Arrival of Lana and Mikayla

Posted on Facebook 3/5/11

Well, the Ironroad Twins are here! The full story (so far) has been a long time coming – the past 4 weeks have been a huge “casserole” of emotions: happiness, excitement, worry, fear, fatigue…then more happiness. This whole experience has been a major test of faith, and it has given us an opportunity to come together even closer as a family. These precious girls are true miracles.


Just in case you don’t want the *full* story, here are a few “frequently asked questions” we get about the girls:

• What are their full names?
  Lana Jean Ironroad (pronounced “Lonna”) – shares the same middle name as Chris’s mom, Debbie
  Mikayla Kristin Ironroad – middle name is my mom’s first name
• Who was born first?Mikayla
• What were their stats?
  Mikayla: 3 pounts, 5 oz. 16 inches long, born at 11:18am
  Lana: 3 pounds, 1 oz. 16 inches long, born at 11:19am
• Where are the pictures??
  We have not been able to take very many pictures – and the ones we have are difficult to see the girls’ faces because of monitors, tape, etc. I promise I will post good ones as soon as possible.
• Who do they look like?
  Each other :) -- they have the same lips as their brother, but so far they kind of have their own look.
• Are they identical or fraternal?
  Identical – They look very similar, and they sound exactly the same, too!
• Did they have a lot of hair?
  Not when they were born, but they are getting quite a bit now. Right now, their hair is light brown.
• Do they get to be in the same bed?
  Right now, they are in separate isolettes, but once they can maintain their own temperatures they’ll get to share an open crib. I CAN’T WAIT!!
• How is recovery going?
  Great. It feels SO good to be home, and to be able to go OUT. While the 6 weeks I spent at the hospital were more pleasant than I could have hoped, I have gained a new-found appreciation for being with my family, and things like our silverware, our bed, our carpet, etc. :)
• When do the girls get to come home?
  I wish I knew! We haven’t been given a specific date – other than they will remain in the NICU at least until they reach 35 weeks gestation, which is May 11. After that, it’s up to the girls.:)

HERE’S THE STORY!! (warning: it’s a bit lengthy)

First, a bit of background. As you know, I was staying in the hospital for frequent monitoring because the girls were sharing both the same placenta and same amniotic sac. Every morning, we would monitor the girls’ heart beats for 1 hour, and then we’d have an ultrasound to monitor the flow through their umbilical cords (to make sure both babies were getting the blood flow essential to their survival…which sounds really scary now that I look back!).

The morning of April 7th, we did our usual 6am monitoring session, during which the girls traced unbelievably well (they were notorious for playing “hide and seek” with the nurses J). Usually I would go back to sleep while I was on the monitors (those who know me and my love for sleep are far from surprised, I’m sure), but that morning I was very alert. I ordered breakfast, did some writing (I’ll post that piece here soon), and just sat in bed pondering and praying. I felt a huge rush of peace and warmth, and a very clear impression that everything was going to be okay. I was a little bit taken back by it at the time – just because of the “out of the blue” nature by which it came – but I was grateful for it.

At about 8am, the radiology technician came in for the ultrasound scan. Things were looking normal for most of the ultrasound, until she scanned at one of the cord inserts in the placenta. After seeing so many ultrasounds by then, when I saw the wave forms from that spot I knew right away that something was up. The scan showed the reversal of flow that we had been watching for, meaning that there was a kink or a knot in one of the cords.

The tech did a great job of remaining calm, and she left the room to get a second opinion from one of the other techs. While she was gone, I got the same impression, “everything is going to be okay.” At that point, I knew that the babies were going to have to come extra early, and I tried to remember the comforting thought that “everything is going to be okay”. The 2nd tech came and scanned the same spot, and the techs agreed that it was time to page my doctor.

The calm, quiet atmosphere that I had enjoyed that morning suddenly became quite the opposite. Dr. Lays (my OBGYN) walked into the room, accompanied by the Neonatologist (NICU Doctor) and 3 or 4 nurses. My doctor looked at the ultrasound images, looked at me, and said, “we’re having babies today.” I can’t describe the feelings I had at that moment…It felt like I was in some kind of a dream…and I was so scared for those little babies. But I knew everything would be okay. The “dream feeling” disappeared with my phone call to Chris. Everything suddenly became very real. I can’t imagine how he must have felt…but he was very calm, which helped me a lot (surprise, surprise).

Nurses and hospital staff rushed in and out of the room, getting paperwork done and preparing me for the C-secion. It was quite the contrast to the low-key atmosphere that had been in the room during the weeks prior. I tried so hard to remain calm and positive, but I was getting so nervous and concerned about how little our babies were.

I felt so relieved and comforted when Chris walked in the door. The nurses came in and gave him his scrubs to wear, and got him some crackers and soda so that he wouldn’t be in the OR with an empty stomach. Chris got “scrubbed up”, and before I knew it I was walking down the hall toward the operating room (CRAZY feeling).

The C-section went very quickly. Within 15 minutes of when we started, Mikayla was born, weighing 3 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 16 inches long. She had the tiniest cry! Then 1 minute later, Lana came out with the same tiny cry, weighing 3 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 16 inches long. It was a very special – unforgettable – moment for Chris and me. I felt a flood of relief that the girls were out safely, and I felt so much love for those two little girls. I wasn’t able to hold them, but the NICU nurses paused with the warmers as they walked out so that I could at least take a peek.

In the recovery room, a NICU nurse came in and told me that the girls had already been running the show, and they refused to be intubated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracheal_intubation#Children). Fortunately, the Neonatologist decided to let the girls try to prove that they didn’t need intubation. They never ended up having to have it done.

Lana and Mikayla have been doing very well in the NICU. They have been steadily gaining weight – each are about 4 ½ pounds now – they are breathing completely on their own, and they’re learning how to maintain their own body heat, and eat and breathe at the same time. Once they can do those things – while continuing to steadily gain weight – they will be able to COME HOME! Brayden was able to meet them for the first time this past Sunday (May 1), and he was quite smitten with his sisters. It felt great to have our whole family together.

I feel so humbled and grateful that the girls arrived safely and that things are going so well. My doctor said that the cords were the most tangled that she has ever seen (2 true knots, and lots of twists and tangles). These baby girls are true miracles, and I have no doubt that they were watched over and protected. I have felt the love of our Heavenly Father so strongly through this whole experience, and I am so excited about the chapter ahead. Thank you for your prayers, your love, and your strong support through this. I have learned just how incredible our friends and family members are, and I will be forever grateful for all of the kindness that has been shown to us.