Thursday, February 18, 2010

Surprise! It's Twins!



I am enjoying a lazy morning,
just sitting here, reading up on
some of my favorite blogs.

Not at all like the morning I had
just 30  short years ago.


Yes... that morning I was the
proud, happy, worried, and already
very tired mother to brand new identical twin boys.


And that doesn't even begin to describe
the depths of my emotions.



This is the story of our surprise,
our extra little bonus from the stork.

Yes, it is a story about labor and delivery...
but mine is different!  Really.
(Isn't everybody's?)


This is not a graphic
or gory story.

~~~



A Mother Just Knows


They were unexpected.
By that I mean that I could not convince my doctor that I was having twins,
even after the first one was delivered... breech! 
Frank breech, as in bent in half, bottom first. 
I am not kidding. 
 

I told the doctor to hurry up and
put the first baby down...
and grab the next one.


He gave me that same look I had seen for weeks. He really thought I was crazy...
until he put his hand on my belly, just when the "imaginary" baby kicked me,
hard in the diaphragm, taking my breath away.


The doctor looked as white as a ghost
... I'm feeling vindicated... at last.


 I was a tiny woman way back then.
I was just under 100 lbs when I got pregnant and 135 lbs when I delivered.
Maybe he didn't think I was so big but to me I was huge!

 That doctor needed to
listen to his patient!


After all... strangers had stopped me in the Mall in the last few weeks,
to ask how much "over due" I was, or if I was having twins. 
But, according to my doctor, I was due any day...
and having just one.


This was a planned pregnancy,
and according to my records
I had five more weeks to go.


Sonograms were fairly new back then, and he refused to let me have one.
So... I delivered on time (according to my doctor) but in reality... five weeks early.
Yes... I had been right. With one just over 5lbs. and one just under.
One born on the 17th and one five minutes later... on the 18th.
My midnight babies.


The longest and hardest 
five minutes of my life!

Push!... Breathe... Push!


So, after all was said and done... 
I sat up (sort of) and told him that next time... he better listen to his patient!
One of the attending nurses also happened to be my Lamaze teacher.
I had told her in class, just the night before, that I just knew I was having twins.
I had told all the nurses when I arrived that very afternoon. 
I had told anyone who would listen.


The problem is that they just wouldn't.


Right after delivery my babies were then taken from me (after I got to touch each one)
and whisked off by ambulance to a hospital... just three miles away.
To a hospital that specialized in preemies and twins. 
To where they should be.


They went without me.
To the hospital where I should
have delivered them.


Then, this same doctor preceded to tell me
that I really would not be able to breastfeed twins,
and wanted me to take the meds to "dry" me up. 


But once again I just knew. 


So... I left that place and that doctor, ASAP.
We took in bottles of my milk to the other hospital, 
twice a day, for ten days until my precious babies came home.


10 weeks old

At 2 months they doubled their weight
and by 5 months they had TRIPLED
their weight... on breast milk.

All because... I just knew.


Never underestimate the determination of a mother.
These were my third and fourth babies. 
I had done this before... it was not my first rodeo.


And so our family was complete.


Two girls and two boys. My husband's first children.
We had been married less than a year.
I had added to his family legacy in one fell swoop. 



~~~


Identical twin boys...
and friends for life!



They are now over 6' tall.
One is an engineer for an aeronautical company (Boeing) and the other
is working for the U.S Dept. of Energy at Stanford University (SLAC) .



Happy Birthday
Marc and Matt!


