Hope for All- chapter 33
The week after the Memorial Day barbecue was a busy one for the family. Tony had started his finals week and had two major papers due by the end of the week. Samantha and Jonathan were in the last couple of weeks of school as well, looking forward to the summer months of freedom and camp. Angela was busy trying to land a new client, often working longer hours than Tony was happy with her doing. Angela had her twenty six week appointment on Friday afternoon. Tony picked her up at the train station and drove them to the appointment. He parked and walked around to the passenger side, helping Angela out of the car.
"Alright Angela you ready to see these kids? Twenty six weeks! Next week starts the third trimester! We're almost there! Can you believe it?" said Tony as he signed Angela in at the front desk.
"Almost there? Thirteen more weeks of getting huge, being in the bathroom every ten minutes and getting slower by the second! Tell me we are almost there when there's four or less weeks to go Tony!" she said as she sat down as gracefully as she possibly could.
"Eh oh, oh eh! What's wrong Angela?" he said.
"Nothing Tony… I'm just frustrated with this new account we are trying to land and being pregnant isn't helping the situation! I had to leave our meeting three times to use the bathroom and my mind is in a fog more than it's not these days! I can't seem to focus on much and my memory is nonexistent…" she said as she was on the verge of tears.
"Oh sweetheart! You're pregnant! I think you need to start thinking about cutting back more and delegating more to your other staff. We say thirteen weeks but it could most likely be sooner so you need to figure out a way to start lessening your work load" said Tony as he rubbed her belly. One of the babies kicked just then, making Tony smile.
"See! Even they think I'm right!" he laughed, causing Angela to laugh as well. Just then, they called them into the exam room. The nurse came in and did her vitals as well as take blood samples. She frowned when she took Angela's blood pressure, causing Tony and Angela to exchange worried looks.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Angela as she grabbed Tony's hand.
"You're blood pressure is a little high. I'm going to go let the doctor know. Can you give us a urine sample?" asked the nurse as she handed her a cup. Angela took the cup and headed to the bathroom, coming back soon and joining Tony back in the room.
"Tony what if it's preeclampsia? I've read up on that and it can be very dangerous for me and the babies!" she said as fear and worry grew in her voice.
"Before we think anything else, let's wait and see what the doctor says okay? You've been stressed out these past two weeks and have been working long hours. Let's just hope that's what it is… regardless, we will tackle whatever comes our way, I promise" said Tony as he leaned over and gave her a kiss. He helped her change and get up on the table for the ultrasound. Shortly after, the doctor and technician came into the room.
"Hello Tony and Angela! How are you feeling? I see your blood pressure is slightly elevated. Any swelling in your legs or feet? Severe headaches or blurred vision?" he asked as he set up the ultrasound machine.
"No none of those symptoms. My feet are swollen but nothing drastic. Tony makes sure I'm off my feet once I get home from work. These past two weeks have been stressful at work and I've probably been working longer hours than I should be…" she said as she took hold of Tony's hand.
"Okay well let's look at these babies first while we wait for the results of the urine test" he said as he placed the wand on her belly. Baby A came into view, his profile taking up most of the screen. Tony and Angela both smiled as they saw their son's profile and heard his heartbeat.
"Baby A is looking nice and healthy! He's a big boy too! I'd estimate about 12.5 inches and just over two pounds. All looks good… let's move over to his sister shall we?" he said as he moved the wand to where Baby B was laying. Her profile also came into view and her heartbeat could be heard, nice and strong as well.
"Baby B is also looking good! I think she's catching up to her brother! I'd say she's about 11.5-12 inches and just under two pounds I'd say. Everything is looking and tracking normal. Let me just take some more measurements and then I'll print out some sonogram photos for you" said the doctor. He finished after a few minutes and then left the room to allow Angela to get dressed. They headed into the doctor's office and sat down.
"So your results from your urine sample do not show any proteins so this doesn't appear to be preeclampsia thankfully, at least not right now. You mentioned more stress at work. What's your current work schedule like?" asked the doctor. Both Tony and Angela let out audible sighs of relief at the doctor's words.
"I'm still working mostly five days in the office, sometimes working from home a day or two during the week. I'm still taking the train in because I don't fit behind the wheel of the car anymore!" she said with a slight laugh.
"Well unfortunately I think we are at the point you need to start cutting back on work. These next two weeks I want you to work from home. If by your next appointment, your blood pressure normalizes, you can resume going into the office but only two or three days, no more. Keep activities to a minimum or at least a reduced load as well. Stay off your feet whenever possible and keep hydrated" he said.
"Should she be on bed rest these next two weeks?" asked Tony, concern still present in his voice despite the doctor's words.
"Not strict bed rest no, but off her feet more often than not" said the doctor.
"We have our first lamaze class tomorrow. Can we still attend that?" asked Angela.
