Everything in life was going as planned.
I wanted to have kids close together, but with Hyrum deployed, and how long it took to get pregnant the first time around, I was afraid it wouldn't happen.
Imagine my surprise when I ended up in the hospital for debilitating back pain and the nurse came in the room to tell me my blood test came back showing I was pregnant... by about a week. It was a complete surprise. [I was in so much pain, though, and the thought of not getting any strong medication must have shown on my face, making the nurse question whether the pregnancy was good news or bad news. I assured her it was good news, just bad timing to wind up in the hospital.]
While I just wanted medication, they instead sent me on a longer-than-necessary trip to the OB-GYN upstairs. After a lot of waiting, I had an unnecessary ultrasound. I'm not sure what they were looking for, and I don't think the doctor did either. He just said, "Yeah, I can't see anything. It's too early. You're technically not even pregnant yet--it's a chemical pregnancy--and the chances of miscarriage in the next week are still high. Take a pregnancy test in a week."
For the next week we were on the edge of being really happy, but not wanting to get our hopes up in case something happened. Finally the pregnancy was confirmed and I started making mental plans.
On August 8 we headed to the doctor for my first appointment, expecting everything to be routine. It's the same doctor I saw when I was pregnant with Tiago, and the office is actually located in the hospital where I delivered. To say it all felt familiar would be an understatement. Unlike the first time I was pregnant, I didn't have a single questions. Easy appointment. Easy pregnancy.
Or so I thought, until I had the biggest shock of my life.
The doctor said, "Wow." I looked at her face instead of the screen and her mouth was wide open. "There are two babies." Then I heard her say something about looking for a third which really sent me into panic mode. With my head spinning, she asked if twins run in our families. (They don't.) Then I asked several times for a confirmation that there were only two. She said yes, she was just kidding about a third. At the time it didn't seem funny. And it still doesn't.
The rest of the appointment was a blur. As was the rest of the day, and the rest of the weekend. During the 25 minute drive home I tried to think of any other moment in my life where I'd truly been shocked. I've got nothing.
I'll admit, my initial reaction was fear and anxiety. I'm a planner and there were all of a sudden a million things I'd never considered that needed to be worked out. What stroller can accommodate three kids under the age of two? Where in the world will everyone sleep? Do we move Tiago to a bed before he's 18 months old? Should we be buying a van, like we'd always planned on doing when we had three kids? Is it even possible to go home for Christmas this year like we'd planned? Will I be missing weddings for multiple siblings? Will we be able to travel with three babies without going insane? How in the world would we come up with TWO baby names when figuring out just one was a huge struggle? Breastfeeding two babies...? Will I be able to move or do anything when I'm 7 months pregnant?
The list goes on and on.
After a few days of searching for answers on Google, I finally decided I would figure things out later. Almost all of those questions are still unanswered, and I'm trying to be okay with that. When I think about twins, I feel overwhelmed but know it will work out one way or another. Eventually, I think it will be really fun. It might just take a few months (and sleeping through the night) before I'm really feeling it.
Hyrum, on the other hand, was pretty excited from day 1. He's never been in a house with a baby under 6 months old, so I think he's just clueless, but I guess ignorance is bliss. He thinks it's two babies for the price of one and is up for the challenge.
We had our second ultrasound on September 10. It was one of the craziest things I've ever seen to see both babies so clearly laying side by side, wiggling around next to each other. It feels so real now, and it was a huge relief to see both babies healthy and moving. (And the doctor confirmed they have all their arms and legs, which makes them seem less like tadpoles.)
As we've been telling people, I enjoy watching the shock on their faces as they all undoubtedly ask, "Are you kidding me?! Twins??" I feel validated. Because Yes! We're having twins!
And I can hardly believe it either.
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