A Wonderful Surprise

Jack and I enjoyed our honeymoon so much.  We didn't travel to some exotic place, nor spend a lot of money.  We were lost in each other and we had fun just being together.  We visited friends, went for evening walks, he taught me about the stars and we bought each other things.  Christmas had just ended and he bought me a beautiful sweater, and I bought him a hat.  I still have the sweater, but I think the hat is in storage.  None the less, we were in love, and still are.  Our love has grown richer over the years as any love that's real does.  We thought our life was perfect.  But surprises were in store for us.  Come with me on this journey and see the surprises life held in store for us, and for many who would come after us.

We went back to work after our 2 week honeymoon, and pretty much everything was the same.  The bosses left me alone for the most part because my husband was sitting a couple of desks away.  The government didn't like husbands and wives to be in the same office, at least where we were concerned.  But since we married long after I started working in that office, the paper work was done long before Jack came along.  They didn't try to get one of us to leave, so we were happy about that.  We had decided to try to have a baby right away because I would be 30 the next year, and didn't want to take any chances on birth defects, or miscarriages.  By March, I knew I was pregnant, and the visit
to the doctor confirmed that. I approached my boss to schedule maternity leave when I would need it.  He looked at me and frowned, and asked me if I knew what I was talking about!  I told him I had been a woman all my life and knew quite well what I was talking about!  Stupid question deserved a curt answer.  He scheduled the leave, much to his disgust and as I grew bigger and bigger, he must have felt so dumb.

My friend Linda was pregnant at the same time.  She turned to me one day and told me that someday something wonderful was going to happen for me because I was so good to everybody.  I told her it already had, and she just looked amazed and said "Yeah, huh".  I always teased her and told her I was having twins and she would just laugh and shake her head.  I told her it was 2 boys, but really had no way of knowing.  Not yet. 

As time went by, I developed quite a round girth and my brother would tease me about having twins as well.  In July, I was 5 months pregnant.  I had been on pre-natal vitamins and water pills, and one night I started having severe back pains.  Later that night, Jack had to take me to the emergency room at Doctor's Hospital in Point Loma and after checking me out they determined I had a severe kidney and bladder infection.  While I was in the emergency room, Jack was just outside.  He had told me about his faith, The Tao, and had told me about being a lens through which to focus the power of the Tao to where it was needed.  That night, I discovered what that was like.  As I laid there on the table, he focused his love and this amazing power to me and the pains ceased.  I told him about it on the way home.  He was almost in tears, and said he thought I was going to lose the baby.  We went home and I was able to sleep through the night.  The next morning, he went out to the pharmacy and had my prescription filled.  He brought me back a surprise, like so many times and I stayed home for a couple of days to recouperate. 

We made our regular visits to the doctor, and as my time grew near to deliver, I had to go every week.  Things were fine for a while; I didn't gain too much weight and my blood pressure was fine.  Then, in November when I went in, they weighed me and I had gained 10 lbs in one week!  They decided to do an X-Ray, sonograms wern't done in those days, and I waited for the results.  When they developed the films, the doctor sort of chuckled and told us there were 2 babies.  Jack always said the first thing that popped into his head was "Bankruptcy!".  I had wanted to have the baby normally, but the doctor said that both babies were in the breech position.  They would do a cesarian to deliver the babies because he said having a breech multiple birth would be too hard on me for my first pregnancy.  We left and started talking in the car about a name for the other baby.  We had decided on Brian if it was a boy, and Sidra if it was a girl.  We decided on Alexis if it was a boy, for the second baby, and went to tell his Grandma and Mom the news.  They wern't home, so we went to our house.  Jack made dinner, and I walked up to the little market we shopped at and used the phone to call my Mom.  She wasn't home, but my brother was.  He didn't really seem too surprised when I told him there were 2 babies.  He said he'd tell everyone when they came home.  I walked back to the house, but I only ate a little.  I was too excited to eat.  We went to bed and Jack fell asleep right away.  I laid there contemplating 2 babies and thinking about all we needed to buy.  We hadn't even bought a bed yet, or very many baby clothes.  My Mom had bought me a bassinet, but no one threw a baby shower for me and the money had been tight for us.  I finally fell asleep at 4:00a.m.  At 5:00 a.m, I felt a sharp jolt, like an earthquake!  I woke Jack up and told him to turn on the light, I thought I was bleeding.  My water had broke, and Jack was happy that the ordeal would soon be over.  I went to the bathroom and changed my clothes.

My nightcase was ready with a new gown and robe and slippers, and my makeup.  I had been prepared and it was a good thing.  The babies hadn't been scheduled to be born in November, but December.  So, we grabbed the case, got in the car and stopped at the market to use the phone and call the doctor to tell him the news.  Then we went on our way.  I had my first pain as we turned onto the freeway.

