Happy Birthday! Love, God

When the hubby and I first got married, we optimistically thought we wanted twelve kids. 

A dozen! How fun! we thought.

And then we had one. And our optimism stayed high but that number slid down to six.

A half dozen! Still fun! we thought.

And then we had #2. And our optimism slid into reality and we agreed on four.

And then #3 came along. Hubby said, I like three. This feels good. 

And I said, One more? Please can we have one more?

He nodded. One more.

My most memorable birthday ever was the year I turned 26, pregnant with that One More.

Zoe was my 9 month old baby at the time, and she was going through a fussy spell. Likely teething or a cold or other normal baby complaints. 

I was a few months pregnant and tired tired tired. Yes, that means that our kids were going to be really close in age. Yes, we do rock at family planning.

In the early morning of my birthday, Zoe was fussing and I waddled down the hall to her room, scooped her up and sat down to rock her. And I was annoyed. So I whined to God about how tired I was and how disappointed I was that I didn't get to sleep all night, especially on my BIRTHDAY! Surely he could have given me a full night of sleep FOR MY BIRTHDAY! I had a sad little pity party for myself there on that rocking chair before waddling back to bed.

A few hours later it was daylight and the hubby and I were on our way to the ultrasound clinic for our first look at baby. I was very happy that I scheduled it on my birthday because I love ultrasounds!

We were living in the beautiful city of Kunming, China and we rode to the little hospital on our three-wheeled motorbike, enjoying the fresh morning sunshine. 

Before we could get the actual ultrasound done, we had to go to the second floor for an exam from the nurse. 

Here is something about the Chinese that you should know: they are blunt. If you are fat, you are fat and they have no problem telling you that. And there is something you need to know about me: I was fat. Ok, not really fat, just plenty big for so early in my pregnancy.

Nurse: How far along are you?
Me: Three months.
Nurse: No way. Bu ku neng! Impossible! You are at least six months.
Me: <Deep, deep breath> No, I am only three months.
Nurse: It is impossible! You are at least six months along.

Good-bye rude Nurse. Thank you for making me feel like the ginormous foreigner again. And this was supposed to be a good day. Who tells a pregnant lady that they are huge anyway? The nerve.

Still fuming, I lay down on the ultrasound table, hubby standing at my feet observing the technicians doing their thing. He patted my leg to comfort me. That silly nurse doesn't know anything, Sweet. Take a deep breath.

I'm trying to relax, laying there with the slimy stuff smeared all over me. The technicians start mumbling to each other. Liang ge? Liang ge!

My eyes get wide and swing over to my hubby. His eyes are even wider then mine. He leans forward to get a better look at the screen. 

And then he nods. TWO! 
What? Really really really? Twins? 

I lay my head back on the pillow and tears of pure joy stream down my face and into my ears. Don't you love tears in the ears? With the ultrasounds of our previous babies, I was always a little disappointed to hear the words, Only one. 

But today, on my birthday, I heard those two beautiful words. Or if you speak English, that one beautiful word, Twins.

And I felt so stinking spoiled by my Daddy. Like a birthday girl who just received the perfect present that she didn't even think to ask for. 

God knew the deep desire in my heart to have twins and that March day, I got the best birthday gift ever! And it was much much better then a full night's sleep. 

Come to think of it, it pretty much meant no full night's sleep ever again.

Thanks God! I'll never forget that birthday.