The 7 Stages of Pregnancy with Twins (Stages 1-3)

Reader's Note: I haven't blogged in awhile...okay, 2 1/2 years.  When I originally created this blog, it was going to be a coming-of-age story of a newly-pregnant woman who just got fired from her cushy real estate job and had to seek out a new career path and learn how to be a mom at the same time.  Didn't happen.  The next plan was that it was going to be centered around trying to juggle my duties as a wife, new mommy, and full-time employee in a new industry.  That also didn't happen.  So now, I'm going to attempt to take my friends and family on a journey of being pregnant with and living with TWINS.  I hope I find the time to make this attempt pan out!

We've all heard of the 5 stages of grief.  I have now crafted my own, completely non-researched "7 Stages of Pregnancy with Twins" based on my experience thus far:

1) SHOCK
One of the main questions I get when I tell people I'm having twins is, "Oh my gosh!  What did you do when you found out?!"  In a word, I freaked.  I found out when I went in for an 8-week ultrasound (without my husband, might I add).  My mom babysat Dakota while I went to the appointment.  Before I left - I kid you not - I semi-jokingly said, "Mom, if it's twins, you can have one."  As soon as the ultrasound wand apparatus (whatever it's called) was in place, 2 distinct dark spots/babies appeared on the screen, and the tech exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, you're having twins!" 

"WHAT?!?  WHAT?!?  WHAT?!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  WHAT?!" was really all I could keep saying over and over.  There was a lot of laughing, a lot of spontaneous crying, and a lot of all-over body shaking.  I could barely focus as she took measurements and recorded heartbeat rates.  As I left the office, I called Jared at work.  "Hey babe.  Everything went well.  The baby has a good heartbeat and looks healthy...(pause)...and so does its twin."  I had a headache for 3 days after this.  I truly believe it was my brain trying to process this staggering turn of events.


2) EXCITEMENT

Really the only thing more fun than telling people you are pregnant is that you are pregnant with TWINS.  It's like, "First I'm going to tell you that I'm pregnant.  Then, I'm going to one-up myself and tell you that there are TWO of them!"  So, while the whole idea of two newborns at once is terrifying and scary and all those other synonyms for horrifying, you put that aside because it still doesn't feel real.  It just feels like really good gossip.


3) FEAR
Okay, now everyone knows the news...friends and family are pumped...people are excited, jumping up and down in many cases.  Now, absolute fear sets in.  OMG, how is this pregnancy going to go?  Am I going to even be able to breathe in the 3rd trimester?  What will I do if I go on bedrest - who will take care of Dakota?  How is this financially going to work?  Where am I going to get 2 of everything?  What if I have preemies?  What if they don't develop properly?  How am I going to survive pregnancy, much less survive their first year?  How do people DO THIS?

To Be Continued...
Stages 4-7 will be explored tomorrow...little preview: the stages get much, much worse before they get better.