"Yes that is fine, just make that is your one and done outing for the day, then head home and rest. I think once you focus on relaxing these next two weeks, you will be just fine. The babies are looking great so other than that, I don't have any concerns. Make sure you make an appointment for your glucose test with the front desk on your way out. It can be done at the next appointment, it just requires you to be here longer. They will go over all of the instructions. Okay you two… see you in two weeks!" said the doctor.
Tony helped Angela up and made the appointment with the front desk. They checked out and headed to the car. Once inside, Tony turned to Angela and started to speak.
"I wanted to hug and kiss that doctor for a) giving us the good news it's not preeclampsia and b) for being the scapegoat so I don't have to be! I'm going to make sure that you follow the doctor's orders! No exceptions or excuses Angela!" he practically shouted.
"Yes Tony I will follow his orders. I let work get the best of me but nothing is more important than these two little ones being healthy. I'll delegate more of my work and lessen my hours. Assuming my blood pressure goes down in two weeks, we can talk about a much lighter work week for me until these guys are ready to be make an appearance" she said as she rubbed her belly. Tony nodded in agreement before placing his own hand on her belly, following the movements of the babies.
"Okay listen up you two! Mommy's got strict orders from the doctor to take it easy for the next two weeks! I'm going to make sure she rests up. The good news is you both are growing big and strong! You two keep growing and I'll take care of your Mommy, I promise!" he said as he leaned over and kissed Angela.
Once they got home, Tony insisted Angela head upstairs to lay down. Knowing she wouldn't win that battle, she agreed and headed upstairs. She ended up falling asleep for a few hours before dinner time. Tony came knocking lightly on the bedroom door.
"Angela… are you awake? Dinner is ready…" he said as he placed a tray he set up for dinner in bed for Angela. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes as she woke up.
"I could have come down for dinner Tony. He said it didn't have to be strict bed rest but thank you for making dinner" she said as she stood up to use the bathroom. Once she came back, Tony set up the tray in front of her and sat down next to her on the bed.
"The kids and I already ate. I wanted you to rest so I figured we could just relax up here for a while. Maybe afterwards we can head downstairs and watch some television before bed" he said.
"Sounds perfect! Oh Tony this is delicious!" she said as she took another bite of her dinner. Just then, there was a knock at the door and Mona popped her head inside the doorway.
"So how do I put my request in for meals in bed huh?" she asked as she walked further into the room.
"Be pregnant with twins, have high blood pressure and have an overprotective man in your life worked pretty well for me…" she said with a chuckle.
"Is there a plan b option?" she asked with a smirk.
"Eh oh, oh eh! I'm not overprotective!" shouted Tony. Both Angela and Mona gave him a look and rolled their eyes.
"Well not overly! I'm just following doctor's orders!" said Tony.
"So I've heard… how are you feeling Angela? I could have told you working that hard was not good for you… oh wait I did! Did you listen to your wise mother? No, why should you…" said Mona sarcastically.
"Mother… we had that big client! I needed to get the account ready! It's looking good finally and I think Jack and the others can take it from here. I'm still going to work from home and hopefully if my blood pressure goes back down, I'll be back in the office a few days a week for hopefully a few more weeks until I'm on maternity leave" she said as Tony and Mona gave each other worried looks.
"Let's start with you resting dear… then we can go from there okay? I promise I'll watch over things at the office and keep you updated" said Mona.
"Enough work talk! We got to see these not so little ones today! You should see how big your grandchildren are Mona! Baby A is going to be the bigger one but Baby B is catching up! Here let me go grab the sonograms! I already showed them to the kids!" he said excitedly as he headed downstairs.
"You sure you are okay Angela? I'm hoping you listen to the doctor and take it easy. Work will be there when you're ready for it" said Mona. Angela was always taken aback when her mother showed genuine concern for Angela.
"Yes I'm alright. I feel fine otherwise and I know Tony is going to make sure I barely leave this room for the next two weeks!" she said with a chuckle.
"You laugh now, but I give it a week until you are absolutely miserable. Send up an SOS signal if the overbearing Italian becomes too much…" said Mona as Tony ran back into the room, sonograms in hand. He showed the babies off to Mona, showing her all the features of each baby.
"Alright you two… or should I say four… I'm heading off to start my night… I'll check in on you guys tomorrow after your class" she said as she headed out the door and down the stairs.
"How about we head downstairs and cuddle up on the sofa? Maybe see if something good is playing?" asked Angela.
"Okay… I made you a special batch of triple chocolate chip walnut cookies for dessert! I'll put on the kettle and we can have dessert while watching a movie" he said as he helped her up, grabbing the empty dinner tray as they headed downstairs. They settled in for the night on the sofa, enjoying a Friday night movie with their dessert. Since she napped earlier, Angela actually made it through the movie without falling asleep, something they both joked about before heading back up to bed. Once they got ready for bed, they curled into one another and soon were asleep.
