An ode to the twins

If I put my elbow at my side and extended my forearm forward, my hand rested right on my 36 week pregnant belly.

It was Mother's Day and I woke up at 6:00 a.m.

Realizing I had no gift for my mother,against doctors advice, I waddled down two flights of stairs, out of my house, hoisted myself into my car and drove to a nearby store for a card and flowers.

Moving was quite the challenge as I was carrying nearly 12 lbs of matter in my belly but I was determined to find just the right card. In hindsight I was really lucky that my water didn't break in that Albertsons.

I'll never forget the moment when my water broke. I'd been home from the store maybe an hour or two when it happened. I heard a pop and then I felt it. I couldn't stop it. It seemed to go on forever. I freaked as we tried to cram my mom, my twin sister and my stepdaughters who were all at my house on that day into our van. Since no one had actually had breakfast my stepdaughters who were just 8 and 10 at the time were trying to grab food. I remember rushing everyone.

I , just wanted to be at the hospital. It was scary and bizarre because my "water" continued to be released all the way to the hospital. Frankly, I wondered what my little ones were surviving in.

Once at the hospital everything happened so fast, the contractions started like clockwork. Nurses and doctors were rushing around me in triage checking monitors asking me questions, telling me to breathe.

About 30 minutes and a spinal block later at 12:38 and 12:40 p.m. I'd meet them.

And my life would change forever.

That was seven years ago today.

Every day I know my son and daughter my life is enriched. They're bright, witty, sensitive and compassionate. They're cuter than words can say and changing by leaps and bounds with each passing day. Just thinking about them makes me smile.

Happy Birthday, my loves. You mean the world to me.