Evening the Score: Boys 2, Girls 2

The countdown began the moment I peed on the stick and learned I was pregnant. With each week that passed, I became more and more nervous about the mid pregnancy ultrasound which would likely tell us if we were carrying a boy or a girl. As the mother of two young boys, I was desperately hoping for a little girl. And I had one more shot to make it happen.

In early June, a routine first trimester screening ultrasound gave us some surprising (and absolutely wonderful) news. We learned we were pregnant with identical twins, so we were having either two boys or two girls. After the initial shock wore off, I realized this news put even MORE pressure on me for future ultrasounds. It was double or nothing. And so we waited...

One of the perks to having twins are all the ultrasounds you have throughout your pregnancy. I realize not all moms are fans of ultrasounds, but for me, they verify everything is running smoothly and it gives me a glimpse of the little beings who will soon drastically change my life. I love it.

Since I was having ultrasounds every couple weeks, I stopped worrying about the mid pregnancy ultrasound. Suddenly, every appointment was nerve wracking to me. Who knows what my OB/GYN would see at each sneak peak. Would I be prepared for the news?

I thought for sure my OB/GYN would be able to see something at my 16 week appointment. I was nervous the whole day. By the time my appointment rolled around, my OB/GYN was running behind schedule and had very little time to examine the babies. After one quick glance, she said it was still too early to determine gender. I was completely bummed. It meant yet another day of nail biting emotions. Ugh.

I posted my frustration to Facebook.

Thankfully, a friend saw my post and told me about another friend who was in the process of starting her own mobile ultrasound business in San Diego. Yep, you heard me right. A qualified and experienced sonographer comes to your home and does the ultrasound for you in the privacy of your own home. No more sterile medical environments and being forced to arrange childcare (since children are not officially allowed in the ultrasound rooms). No more photo or video restrictions. Instead, all your loved ones can be gathered together at one place, your home, for the big gender reveal. Genius!

Mishella arrived at my home on a Friday evening. She brought all of her own equipment, including a massage table. Within minutes, my family room was converted into a comfortable (and far less intimidating) screening room. Her cables connected directly to my television screen, which allowed us to view the ultrasound in the "big screen". My parents joined us via video skype and watched everything unfold in real time.

We spent the first 30 minutes or so just admiring the babies. We were never rushed. We took our time and enjoyed every minute of it. At one point, Mishella looked at me and asked "do you want to know the gender?" My heart skipped a beat. That meant she saw something- perhaps unintentionally. The last time a sonographer said that so quickly, it's because she saw an obvious penis. I immediately told her "no, not yet". I just wasn't prepared to hear I was pregnant with two more boys. And so we continued to admire the babies, who at this point were genderless.

After about 10 more minutes, Mishella looked at me. I knew what that look meant. She had stalled long enough. It was showtime. Again she asked, "do you want to know the gender?" I completely freaked out. Like a little girl, I covered my hands with my face and squealed. I still wasn't ready for the news- perhaps I never would be ready to hear those words. I later learned that while I was covering my face, my husband leaned over to Mishella and asked if the babies were boys. "No" she said. "they're girls". My husband rejoined me at my side. "Sunny" he said. "You're going to want to hear this".

I uncovered my face and looked at my husband - and then at Mishella. The smile on their faces said it all. OMG- We're having twin girls!!! The squeals persisted for several minutes- combined with a flood of happy tears that filled the room. We finally did it!

I had been waiting for my little girl my entire life - and now God blessed us with two.

Wow. Simply unreal. Simply amazing. A personal experience I'll never forget.