Hospital Visits...then heading home!

Jess and the girls in "the cadillac" heading off for home, Friday, July 21, 2006

Wednesday, July 19, 2006 about 6 a.m., one proud Grandad Mansell and the girls...

Thursday, July 20, 2006 Gramma Mansell gets to cuddle the girls...

Thursday, July 20, 2006 Auntie Lesley with two arms full...

Wednesday, July 19th, 2006 Auntie Lesley and Uncle Paul visit...

Well, here I am trying to get pictures into this blog again, thought I might actually be able to make it happen with Murr's help. Finally, here are some pics!!!

Even though Jess and the girls were only in the hospital two days, there were still lots of visitors through the doors to meet Stella and Rowan. Besides Grampa and Gramma Mansell, Uncle Paul came with Auntie Lesley to welcome the girls to the family. Great Grammi Wilson; Great Aunties - Jeannie, Milly and Debbie; other "Aunties and Uncles" - Jeremy & Haley; Adam & Nadine; Tricia; Lance; Amy and her mom Judy; Tami; Dave; Bibian; Kim; Tom & Sandra and Pat came to meet the girls as well.

Jess got both girls to "latch on" to feed pretty well on Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 10:10 a.m. for Stella and 10:13 a.m. for Rowan.

Stella is known as "Miss Stinky" by everyone on the ward, even in the nursery. People would look in at the girls and say "Oh, you're so cute, but oh, so stinky."
She has a case of "Bad Gas" that's for sure.

My best birthday present was being able to bring them all home on Friday, July 21, 2006, 52 years young for me, a couple of days old for the girls.

Leading up to the Big Arrival

Dr. Martel and Jess decided that the day to be induced would be Tuesday, July 18, 2006 so we checked into admitting at RUH at 8:15 a.m. Jess was given the lovely hospital garb and upon donning the garb found that she was given two different sized slippers - not too happy about that...of course there were other more important things to think about!

I'll give you the scoop on what happened right up to delivery!

- 9:05 a.m. R.N. Carolyn came and started Non-Stress Test on Babes
- 9:40 a.m. Dr. Crone (Anesthetist) came to check shingles, can still do an epidural, yay!
- 11 a.m. Dr. Sivertson came in to do medical check and found Jess to be 3 cms. dialated and 75% effaced, to be moved to Labour & Delivery after lunch and put on the drip instead of Cervidil
- 1:15 p.m. R.N. Lori moved us to Labour Room 16 (4743)
- 1:30 p.m. IV put in, Syntocinon drip
- 3 p.m. Dr. Jose De Lara came in to introduce himself as resident on duty
- 5:20 p.m. Dr. Martel came in and checked Jess, she was 4 to 5 cms. dialated and 80% effaced and she guessed Jess would deliver before midnight
- 5:30 p.m. Dr. Hansen (Anesthetist) came to give Jess her epidural
- Dr. Marilyn Davidson (Dr. Martel's associate) ruptured Jess's membranes and told Jess that she will be delivering the babies
- 8:45 p.m. Dr. De Lara said that Jess is 10 cms. dialated and she will start pushing within the hour
- 9 p.m. the night nurse Marcia came and got Lesley and I to go get our "Greens" on
- things slowed down until finally at 1:38 a.m. we were in the OR and Jess was starting to push
- Dr. Davidson and Dr. De Lara vacuumed Stella out at 2:13 a.m. on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 and thankfully for Jess, Rowan joined us a short (for us - not Jess) 4 minutes later at 2:17 a.m.

For a little while, Lesley and I were able to keep Jess "entertained" by playing Charades. Jess was a pretty good guesser, at certain times of course, it helped to relieve some stress and added a few laughs to the day.

It was so amazing to be present for the whole event...I was ecstatic to welcome our darling granddaughters into this world, yet I was worried for Jess as it was quite a strain on her. In fact, Lesley (Jessi's sister who was also present) said that after witnessing what Jess had to go through that she was not going to have kids (at least not any time soon)!