Instant Family!

My husband and I were married in October 2005. We both knew we wanted children right away and even joked to our friends that we wanted a "honeymoon baby". Well, I wish we had never mentioned to anyone that we were going to start trying right away. Month after month we got the questions "So are you pregnant?" or "Any big news yet". Each month it got harder and harder to say "No, not yet." I began to feel as though it would never happen.

After 13 months of trying we decided to see a fertility specialist. The doctor ran a battery of tests. The diagnosis was that I had elevated FSH levels. I was devastated. It was my fault that we were not getting pregnant. The doctor said that our best chance of getting pregnant would be IVF. That was the last thing I wanted to hear.

I wanted to get pregnant so IVF it was. We transferred two embryos. After my transfer the doctor had me lay down for 30 minutes before going home. My husband took a picture of me with one hand holding up two fingers and the other giving a thumbs up. I was hoping for twins but surely didn't think I would be that blessed!

We were very lucky that our first round of IVF was a success. At our first ultrasound the doctor said "There it is...wait...there they are!". There were two sacs! We couldn't believe it!! After all we had been through we were going to have two babies.

The first two trimesters were pretty uneventful. I had a little morning sickness but nothing too bad. The second trimester I was full of energy and felt fantastic. The third trimester is when things started going downhill. At 27 weeks I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. At 30 weeks I went on strict bed rest at home.

At 35 weeks and 5 days I gave birth to a son, Joseph Paul Jr. and a daughter, Natalie Anne. Both weighed 5lbs. 2oz. and were healthy enough to go home with us four days later. A boy and a girl! Instant family!

The first three months were an absolute blur. Life was crazy and a bit overwhelming at times. There were days when I just didn't know how we could keep it up. But we did and now the hardest part is over (or so I hope!).

Today my twins are 9 months old. They are crawling, pulling themselves up to standing position and furniture walking. I put them down for naps, shut the door and immediately hear giggling. Their cribs are back to back and they just love playing before they lay down to sleep. I peek in and watch them and think to myself that I couldn't be any luckier. They will always have each other and a very special bond.

I LOVE being a twin mom. Don't get me wrong it isn't easy and there are a lot of things that a singleton mom can do that I can't but I wouldn't change it for the world!

In the hospital
3 Weeks Old
6 Months Old 9 Months Old