Hello World...Meet Max & Evelyn

Okay, so if you just want to see pictures then scroll down. If you want to know the details then please, read on...

It starts Saturday night. I was pretty nervous Saturday not knowing what to expect on Sunday morning. I talked to my sister, Becca, and basically just cried to her about how nervous I was. It was good to talk to her and it helped me feel a little less anxious. Mike had taken Jack to the BYU basketball game, so my Mom and I were settling to watch some TV when my Dad called. My Mom has been here for a week now so she and my Dad talk every night. Anyway, I just hear my Mom's side of the conversation which was something like this. "Why have you been in the car all day?" "No, you're not." "Katie, is there someone outside?" I open the blinds and sure enough my Dad, Mike's Mom and Mike's little brother are walking up the grass. WHAT!!!! I open the door and ask my Dad what on earth they are doing here? His response was, "Did you think I was going to miss this? We drove all day to be here for tomorrow." I was a wreck...sobbing ridiculously...what can I say?

Sunday morning the hospital called around 6:30 a.m. and asked us to be there by 7:00. We got there right at 7:00 but by the time we got checked, to my delivery room and set-up it was 8:00 a.m. They did my IV and then started the pitocin and by then it was 8:30. They checked me right away and I was only dialated to about a 1.5 but I was already 90% effaced. They also did an ultrasound to make sure both babies were still head down.

My pitocin was turned up every 30 min. but nothing really started until my doctor broke my water around 9:30. The contractions started getting harder but I was holding off on the epidural. They were bearable and I wanted to feel what was happening. That went on until about 12:00 but the contractions were getting pretty uncomfortable. My doctor (and Utah Valley Hospital) require that you have an epidural if you're having twins because of the likelihood of an emergency c-section. They want you to be numb already just in case that have to cut you open.

Anyway, the contractions were getting pretty hard and I knew I had to get the epidural so at 12:00 I told them to go ahead and give it to me. As I was getting the epidural the contractions started to get really hard and by the time the needle was in I was in some major pain. It was just my back though. The anesthesiologist kept saying, "can you still feel those?" And I could...and they were hurting really bad...really bad. The nurse said, she must be progressing really fast let me check her to see what's happening. She checked me and things were turned into fast forward...I was at a 10!!! The nurse started getting frantic and the anesthesiologist said, "I'm going to go get something stronger for you." I didn't care, I just knew that I hurt like heck. The nurse kept running to the door saying, "is the doctor here yet? My twins are ready! We've got to go!" She went from a 4 to a 10 in 25 minutes!!! When you have twins you have to deliver in an operating room, again in case of emergency c-section.

My nurse finally said, "We can't wait. I'm getting her to the OR, have the doctor meet us there." And with that she threw a package of scrubs at Mike and said "you've got to get these on." And we were rushing down the hall while the anesthesiologist was pumping something "stronger" into my epidural drip. We got into the OR and my nurses were prepping everything for the doctor to come in. I could still feel the contractions, but still just in my back...oh how it hurt.

The doctor strolled in (literally) and I started pushing. I pushed about 6 times (at this point whatever they gave me had kicked in and I could not feel anything in my legs. They were literally flopping all over the place) and out came Max. The fact that Baby A was a boy was a bit shocking because we were told Baby A was a girl. My looked at me perplexed and said, "it's a boy?" I had enough time to ask, "so, how much time do you think there will be between the two?" The doctor responded, "I don't think it will be much this time. You're having a contraction, push." I pushed once and out came Evelyn. Again, a little shocking since Baby B was suppose to be a boy. The week previously we had found out that our doctor does not have a very good track record at getting the gender of the babies right. So, Mike and I were a little nervous that he was wrong. Turns out he was, but he was wrong on both of them which means he was still right.

After each baby was born they ran them off to a room connected to the OR where there is a team from the NICU to make sure the babies are okay. So, I laid there in this stark white, bright operating room while the doctor stitched me up. About 10 minutes later Mike came in with both babies in his arms. What a sight that was. I think that is when it sunk in that I had just had two babies. I was anxious to know their stats. Max weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 inches long, and Evelyn weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz. and was 18 inches long. Both are healthy and strong.

I honestly feel fantastic. I feel better now then I did after Jack's birth. I don't have a very big incision to heal so that definitely helps. I'm just doing my best to figure out how to tend to two little babies. So far it hasn't been all that bad. Evelyn is struggling to eat a little bit and has lost almost 10% of her birth weight so they are concerned with me making sure she gets enough to eat. Max is just a slug and completely content with whatever.

Behold the babes....Kenneth Maxwell Smith "Max", and Evelyn Claire Smith.

Right after returning from the OR to the delivery room.


Snuggling together.




On our way home from the hospital.