SOS - finding out there was a litter in there
It's that time of the week again, Soap Opera Sunday started by Brillig and Walking Kateastrophe's. This time it is being hosted over at Anonymous Soapiness. The subtitle says is all:
The place where you can post a Soap Opera Sunday and your mom won't read it!
We were trying to get pregnant. Amazing Guy and I had been married a little over four years and were in our early 30's. We knew it was time to start our family.
We planned a trip to London and Bath so I brought along one of those pee-on-a-sticks to figure out if I was pregnant. I planned to not drink alcohol during the pregnancy. At the beginning of the trip, I peed and got one blue line. That meant a week of gin and tonics! I wasn't too disappointed since it was on a few months into our family-making efforts.
But then nothing came which was expected during this trip. When we got back to the states I promptly peed on the second stick that was in the package and that one showed two lines. A trip to the doctor the next morning confirmed I pregnant.
We only told my parents I was pregnant. I figured if something went wrong I didn't want to have to explain it over and over again. We planned to start telling people (e.g. other family, friends, my job) after week twelve.
But I started showing week 8. I didn't think anything of it but that coupled with the nausea throughout the day made the pregnancy hard to hide.
Finally, a woman I worked with, who I considered a mentor, said to me "So, what's the other job you are taking?" When I declared loudly that I wasn't taking another job she said "Oh don't give me that! You are distracted, leaving meetings - you are leaving us!"
It was week 10 so we called Amazing Guy's parents and started telling other family. The next day I announced my pregnancy at work.
Three weeks later we were in New Orleans for a wedding. We saw all of Amazing Guy's family and nearly everyone declared how large I was. "You carrying more than one, darrl-ing!" was said multiple times.
I was a bit defensive. So when I plopped on the table with our mid-wife at week 14 I moaned about everyone's comments.
She put the doppler on my right side and we heard a distinctive heart beat. She went over to the left side.
We heard a totally different heart beat.
"Maybe he* raced across your belly and is really excited" (*generic "he" - we did not know the gender).
So she walked to a phone and called an ultrasound technician. She asked him to stay after 5 on a Friday afternoon to "rule out twins".
Amazing guy and I walked into the waiting area for the diagnostic department. We were the only ones waiting. In a corner was the mounted television tuned to a local news broadcast. One of the anchors said in that urgent news anchor voice,
"And next at 5:30! The REAL COST for raising a kid here. AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE COLLEGE!!"
Amazing Guy started to softly bang the back of his head against the wall.
We were led to a room. This was my first ever ultrasound so I didn't know what to expect. I jumped on the table, hiked up my shirt and the technician covered my belly in cold gel. He put the wand on my right side.
Immediately Amazing Guy softly said "wow."
Then the tech moved the wand to my left side.
A quiet "ugh" was Amazing Guy's response.
"WHAT DO YOU SEE?!?!?!" I yelled. The screen was facing the men.
"Oops, sorry for not showing you as well" the tech said as he turned the screen for me to see. "You've got two in there."
16 comments:
What a story! And a shock!
Ohmigosh, I can't imagine the dramatic turn of events that afternoon! TWINS! woah.
That is just a great retelling of such a great moment.
I imagine it comes as a shock for all parents when they hear they expect twins :).
Quite a coincidence about the tv broadcast that afternoon! Not what you needed to hear.
thanks for sharing the start of your great adventure as parents of twins.
That was great! You were huge. Not that we didn't love you in all your huge-ness. :) I bet those gin & tonics had multiplying powers.
Wow, what a great retelling. I can't imagine the shock. Oddly enough, you are the third person I know who got pregnant on a trip to England. Must be something in the water (or the gin).
Oh, if that isn't soapy, I don't know what is. Perfect storytelling! And poor AG in shock!
AHHHH! And then Amazing Guy passed out cold on the floor, right? hahahaha. What a crazy surprise!
What a shocker!
Actually JersyGirl, I "became" pregnant in Florida a few weeks before the London trip (yes, we're such jet-setters). I think it was something about the swamp tour I went on. I was the only one who jumped out of the boat to walk in waist deep waters.
wow, indeed.
and of course you are learning that the benefits outweigh the costs.
Maypole -
I am? :)
How fun and scary that must have been! What a great story to have.
Wow ... what a moment!
Not very romantic, two guys going "Ugh" over something you can't see!! Funny how TV script writers don't ever seem to get the true mutterings and emotions of these moments! But you certainly did. Great SOS! Can't wait for the rest of the story!
Hee!
At my friend's first ultrasound, the technician said dispassionately, "There's head one, and there's head two." My friend's first comment was, "My baby has two heads?!?"
I think ultrasounds techs need a little training in bedside manner.
In defense of Mike, the technician, he was staying late for us. I know staying late for me is a real pain. We could've easily been told to come back on Monday and spent the weekend guessing.
It was all pretty "informal" and wasn't intended to be a big work-up. I just think we were all in a rush to get out of the hospital.
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