November 3, 1997 —
It's been four weeks since I shared the news with Nigel and James. I'm still trying to keep it quiet at work, but I am already showing—much more than I had anticipated. Between the growing size and frequent bouts of nausea, I don't think it's much of a secret.
James and I took a trip out to Baltimore to visit his mother and share our wedding plans for the end of the month. It would be a simple affair, and in lieu of a honeymoon, James planned to join me in Paris at the end of Fashion Week so we could spend some time enjoying the city and its romance. We didn't tell her about the baby, though, I am sure she had her suspicions. At least she had enough tact to keep them to herself…for now.
My fiancé—I love calling him that—is fascinated by the changes to my body over the past few weeks. He can hardly keep his hands off of me, and when I'm not exhausted or nauseous, it is incredibly satisfying. I have been feeling more "morning sickness" lately, to the point where I'm even several hours late for work because I cannot physically get out of bed some days. The funny thing they don't tell you is that it's not just limited to mornings. There are some days when I spend the afternoon taking conference calls from the floor of my private bathroom at work.
The coming weeks will certainly be a whirlwind for us—closing on the new house, moving day, our wedding in the Hamptons, Paris, announcing the pregnancy, Christmas, New Year's, and Elias-Clarke's annual board meeting. Any other time, I would have felt intimidated by the stressful schedule, but knowing James and our little bundle of joy are here with me through all of this somehow makes it bearable.
"Miranda, hurry up, we'll be late," James called from the door.
The woman emerged from the hallway, looking pale.
"You doing okay?" he asked, hurrying to meet her and wrapping his arm around her waist. He softly placed his other hand on her growing bump.
"I don't want to miss this appointment," she said, "but I need something to calm my stomach. Ginger ale?"
"Sure, sure," he said, helping her onto a barstool. He poured her a small glass and grabbed an extra bottle to put in her purse. While she sipped the drink, he stood behind her, gently massaging her shoulders. "What else can I do, darling?" he asked.
"I'm nervous," she said. "I know it's only eight weeks, so there's not much they can tell, but I hope everything is alright. I feel so fat already." She put the drink down and smoothed her hands over her abdomen. "Other women have a nice round bump, but I feel like everything from my bust to my hips is inflated. Like a beer belly."
"Oh Miranda, you are beautiful, more beautiful than ever. You most certainly do not have a 'beer belly.' You know I find it incredibly sexy how your body is growing our child," he said, leaning over to nuzzle her neck.
She laughed and swatted him away. "Stop that. My stomach was just getting settled."
When they arrived at the doctor's office, they were led into one of the back rooms where a technician drew some blood from Miranda's arm and another came inside to prepare her for the ultrasound. The doctor arrived and introduced herself to James as she looked up at the ultrasound screen.
"So, what you're hearing is the heartbeat," she explained. "And if you look up here, you can see that the heartbeat is sounding a little irregular, because you're actually hearing two heartbeats."
"What?!" Miranda exclaimed, craning her neck to see the screen. James, who was standing next to her, squeezed her hand.
"Miranda, James, congratulations. You're having twins," the doctor said.
"My god," James said. "Not one, but two babies," he said.
Miranda was speechless, tears streaming down her cheeks.
James leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. "I love you," he whispered. She nodded and closed her eyes.
"This would explain the additional growth and weight gain you're experiencing, Miranda. Five more weeks until you're in the second trimester, and things should begin to calm down by then," she explained.
"The nausea, too?" Miranda asked.
"Yes. Is it very bad? With a twin pregnancy, the hormone levels are rising twice as quickly, so it's common for moms to experience stronger reactions."
Miranda took a deep breath. "Yes, I mean, the nausea has been really awful lately. And when I'm not sick, I am just incredibly exhausted. James has been taking excellent care of me," she said, smiling at him and squeezing his hand, "but, it is what it is."
"I realize this is a lot to take in," the doctor said. "I'll send you home with some literature about pregnancy and childbirth with multiples. So far, everything is looking just perfect. It goes without saying to make sure you're giving yourself adequate rest—that will help with the exhaustion, but probably not the nausea. I see many women end up in the hospital with IV fluids because they're ignoring their body's need for food and rest," she said. "Have you been vomiting, or just feeling nauseous?"
"Both."
"Is there anything else I can do to help her?" James asked.
The doctor smiled. "Well, it always helps to have a supportive partner. I'll give you some samples of anti-nausea medications. They all work differently, and I can't say that one is better than the other. Try them out and see what works for you. In most cases, it's exchanging one symptom for another: eliminate the nausea, add drowsiness, or headaches. There are also some natural remedies like acupuncture, ginger, or fresh rosemary. What it comes down to is that every woman is different, every pregnancy is different," she said, pulling out several pamphlets to send home with the couple. "I will say, if you're unable to keep fluids down for twenty-four hours, go to the hospital. Dehydration can be severe, and the onset is much quicker with expectant mothers who have babies vying for nutrients and blood."
"Let's hope it doesn't get that bad," Miranda said, looking over at James.
"I'd like to see you back again in a month or so—at 14 weeks. If anything comes up between now and then, please don't hesitate to call me. As a first-time mom, I am sure this is all a little overwhelming, and I'm happy to answer any questions for you," she said, turning off the ultrasound and handing Miranda some tissues to clean the ultrasound gel from her abdomen.
"Is it still safe for us to, you know, have sex?" James asked.
Miranda rolled her eyes and softly nudged him.
"What? It's an honest question," he said.
"And one I get very often. Yes, it's absolutely safe, as long as it does not cause Miranda any pain. As the babies continue to grow, certain positions may no longer be comfortable, so just keep in mind that we don't want to cause Mom or babies any discomfort," she said. "Otherwise, it's perfectly fine. The endorphins might even help her to feel more comfortable."
"Thank you, Dr. Lowry," Miranda said.
The doctor smiled and helped Miranda off the table. "I'm sure you'll be just fine. Remember, I'll see you again in a few weeks, but call me sooner if you need anything. And again, congratulations!" she said before walking out of the room.
James opened his arms and Miranda laid her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around him. They stood there for a few minutes in silence, taking in everything the doctor had gone through.
"I'll need to wear an empire-waist dress for the wedding," Miranda said. "It'll be too noticeable in anything else. Something textured and flowy, maybe without a waist entirely so it draws the attention upward to the chest and shoulders…"
"Honey?"
"Huh?" she said, blinking and looking up.
"You can wear a burlap sack and you'd still be the most beautiful bride. I can handle my family—we don't have to hide the pregnancy for them," he said.
"Really?"
"Of course. Darling, is that what has had you so worried?"
Miranda nodded and laid her head back against his chest as his arms moved up and down her back. "They think I'm some kind of slut or something."
"Sweetheart, please. I'll talk to them. They don't think that of you—and if they do, I'll un-invite them. Our wedding should be about what's important to us," he said. "And to me, that's not just sharing the rest of my life with you, it's starting a family and bringing these two little peanuts into the world. That's all that matters."
"Are you sure you're in finance and not a motivational speaker?" she asked.
He laughed and kissed the top of her head as he reached down to take her hand.
"Let me talk with Nigel about a dress, and let's play it by ear. It is just three weeks away, so I can't imagine they'll grow too much by then."