A week after our confirmation appointment, we were scheduled to have our first ultrasound. I was eager to know just how far along I truly was and to see our baby for the first time.
Jimmy met me at the doctor’s office and we made our way to Ultrasound Room 1. It’s not very big, with a table, a few chairs, the ultrasound screen, and, of course, stirrups.
I was told one of two things could happen: we have amazing technology these days, so it could be done over the stomach OR it would be inserted…you know where. So when I was told I wasn’t far along enough for over the stomach, I discovered another of the many joys of pregnancy…a vaginal ultrasound.
I was asked again to strip waist-down with Jimmy and the ultrasound technician in the room. Because Jimmy is Jimmy and he likes to break the ice, he started yelling “Woo, yeah, take it off.” At least the technician laughed…a little.
When we looked at the screen, it was just a bunch of gray static. I was catching glimpses of what looked like a baby, or at least what I’ve seen on friend’s and family’s ultrasound pictures. But the instrument was moving left and right, and I was seeing that little white circle of a baby in both directions.
And that’s when she said it.
The ultrasound technician asked, “Do twins run in your family?”
“Aha,” I laughed. “That’s funny.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry,” she said. “There are two babies here.”
I sat up on my elbows. My smile dropped and my face snapped in her direction then in Jimmy’s. I couldn’t see his face, because it was in his hands, his elbows on his knees. He was shaking. Was he laughing??
I looked back at her. “Are you serious? Are you sure?” I asked.
“Oh yeah,” she said. “I actually need you to go to the restroom and empty your bladder so I can get a better look. I want to make sure there isn’t more than two.”
“WHAT?” I shouted. I looked over at Jimmy who continued to have his face in his hands, laughing and saying, “Ohhhh my gahhhhhhh.”
The technician told me to wrap myself in the paper blanket that was being used to cover my lower half and make my way to the restroom.
I waddled my way there, went and came back.
Jimmy will always tell this story by saying it was the longest three minutes of his life, waiting for me to get back in there to make sure we weren’t having triplets. Or quadruplets.
I got myself seated again, feet back in those stirrups and waited on the verdict…
“Hmmm….yup, just two,” says the technician.
“Oh, thank God,” I hear Jimmy mutter from the corner.
At that point, I began to cry and laugh as my whole world was getting ROCKED.
However, Jimmy and I will always regret this next part.
As I sat and stared at the ceiling, wiping my tears, my mind started to explode in a million different directions. I know there is one of two ways a baby can come out: naturally or through C-Section, and honestly, neither sound super fun…especially doing it twice. Then I thought about how we’d need TWO cribs and TWO car-seats.
Meanwhile, Jimmy was thinking about how he needed to sell our smaller, sportier car for a mom car and that we needed more space and a new air conditioner. And what about saving for college?
Both of us had our minds racing, so much so, that the only thing to pull us out of it was a thump, thump, thump coming from the monitor. A heartbeat. “The heartbeat of Twin A,” the technician says.
We both regret getting so lost in our thoughts and the shocking news of two babies, that we weren’t appreciating that little heartbeat we were hearing for the first time.
She moved the ultrasound tool a bit and found Twin B’s heartbeat…shakier and less consistent.
“Is that normal?” I asked. Then shock of having two was replaced with fear of something already going wrong.
“Oh yes, that was my fault. I was trying to find the second one,” she says. And then it evens out, sounding stronger like Twin A.
Two strong heartbeats. Two.
She proceeded to measure both babies, Twin A measuring in at 7 weeks exactly, and Twin B measuring in at 6 weeks and 6 days. She shows us that they’re fraternal, each in their own little sac with their own placenta.
And she prints out a shot of Twin A, both of the babies, and a shot of Twin B.
It was almost surreal, holding a picture of BOTH of our babies.
The good Lord has certainly kept Jimmy and me on our toes. Not only did God laugh at our “five year plan,” but he added an extra element of surprise…another baby.
Right when my initial shock of being pregnant subsided and the excitement set in, we were shocked a second time to find out there were two. When twins do not run on either side…so this can only be the hand of God. From about mid February to March, we have been in a perpetual state of shock.
God multiplied an already very big blessing by 2. Not only did he believe us ready to be parents, but God saw us fit to be parents to two. What an insane responsibility He entrusted us with.
So as I’ve said before, I’m Pinterest-ing ideas for nurseries…but this time it’s designing around TWO cribs.
Outnumbered 