When we got to the hospital, they put me in a hospital gown and took me for more x-rays.  My doctor brought in a specialist who checked me to see if I could have the babies normally instead of cesarian.  He said I could, and the next 8 hours were agony.  Back in those days, they didn't give you anything for pain.  You got your spinal just before giving birth.  Jack was with me for most of the time.  The gave me a glass of ice chips, but that was all.  Jack told me all the other mothers were taking their blankets and going home because they couldn't sleep with me screaming!  I tried to smile, but it was no use.  The pains got worse and worse.  Eight hours later, they came in to check the babies again and one of the babies heart was slowing down.  They got my doctor right away and they took me in to deliver the babies.  Jack had planned to go in, but they told him he couldn't because he would be in the way if something went wrong.

Not long after the spinal the first baby was delivered with forceps.  He was born bottom first and one of the nurses took him and left.  The second baby was born feet first and they said he also was a boy.  They held him up for me to see and I held my hand up and told the baby not to cry.  He grabbed onto my finger and stopped crying.  I was so happy to have given Jack not one son, but 2!  They took him away to clean him up and do whatever needed to be done.  Then they concentrated on me.  They had to give me something in the IV because I was going into shock.  It made me feel sick, but then I started feeling better.  They worked on me for about 45 minutes, then they brought in another gurney for me to be moved back to my room on.  They had to turn me over on my stomach and it was hard to keep my head up.  Then they took me to my room and I saw my family sitting over against the wall in the waiting room.  The nurses took me to my room, and after I was in bed, they left and my folks came in.  The nurses were back in a flash with a huge bown of vanilla ice cream with chunks of pineapple and whipped cream on top.  My sister tried to feed it to me, but she got dizzy and they had to help her back out to the waiting room.  She didn't do well around hospitals.  They told me I had to lay flat for 12 hours and not lift my head because it would give me a severe headache.  I didn't see my babies until the next day.  My husband came in after they left, and stayed with me a while.  My Mother-in-Law came later and helped me to drink some water.  It was diffcult laying down, but the water was so welcome.  I don't remember much more about that day.  I slept for the rest of the evening and night.

The next morning, I sat up very gingerly and made my way out of bed and down the hall to take a shower and a sitz bath.  My legs were trembling and I had to hold onto the wall, but I made it.  They helped me to take a sitz bath first, then I took a shower and washed my hair.  I felt so much better.  Then after I put on my new gown and robe and slippers, I went back to my room and they brought Brian to me, he was the first baby.  I uncovered him and looked at his little feet, then his eyes and those long eye lashes.  His eyes were green like my Dad's eyes.  He was beautiful and perfect.  Then they brought him a bottle and I fed him.  When they came to take him back to the nursery, I quickly covered him up like they would scold me for unwrapping him.  Motherhood was brand new and I wanted to see both of them.  They told me I needed to rest, so when Jack came to see me, we walked down to the nursery and looked at our brand new babies.  I made him nervous being out of bed, so we walked slowly back and I sat on the side of the bed.

Jack brought me a beautiful charm bracelet with the horriscope charm for our new boys, and one for each of us.  He and my brother had gone to Wards with our credit card and bought a new bed for the babies, and clothes and diapers and things we would need.  We had made plans to have a diaper service, and they came before I was released from the hospital.  The day came to go home and the bosses wouldn't let Jack come and pick me up.  So I called my brother and he and my Mom and Sister came to get me in his new car.  They brought a robe for me and 2 blue pajama suits for the boys.  The nurses helped me get the babies ready to go home, and after I was in the wheel chair, they put a baby in each arm and pushed me out to the waiting car.  My brother took all the back roads home to avoid the traffic.  When we got there, my brother took one baby, and my sister took one.  Mom helped me into the house.  When I saw the beautiful bed and the crib carousel I started crying.  Mom hugged me because she knew how long I had wanted a family of my own.  I stopped crying and went to the bathroom.  When I came out, my brother and sister were holding the babies and both of them were crying.  They had never held new-borns before.  My Dad came home later that evening from work, and after he showered, he fed one of the babies.
The rest of the evening was spent resting and feeding and holding the boys.  When Jack got home, a friend of ours from work had followed him and he came in to see the babies too.  He held Brian for a bit, and he got all misty as well.  He had 2 sons, but was separated from his wife and family.  After a bit, he kissed me on the cheek and said "good work Mom" and left.  Jack held Alex for a while and just seemed to be lost in good feelings.  He had brought a game from the house for us to play, but I was too tired and just felt like watching TV and taking care of the twins. 

