Since my teen years, when the thoughts of someday having a family entered my mind, I would almost always visualize twins. When I was still with my ex-fiancee, we talked about my having twins. Maybe that is what killed our relationship!?!? :o) Its funny how people who don't have faith in God, don't realize that He is watching and listening to us. Maybe He heard about my wishes to have twins, yet others say, I practically "willed" my body to have twins. I believe it was my destiny.
4 months after Donnie and I started living together, (he moved in the week after we met!)I got pregnant. Unfortunately, I miscarried 3 days after we found out. 2 months later I got pregnant again, only this time, I got the ever so famous morning sickness the day BEFORE I was suppose to have missed my period. I should have known then I was having twins. I remained in denial for a week, each day was filling with my running to the bathroom to either use the facilities, or puke. I called my OB, and gave a blood sample. It was confirmed the next day, I was indeed pregnant.
I would be lying if I said Donnie and I were thrilled. We were having some major problems in our relationship. He was talking himself into believing this baby wouldn't make it either. At my 7th week, I started spotting, and was put on my first of three rounds of bedrest. My heart sank, I thought what every woman thinks, (that wants a family)it was unfair, why, etc. The spotting lightened, and one week later we went to our first ultrasound. It was July 1st, 1997. I remember the day so well. After a restless night of sleep, I woke up that morning remembering what I was dreaming about. I told Donnie casually, "I dreamt we are having twins, wouldn't that be neat?" Naturally, his answer didn't agree. Two hours later, I'm laying in Dr. Buten's ultrasound room, and he does his thing, and on the monitor we saw two sacs, two heartbeats, two babies...it was the most beautiful thing I had ever saw. Donnie's eyes were as big as saucers, he was stunned. His jaw dropped to China. It was a Kodak moment.
Walking out of the room, we had to sit with Dr. Buten in his office and discuss the different problems that can arise from carrying twins. Most importantly, Preterm Labor, and knowing what symptoms to watch out for. We came out of the office in silence, reeling in what journey we were about to embark on. I bought _Having Twins_ by Elizabeth Noble and it was my bible during and shortly after my pregnancy. It was my dream coming true right before my eyes.
I had lost my job and we decided I would remain at home. Donnie became our only source of income. We knew we really didn't have to buy anything for the kids, we were flying out to California in September for my twin-shower. I received so many gifts, we left Austin with one bag, but came home with four boxes filled with baby things. My parents, whom I love so very much, were planning to come to Austin around my due date and help with the babies. We came close to losing them on September 2, 1997. Donnie and I were coming home from grocery shopping and as we were passing through an intersection a car coming from the turn around cut across two lanes and in front of us. Needless to say, the Chevrolet we were in had minimal damage, but I stayed in the hospital for three days under observation.
On September 11,1997 we found out we were having one boy, and one girl. Immediately I was reminded of Collin Raye's tribute to his twins, "One boy, one girl". Its so perfect. We were going to be a complete little family.
Everything was going well, I was getting pretty big. I got too big to fit in my car so I would drive Donnie's demo when I had an appointment with a doctor. On October 31, yep, Halloween, I woke up feeling something that I knew I shouldn't have been feeling. I was only 25 weeks at the time, and I was feeling contractions. I waited a half hour by drinking a full glass of water and laying on my left side, I went to the bathroom, did all the things that I was supposed to do before calling my OB. Finally after about 2 hours I called, and I had to go in. I ended up spending the day in Labor and Delivery. I was pretty scared. The nurses gave me two steroid shots for the babies' lungs, terbutaline to control contractions, and I was to have a home fetal monitor that I would strap on twice a day for one hour, then dial in the results. I stuck to my partial bedrest for a few weeks, then started to do a little more. If I got tired, I quit what I was doing.
Finally at 33 weeks, a cold Sunday morning, Donnie and I were sleeping on the air mattress in the living room, I woke up thinking I wet my panties. Half asleep, I changed, and went to the bathroom again (or so I thought) then back to bed. 3 hours later, the same thing, only this time I woke up with my heart racing, my mind thinking too many thoughts at once, and my hands shaking. I knew deep down it was time. But it was too early. I went in to the living room and woke up Donnie. I said, "Donnie, its time. You need to take me to the hospital." He mumbled, "Okay." I asked him, "Do you know what I'm saying? IT'S TIME!" Well, as luck would have it, he was still dressed in the clothes he had on the day before. He had fallen asleep in his work clothes. He brushed his teeth or peed, not sure, and we went to the hospital. 4 hours later, I was transferred to another hospital because the first one didn't have a NICU or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I spent the afternoon contracting but not given anything. Late in the afternoon, I was given Stedanol (sp?) for pain, but naturally, that didn't help a whole lot. At around 7pm, I was finally given the epidural, and I began pushing to get things started. At around 10pm I suppose, I was taken to the C-Section room just in case we needed it.
Brandon made his appearence in the world at 10:52pm. He weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces and was only 13 inches tall. I honestly don't remember if he cried, but Donnie says he did. They placed Brandon on my chest for about 10 seconds and then he was whisked away to the NICU.
Victoria was a different story. She was forced out. Her membranes were still intact after I delivered Brandon. I often wonder why they couldn't leave her in there til she was ready. While I was waiting for instructions to push, Donnie's phone rang. A pin could have dropped in the room and we'd had heard it. Everyone looking at him, he mumbled something like call back and leave a message, but it was his friend, Mike, telling him his tacos from Taco Bell were outside in the waiting room!!! I was not happy, but of course, looking back it was hilarious.
At 10:58pm, Victoria cried her way into the world. I don't remember her cry either. I was worried about Victoria, don't know why, mom's intuition I suppose. She was smaller then Brandon it looked and indeed she was a whole pound and 1 ounce smaller (4lbs10oz). They set her on my chest for about 10 seconds as well, and they whisked her off to the NICU. Not realizing just how serious their condition really was, I was so blind to the idea that my twins were not going to come home with me.
And so began my NICU ordeal...
Here is a Poem of sorts about my thoughts and feelings about my wonderful babies and our journey.
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