Woolsey Family Chronicles

What a wild ride to say the least. The babies were born on 12:00pm on Friday, February 22nd. Here are the names and stats:

Elsa Marin Woolsey
3lbs 11oz

17 inches
12:01 PM

Violet June Woolsey
3lbs 3oz

17 inches
12:02 PM

Preston James Woolsey
3lbs 10oz

17 inches
12:04 PM

I was in severe pain all night Thursday night. I couldn't sleep and getting comfortable was completely out of the question. My Baby C (Preston) and Baby B (Violet) were up in my ribs, and I later found out that my intestines were shoved up there also and my ribs felt like they were going to break and I couldn't breath. I surrendered to the pain at 5:30 Friday morning. I called my nurse and told her that I could no longer take this pain. She put the babies on the monitor for 20 minutes to make sure their heart rates were good and then gave me a Norco pain killer. Thank goodness! About 20 minutes later I felt relief. My doctor told me that today should be D-Day because I had gone quite far enough and there was no reason for me to be in pain. We told the families that the delivery would probably be sometime today and they started getting prepared to come down to the hospital. At exactly 10am my doctor came in and said you are delivering today in one hour. I cried a little. I couldn't believe that this part of the journey was closing and the new one was beginning. I was scared to be cut open and have three babies ripped from my body. I was scared that the babies wouldn't be healthy.

At 11:30 I was rolled into the delivery room and the spinal was immediately given to me. The spinal was so much better than the epidural I had when I was in labor with Ava. I hardly felt anything and they were done in 5 minutes. There were teams of people in the delivery room ready to help in the operation and when the babies were delivered. Chris and Brenda, a friend and a wonderful professional photographer, came in the delivery room beside me. The anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted him to tell me when they begin. I hesitated, but told him yes. He said they started 3 minutes ago. I couldn't feel anything! What I did feel was when they pulled the babies out. Elsa was pulled out first, and she made a sweet little cry and then Violet and lastly Preston. Chris said he peeked over the curtain and my doctor had her entire arm up to her shoulder up in my belly trying to get Preston. As she reached up and grabbed him by the legs and pulled him down Chris said I let out this big strange moan noise. The weight that was pulled out of my body was amazing. I was immediately 35 pounds lighter. Each baby cried a little cry and the doctor let the babies peek over the curtain so I could see them. I was expecting they would wisk them away in incubators instantly tubed up. Instead, Chris got to hold a baby and then, as you can see in the picture, I got to hold all three babies just minutes after they were born. I cannot describe my elation. To have them all in my arms healthy and beautiful was overwhelming and wonderful.

My mom and dad and sister got to see them as they were rolled by from the delivery room to the nicu, which was special for them. The girls didn't need any help with anything but little Preston needed a little help with breathing. He was hooked up to a breathing device which I can't find the name of in my brain, and had little tubes running from his nose. It is really common for preemies to need a little help with breathing at first, although Chris almost passed out when they were putting the tubes up his nose and I wanted to cry when I saw him with it on. The two of us are quite the pair. It is a good thing all Preston needed was a breathing tube!

We have mainly had family and close family friends visit so far. Chris's parents were up from SoCal and were so happy to meet their need grandchildren. My parents and Auntie and Uncle Nima have been regularly to see the babies. Ava has seen her brother and sisters and loves them already.

We got to hold the girls for the first time yesterday and they are so much smaller in my arms than they are just looking at them in the incubator. They are just the sweetest little babies. I am told that Elsa looks just like me while Violet looks like Chris. Chris thinks that Preston looks like him also but I am going to go hold him for the first time in about 10 minutes and I will also be the judge :)

We will post more pictures and updates as soon as possible! Thanks everyone for taking this amazing journey with us. We love you!!!