The Absolute Surprise of a Lifetime - September 30, 2005

We went in for the normal check ups and actually heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time on Thursday, August 25, 2005. I have to say that hearing the heartbeat was one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. We didn't have another ultrasound until Friday, September 30, 2005, which was the earliest date we had a chance of finding out if our baby was a girl or a boy. I was 17 weeks and 5 days pregnant at this point. This was my first ultrasound from the top of my belly. I remember leaving work and calling my mom and asking her to pray that the baby was a little girl. I told her I wanted a girl because I wanted to have the relationship that my grandmother, mom and I share. The three of us are very very close and I wanted to add another girl to the next generation. I recall being in tears when I got off the phone with my mom and just praying to God that I would have a little girl. Little did I know what God really had in store for me. Jason met me at the doctor's office and we were so anxious to get there. Time stood still for me. Right on time, we were called back to the ultrasound room. My mind was blank for a moment. I had prayed every night from the moment I felt that I was pregnant that God would bless us with a healthy and happy baby and this ultrasound would tell us so much about the little mystery that rested inside of me. The nurse began the sonogram and I was looking at the screen, not knowing a thing that I was looking at. I remember looking over at Jason and he had both hands on his hips, his eyes were focused on the screen, and his left knee was rapidly jumping up and down. The nurse didn't say anything and I couldn't find the courage to even speak a simple "Is everything okay?" The nurse was moving the monitor over my belly from one side to the other over and over, not staying put for very long at all. Finally, she said, "hang on guys, I have to check something," and she walked out of the room. She was only gone for about a minute, but I assure you, we thought it was an eternity. Jason and I didn't speak, we just stared at each other. Finally, I broke down sobbing and asking Jason what could possibly be wrong. When the nurse returned, she realized that she had scared us and immediately said, "oh, my...please don't cry...everything is perfectly okay...actually it is doubly okay Stacie, you are having twins." "You are having twins" echoed in my mind over and over and then over and over again. I have never been a drama queen or one to get overly excited, but I assure you that at that moment, I was an uncontrollable, emotional, pregnant lady that didn't believe what she had just heard. "What did you just say," to which Jason replied "You didn't hear her Stac, we're having twins, we're having twins...isn't it great!" It was an absolute out of body experience. That was not me laying on that table and that was not me seeing two babies on that screen. That machine must have been hooked up to some other pregnant lady that must have had her senses about her because I certainly had lost all of mine. There was no way that I was almost 18 weeks pregnant and just finding out that I was pregnant with twins. The nurse explained that she had left the room for that reason exactly. She had to check when the last sonogram was because it shouldn't have been missed. In hindsight, I know exactly why we didn't find out any sooner. God had a plan and He knew how much of a worrier I was (and still am) and I feel confident that He spared me that time knowing that I would have struggled early on knowing that I was pregnant with twins. After making it to 18 weeks with healthy twins, the prognosis for delivering healthy twins increases significantly. As the ultrasound continued, I went through a range of experiences including my first hot flash. I began sweating and breathing hard; I was in total shock. After having a fan hooked up and directed to blow straight on me, I eventually came back to earth. All the measurements of twin A had been taken and it was time to try and figure out the sex. After a few seconds, the nurse said, "looks like we have a little boy". I have to say that my heart fell just a little bit (it was already near the floor from the previous announcement, so it didn't have far to go). I looked up and Jason was bouncing up and down with excitement...he was going to have his little boy that he so badly wanted. I then remember saying, "oh perfect, then the other one can be a girl and it will be just..." Oh, no, the nurse interrupted me, identical twins can't be opposite sexes. Identical twins...no one said anything about identical...what are you talking about identical? Sure enough, twin B was also a little boy, identical to his brother. I recall looking back at Jason and this time he was jumping up and down beating his fist on his chest in excitement. Both boys weighed exactly 7 ounces and were doing just wonderfully. We had beat many odds and didn't even know we were up against them. How wonderful our God is. He protects us always.



(pic 1 & 2 twins; pic 3 twin A with twin B's foot; pic 4 twin B; pic 5 twin A; pic 6 twin A's legs with twin B's head)



(twin A - Bryce; twin B- Kade)