Happy Birthday to my Monday Morning Miracles
( I wrote the story when the girls were 16)
The story of how our Monday morning miracles arrived started in the early autumn of 1983. We had just moved to the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and my husband Ron was preparing to start as a student at the North American Baptist Seminary. Not many days after we arrived I started feeling quite ill and a visit to the doctor told me that I was pregnant. Well, I was very happy, but I had one nervous husband on my hands. You, see he had been told of how expensive health care was in the States. People from our last congregation in Manitoba told basically him if you get sick "bolt for the border". It will cost you a fortune. However we did stay put, I soon found a very good OB/Gyn was very experiencing in dealing with high-risk patients. And high risk I was (I had lost one baby due to pre-eclampsia, I had a uterine anomaly, I was most certain to deliver early and at ten weeks I found I was carrying twins.) One doctor later told me" you were a doctors' nightmare." Every visit to the doctor came with new instructions on how to proceed with my pregnancy. I was about 10 weeks into the pregnancy and the doctor said me "I think we need to an ultrasound."So we did an ultrasound, and right away I could see that there was something different here. I wasn't just further along than we thought; no I was carrying twins. My joy knew no bounds, not even when my doctor told me that this just increased the risks in my pregnancy. All I knew was that not only was God giving me the baby that I had prayed for; he was giving me two babies. At around 20 weeks advised to go on bed rest. I was allowed very limited activities, to prepare meals, and go to church on Sundays. It was neat to see how the student wives supported us through this time with prepared meals and visits, books to read etc. On Thursday February 9, I made unscheduled appointment to my doctor; my body was showing signs that I was not comfortable with. Dr Mabee decided to admit to the hospital. Many frightening events started happening after that. Blood tests showed my kidneys were shut down; he said "it's time to deliver those babies."Another test was done and it was "okay, relax let's slow down, the test were in error, we have more time here." So I lay back in my hospital bed and began the wait. Try lying on one side and not moving. Nothing by mouth, but lemon lozenges to suck. They did some more tests over the weekend, just how big are those babies, anyway? Monday Morning came and the news came, its time folks. Those babies have got to come today. It was scary; it was either the Babies or me. Dr. Mabee didn't want to lose either of us. The neonatologists were consulted and yes, it seemed that the babies were far enough along, that they had a good chance of living. We are going in and we were going in now, we will do a caesarian- section. I had never seen such a team of doctors; nurses and who ever else assembled. I even had a nurse to hold my hand. I called Ron I think, and he called the school. I can still feel the overwhelming feeling when we were told that not only were Ron's fellow-classmates, the entire staff and faculty praying for us, a prayer chain had been put into effect and every church of the North American Baptist Conference in Canada and the United States were praying for us. Wow that was something else. And yes, their prayers were answered. At 10:19 on Monday February 13,1984 Amy Elizabeth Ford was born weighing at 3 lbs. 12oz, and 10:30 Christy Rachelle Ford was born weighing 3 lbs. 10 oz. they were born 10 weeks pre-matures Ron spoke with doctor and said well I am glad that is over, and the doctor replied, "we are not home yet. "Your wife is still very sick and the next 24-72 hours are very critical." I remember the nurses checking for urine and finally my kidneys started functioning again. I made a remark to the Dr. who had assisted the birth of the twins. That the urine was like Yellow gold. Indeed it seemed to be the turning point. I stayed in the hospital until Saturday of that week. We were very fortunate to live only two blocks from Sioux Valley Hospital. I found myself up to cuddle our twins once and sometimes twice a day. The girls had to stay in the intensive care until they were around five pounds. Amy came home after five weeks and Christ came home after 6 weeks. Today, our girls are going on 16 and still the joy of our lives.
The twins at about 4 weeks
This is us today ( picture was taken in August 2010 )
