Wednesday, November 25, 2009

11 years later, I'm glad I didn't make a run for it.


When I called my parents with the news, they didn’t believe it. The chances were just too astronomical. Being known as a kidder didn’t help much, either. When they heard the crack in my voice, they knew it was true.

“Mom, I’m not kidding. I really am pregnant with twins.”

Their incredulousness was due to the fact that my brother and his wife had just delivered their own twin boys the month before.

I was only eight weeks along when I went in for an ultrasound due to a little spotting. I told Secret Agent Man that it wasn’t a big deal and he didn’t need to take time off for the appointment. By then, I felt fine and the possibility of twins never even crossed my mind.
A couple minutes into the procedure the ultrasound tech said,

“Well, there’s one of the babies.”

They looked like two little pieces of rice in a sea of darkness in the small black and white print- out the doctor’s office gave me. A few weeks later we found out we were also having boys.

The rest of my pregnancy went off without a hitch. I was lucky enough to carry my twins full term. I was huge! People would ask me if I was twelve months pregnant. So sensitive.

I remember when I was driving through a drugstore parking lot, there were some guys hanging out in front of the store. They whistled and cat-called to me as I drove by with my window down. They watched me as I pulled into my parking spot and waddled out of the car. When they saw the behemoth of a pregnant lady, they sulked away, embarrassed. I laughed so hard I almost wet myself. Pregnant ladies are prone to incontinence.

We planned a scheduled c-section the day before Thanksgiving. My parents traveled from Colorado to California for the birth.

The day before I checked into the hospital, I decided I needed a new pair of slippers. I remember standing in the mouse maze of a checkout line at Burlington Coat Factory. (They sell more than just coats.) My parents left the store to pull the car around for me. After standing in line for ten minutes, I finally made it up to the cashier. She told me I couldn’t pay with a credit card at that register and I would have to get back in line. I wanted to yell,

“Hey, can’t you tell I’m twelve months pregnant? Give me a break!”

Instead, I just left the slippers at the counter and walked out. My parents were so upset to see their little/big pregnant girl, empty-handed and on the verge of tears, they took me to JcPenney and bought me a new nightgown, robe and slippers. Take that Burlington Coat Factory!

The morning of my c-section I showered, put on make-up, curled my hair, and put on my nicest maternity dress. When we got to the hospital, the nurses met me at the door with a wheelchair. I refused. I told them that I had carried my babies this far, I would walk into Labor and Delivery on my own steam.

An hour later, I wasn’t full of so much gumption. The operating room was cold and I had nothing on but a surgical gown. They hadn’t let Secret Agent Man in yet and when I saw that long needle they wanted to stick in my back, I went into panic mode. I quickly concocted a plan. I could use one hand to support my burgeoning belly and the other hand to hold back of my gown closed. I thought if I could make it out the hospital doors, I could deliver my babies in the bushes. I don’t know why I thought that would be a better option. It was about that time when my husband came in the room. I knew I couldn’t get passed him, so I resigned myself to that fact that this was going to happen with or without my cooperation.

The operation was quick. The first sight of my babies turned my panic into elation. I was the mother of two healthy twin boys, tipping the scales at 7 lbs and 8.3 lbs.

The weeks and months to follow were a sleepless blur of feedings and changings. I’m glad we took a lot of pictures, because I don’t remember much of that first year.

Today, my twins are 11-years-old. Every year I am amazed that I have kept them alive for this long. I am very proud of them and happy that they have each other.

Happy Birthday, Boys! Mama loves you.

17 comments:

  1. I am cracking up at the guys who got embarrassed because they cat called a 12 month pregnant lady!

    Happy birthday to your boys!

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  2. You not only have kept them alive this long, you have raised them to be smart, kind, polite, and fun young men! Happy Birthday to the boys, and Happy Mommy Day to you! (That's different than Mother's Day - it celebrates the day you became a mommy.)

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  3. You should celebrate their birthday this year by getting a tummy tuck. Perhaps your blogger friends could have a fundraiser in your honor to pay for it.

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  4. Happy Birthday to your boys! I loved reading their story. I have twins too. A boy and a girl- they are home on break from freshman year of college.

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  5. Wow, they dwarfed you then and they dwarf you now!! Those are BIG twins!

    Happy birthday, guys! :)

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  6. happy birthday to your boys!

    That is a great story! I loved reading it.

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  7. Happy Birthday boys!

    Annie, you are my hero.

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  8. I have to admit that my first thought at seeing this post was, "I'm so glad I'm not that big!" (I'm 6 mos. pregnant with one baby.) It's a good thing you didn't run. Delivering babies by yourself isn't as easy as it looks on TLC.

    p.s. I wandered over from MMB
    p.p.s love the red shoes and adorable purse and cute little girl's room! you got a good thing going on over here.

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  9. you started out the parenthood thing with quite a bang!

    they are darling- even at 11.

    i always thought it would be fun to have a set of twins.
    i hear tall people have twins more often....maybe my 6 foot amber will have a set someday!

    hope you have a happy day!

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  10. My twins just turned 4 years old... I have a few more years to go before they are declared lucky to be alive... but there are days I have to wonder.

    Kids are wonderful, and make life *very* interesting.

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  11. Twins are awesome! I think it's wonderful that you have a set!

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  12. Holy Shiz! Twins. Full Term. 7 and 8 lbs. CRAP - you are the wonder of all wonders woman!

    Happy birthday boys!

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  13. I really enjoyed our birth story. Your amazing!

    Happy be-lated Birthday boys! Hope it was a good one?!

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  14. What a great story. I think mothers of twins are amazing. (I always had enough trouble with just one at a time; )

    7 lbs. and over 8 is a lot to carry around for 9 months.

    Love the story of the slippers. You have great parents.

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  15. Seriously, with the twins. I have twins. Mine were 8 pounds too, although not until they were five weeks old when I met them, but details.

    Then I notice the pink bike on the sidebar....

    I am begging for a pink bike just like it for Christmas.

    anyway, getting on board with the full on stalking.

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