Nina took the blood pressure cup off Matty's arm.
"Well everything looks normal, as far as blood pressure, temperature and pulse goes.
How is the morning sickness?"
"It is the sunshine that starts my day," Matty laughed.
"How did you make out on vacation? It started the day you got married, right?"
Matty nodded.
"Yra. It wasn't that bad. I mean, I had it every day, but it was short lived. It did turn me off from a lot of the normal things I would have eaten, but it was not a major factor in how much I enjoyed my vacation."
"She was a real trooper," Bill added.
"Well Nick will be in shortly to do the ultrasound. So, do you guys want to know the sex of the baby?"
Matty shook her head.
"No. We want it to be a surprise."
"Okay, then you had better not look at the ultrasound."
Matty lay back on the examination table.
"Like I would know the difference."
Nick came into the examination room.
"How is my patient today?"
"Feeling pretty good, Nick. Just a little anxious. Just want everything to be okay."
"Well the last blood work you had done was just fine. I don't think there will be any issues or surprises."
Nick put a blanket over Matty's legs, while Nina pulled up the gown, to expose Matty's belly.
"Hm."
"What's wrong?"
"When did you have your last period?"
Matty thought for a moment.
"The end of September."
"So no cycle in October?"
Matty shook her head.
"No, but I never thought much of it. I have missed periods before, especially when I was stressed."
"And you took the pregnancy test on your wedding day, right?"
"Yea," Matty smiled.
"Best wedding gift I could have gotten."
Nick felt the sides of Matty's stomach and above her belly button.
"Is something wrong?"
Nick shook his head.
"No. I just think you are further along than we first thought. Morning sickness is usually around the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy.
If that is the case, then I think you got pregnant right after your last cycle."
He walked away and looked at the calendar.
"Can you remember when your last cycle ended?"
Matty thought for a moment.
"Probably October the first or September 29 or 30."
Nick nodded and walked back to Matty's side.
"Then I think you are probably around ten or eleven weeks pregnant."
Matty looked pleasantly surprised.
"Really?"
Nick nodded.
"That will give you a late June to early July delivery."
"That would be perfect."
Matty turned to Bill.
"At least I won't be fat all summer."
"You will still be sexy, no matter what."
Nick laughed as he prepared to put gel on Matty's stomach.
"So. We ready?"
Matty nodded.
"This might be a little cold, but it warms up quick."
He poured the gel on Matty's belly.
"Fuck," she laughed.
"Where did you get that? The deep freeze?"
Nick took the wand in his hand.
"Okay Matty, this is what we call a transabdominal ultrasound. This wand is called a transducer and I will be moving this back and forth over your belly. You might feel some pressure, as I have to push firmly, but it will not harm you or the baby. What the transducer does is send high energy sound waves through your abdomen. These sound waves bounce off your inside and the computer forms an image on the screen.
In this case, it will show me an image of your baby and I might be able to tell you the sex. And it will help me better determine just how far along you are."
"No. No," Nina chuckled.
"They want to be surprised. No sex of the baby."
"Fair enough," Nick smiled.
"You ready?"
Matty nodded.
Nick began the ultrasound, watching the ultrasound screen, as he passed the transducer over Matty's abdomen. For the next 20 minutes or so, he quietly probed all areas of Matty's belly and abdomen, as the computer created a visual image on the screen.
"Your not saying much," Bill commented.
"Is that a good thing?"
"Everything is fine, Bill. I am just making sure and getting as clear an image, as I can. It does take a little time."
"At least the gel has warmed up," Matty laughed.
"Well you are most definitely pregnant, Matty," Nick finally said.
And everything looks to be o ..."
His words trailed off.
"Is something wrong?"
Nick shook his head, as he passed the transducer over the same spot he had a moment earlier.
"Nothing wrong, just unusual."
Matty was getting worried.
"Is that a good something unusual or a bad something unusual. My baby isn't going to have two heads is it."
Nick never answered. He just smiled.
He turned to Nina.
"Did you listen to the baby's heartbeat?"
Nina shook her head.
"My baby doesn't have a heartbeat?" Matty panicked.
"Is there something wrong with my baby?"
Nick shook his head.
"The baby is absolutely fine. I just have to do something."
"You sure my baby is fine?"
Nick nodded, as he wiped the gel from Matty's belly. He put on his stethoscope and listened, i several places, to the baby's heartbeat.
"I'll be damned."
Matty had tears in her eyes.
"Nick. Please."
"Everything is fine, Matty."
He put the stethoscope on her ears.
"Listen and tell me what you hear."
He put the end on Matty's belly, in several different places, until Matty put her hand on his.
"It sounds like a constant little drumroll.
One loud heart beat and almost like two little ones."
She passed the earpiece to Bill.
"Listen."
Bill put it on and in a second, a smile came to his face.
"Twins?"
Nick nodded.
"Yea, that what it certainly looks like and sounds like."
He turned the monitor toward Bill and Matty.
"There is one," he pointed out.
"And there is the other."
"Oh my God," Matty cried.
"We are having twins?"
"Congratulations you two."
