This Time Last Year I Was Pregnant With Twins

As I sat drinking a cup of apple cider this evening, I couldn’t help but remember that this time last year, I was advised against enjoying the festive beverage.

Why, you ask? Well, you didn’t actually ask, but let’s just pretend you did. It’s because I was pregnant and I read that pregnant women should avoid unpasteurized drinks (whatever that means). All I knew is I didn’t want to get sick because of the lesser ability to ward off germs that is normal in pregnancy.

That cup of delicious cider got me to thinking. This time last year I was about 2 months pregnant with our twin girls, so I was adhering to the normal recommendations of food, drinks, and activities to avoid. Beyond that, were my physical limitations, which increased each day of the pregnancy. Getting dressed, showering, and walking even moderately long distances were difficult.

I remember I would get out of breath while talking on the phone at work or while talking to a client in person. It was embarrassing, because most people stopped me, mid sentence to ask, “Are you okay?” It’s interesting how so many of the changes happened so subtly that I didn’t even realize they were happening until someone would ask that question—“Are you okay?”

Now, pregnancy is a miraculous thing. After pregnancy with my twin girls, who are 7 months old, as of this writing, I’ve come to wonder about things I took for granted.

There are miracles all around me and abundant blessings in my life. What I’m realizing, after such a difficult pregnancy and challenging postpartum recovery, is that miracles are not always brought about painlessly or easily. They often require unwavering sacrifice and unprecedented pain.

So this time last year I was carrying two miracles towards life. This time last year, I also became a miracle to these two lives. So often as moms, we forget that even though the beautiful people around us are blessings to us, we are also blessings to them. We are their miracles, and conduits of love and goodness, safety and security.

So, what about you? This time last year what were you carrying that needed to be brought safely to life? Was it a baby? Or babies? A dream or vision? A hope that crept in unexpectedly? What sacrifice has that miracle required? And in what way have you been the miracle which that blessing needed to survive?

Until next time,

I’m sure that today I will be noticing all the things I can now do, eat, and tolerate, because I am on the other side of a miracle. Or two.