Expecting the Unexpected

Yes, we double checked the math....and it is definitely correct! It was confirmed today that the Valentine family is growing by four little feet come next spring! Our hearts are bursting with joy as we share this news with our family & friends. 

I had to title this post "Expecting the Unexpected" for a few reasons. First, after our time of waiting for the Lord to give us a baby, we were blessed back to back with Charlotte Grace & Eloise Hope. We have always known we desired more than a couple children & over vacation had really begun to talk about adding #3.  In fact, there were a couple times that I mentioned that I thought our family might possibly be complete with just one more child. (hahaha!)

The night we returned home from our trip to Michigan, on August 5th, we saw this lovely result......

We were jumping up & down hugging each other so overwhelmed that once again God would allow us to welcome another baby.  What a sweet moment it was! We told Eloise first when I was nursing her before bed that evening....she just grinned & said "bobby" which is "baby." We shared the news with Charlotte the next morning at breakfast.  Robby said "Charlotte, would you like for Mommy to have another baby?" knowing that her answer would be "YES!" Instead she said, "Yes! I want 5 brothers & 5 sissies!"  Five is Charlotte's perfect number by the way, she wants five of anything....except spankings ; ) Anyway, we went on to share with our families that day & received lots of excited screams. 

Onto reason number two for the title....we went to the doctor the following Monday for a routine early ultrasound for dating. I had only had one period in June & assumed I was about 7 weeks along from that date. Instead, we saw a little gestational sac that measured about 5 & a half weeks. Within that sac were not one but TWO yolk sacs. I have seen enough ultrasounds to know what I am looking for & I immediately saw both yolk sacs but thought...."no way, I must be looking at it wrong." The sonographer said "well, let me tell you what I am looking at, you are a little too early to see a heartbeat but there are definitely two yolk sacs!" OH MY!!! That look between Rob & me will be one that I will remember my entire life. It's like we knew the deepest joy & excitement in each other's heart & just grinned with our eyes really wide thinking, could this could really be happening to us?

The sonographer left us alone for a minute & we were laughing so hard that I am sure she was laughing on the other side of the door. We came out, walked around the corner & saw Dr. Peppy.  The nurse shot me a glance that said she knew what the sono showed. It was a face like "oh girl, get ready for chaos!"  Dr. Peppy on the other hand was busy getting Charlotte a lollipop. He looked up at me & said, "So, did you have your scan?" I thought, oh boy, I get to be the one to tell him! I said, very nonchalantly, "yep, there were two yolk sacs." His jaw dropped & I don't think he spoke for about 30 seconds.  Robby finally said, "Are you okay Dr. Peppy?" It was hilarious. I think he might have taken it that hardest out of everyone we told ; ) He later told us that it takes a lot to shock him but that definitely did it! He cautioned us that he frequently sees something called "vanishing twin" where by the time a scan is done around 8 weeks, one yolk sac/baby disappears but he ran us through the whole gamut of a twin pregnancy. We left with our brains going a million miles a minute & our hearts full of excitement with the possibility of two babies.

I had been feeling really good until about 3 days after my ultrasound & then it happened. My body was overtaken by the worst nausea I have felt & fatigue like I have NEVER experienced. I was pretty nauseated with both prior pregnancies & felt like I needed some naps to survive but this has been crazy! I took two naps a day for about 6 days in a row, went to bed by 9 & slept till 7 & still fought to keep my eyes open.  I kept telling myself that it was a good sign that at least one baby was growing in there! I am feeling like my belly is already sticking out a little bit. In fact, I chose a maternity skirt to wear to church yesterday...it was comfortable! I felt a little better about that choice today when we saw that there are two reasons why I might be showing already ; )

So fast forward 2 weeks to this morning.  We got up before the sun came up to get ready, jumped in the car to drive through the rains from Tropical Storm Isaac for our 8 o'clock appointment. I felt like it was my wedding day or something.  Before we woke the girls, we sat on the couch & Rob prayed for us for a little bit. The Lord really calmed my anxious heart in an instant & as we asked him to prepare us to receive whatever he saw fit to give us whether it be one baby, two babies or even no babies.  The girls were so happy on the way there humming along to our music.  We listened to Sons of Korah which was a band Rob really enjoyed when he lived in Australia. They basically sing Psalms word for word to beautiful music....we love their songs & it was a perfect choice to keep us from being anxious.