The next morning, Tony and Angela headed down to the kitchen to eat some breakfast and pack some snacks before heading off to the lamaze class. Angela convinced Tony to have breakfast together downstairs. Once they were finished, they grabbed their stuff and headed to the car. It was about a twenty minute drive before they pulled up to the building.
"You ready for this Angela?" he said as he grabbed her hand.
"Do I have a choice?" she laughed as she squeezed his hand.
"For some reason, I mean I've known this is really happening, but all of a sudden, it's hitting me we are actually going to have these babies… and soon!" he said with a mixture of excitement and nervousness in his voice.
"Yes this is really happening Tony. Let's just hope we both feel a bit more prepared after these classes. Thirteen and sixteen years are a long time to have a gap between having a baby and of course these are our first together. It's exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time" she said as she rubbed her belly.
"You're right Angela. It's been a long time but we've got this! And what we don't know, we will figure out along the way!" he chuckled as he rubbed her belly as well. He got out of the car and went to help her out of the car. They walked arm in arm into the building and found the room for the class. A woman was sitting at a table checking people into the class.
"Hello! Welcome to our lamaze class! What are your names?" asked the woman very enthusiastically.
"I'm Angela Micelli and this is my husband Tony" she said.
"Hi Angela and Tony! Please sign in and fill out this paperwork. Here are your name tags and the outline for the next four weeks. Feel free to hand me back the paperwork when you are done. There's coffee, tea and other snacks over there if you'd like to have some before we start!" she said in a very bubbly voice.
"Thank you" said Angela as she grabbed the paperwork and headed for the seating area. She handed Tony the outline for the class as she filled out the demographic paperwork.
"Look Angela! They do a postpartum reunion class! We can bring them back for everyone to see them! These classes really cover a lot! I'm glad we signed up for this class Angela!" he said as he continued to read through the outlines.
"Eh oh, oh eh… the third class is covering complications. I don't know if I want to know all that can go wrong!" he said with a nervous tone to his voice.
"Tony, we need to be prepared for everything, even the complications. I'm having twins and there's a higher risk involved. The way I look at it, the more we know and prepare for complications, the less likely it is we will need it when the time comes" she said as she reached over and squeezed his hand.
"I know Angela… it's just I hate even thinking of the idea that something could go wrong. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you or these babies" he said as he pulled himself closer to Angela and started rubbing her stomach.
"How about we don't look at it like something bad happening to us but rather all of us needing more assistance than normal when the time comes for them to come into the world. Complications don't necessarily mean something bad. C-sections are becoming more and more common. I almost needed one with Jonathan. His heart rate was dropping towards the end after I'd been pushing for a while and they were talking about an emergency c-section. Thank goodness he came soon after that and was perfectly healthy. It was the scariest moment of my life followed by the very best moment…" she said.
"You're right Angela. And besides that's week three. Much more to cover before then! How about I get us something to drink and eat?" he asked.
"Sounds good. I'm going to go hand in this paperwork and then hopefully we will start soon. I think I'm going find a bathroom too before we start" she said as she stood up and headed back to the desk. They both returned to their seats and enjoyed their food and drinks. More couples filtered into the room. One very pregnant woman walked into the room with a younger petite blond woman and took the seats next to them.
"Good morning everyone! Welcome to the first of four childbirth classes! I'm your instructor Rose and I welcome all of you! I've been an instructor for over eight years and have even assisted in numerous births. We have a lot to cover today as you can see from your handouts. I welcome any and all questions both during the class as well as during the Q at the end. Today we will be covering staying healthy during the third trimester, changes for you and the baby, getting your body ready for labor, lamaze breathing techniques, touch and relaxation massage as well as other coping skills for labor. Before we get into that, let's do an introduction so we all get to know each other. Tell us your names, how far along you are, if you know the genders and if you already have any children. Any volunteers?" she asked.
A couple raised their hands and introduced themselves to the group. The couples continued their introductions until they got to Tony and Angela.
"Hi everyone. My name is Angela and this is my husband Tony. I'm currently twenty six, almost twenty seven weeks pregnant with twins" said Angela.
"We each have one child from a previous relationship. My daughter Samantha is sixteen and her son Jonathan is thirteen. We've been a family for over five years now and are very excited to share in this experience together" said Tony as he leaned over and kissed Angela. The other women in the room all sighed at Tony's romantic words and gesture.
"Well welcome Tony and Angela! As it seems you both are the seasoned parents in the room! I'm sure we will be getting your advice and wisdom throughout the class! Okay on to our last couple! Please introduce yourselves!" said Rose.
"Hi my name is Mary and I'm eight and a half months pregnant with a little girl. This is my first baby and I'm quite nervous. My husband is in the army and stationed overseas. He's due back a week before I'm due so I've asked my sister to join me here to help me out in case he doesn't make it in time" said Mary.
"Hi everyone! My name is Kathleen and it's a pleasure to meet everyone!" she said.