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Monday, April 1, 2013

Raising Twins

It has been FIVVVVVE years since giving birth to two beautiful bouncing baby boys M and M which when looking back has been a total loving blur.  When I was told I was having twins at age 40 I felt overjoyed and overwhelmed and was in disbelief or maybe denial until about the 7th month that this was actually going to happen to me a person with NO twin history on either side of the family tree and someone who was not trying to even have one baby!  When I had the shower and I received identical things in pairs it finally started to hit me because I was hit with a mountain of stuff unlike any other time in my life.  Up until then I had two beautiful children born five years apart who were 17 and 11 and I thought my life was drifting into empty nest phase and I was going to travel the world and do all these things I was creating a bucket list for and then suddenly I heard the screeches like a car skidding to a stop from a 100 mph to 0 in under a second.  That sound haunts me to this day.

Then came the morning I was really tired and super hungry for a cheeseburger from Doubles and a chocolate old fashioned donut.  It was rare I craved the two at the same time but I didn't see the signs as I was just hungry at first.  I fell into my van feeling five feet from the steering wheel but determined to fulfill my cravings.  I made it to the first destination  Doubles and ordered the cheeseburger with thousand island dressing and before I left the drive through I was savoring my first beautiful bite.  I think that was the best bite I ever had in my life I can still taste it today.  Lucky for me I finished it before I got to the donut shop to address craving number 2.  I fell out of the van walking very slowly but I felt like I was sprinting to the donut case to find that the old fashioned chocolate donut that was eating away at my brain was no where to be found.  I was in a state of shock for a couple of minutes thinking how in the world could a donut shop not have this old fashioned chocolate donut at noon time on any given day?  As it would be nothing else was able to erase that craving so I turned around and walked very slowly back to my van hoping that I would be able to make it back in and not end up stuck or stranded at the donut shop and I would have to call someone one to save me and I would get in trouble being at the donut shop.  At that moment I realized I have a van! What would I have done if I had a small fuel efficient car having twins?  I felt like the luckiest person alive.

I then managed to fall back into the van and roll home into my drive way crumble up the evidence to throw away without anyone really seeing what I just did and I coughed.  That cough was unlike any other cough I ever had.  All of a sudden I felt as if I wet my pants which in some respects at this time in pregnancy with a two babies crushing every organ you have is not uncommon but it felt like well did I pee myself or is that something else?  Again I was in denial because I wasn't due for another 6 weeks and I surely wasn't ready at this point to have two babies because it was the night of the final episode of Entourage which became my best friend sometimes when I was unable to move from my recliner and I hadn't received all of my online shopping orders yet nor did the house represent a place that two babies would soon inhabit. 

So I again walked really slowly to the bathroom to check out the damage which again felt like I was running for my life thinking at the worst I would be taking a shower and go back to my recliner but NO that is not what was about to happen.  It was my water and I sat there in shock for a couple of minutes thinking about what to do and how to do it.  Of course this moment had played through my thoughts a few times a day and we tried to plan on how it was going to go down when it happened but as everything else in life this was not in the plan and everyone was not in their positions and I had to resort to plan F. 

I called my mom over who was supposed to be my sitter while hubby was at work and could take care of my every need and my kids every needs and I look at her and said I think my water broke and at that moment I think she went into labor herself.  I had to calm her and and she stood looking at me frozen in shock and said what do I do.  I am like I have no idea yet but wait.  I called the hubby at work who said Ok well be calm and get to the doctor see what they say and call me to let me know if this is it.  He sounded super calm and collected.  I then told my mom that this was how it was going to go.  I was going to drive myself to the hospital and she was going to follow me to know how to get there because she is not a GPS person nor a person who can find her way if there are any turns involved so I wanted to make sure she knew how to get there and get home and have her own car to be able to flee the situation if needed.  I felt calm, cool, and collected and ready to face whatever my destiny would be.

The drive went well and it only took ten minutes as we are not far from the hospital.  However, as I was pulling in I see this familiar truck going back and forth kind of frantically and I thought that looks like hubby's truck but he is about 30 minutes from here and I just talked to him and I was supposed to call him to tell him what the status was so No that couldn't be him.  As I got closer and he sees me he tries to lead the charge to the parking lot and I am thinking how in the world did he beat me here?  He must have bolted out of his office and done 120 mph to the hospital.  Who was nervous now?

Well  I think it is obvious where we are going with this.  My water did break and I was going to have these little guys on this day 6 weeks early.  The only thing was that I just ate my cheeseburger so I had to wait 6 hours.  I kept wondering what is the significance of all these 6's which in the end meant nothing but it kept me occupied while I waited. 

So at 6 pm I was wheeled into the room to have my first cesarean birth of two beautiful bouncing baby boys.  Moises was born at 6:34 pm and Marley was born at 6:36 pm and they were 5 and 6 pounds!  11 pounds of babies the cheeseburger is what pushed me to the brink.  Of course they were shown to me for seconds and quickly taken to the NICU for observation and I was put in a recovery area with numb legs for what seemed like 100 hours with no visitors like I have been tossed away as I just did my part now I was not needed anymore.  I just gave birth to TWINS! What a surreal moment in my life.  I fought trying to move my legs ad it was the weirdest feeling and all I wanted to do was to find out all the 411 about them and no one was coming to tell me and someone took my cell phone.  I'm like who takes someones cell phone when they are giving birth?  Hubby was with them in the NICU and grandma was well I don't know where she was?  I think with my kids at the vending machines trying to buy them happiness. 

To make a long story short Marley and Moises braved the world and this journey of raising twins begins.

I has taken 5 seemingly long years, bifocals, and hair loss treatment to get to a point to be able to share all my experiences.  I hope that what I have learned and experienced will help or comfort others who find themselves in this wondrous world of twins.

2 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh - from teens to infant twins. Must have been a HUGE shock!

    The bit about the cheeseburger pushing them out is hilarious.

    Mine were also born six weeks early - smaller. No water break - we found Twin to Twin Transfusion, so one hadn't grown in the last three weeks of the pregnancy - so we had to rush in to the hospital and subsequent NICU and the like too. I don't think anything can prepare a woman to deliver early!! Never had the "luxury" of those looooong last few weeks that most women seem to have with singletons. :)

    ~Alana

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  2. Wow! What a tale. Congratulations on the twin boys. Lots of fun ahead.

    So happy to see another blog started after my visit to CBW-LA and glad you've joined up for the A to Z ride. I hope you will find it to be as fun and rewarding as so many others have.

    One recommendation on your blog is that you might want to consider adding the follower widget with can be found on the design page. When you get the widget box displayed just click on "More Widgets" and "Follwers" should be at the bottom of the first page. Having this in your sidebar will give visitors an opportunity to follow and find your posts more easily.

    Good luck!

    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out

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