This is my reflection back to the day we found out that we were having twins!
So many thoughts and feelings go through your head when you find out you are pregnant with twins. For some it isn’t entirely a surprise. Women who are on any type of fertility treatment know that there is always a risk of multiples. That wasn’t us…
Pregnant!?!
I found out I was pregnant the week of VBS (Vacation Bible School) at our church – early July 2005 – this would be our 5th child. I had been quite tired that week, but just assumed it was from all of the extra activity of helping out with a group of kids at VBS.
Wednesday night I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. It was a warm week, so as the kids and I were hanging out in the pool – I looked at my husband and told him that there was something he needed to consider as a distinct possibility – I wanted to give him a couple of hours to prepare his mind for this since we had thought we were “done” with our fourth. Later that night I showed him the pregnancy test and was a little worried what his reaction would be – but trooper that he is he simply said that was life and we just have to roll with it.
The next day during VBS I called my Doctor and told them the news – since I was on some heartburn meds I wanted to see what I should do. They wanted me to go in for a consultation and confirm my pregnancy. I went in the beginning of the week to see my doctor and do the preliminary pregnancy visit. Because my cycles were so irregular I always needed to have a dating ultrasound to determine my due date, this was no exception, so an ultrasound was scheduled for a week later.
In the meantime, the Sunday after I found out I was pregnant was our 12th Wedding Anniversary, so we got a sitter for the kids and went out for the afternoon. We went and had lunch, and then on a whim we decided to go look at vehicles. At the time we owned a minivan and my husband was less than thrilled at the idea that there wouldn’t be any extra seats, so we were entertaining the idea of getting an 8 passenger SUV. We happened upon a Yukon XL that was the right price, right year – basically it was the right everything so we couldn’t pass it up. We went home with it that night.
Incidentally, my sister and I had been on the same cycle and I knew that she was late too, so on Friday night I called her to tell her that I thought she was pregnant – and by the way so was I. Well it turns out that as soon as she ansswered the phone and knew it was me she said “Shera, I have something to tell you.” and in response to that I told her that she needed to sit down since I had the same thing to tell her. It took her a minute to figure out what I was saying and at first she didn’t believe me at all! Once she did believe me we realized that this meant that our babies would be due about a week apart.
The Ultrasound
I usually go to the dating ultrasound by myself, but for some reason I found myself feeling a little insecure about this one and I asked my husband to attend, and he was wonderful enough to agree to attend. He was running a little late and the ultrasound tech actually called me back on time!
The technician decided just to do the initial internal part of the exam really quick. She was lightning fast and I really didn’t have time to keep up with her. As soon as she was done with that part (5 minutes maybe), she told me to go ahead and go to the bathroom and she would finish the ultrasound externally.
As I was getting back on the table my husband arrived and the tech got going. Soon she found the heartbeat and as we were watching she said “There’s the heartbeat . . .” (pause) “. . . and there’s another heartbeat” – just like that!
I’m sure I looked at her like she was completely off her rocker! My husband started chuckling and I said “What?!!!”
She zoomed out on the ultrasound and there were two little dots. I honestly almost passed out! I have never passed out in my life, but it was a good thing I was laying down because everything started getting pretty dark all of the sudden and I found I needed to breathe slowly.
Hubby leaned back in his chair and laughed, all he said was… “It figures!”
The Reaction
The rest of the ultrasound is basically a blur – I was so in shock! We walked around in a daze!
We had to return to the dealership that we’d purchased the SUV from to wrap up some paperwork and while we were waiting I called my sisters. Tessa (the one that was also pregnant) wasn’t surprised at all – apparently she had already convinced herself that I was pregnant with twins (um…. you could have told me girl! lol).
Krista (my youngest sis), had gone out already and purchased an infant car seat for me or Tessa since both of us had given EVERYTHING away after our last babies (and yes, I really truly mean every single baby thing and maternity thing we owned, everything). When I called her I told her “You know that car seat you got for me? Well, I’m going to need two of them!” There was silence on the other end of the phone – then all the sudden… “Whaat?” then screaming!
When we were done at the dealership we headed back to my parents’ house – they had all the other kids. When we walked in, I’m sure we had strange looks on our faces and I immediately got both of my sisters back on the phone (they wanted to hear mom’s reaction) and I gave mom the ultrasound photo that showed both babies.
It took her a minute and she said it looked different and why were there two dots? Then she got it – she reacted fairly quietly though, I think that she sensed the complete shock coming from me and hubby. We were staying for dinner at their place that night and it was a good thing since I was pretty out of it.
They joke around now about how zombie-like hubby and I were the rest of the evening. We sat on the couch with absolutely blank expressions on our faces. I know we did – the memory of it is almost like I was watching myself from afar! Strange but true.
And there you have it…. the reactions to discovering It’s Twins!