Chapter 14 - Quite the coincidence...

At 8 weeks postpartum, October 30th, I return to working from home. I made an agreement with Jake and our HR department that I will be juggling both work and stay-at-home-mom duties so I dropped down to part-time and will attend any meetings virtually. My first meeting back is overwhelming, everyone asking on the video call to see the babies and how I am doing, but it’s also nice to semi be around people again. After everyone leaves, Jake mentions if I want, next month when we do an in-office company Thanksgiving dinner, I’m more than welcome to bring the babies.

“Thank you. That will be very helpful since it’s pretty much just Mikhail and I around to watch them. It will also be my first time out of the house doing something so I’m a little nervous to physically see everyone.”

“Annie,” Jake says, “you just had THREE babies. Give yourself a break. I’m sure you look fine. We’d all like to see you again, and we’ve all seen where you were before with your maternity pictures you sent. So unless you’re somehow 8 months pregnant with triplets again, you’ve lost weight and should be proud of yourself.”

Jake’s encouraging words helps get me through the next month until our Wednesday Thanksgiving at the office. I get my almost 3-month-olds ready before myself. I make sure Mikhail is distracted before I go to the restroom to use the scale, not wanting him to see me obsessing over it or see the number. 205 is better than I expected, so even though it’s more than I want to weigh, it’s slightly satisfying to know I’ve lost almost 50lbs. I open the door and am startled by Mikhail standing there.

“What were you doing?” he toys, knowing the answer.

“Checking something.”

“You’re beautiful, babe. The more you check, the more stressed out you will be.”

“I wasn’t too disappointed this time so I’m fine. I just need to get ready.”

I pass him to get in the room and put on shaper shorts and a flowy dress to hide my extra weight. My boobs are crammed beneath the v-neck, creating more cleavage than I thought, but I don’t have anything else to wear at the moment. I put on some makeup and jewelry to cover my anxiety and we head to the office. During the ride, Mikhail keeps his hand on my knee. I glance over and can see his dad bod starting to get more noticeable. He still holds a very large and strong appearance, but compared to this time last year, his muscles appear softer and his belly has a lower roll that sticks out a little over his belt. I rub his arm and rest my head on it. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive husband than Mikhail. Whenever I try to do things myself, he still steps up and takes care of it himself. For instance, when we arrive, he tells me “I got them” and won’t even let me help get the stroller and car seats out.

We enter the office and everyone greets us, congratulates us, and even says how good I look. I feel like they’re lying but I’m also flattered. My coworkers gawk at the babies and compliment how beautiful they are. Megan is the most complimentary, though. “Girl, how do you look so good? You just gave birth and you’ve already lost so much!”

“Guess that’s what happens when you go overdue and have a giant as a husband. Thank you, though. I appreciate it. I was feeling quite self-conscious the whole way here. It’s no one’s business but my own but I still felt like people were going to judge me for my size.”

“You showed us your maternity photos,” Megan says. “You look nearly half that size. So it’s a drastic difference.”

“Funny thing is, I got even bigger. We took them a little over a month before they were born, so I was larger.” I pull out my phone and find the last (work appropriate) picture Mikhail took of me, laying on the bed with my mountainous belly exposed, covered in stretch marks and shiny stretched thin skin.

“You look miserable. I didn't realize one person could get that big.”

“Yeah, I knew going in I was going to be big, but that thing was just ridiculous. I was pretty much pinned down in bed by it for the last week. I’m honestly surprised I’ve lost as much as I have.”

“Well, you’re beautiful and you made beautiful babies.”

We get through dinner and I’m surprised with how much Mikhail put away. I guess free food was calling his name. I can visually see he’s stuffed, and I just hope my stomach doesn’t look as full as his. I cannot see past my chest but I rub my belly under the table, feeling how firm the top half is but soft fat on the bottom half. I want to refuse dessert but Mikhail brings us both pie and I don’t want to be rude….

When we get in the car, I lay my seat back a little and groan. I feel Mikhail’s hand sneak its way over to my stomach but I swat him away. “What are you doing touching my fat like that?”

“I’m helping ease your food baby, baby. Don’t be shy.”

“Ugh. I ate way too much. I’m just embarrassed by this.” I gesture to my bulging stomach that’s showing beneath my flowy dress since I’m leaning back. Mikhail rubs anyway which feels nice. I forgot what this felt like and immediately started missing being pregnant again.

On actual Thanksgiving, November 23rd, I put on the same outfit and we drive out to Mikhail’s mom’s house who’s hosting again this year. The babies are fawned over as usual and everyone is happy for us. His sister dared to ask if we’re going for another yet, which made us look at each other, and shake our heads no. We get our fill of Thanksgiving feasting, which ended with car belly rubs again. We had wonderful sex that night, even though we were both bursting at the seams full.

Christmas Day we head over to Mikhail’s sister’s house where everyone is gathered. The scale this morning reads 210 much to my dismay, hoping that the 2 large dinners plus leftovers weren’t going to do that much damage, but I try and cut myself some holiday slack. I wear the same outfit as Thanksgiving since it fits and hides my belly, but put on a cardigan to try and hide some cleavage this time. At Thanksgiving, I heard Mikhail’s mom make a comment about my chest ready to burst out of my dress at any moment. We enjoy ourselves, but this time I am ravenous and eat until I can feel my shorts underneath straining to contain my feasting. Mikhail rubs my belly under the table which is a nice relief before he brings me multiple slices of pie.