The next day, a friend of mine from school came over with her sister to see the babies.  She told me I should be in bed resting, but I felt fine after a good night's sleep and had been to the store and had made a cake.  I felt fine, but didn't know just how tired my body really was.  My Mom said I was showing off for Jack, but she was teasing me.  One night after work, he came home with a present for me.  A set of silverware in a beautiful case!  I was delghted!  After 4 days, Jack was ready to go home, so we disassembled the bed, packed up our things, and as everyone but my Dad had left the house so they didn't have to say goodbye to the babies, we left.  Dad didn't even say goodbye.  I felt like they were getting too possessive over the babies and was glad to be leaving.  Originally I was going to stay the whole week to rest up and have their help.  But after the first night, whenever the babies would cry at night, they would yell from their bedroom and tell me "my" babies were crying, and I'd have to get up no matter how tired I was, and take care of the babies.  I loved my babies beyond measure, so I would get up and do what needed to be done.  Jack got up with me, and we had some hot tea and folded baby diapers for the day and fed the babies and everything.  I was ready to go home as well. 

So, we were on our way home where we could just relax and be with our babies.  Jack set up the crib, and we carried the babies in and I took a picture of Jack laying beside of Brian, our firstborn, and was holding his tiny hand.  We had lunch and we let his Mom and Grandma know we were home so they could come and see the babies.  His Grandma hadn't even seen them yet.  I think they came over, but it's been a long 35 years and some of the details are just gone.  We just settled in and relaxed with our little family, and all was well with the world.  Jack was off for the weekend, so he had a chance to spend time with his new sons.  We visited our neighbors Ella and Ted, an ederly couple, and she had made a sweater for our baby.  When Jack had been at the house, he told them there were 2 babies, so she hurridly made a second sweater!  They were white with yellow trim and they were beautiful.  They seemed to enjoy the evening with 2 newborns to fuss over, and then we went home and turned in for the night. 

All was going well.  I had quit working thinking I had a while before the baby would come, but one week after I quit, the babies were there.  So the leave extended for 3 months with the babies rather than 6 weeks.   had my hands full, but we did just fine.  I'd get Jack off to work, clean up the babies and feed them, and lay down while they were sleeping to rest.  One day, I was taking a shower after I had gotten them to sleep, and I left the door slightly open so I could hear them if they needed me.
I finished showering, dressed, did my make-up and was preparing myself a cup of tea, when there was a knock at the front door.  I opened
the door and there were 2 police officers standing there.  They had a police ambulance waiting in the street.  They asked me if I had new twin boys, and I told them yes.  I asked why, and they said they had gotten a call that there were newborn twins being left alone for hours at a time and they wanted to see the babies.  I told them they could, but not to wake them up because I had just gotten them asleep.  They went in the room and the babies were sound asleep and covered up with soft receiving blankets.  The house was drafty and I had them dressed warmly, fed them, and tucked them in for some sleep.  All their things were neatly folded up and the room was dark and comfortable.  The police came out smiling, and just told me to take care.  After they left,  ran next door to get our neighbor Barbara, and she came over to the house.  She had 2 sons as well named Brian and Schuan who often came to visit us.  I didn't know it, but the next day a social worker would be at my house to see if I was keeping the house clean for the newborns, and to check on their well-being.  I told Barbara what had happened, and Ted and Ella came over as well because they had seen the police ambulance. 
I was a wreck.  Jack came home soon, and we told him what had happened.  I couldn't imagine who would call the police on me and accuse me of abusing my brand new babies.  At first I thought it was John or Pat, the neighbors who lived behind us.  But I wasn't sure.  The next day when the social worker came and started talking about Schizophrenia, I knew it was my parents or my brother.  I was furious!
I got all upset, and the social worker said my kitchen was a mess and if the nurse got a look at it they would take my babies to Hillcrest Receiving Home!  I couldn't believe it.  I asked him to give me a week to get things in order and then come back and he agreed. 

My neighbors came and my friend Linda came too, to help me get things in order.  We cleaned the whole house, and took care of the babies at the same time.  I had called Linda and told her my parent's were trying to take my babies away from me, and she came right away.  I was so hurt and so mad and confused.  I just couldn't believe what they had done.  I didn't think to call Jack's Grandma.  His Mom Kay was at work, but his
Grandma was at home.  Neverthless, with my friends and neighbors help we got things cleaned up, and the next week the social worker came again.  This time he could say nothing.  I had worked hard while I was pregnant, had a horrible time giving birth, and here were my parents and siblings trying to steal my newborns away from me.  I had gotten past the first hurdle they had put in my new life as a Mom, but there would be many more.  For now, I will close, and next time we meet here, I will tell you more about our boys and the life we had together in spite of all the conflict and lies.  We were strong, but had no idea how strong we would have to be in the future.  Hope you are enjoying reading about our lives together and the trials and tribulations we would face.  But "together" is the key in this family.  We are together still and stronger than ever before.  See you next time,

Love, Grandma