We love you!!!





~~~

28 comments:

Jeanette said...

Happy Birthday to a very handsome couple of young men and congratulations to a very wise Mom!

Sarah said...

Happy Birthday to your twins! They were definitely cute little boys. Great story. Love the photo of them as new borns. They do look exactly alike!

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Oh darling! Thank goodness when our daughter had twins, we knew we were getting double!~

Marla said...

Love your story! Unbelievable that your doctor was so oblivious, or old school whatever you want to call it. I am so happy that you had 2 healthy babies despite. I am a NICU nurse and so proud that you listened to your inner voice. A mother just knows what is best for her children. They were beautiful babies. Way to go mamma. Hugs, Marla

Blondie's Journal said...

What an incredible story. I read it with my mouth hanging open. Was this doctor a neanderthal?? lol!! Your boys are so precious and truly do look identical! How happy your husband must be!

Great story. Glad I didn't miss it!

xoxo
Janie

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

What a great story about your twin boys. Happy Birthday to them !! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I am going to have to come back and look at yours some more when I have more time.

Stacey said...

Mommy's just know! What a great story.

Anonymous said...

sniff sniff.....really....they were so cute.....:)

nannykim/spindlecottage said...

What a wonderful story!!! Well, except for the doctor you had selected! Ha!

Sharlotte said...

Hi!
I a first time visitor to your blog and I've been reading and reading your posts! You are such a talented writer, photographer...just inspirational. I'm also from Texas...glad to meet you!
Sharlotte

Brenda Pruitt said...

You CANNOT have that many grandkids. You look like a kid yourself! Oh, these male doctors shouldn't even be specializing in areas for which they don't have body parts, in my opinion!
Brenda

Charlene said...

What a precious story!!!! And I hope that doctor started to listen better! A mother does KNOW! Happy Birthday to your boys & to you. What a great story.

And thank you for your words of comfort about the loss of my sweet Reba. It really did help to hear your sweet words. Chester was a beautiful baby!!! Oh what blessings they are. I hope you will come back to visit my blog some day when it is a happier post. But, I am so glad you stopped when you did. It really did help. HUGS! Charlene

Joyce said...

WOW! What a story. Your babies were so cute in those knitted outfits. Happy Birthday to your adorable twins!
Joyce

Unknown said...

I absolutely LOVE that story!! Thanks for sharing it with us!!

Visiting from Texas Blogging Gals! Love your blog! Please visit me for a fun giveaway!

~Becca

Bunnym said...

Of course we know...dang doctor! Your boys are adorable and I'm sure they're just as proud of you. That was fun!

tootles,
bunny

ps. nice knobs...lol

Barbara said...

Quite a story, or should I say experience. I wonder what tht doctor thought when he got home tht night.

I agree with you, although I love the sun and would like some right now I do nto think I would like the boredom of constant blue skies without cloud for months on end as yu describe.

Kelly @ Much To Do With Nothing said...

Hi Bunny Jean,
What precious pictures, and a great story! How do they feel about being 30?
I went to that blog post about the horses. Horrible!! It's exactly like the dairy cows. The confinement, keeping them pregnant, killing their young and everything. Just to get what they need from them. Only God can stop all of this. We can only do our small share. Bless her daughter for adopting one.
Thanks for the link.
TTYL
Kelly

Beth@The Stories of A to Z said...

Thanks for sharing your story and yay for you for trusting your instincts!

Kristi said...

Great story! first time at your blog and really love it! I have twin boys as well, but they just turned 9! I also have an 19 month old and feel like she needs her own buddy like they have!! Such a blessing! :)
Kristi

Natasha in Oz said...

That is one of the most amazing stories I have ever heard! What an amazing woman you are!

Happy Birthday to your boys!

Best wishes,
Natasha.

vignette design said...

I loved this story. You knew! I can't believe that doctor didn't listen. Things were so very different back then. I have a 33 year old daughter, so I know. I also have 4 children. And, I'm married to an identical twin! Aren't they fun? It must have been a lot of fun raising those darling boys!

Mary @ Redo 101 said...

What an awesome story - and what gorgeous boys you had. Thanks for sticking by your guns, you're right - nobody knows better than the mother!

Terry said...

Isn't that something! How could your doctor be so wrong? I remember them measuring my tummy, didn't he think you were usually big even though you hardly gained any weight? Now you have me wondering if you bought two cribs and were ready for twins...love your blog so much! Again thanks for leaving a comment on my blog, I am your newest follower and also following you on Pinterest..my how time flies..to have twins and now they are all grown up!

xinex said...

Awww, you are such a good mom, Bunny and the twins are just precious. I just saw this post and it attracted me to it because I have 2 daughters who are both pregnant and one of them is having twins....Christine

Unknown said...

awww what a great story!

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Oh, what a story! I have identical twin daughters born in 1980. We learned very early that I was expecting twins and delivered them three days before my due date weighing 6.5 and 6.7. I had to deliver at a hospital with a neonatal floor but they went right to the regular nursery.

They are close like your sons and even had a double wedding. One now has 3 children and the other is expecting her 6th in February. They both prayed for twins but it hasn't happened :)

So nice stopping by to visit with you!

Kindly, Lorraine

cathy@home said...

A lovely Sory proving Mum knows best

Bliss said...

Great post. I just "knew" I was gonna love it! Like you, I learned 30 years ago to listen more to myself, because "I just know" certain things. Must be the California girl rule.

~Bliss~
(original San Fernando Valley girl before they talked all stupid and hung out at malls)



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