“You trying to stuff her against his year?” Mikahil’s sister jokes as he puts the plate in front of me.

“No, but it’s the holidays so let’s enjoy ourselves. Whenever another baby happens, it will happen. We had 3 in one go. We'll take it easy for a bit.”

Mikhail is going to eat his words because the very next day, I have 3 positive pregnancy tests. I guess an insatiable appetite is something I’ll need to get used to when pregnant. I’m thankful I was able to hold off and lost weight at the beginning last time, but the hunger kicked in what feels like immediately this time. I schedule a doctor’s appointment with my new doctor for mid-January and hold off telling anyone, including Sarah and Matt.

January 15th arrives and we anxiously drive to the doctor’s appointment. I’ve been having morning sickness and been very hungry, so those are good signs like last time that I’m still pregnant at least. At check-in, the scale says 210 which I’ll take as a win, meaning I didn’t gain any weight at least. I hesitantly change into the exam gown and lay on the table. The doctor comes in and kindly officially introduces herself to Mikhail.

“I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” she says kindly, not in a rude way.

“Honestly, me, either.” I can see Mikail smirk slightly out of the corner of my eye, making me wonder if this is what he was hoping for.

“Looking at the notes, I see your triplets were a surprise and originally thought to be twins, so I’m going to get an ultrasound in here to check how many we have swimming around.”

My heart flutters as the tech moves the wand around my fat stomach. I should have lost more weight first so I wouldn’t be so big at the start of this pregnancy. Ugh, is Mikhail going to stuff me or keep me well fed during this one, too? I have so many thoughts racing as the technician clicks and scans, each passing minute making me more anxious than the last. The doctor examines the screen where the technician has marked, out of my line of sight where I’m laying. I can see Mikhail’s face a little confused, trying to decipher the screen himself as a non-medical professional.

“Mrs. O, this is quite the coincidence…but you’re having triplets again.”

I literally fainted at the news. I’m not sure for how long, but the next thing I know Mikhail has an arm around me, trying to get me to sip some water, laying on the exam table still.

“You alright, babe? You passed out.”

“Yeah, I think so,” I say, coming to my senses and tugging my exam gown more closed. Even with a blanket covering my legs, I wasn’t comfortable having my soft body on display. “I thought for some reason I heard you say I’m pregnant with triplets again.”

“That is correct,” the doctor says. “I’ve never seen back-to-back triplet pregnancies like this before. It’s quite the anomaly. I don’t know everything your last doctor told you or said before she…left the country…but I will be here for you every step of the way. You at least know what to expect this time around. You’re almost 10 weeks today so your due date is August 15th, but we will definitely make sure you deliver by 36 weeks this time, so mid-July. You will need to stop working and be put on bedrest again.”

Mikhail helps me get ready as I’m still dizzy in disbelief at the news. How in the world? We drive home in near silence, mostly due on my part. I put one hand on my stomach as we drive. I feel how much fat I still have from the last pregnancy, and feel the start of my bump beneath the fat. Will I show sooner this time since I’ve been pregnant before? Or will it take longer since I’m already fat? I’m so freakin fat. All this fatty fat fat. I don’t fully understand how I’m feeling about all this so I know that contributes to my distance from Mikhail right now.

When we get home, Mikhail helps hand me 2 babies to nurse as he bottle feeds another.

“How are we going to do this?” I finally say, looking down at one of my daughters suckling away at my fat boob. “How are we going to have 6 babies?”

“I don’t know, babe, but we’ll figure it out. These 3 will be almost 1 by the time those are born.”

“How does someone have 6 babies under a year old at the same time? I was massive at the end, unable to move. How will I be able to care for 3 babies while getting fat with 3 more?” I feel the emotions welling inside me as I speak. “I don’t know how fat I’m going to get, either. I’m already way heavier than I was almost a year ago, so am I going to be like 300 pounds when these babies are born? Am I just going to be a fat baby making machine, popping them out but unable to move and take care of them?”

“Babe, we’ll figure this out. We both wanted more kids but never could have imagined 3 the first time and 3 again. The doctor even said it was nearly unheard of. We’ll get through this together. I’ll be here to help you and be with you always again.”

After we feed and change the babies, we set them down for their nap. I ask Mikhail to call Sarah and Matt for me to tell them the news.

“So…” he says with anticipation on the phone to them both on speaker, “you’re not going to believe this.”

“Annie’s pregnant again???” Sarah squeals. Poor Matt’s ear drums.

“Well, yes…but there’s more… We’re having triplets again.”

The phone is dead silent for a few moments. I wouldn’t believe it if someone told me, either.

“Are you serious?” I finally hear from Sarah. “How is that possible? It’s not that I’m not happy for you guys, just not sure how someone can have triplets twice like that?”

“We don’t know, either,” Mikahil says. “You did say to keep her pregnant, though, remember?” He tries to joke to lighten the mood. I love that about him. We move on to planning a lunch together like we used to. Sarah came over once a couple weeks ago to meet the girls, but I need to get out of the house and have a friend again.