Double Trouble

Its one of those days that will forever be etched in my memory!

It was mid-February 2002 and I was 6 months pregnant with my first. The initial 12 week ultrasound had shown us a healthy beating heart of our gummy-bear-sized baby. My sweet husband accompanied me to our second ultrasound this winter morning with anticipation of seeing tiny fingers and toes this time. But my joy turned to fear in a moment.

The technician sliding the doppler across my abdomen had a furrowed brow.

She scrutinized my chart.

Her silence was deafening.

I just knew something was wrong with the baby...this was taking too long!

After what seemed like an eternity, she paused and asked a shocking question.

"Um....you do know you have twins in here, right?"

I about rolled off the table.

"What?!! ...........What did you say? Are you sure?"

She was sure.

She proceeded to point out baby A (Tristan) and baby B (Abigail). C held my hand as I sobbed and wiped the gel off my belly. For two-and-a-half minutes, a whelming flood of emotions washed over me and all I could do was cry.

We had only been married for 6 weeks when we conceived. The thought of not one, but two babies by our first anniversary completely overwhelmed me. But God knew what He was doing. He knew that I could "handle" one....that two would require me to depend on Him and in my inadequacy, I would draw from His strength instead of my own. He knew we'd be stationed overseas and that they would need a playmate in eachother when surrounded by a foreign language. He knew exactly what he was blessing me with.

With sonogram photos in hand, I took a deep breath and exited the ultrasound room. I proudly carried my first baby photos to the lab for bloodwork where I got to share my joyous news for the first time with a large African American nurse in scrubs as she tied a tourniquet around my arm.

I waited for a nurturing pat on the knee and a gushing "congratulations".

Instead, she wagged her finger in my face and scolded, "Girlfriend, he done knocked you up good. Yo gonna have yo hands full!"

Not exactly the reassurance I needed, but the comic relief had me in stitches!

I felt like the luckiest girl in the world! Doubly blessed. Unbelievably excited.

I floated through half-a-dozen baby showers and dreamed away my days at work anticipating being a stay-at-home mom to two sweet-peas! We hosted a Bradley Birthing Class and I read everything I could get my hands on regarding natural childbirth.

My midwife told me they would come a month early. Twins always do you know.

So I waited with my hospital bag packed for four....long.....weeks........

At four days overdue, I was convinced I would be pregnant forever.

When my contractions started at 10:45 on the eve of their birthday, my life changed forever.

Arriving at the hospital, I was already 7 1/2 centimeters after only two hours of labor. "This is going to be a breeze" I thought.

Quite the contrary.....eight excruciating hours later, I reached nine and then got to push for two more hours.

We didnt know what we were having...but secretly, I hoped for one of each.

At 9:04 June 7th 2002 we welcomed our first born son.

39 minutes later, we were blessed with a daughter.

Looking lovely after 11 hours of natural childbirth

I dont know what happened to my wee, snugly pink babies. Today we celebrate 8 years of joy with our twins. 8 years of laughter and memories. 8 years of blessing lavished through being called "mommy" and "daddy".

What an amazing life you've already lived. You've been in Amarica, England, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Egypt, Spain, Holland, Germany, Hungary and Austria.....more countries than many will visit to in a life time. You've lived over half your life in a foreign country and have celebrated birthdays in Atlanta, Kiev, London, Columbia and Montana! We're going to be hard pressed to make the next 8 years as exciting as the first!

I love the way you love eachother. Protect eachother. Keep secrets. Play together. Defend eachother. You were incredibly syncronized in "double teaming" mommy as mischievous toddlers. You even had your own language...."twin talk" they call it. As you grew, Abi could "translate" for Tristan. And now, we have to remind her to let him get a word in edgewise every now and then:-)

So grateful God saw fit to gift your daddy and I with two.

Double trouble.

But twice the fun!

Hope you'll always be eachothers biggest fan. Dont ever stop making eachother laugh so hard that milk comes out your nose!

Happy, Happy Birthday to two great kids!

Thanking God for the gift you are - today and always!