Bill passed the stethoscope to Nick and hugged Matty.
"We're having twins," he cried.
Nina waked around the table and hugged the two.
"I am so happy for both of you."
Matty looked at Nick.
"My babies are okay?"
"They look perfect Matty. And I would say by the looks of things, you are right where I said, about 11 weeks along."
Matty held out her arms.
"Thank you Nick."
Nick hugged her and shook Bill's hand.
"Everything is going to be fine, you two. It all looks fine."
"I can give you a pic."
"I don't want to know the sex," Matty reminded him.
"I can't really tell anyway," Nick informed her.
"Because they are twins the babies are a little smaller. I will do another ultrasound in ten weeks or so and I will have a better view of the babies.
But I can give you a pic, showing the two spots that are your babies."
Bill nodded.
"That would be wonderful, Nick. Thank you."
Bill helped Matty into a sitting position.
"So no smoking or drinking?"
"Definitely no smoking. And I would advise you to smoke outside if you want.
I would recommend no drinking at all. There are safe alternatives, such as non alcoholic beer and wines, if you want to feel social.
But I would still watch the non alcohol beer."
"It tastes like shit anyway," Matty shivered.
"But the wines are pretty good."
She looked at Nick.
"I just want a healthy baby."
She smiled.
"I mean babies."
"I have no worries about you two. I am sure that you will do what you need to do."
Nick took Nina's hand.
"Now, let's let these two have a moment and let Matty get dressed."
Nick and Nina left.
Bill hugged Matty tight.
"I can't believe we are having twins."
"Me neither," Matty agreed.
"As far as I know, there were no twins in our family."
"Mine neither," Bill informed her.
"I guess we are just lucky."
"You are happy, right?"
"Of course I am. Why would you even think differently?"
"Two babies is gonna be a lot of work."
Bill shrugged.
"Then I guess we had better make sure we have good people in place to look after things, so we can look after the babies.
I want us to raise them, not babysitters."
"Me too. I want my babies to know their Mommy and Daddy and know that they will always be there for them."
"I feel the same."
Bill hugged her again and kissed her gently.
"Come on, let's get you dressed and get home."
Matty quickly got dressed and she and Bill met with Nick in his office, where Nick gave them a ultrasound picture and showed them the two spots, that were their babies.
The two then ut on their winter clothing and hurried home, as it was getting dark and a slight wind was starting to blow.
"Gotta love the Newfie winters," Matty shivered, as she went inside their home.
"I best feed Jarge and Mabel, before I get undressed," Bill suggested.
Matty shook her head.
"Call them and let them come in for the night. I just want to sit around the fireplace, have a glass of sparking non alcohol wine and talk with my hubby.
The gulls will enjoy the treat."
Bill stood in the doorway and called the two gulls. Moments later they jumped off the edge of the roof and landed on the veranda.
"Come on in, you two."
The two gulls, squawked, as they waddled into the house. Matty had already put their bed near the fireplace and was getting them a treat of canned salmon and sardines.
She put two plates, on a mat, near the bed and then got them a bowl of water.
The two gulls devoured the food and then settled down in the bed, near the fireplace.
Bill walked in with Matty's drink and a Merlot for him.
"You sure they are gulls. They eat like pigs."
Matty laughed, as she snuggled into her husband.
"I just hope they get along with the babies."
"I am sure they will. Or we will have them for supper," Bill joked.
Jarge put his wing over his head and pretended to hide.
"I still swear he knows everything we say."
"He probably does."
She watched as Jarge and Mable snuggled near each other and went to sleep.
She looked up at Bill.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making my life complete and absolutely perfect."
Bill leaned down and kissed her.
"You are what makes this life perfect."
Matty smiled and looked toward the rocking chair.
"Come on Nanny, I know you are there."
Nanny Dove appeared in the rocking chair and immediately picked up her knitting.
"I am so proud of youse two," she smiled.
"Wese gonna have babies in da house. Ise gonna bes a Great-Nanny, twice."
"She was at the doctor's office, wasn't she," Bill whispered.
Matty laughed.
"What do you think?"
"Has youse this of names fer the babies yet?"
"We just found out, Nanny Dove."
"Ise tinks Matilda and Irene would be nice. Or maybe William and Silas. Or maybe Matilda and William or Irene and Silas or ..."
"We get the point Nanny."
"Well, Ise jest tryin' to be 'helpful."
"And we appreciate it," Bill assured her.
"But we still have time to pick out names."
"Jest don't be callin' dem stupid names like they rock musicians do. Callin' a child North or Saint or Fuchsia or Scout or Bat'room Fixture."
Bill and Matty stared at Nanny Dove.
"Bat'room Fixture," Matty sighed.
"Where did that come from?"
"Oh, waits a second. Dar were what I 'eard Randi and Val talkin' bout. Dey wanted new bat'room fixtures."
"You are not supposed to be in their house, old lady."
"Not bes der 'ouse. It bes mine."
"No," Bill reminded her for the ten thousandth time.
"It bes my 'ouse."
"Dat still bes a terrible accent dere, mainlander."
Matty snuggled into Bill.
"See. Perfect."