Best Laid Plans

“It’s okay mommy, don’t cry.  It’s just the baby making you have a vomit.  Just do this.” He said giving me a big toothy grin.  Schooled by my four-year old son.

I was happy. I was very happy; we had a plan and the plan was unfolding beautifully...but something was different about this pregnancy; I wasn’t just sick, I was really sick.  Like vomit in the car while I was driving, sick.  Like vomit in the backyard because I can’t make it inside, sick.  Like vomit all over my suit just hours before I was a presenting sponsor at a regional conference, sick. Sorry for the graphic detail, but I think you get the picture.  I chalked it up to this being my third pregnancy in four years.  Or maybe it was something else...

Apparently this means 1-2 babies....

The day I found out I was pregnant with twins was one of the best days of my life (of equal significance to finding out I was pregnant with my son, 4, and my daughter, 1, of course)!  The only thing that could have made it better was if my husband had been with me.  But at the time he was in a room with another woman.  Another woman who happened to be naked.  True story. Well, mostly true story.  Let me explain...

I think I’ve made it quite clear that I was sick with this pregnancy. At nine weeks I was no longer able to keep any food or fluids down for over 24 hours.  I was sick and tired of being sick. I was so sick and tired of waiting to feel better I didn’t even want to wait for my husband to get home from the baseball game to take me to the ER when I hit the 24 hour mark.  So I did what any rational, patient person would do and I called a sitter and drove myself.

The patient patient...

Shortly after I had an IV pumping much needed fluids into my veins, both my husband and the ER doctor arrived.  The doctor wheeled in an ultrasound machine that looked as old as I was, but he was the MD so I sat there as patiently as I could and tried my best not to vomit on him.

“Ma'am, the reason you’ve been so sick is because I’m almost positive there are two heartbeats. Congratulations, I think you’re going to have twins!”

Wowy zowy! Twins?!?

“Of course I’m not 100% certain because our equipment isn’t generally used for this purpose so you will need to confirm with your OB’s office.”

Right.  And this is when my MBA surpassed his MD. I wanted to believe it, but twins didn’t run in either one of our families so it truly would have to be a miracle; but miracles were for other people, right?

I was left hanging in the unknown for seven days.  Seven days! Coincidentally, 7 days the amount of time God took to create heaven and earth. I used that same amount of time, however, to do considerably less productive things; things like worry, fret and obsess.  I didn't have a contingency plan for twins up my sleeve and I certainly didn't have a contingency plan for not having a plan.

Each day I started to believe a little more and a little more that maybe this was for real.Maybe God did bless us with two tiny miracles!  Fast forward to the day of the repeat ultrasound.  We had the last appointment of the day before the one and only part-time ultrasound technician left for the week.  My bladder was full and I was so so so ready to find out.  It was time to walk in for our appointment and there was no sign of my husband who was stuck in traffic.

So I did what any loving, patient spouse with a very full bladder, battling nausea would do - I walked in alone. Yes, I absolutely regret doing this now, but the thought of waiting any longer was literally painful. Besides, there would likely be a wait to be seen, right?

Wrong.  For the first time in OB history there was no wait.  So I notified the lady at the front desk that my husband would be running a few minutes late and eagerly followed the ultrasound tech.

Moments later she confirmed, with absolute certainty this time, that we were expecting TWINS! Each baby was in their own sac but it looked like there was only one placenta - identical

twins!!

Introducing Baby A and Baby B!

Meanwhile my husband had arrived and rushed into the office.  The receptionist took him back to the exam rooms and showed him into a room with a closed door.  A room where there was someone’s wife, just not his own, who happened to be naked.  Poor soul. (I am so sorry whomever you are!).

Little did we know at the time, but this was just the first leg of our wild adventure with twins.  TWINS!  We are truly blessed.  No matter how unexpected, God chose us for these babies...which makes us a truly fortunate family of six! 

Proverbs 19:21

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Inspirational quote:

"The most important lesson that I have learned is to trust God in every circumstance. Lots of times we go through different trials and following God's plan seems like it doesn't make any sense at all. God is always in control and he will never leave us." ~Allyson Felix

My prayer: 

Dear Lord,
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We are so grateful and appreciative of this amazing gift.  Please grant us the patience and perseverance we will need to endure this pregnancy and raise all four of these incredible blessings.  We love you and we trust your plan for our family over our own. Thank you! Amen.