Miracle
Two
6 weeks later.
Holly and I are sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Weathersby’s office anxiously waiting for the nurse to call us back for our appointment. Holly is projected to be eight weeks pregnant and Dr. Weathersby said this is usually when he suggests having an ultrasound done for women who have had invitro fertilization to determine how many babies they’re carrying. We both know there’s a good possibility there could be more than one heartbeat and I think we’ve both prepared ourselves for that as best as we can. I would be thrilled to have more than one baby, but I worry about Holly’s health if she has to carry more than two at a time.
Subconsciously I reach for Holly’s hand and give it a tight squeeze. She looks up at me from her magazine and smiles. She’s trying to act brave, but I know she’s just as nervous as I am. I can see it in her blue-green eyes.
A few moments later, a nurse appears in the doorway and calls us back and we’re once again waiting. Thankfully Dr. Weathersby doesn’t keep us too long. He knocks on the door and enters the room with a nurse following right behind him.
“Steven, Holly,” he says in greeting. “How have things been going?”
“Pretty good,” Holly replies. “I’ve had a few cramps, but according to the baby book, that’s normal.”
Dr. Weathersby smiles kindly. “Yes, that’s very typical, especially for the first trimester. Your body is making all kinds of adjustments it’s not used to.”
“Do you have any questions before we begin?” he asks, looking between Holly and me.
I shake my head. “I think we’re both just really anxious to find out how many babies are in there,” I say with a nervous laugh.
“We’re going to get to that momentarily. This is Cara,” he says, indicating the nurse. “She’s an ultrasound technician and she’ll be assisting me today. We’re just going to check for the baby or babies heartbeat today. We'll do a more thorough ultrasound at your next appointment, if that’s ok.
Holly and I look at each other and I can see the excitement beaming from her face mixed with nerves.
“That sounds good,” she replies.
“Alright. Cara and I have to get a few things set up and it’ll just take a moment.”
Less than five minutes later Holly is laying down on the exam table and her shirt is lifted up so her basically nonexistent bump is uncovered. Cara squirts some of the jelly looking goo on her stomach. I move so I’m beside Holly and lace my fingers with hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
“OK, here we go,” Cara says.
She presses the wand onto Holly’s stomach and begins to move it around slowly. At first we don’t hear anything and my heart starts to race thinking something is wrong. But then, the most beautiful sound in the world reaches my ears. The sound of our baby’s heartbeat.
“Well there’s definitely one baby in there,” Dr. Weathersby comments with a smile.
Holly looks from the screen to me and smiles brightly. I can already see the tears forming in her eyes.
Cara moves the wand around a little more and we hear the sound of two overlapping heartbeats.
“Two babies, I believe,” Cara says with a grin of her own.
I’m sure my eyes go wide. “Two babies?” I repeat.
Cara nods her head and I glance down at Holly. The tears are flowing now.
“Do you think there are any more?” she asks.
“Let me check,” Cara replies.
She moves the wand around some more on Holly’s stomach for a few more seconds.
“I don’t believe there are any more than two babies, Mrs. Stamkos.”
I’m happy, excited, and relieved, all at the same time.
“Congratulations,” Dr. Weathersby says. “Two babies is an excellent result. I hope you two are pleased.”
“Very much so,” Holly says as Cara wipes away the jelly from her stomach. “This is a normal result, right?”
“When you use multiple eggs during invitro, you could end up with the same of number eggs used as embryos formed, somewhere in between, or none. In your case, two embryos were formed, which I believe is a great result. Twins are very common and manageable for most expectant mothers to handle.”
“And the babies appear to be healthy?” she asks.
“Absolutely. There was nothing to indicate any kind of problems. Of course, you’re still early in your pregnancy, but I am very confident in your ability to carry twins, Holly,” he says smiling gently.
“See, babe. I knew everything would be ok,” I say, leaning down to kiss Holly’s forehead.
“I’m really happy the babies are healthy and everything seems ok, but I also feel relieved. The idea of having quadruplets was a little terrifying,” she admits.
“That’s understandable. Having multiples is very challenging, but as I said, twins are very manageable.”
Holly and I spend a few more minutes talking to Dr. Weathersby before he sends us on our way.
Holly is pretty quiet, but once we’re alone in the car, she finally speaks.
“Twins,” is all she says.
“Yep, twins,” I say.
We stare at each other for a second. Then she grins and I can’t help but return it.
“We’re having twins, Steven. Twins!” she exclaims.
“I know, babe. I was in there, too,” I laugh.
“Are you happy? Be honest,” she says, and a look of concern passes in her eyes.
“Of course I’m happy. We’ve wanted this for so long. I would’ve been happy if there were four babies,” I tell her.
“I can’t help but be a little glad there’s only two.”
“You’re going to be an amazing mother no matter how many children we end up having,” I say, reaching out to stroke her cheek with my thumb.
“And you’re going to be an amazing dad. I know you’re going to have them in skates before they can walk,” she jokes.
“You have to start them early, Holl. If my dad had put me in skates as soon as I could walk can you imagine how much better I’d be?”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“But you love me anyway.”
“I do,” she says with a dramatic sigh.
“I love you, too,” I say, leaning in to kiss her. I place my hand on her stomach and stroke it gently. “Twins,” I say for what feels like the millionth time.
I have no idea what the future has in store for Holly and I. Hell, we don’t even know if the babies are boys or girls or one of each. But what I do know is that I’m not going to take Holly or either of the babies for granted. I’ve been beyond blessed to have an amazing career I never thought possible and to be married to the girl of my dreams. Now we’re going to be parents.
I will love and protect these babies and I have no doubt it will be one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do, but hearing my children call me “daddy” for the first time will make everything so, so worth it.
