Twice the Surprise: The Journey into the World of Twins

By Shannon Bussnick, LSW

In the serene yet anticipatory ambiance of the ultrasound room, my heart fluttered with excitement and the age-old question: to be or not to be…

Pregnant?

As the doctor scanned the screen to confirm or deny my ‘with child’ status, the silence seemed to stretch into eternity, only to be broken by the revelation: there were two. Two? As in, a duo, a pair, a thing one and thing two? My mind raced. Babies?

My hand clasped her arm; adrenaline flowed through my veins. Little did she know I was holding on for dear life. My husband and I had jestingly speculated about twins since the early positive test — a jest that suddenly wasn’t so funny… The irony of the scenario wasn’t lost on us; it felt like a dream unfolding in real-time.

I sensed something different this time — exhaustion setting in by late afternoon, and a surge in nausea. We thought, perhaps a boy. Just one, you know. Yet, here we were, expecting twins.

Our humble two-bedroom apartment suddenly seemed the size of a shoebox. The doctor, with a hint of humor, remarked, “Looks like you’ll need a bigger boat!” The screen unveiled not one but two tiny hearts pulsating. Shivers were sent down my spine as if we had conjured this reality ourselves.

The drive home was a whirlpool of emotions and the longest redlights of my life. My heart raced as I shared the news with my husband. His face lit up as if this was all meant to be. As shocking as it was, it felt that way for me, too. And so, we took a deep breath and a leap into the unchartered waters of twin parenthood.

The days following were a tumult of emotions, juggling the ecstatic reality of twins and the practicalities of nurturing two new lives alongside our toddler. (The “terrible twos” had nothing on the typhoon of the threes for our little miss. So, perfect timing, I’d say!)

The anticipation of their arrival also brought some concerns for their health, yet our hearts were so in love with these tiny beings that they often seemed minute in the grand scheme.

Fast forward to the day we brought our little bundles home, the year that followed resembled sailing through a tempest — our boat handling the most precious cargo. Our humble home now vibrating with newborn cries, toddler giggles and tantrums (many tantrums), and plenty of doggo barks and kitty meows, the soundtrack of our new reality.

Each day was a new scene in our little sitcom, with episodes filled with diaper debacles, synchronized crying symphonies, and the endless quest for a good night’s sleep — a mythical entity in the realm of parenting.

Our living room often resembled a circus, each day a blend of exhaustion, exhilaration, and endless love. It looked like an episode of Nat Geo, on repeat.

The demands of three under three were no joke, yet each milestone, each smile, and each day of health was a victory.

Despite the chaos, the journey sculpted us into parents capable of navigating almost any storm, nourished by a hearty dose of caffeine. The twins doubled the love resonating in our home and unearthed a resilience we never knew existed.

Here on Vienna Lane, we’ll dive into our natural twin birth, share tips on handling the twin chaos, and unravel the fun and challenging moments of having three littles under one roof.

Stick around as we share more tales from our parenting adventure, filled with love, laughter, and the lively ups and downs of twin + toddler life.