Eloise decided to have the stinkiest, grossest diaper I have changed in a long time right when we arrived at the office. They called my name when I was changing her so I came out with this diaper that almost made me vomit & told Rob he had to take it outside. This really has nothing to do with the story but it made me laugh...just a snapshot of our life right now : )

A couple other snap shots of our life, ie weird things:

• I did not know I was pregnant while on vacation and did more than a couple things I would not do while pregnant such as horseback riding, ziplining & doing some crazy acrobatic moves on a trampoline. I was quite nervous when I saw that positive result on the pregnancy test that I may have done something that would cause a miscarriage or something.  Come to find out, with these twins, an egg split to form them. If you count back to when I would have ovulated/conceived + knowing that the egg split sometime early in the first week, it lines right up with when I flipped upside down to go across that zipline ; ) My friend Sara called it "the zipline split!" Who knows when it really happened but I think the zipline split makes for a great story!
• The morning of my first ultrasound Charlotte told me "I have 5 babies in my belly mommy, wanna see'um?" I said sure as she held out the palm of her hand requesting that I hold them while she got off the bed.  I think she was onto something. If you asked her today, or any day she would tell you that I have 5 babies in my belly too.  Seriously considering that possibility makes twins seem like a joke ; ) 
• Prior to my ultrasound Charlotte got really hooked on a couple episodes of Dora where she has twin siblings born.  It was her episode choice for her TV time for about 5 days straight.
• I played Bunco one evening between the ultrasounds & was awful at every number except when we were on 2's. I rolled 16 in a row. 
• A friend of Jenny's asked her (after seeing me at Karis's birthday party) "When is your sister in law due?" Jenny was taken aback & said that it wasn't really public knowledge yet but that I was early. She replied "Well if I didn't know any better, I would guess she is a few months along with twins." HAHA! I think Jenny had a hard time containing herself in that moment ;)  So yes, proof that I might have a little bump. 

We had the same sonographer that we had last time & she quickly moved along so we could see what was happening on the inside. What do you know....we saw two little babies!!

Baby A on the left & Baby B on the right

JOY JOY JOY!! Their heartbeats were 155 & 157.  They measured 7 weeks & 3 days which if I remember correctly, that is exactly what Charlotte & Eloise were at their first ultrasounds too. We saw Baby A do a teeny tiny wiggle while Baby B posed perfectly still for their picture.  They are considered Monochorionic Diamniotic Twins or Mo/Di for short. This means that they share a placenta but are in separate amniotic sacs.  Mo/Di twins are always identical so we know that we are adding two boys to even things out in our home or two more girls to add to the giggling. Either option sounds like quite the adventure. A twin pregnancy is considered term at 37 weeks which makes my due date March 23, 2013- Rob's 32nd birthday!

You can see the individual  membranes around the babies in the picture above.

A great shot of Baby A with B hiding somewhere in the background. 

Lastly, I chose "Expecting the Unexpected" because I am living life right now as a mother of four babies, two in my arms & two in my womb. In those times of deep sadness & even contentment before we were given Charlotte, I never expected we would be where we are today on August 27, 2012.  I am beaming, with tears running down my cheeks.

With twins, I am automatically deemed "high risk" especially with my starting size & stature.  Twin pregnancies many times are uneventful & women are able to carry to term without any complication but there are often multiple difficulties that occur.  I live in this reality that many pregnant women do not because of my experience as a Labor & Delivery nurse. My two places of employment are in the top three in the United States for deliveries each year. I have spent seven years celebrating with families but this also adds up to seven years of walking with families through the tragedy of losing their children.  I have seen a baby at nearly every week gestation, amazed at the perfect forming of every body part that can only be attributed to God.  I have held babies while they have passed from this life into the arms of the Lord when a parent has not been able to do it.  I have cried many tears with families & for weeks following their loss.  We know the possibilities that lie ahead for these babies & that is why we are celebrating their life today.  Please join us in prayer over the coming weeks & months for God to provide strength for my body to carry for as long as God sees fit, for these two little ones to continue to grow healthy & strong & for our hearts to be prepared for whatever is coming our way.

As I consider these things that tend to weigh heavy on my heart, I am reminded that "all I have needed, His hand has provided, great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me."  These lyrics come from the song that has basically become our family anthem sung at bedtime every night & lately periodically throughout the day. I have been awake in the middle of the night with these words running through my mind as I consider the possibilities of our future. I will close with the words of the song that I sang the first night I rocked Charlotte in our home while she was awake screaming in the middle of the night. That sweet little girl sings every word along with her Mommy & Daddy now.

He's Always Been Faithful 
by Sara Groves

Morning by morning I wake up to find 
The power and comfort of God’s hand in mine 
Season by season I watch Him, amazed 
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways 
All I have need of, His hand will provide 
He’s always been faithful to me. 

I can’t remember a trial or a pain 
He did not recycle to bring me gain 
I can’t remember one single regret 
In serving God only, and trusting His hand 
All I have need of, His hand will provide 
He’s always been faithful to me. 

This is my anthem, this is my song 
The theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long 
God has been faithful, He will be again 
His loving compassion, it knows no end 
All I have need of, His hand will provide 
He’s always been faithful, He’s always been faithful 
He’s always been faithful to me.