We went to the midwives office on August 12th 2008 for our first sonogram I was already 19 weeks and we couldn't wait to see our baby. Jason, Destinee, Kenya, my Mom (and of course myself) were all there. Kenya was so cute she kept saying "baby mommy belly" I think she understood that the baby on the TV was the baby in my belly. As the sonogram guy Kevin was doing the sonogram I kept seeing another head so I ask, "Is that another head?" Kevin said, "Yes." I said, "We are having twins?" he said "Yes". We were all so excited! I remember saying, "I have always wanted twins" and Dee (my little sister) kept saying "Your having twins!"
He kept measuring one of the babies brains and then said, "I'm going to go get your midwife and show her this". Everyone was so excited and I remember saying, "I'm not going to be excited until he says that the other baby is ok." because he hadn't said anything about the other baby. So they both came back into the room and he was showing her the heads and then he started looking at their stomach and the midwife said, "Vanessa, it looks like their conjoined." I started crying for a few minutes and then the Lord just comforted me I remember saying, "Well, these are our babies and we are going too take care of them and love them no matter what." I also remember saying, "I am so thankful that God gave us these babies and not someone who wouldn't take care of them."
Kevin kept doing the sonogram getting measurements and started explaining to us how twins become conjoined. Their measurements looked good they were both measuring at 19 weeks. At this point all we knew is that they are facing each other and are joined from their chests to about their belly buttons. We knew they had their own bladders but it looked like they shared a heart. Our midwife told us that she would make an appointment with the specialist hopefully by Friday.
We ended up getting an appointment almost a full week later on August 18th, I'm pretty sure this was the longest week of my life! The Lord was so faithful though I really felt like He was preparing me my whole pregnancy for this. I just started having such a huge heart for special needs kids like never before. I remember praying a few times asking the Lord to be glorified if He chose to give us a kid with special needs. So I was ready to hear the news but of course at the same time I was blown away by it.
So now its Monday the 18th and we got to see the specialist. First his sonogram tech came in and was taking all the measurements of their heads, legs things like that. So we talked to her for a while in the ten years she had been doing sonograms this was only the second set of conjoined twins that she had ever seen (and the first set of conjoined twins she saw that morning). She was really sweet she had no clue how we were holding it together and we told her that is was the Lord. We knew He was the one forming them in my womb and that He would be glorified through this.
So then the doctor came in and started doing his measurements he began to explain to us where they were conjoined and he told us that they shared a liver which wasn't a big deal but that they also shared a heart so we would not be able to separate them. We said ok we were already prepared to hear that I had already been thinking all week about the stuff I could invent for them to play in so they wouldn't always be laying down. Then he started explaining more about their heart; it only had one ventricle which wasn't enough for one baby let alone two. He said I would most likely have a miscarriage but if I did make it to full term that they wouldn't live long after birth because their chest cavity was underdeveloped which meant that their lungs most likely wouldn't develop. So he said whenever I went into labor they would deliver the babies by csection hand them to us and let us hold them until they passed away. I couldn't believe it I asked him a few questions then lost it. I was still comforted in knowing that God was in control but no parent wants to ever hear that. We were so excited about our babies and just fully trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, He was and is our hope. We know that His ways are far better than ours and He is completely sovereign over all things! This did not surprise Him, He allowed it to happen, and even ordained it to happen, this is His will,... for our good and for His glory and we are just so thankful that He gave us these babies!
I ended up going into labor on November 11th 2008 and our babies lived for an hour. We got to spend a lot of time with them and make a lot of memories with our sweet babies. God used our babies lives for His glory and our good and we are so thankful to be their parents.
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.
Job 12:7-10
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
Psalms 139:13-16
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.
And he said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked shall I return.
The LORD gave,
and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD."
In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Job 1:20-22
Melody Joy & Madison Hope Delgado
Born November 11, 2008 at 6:24 PM
7 pounds 9 ounces
16 inches long
Lived for about an hour
Melody Joy & Madison Hope Delgado are now more alive than we are
As he [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
And his disciples asked him,
"Rabbi, who sinned,
this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?"
Jesus answered,
"It was not that this man sinned,
or his parents,
but that the works of God might be displayed in him."
John 9:1-3
