy babies. Yes, we had the NICU roller coaster ride, but to have been so blessed to have 4 healthy, beautiful babies. We couldn't be more blessed that GOD chose us to be their parents. Do you believe in miracles? We DO! We couldn't have done it this year without the support & love from our family and friends, we love you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Ella 2lbs 0oz

Ella 18lbs 6oz

Cole 2lbs 7oz

Cole 17lbs 9oz

Cooper 2lbs 1oz


Cooper 20lbs 1oz

Casen 2lbs 7oz

Casen 17lbs 6oz




Happy Birthday Ella. Cooper, Cole & Casen our "4 miracles"

8 comments:

jag said...

What a story! I was on the edge of my seat! I can only imagine what it must have been like for you. Way to go!

Donna said...

Wow! I 'm a surgery nurse and I had a tear in my eye reading too! Those moments in the OR are nail biting until it is over so all I have to say is...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The Cochran Crew said...

Love that story!!! D Day stories are always awesome, but that was just Miraculous! Happy Birthday Babies!!

Astrid said...

Congrats on surviving the 1st year! Your story was breathtaking! I remember being told a mommy down the hall had quads. It was you. From the Mommy Express to now, a year later. God put us in each other's lives for a reason.

Happy Birthday!
Astrid & Sofi, Gabi, & Ian

Annie said...

Your story is amazing. It was a difficult moment but now you have 4 beautiful and healthy kids.

Happy 1st Birthday!!!!

The Carlsons said...

happy 1st birthday! and congrats to you for surviving that 1st year. kudos to you!!!!

have fun with the big PAR-TAY this weekend :D
-fellow quad mom of 1yo GGGG and a 5yo boy

p.s. oh, and if that picture is of you before you delivered, then you look AWESOME!! really!

p.p.s. and i love their 1st birthday outfits. LOVE the monkey shirts and ella's attire is adorable! they are all too cute!

Autumn said...

Wow! Congrats on making it through the first year and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I found your blog via mckmama ;)

God Bless!

Lani said...

Wow, thanks for posting this:) You truly are blessed with beautiful babies!