Vickie O’Donnell, a 28-year-old childcare assistant from Abercynon, Wales, has given up on having additional kids. But while Sarah and her 30-year-old husband Jamie were celebrating Christmas as a family of six, all of her dreams were quickly granted. I hung the kids’ gifts, which included monogrammed teething rings for the triplets and a Thomas the Tank Engine toy for their sibling, in four tiny socks over the fireplace. With three infants in the house and an active 16-month-old, life is crazy, so I have to be quite organized. I’ve spent weeks packaging all of my Christmas gifts.
Being a mother of four is ideal in every aspect; becoming one was a goal I almost gave up on. For as long as I can recall, I desire to have kids. My mother used to make fun of the fact that I would become a teen mother, and others predicted that I would be the first of my siblings to wed. When I was 13 and Jamie was 15, we first started dating. We were soul partners back when we shared a street, just like we are now. Jamie aspires to start a family since he loves kids. What else do I do? I work in childcare. And maybe the infants will be born shortly. Definitely in my 20s, I made the decision that I wanted to have a young child. But there was a problem. My periods have always been irregular and I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS], which means I have a hard time conceiving.
You don’t have to stay with me, I repeatedly told Jamie when I was in a heartbroken state. If becoming a father requires compromising our relationship, I believe he should be given the opportunity. He allayed my worries by promising that we would ultimately arrive and that, in the unlikely event that it didn’t, we could adopt or foster.
I had to take fertility medications over the years, some of which caused me to feel so sick that I had to stop taking them. I’ve used pregnancy test kits a lot and have grown accustomed to them coming back negative month after month.
I took a test one morning and didn’t even look at the results before putting it on the ledge. What’s the purpose?
I recalled the test and began to feel a little lightheaded after that morning. That’s actually a plus, much to my great astonishment. I had been waiting all day for Jamie to get home from work so that I could speak to him face-to-face. He was as thrilled as I was when he realized I wasn’t joking. Phoenix was born in August of last year, and while my pregnancy went successfully, we welcomed the miraculous child back to our small one-bedroom apartment. Phoenix was the result of nearly a year’s worth of fertility treatments, so when I missed my period 11 weeks after Phoenix was born, I didn’t give it much thought. Just in case, I did a pregnancy test, and it came out positive. I was expecting Phoenix to be an only child and now I have two children under the age of one. But I love being a mother and know I can handle it.
On my 12-week scan, the sonographer looked through the pictures before rotating the screen to Jamie and I. She announced, “You are having twins.” I turned to face Jamie, who was grinning broadly. I never imagined having them, despite the fact that I am a twin. It came as a joyful surprise, nevertheless. I can see something else, though, when I fix my gaze on the screen. She took another look at the screen. She said, “It’s triplets!” Jamie’s face had now turned ghostly white. We all find it hard to believe. We would have four children under the age of one, despite years of wondering what would happen if we didn’t have kids. We’re going to need a bigger house, I kept thinking.
I already felt as though I was nearing the end of my pregnancy at 16 weeks. My back hurt, and my feet and legs were swollen. I got size 24 loose vests because my 512st is too loose. Normally, I wear sizes 10 to 12. My tummy would touch the opposite wall if I were to stand on my side at the top of the stairs. My caesarean delivery occurred at 33 weeks, seven weeks earlier than the 35 weeks the doctors had planned since one of the infants stopped growing. As two girls and a boy, Rhubie-Ann, Violet, and later Tarney, were born, Jamie and I were both awake the entire time. Weights are 4lb 5oz and 4lb 1oz and 4lb 2oz respectively.
Luckily, they did well and we brought them home 16 days later. The trio is so adorable. They were still small, so they slept in a crib, side by side with Tarney in the middle. Tarney melts people’s hearts as soon as they see him. I call Violet my little angel. She’s a really active person in the womb and there’s something very bold about her. We hope to move into our new home soon, right next to my mother’s. We are a big family now so it would be nice to have our own home.
