Norton/NICU tour

Kyle and I went on our Hospital/NICU tour Thursday but I have put off posting about it because it was so much information!
So we started by meeting RN Melissa, she does all the tours of labor and delivery.  I had told her I wasn't supposed to be doing a lot of walking so if there was a lot that I may need to borrow a wheelchair.  She brought one and said she wanted to help keep the babies cooking as long as possible.
She started by showing us how to come in two hours early the morning of my C-section from the parking lot and where to go to check in.  Ironically it is the same triage area that we were in when I went to the ER at 15 weeks.  Once checked in they will hook me up in the recovery room.  Then take me across the hall to surgery.  I will only be able to have one person with me throughout the process.  Believe me, my mom is totally bummed!  But Kyle has his orders and I'm sure he will do fine.
Once in surgery she said they would have the babies out in minutes but the whole process would be about an hour to fix me up after the babies are born.  Hopefully they will be big healthy babies and I will get to see them as they come out.  Kyle's job is to get pictures but not to stand up!  Apparently if you stand up and see over the curtain, well it won't be good for him. lol
So following surgery I will go back to recovery for about 2 hours then they ship me off to my room where I will continue my recovery for another 4 hours before I can go see the babies.  That seems so long but I'm sure I will be so tired from all the meds.
When the babies come out they will each have their own nurse and neonatologist that will take them across the pedway to Kosair.  Kyle is allowed to follow and snap pictures as they go.  He isn't aloud to go in the NICU with them just yet.  She said they want about an hour to check them in and get them hooked up to whatever monitor they may need.  So he will return to me until further notice.
Melissa wheeled me over to the NICU for that tour which was given by Amanda, a very nice nurse.  She showed us around and told us what to expect.  We will only get to have 6 people on our list of NICU baby visitors which may turn difficult having three siblings between us. 
1. Mom
2. Dad
3. Sharon
4. Daryl
5. Mandy
6...... David or Todd.

Once they schedule my C-section they told me to call the charge nurse and talk with her about visitors.  So it sounded like we may be able to negotiate the 7th.
The NICU's goal is to get all babies together in what they call a "twin room".  It is a private room where you can place two incubators or cribs and they have enough monitoring that they can put three in there.  We would have our own private space with a couch, chair, rocker. They encourage us to hold them so there are monitor hook ups around the room so the babies can lay with you on the couch or in the chair. 
I am sorry friends/family, unfortunately the NICU has no windows so if you aren't on my above mentioned list you will not be able to see the babies besides pictures until they come home.
They told us we could bring in personal things for the babies and gave me these little cuddle knot things to put my smell on so they could put them in the crib with them.  I thought that was sweet.
Finally I asked about release of the babies.  I will be in the hospital about 5 days but the babies have to pass tests to get out. They have to have a CCHD test, hold their oxygen levels for 24 hours, gain weight and be able to hold their temperatures.
Now we just pray they make it to 35 weeks before coming out to visit and we should be in great shape!