The "Honeymoon" Period

Week 15

Just before Christmas, my 10 weeks of pretty bad morning sickness finally started to subside. Just in enough time for holiday food and to host Christmas Dinner without wretching over the smells. For about a month, I had energy, felt great, and gave Paul reprieve from making me breakfast in bed. After about week 18, I started getting uncomfortable again - this time with backaches, stretching abdominal ligaments, and shortness of breathing room.

Meet the Family

Pretty severe morning sickness, the type that lasts all day long no matter what steps you take or advice you follow, sets in at about 5 weeks and is interfering with my daily life. I have picked up a couple of pregnancy books and am relying heavily on one specifically for twin and multiple pregnancies. Their instructions: eat every 90 minutes. It seems to work better than any other remedy, including the B vitamins, which I continue to take anyhow. The only thing that seems to help keep me functional, however, is eating. I have no appetite, no desire to eat, but it does lessen my queasiness enough that I can get out of bed and go to work. I am also exhausted! My regular bedtime has switched from 10:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Some of this has to do with the fact that I'm having to get up 4-5 times a night to pee. I am cranky, irritable, and completely dependent on food. It sucks to be Paul right now.

Regardless, he and I tough it out and decide to drive up to Salem, Oregon for the family Thanksgiving gathering, where we plan to "share the news" with the 30 members or so that also plan to be there. Armed with a cooler full of food (milk, cereal, cheese and protein bars are the favorites), we make the ordinarily 9 hour trip in under 11 (and Paul becomes acquainted with many roadside rest areas). Even though I'm only 10 weeks along, it doesn't take long for family members to "notice" the change in my belly (people at work started noticing at 8 weeks - hey, they're twins!). Anxious aunts eye each other and then smile in glee. These are the first babies in 4 years and they are chomping at the bit for some new little ones. The real surprise is the word "twins." Enough babies for everyone!

Our First Look - Surprise!: Maybe Grandma Could Hear Me!

Our first look... Week 6

At 6 weeks, Paul and I made our way to the doctor's office, held hands, and prayed that we would see good news during our first ultrasound. Not really knowing what to expect or see, we were thrilled to learn that we were pregnant with not only one, but two babies! Although you can see both sacs, only one baby shape is visible in this photo; but when they moved the instrument more to the left, the second one was definitely there. They are only 10 mm long at this point and really resemble sea-horses or sea-monkeys more than they do real babies.

Where We Were When We Found Out...

Sea Kayaking in Mendocino - Week 4

Paul and I had planned on getting away to Mendocino to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary as well as try out our new sea kayak purchased just a month prior. We stopped at the doctor's office to take a blood test on our way out of town, and the nurse reassured us that she'd call us on my cell phone later the same day to tell us if we were pregnant or not.

When we arrived on the coast, we realized that we didn't get any cell service. So, before dinner, we drove up to Fort Bragg, stopped at the Perko's restaurant to use the pay phone and called in for messages. There was good news on the machine, which also meant that I didn't have to do much paddling the next day as Daddy not only had extra energy, but wanted me to save mine for the baby.

Grandma, Dearest

Grandma Betty and Louise - 1916.

Sadly, we lost my Grandma Betty in January 2004. Since her passing, I felt myself having silent "conversations" with her about Paul and my desire for parenthood. I guess between feeling that I'd started late, in comparison to my friends, and my fascination with my Grandma and her unique bond with her twin sister, having twins became a deep desire within me. And, hey, starting late actually increases your chances to have them!

Weekly, daily, hourly, I leaned on my Grandma, not really knowing if she was listening, not feeling that she was there, but talking to her anyhow about the wonders of raising children and hoping that somehow, from "the other side," she could listen and help.