Holly and I are sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Weathersby’s office anxiously waiting for the nurse to call us back for our appointment. Holly is projected to be eight weeks pregnant and Dr. Weathersby said this is usually when he suggests having an ultrasound done for women who have had invitro fertilization to determine how many babies they’re carrying. We both know there’s a good possibility there could be more than one heartbeat and I think we’ve both prepared ourselves for that as best as we can. I would be thrilled to have more than one baby, but I worry about Holly’s health if she has to carry more than two at a time.
Subconsciously I reach for Holly’s hand and give it a tight squeeze. She looks up at me from her magazine and smiles. She’s trying to act brave, but I know she’s just as nervous as I am. I can see it in her blue-green eyes.
A few moments later, a nurse appears in the doorway and calls us back and we’re once again waiting. Thankfully Dr. Weathersby doesn’t keep us too long. He knocks on the door and enters the room with a nurse following right behind him.
“Steven, Holly,” he says in greeting. “How have things been going?”
“Pretty good,” Holly replies. “I’ve had a few cramps, but according to the baby book, that’s normal.”
Dr. Weathersby smiles kindly. “Yes, that’s very typical, especially for the first trimester. Your body is making all kinds of adjustments it’s not used to.”
“Do you have any questions before we begin?” he asks, looking between Holly and me.
I shake my head. “I think we’re both just really anxious to find out how many babies are in there,” I say with a nervous laugh.
“We’re going to get to that momentarily. This is Cara,” he says, indicating the nurse. “She’s an ultrasound technician and she’ll be assisting me today. We’re just going to check for the baby or babies heartbeat today. We'll do a more thorough ultrasound at your next appointment, if that’s ok.
Holly and I look at each other and I can see the excitement beaming from her face mixed with nerves.
“That sounds good,” she replies.
“Alright. Cara and I have to get a few things set up and it’ll just take a moment.”
Less than five minutes later Holly is laying down on the exam table and her shirt is lifted up so her basically nonexistent bump is uncovered. Cara squirts some of the jelly looking goo on her stomach. I move so I’m beside Holly and lace my fingers with hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
“OK, here we go,” Cara says.
She presses the wand onto Holly’s stomach and begins to move it around slowly. At first we don’t hear anything and my heart starts to race thinking something is wrong. But then, the most beautiful sound in the world reaches my ears. The sound of our baby’s heartbeat.
“Well there’s definitely one baby in there,” Dr. Weathersby comments with a smile.
Holly looks from the screen to me and smiles brightly. I can already see the tears forming in her eyes.
Cara moves the wand around a little more and we hear the sound of two overlapping heartbeats.
“Two babies, I believe,” Cara says with a grin of her own.
I’m sure my eyes go wide. “Two babies?” I repeat.
Cara nods her head and I glance down at Holly. The tears are flowing now.
“Do you think there are any more?” she asks.
“Let me check,” Cara replies.
She moves the wand around some more on Holly’s stomach for a few more seconds.
“I don’t believe there are any more than two babies, Mrs. Stamkos.”
I’m happy, excited, and relieved, all at the same time.
“Congratulations,” Dr. Weathersby says. “Two babies is an excellent result. I hope you two are pleased.”
“Very much so,” Holly says as Cara wipes away the jelly from her stomach. “This is a normal result, right?”
“When you use multiple eggs during invitro, you could end up with the same of number eggs used as embryos formed, somewhere in between, or none. In your case, two embryos were formed, which I believe is a great result. Twins are very common and manageable for most expectant mothers to handle.”
“And the babies appear to be healthy?” she asks.
“Absolutely. There was nothing to indicate any kind of problems. Of course, you’re still early in your pregnancy, but I am very confident in your ability to carry twins, Holly,” he says smiling gently.
“See, babe. I knew everything would be ok,” I say, leaning down to kiss Holly’s forehead.
“I’m really happy the babies are healthy and everything seems ok, but I also feel relieved. The idea of having quadruplets was a little terrifying,” she admits.
“That’s understandable. Having multiples is very challenging, but as I said, twins are very manageable.”
Holly and I spend a few more minutes talking to Dr. Weathersby before he sends us on our way.
Holly is pretty quiet, but once we’re alone in the car, she finally speaks.
“Twins,” is all she says.
“Yep, twins,” I say.
We stare at each other for a second. Then she grins and I can’t help but return it.
“We’re having twins, Steven. Twins!” she exclaims.
“I know, babe. I was in there, too,” I laugh.
“Are you happy? Be honest,” she says, and a look of concern passes in her eyes.
“Of course I’m happy. We’ve wanted this for so long. I would’ve been happy if there were four babies,” I tell her.
“I can’t help but be a little glad there’s only two.”
“You’re going to be an amazing mother no matter how many children we end up having,” I say, reaching out to stroke her cheek with my thumb.
“And you’re going to be an amazing dad. I know you’re going to have them in skates before they can walk,” she jokes.
“You have to start them early, Holl. If my dad had put me in skates as soon as I could walk can you imagine how much better I’d be?”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“But you love me anyway.”
“I do,” she says with a dramatic sigh.
“I love you, too,” I say, leaning in to kiss her. I place my hand on her stomach and stroke it gently. “Twins,” I say for what feels like the millionth time.
I have no idea what the future has in store for Holly and I. Hell, we don’t even know if the babies are boys or girls or one of each. But what I do know is that I’m not going to take Holly or either of the babies for granted. I’ve been beyond blessed to have an amazing career I never thought possible and to be married to the girl of my dreams. Now we’re going to be parents.
I will love and protect these babies and I have no doubt it will be one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do, but hearing my children call me “daddy” for the first time will make everything so, so worth it.