‘It’s good news – you’re pregnant,’ the doctor said.
A grin spread over my face, ecstatic.
‘That’s incredible!’ my partner said, pulling me in for a hug.
I already had two children, Harmony, six, and Aria, three, but I was desperate for a third and this would be our first together.
Devastatingly, in the past six months, I’d suffered two miscarriages.
And although I was excited, I couldn’t help feeling worried that I’d have another miscarriage.
Keep positive! I told myself.
Despite battling daily morning sickness, I knew it’d all be worth it for my baby.
At seven weeks, I had my first ultrasound.
Heart thudding in my chest, I waited in anticipation to hear if the bub was okay.
‘Where’s the heartbeat?’ I panicked.
‘Everything’s fine,’ a doctor said. ‘The heartbeats were 157 and 152.’
‘What?’ I asked him.
‘It’s twins, you’re having twins,’ he confirmed.
I couldn’t believe the news!
Sis, guess what? I texted my sister, Tiffany.
You’re having twins! she replied.
I burst out laughing at her correct guess.
Yes! I sent her.
When I was 14 weeks, I had another scan that revealed I was carrying a boy and a girl.
‘One of each,’ I smiled.
As my belly grew, I told Harmony and Aria they’d be getting a brother and sister soon.
‘I can’t wait for the babies to arrive,’ Harmony smiled.
I already had heaps of girls’ clothes, but I started stocking up on adorable pieces for the boy.
Mulling over names, I decided on Malaysia and Malachi.
Sadly, by this point, my relationship had broken down. Being pregnant, working full-time and looking after two toddlers was tough.
Plus, fortnightly scans revealed Malaysia wasn’t growing as well as her brother, and my cervix was shortening, which could potentially lead to a premature birth.
I was so worried.
Then, at 28 weeks, I started experiencing excruciating pain.
Rushing to hospital, doctors found that my blood pressure had soared sky high.
‘You have pre-eclampsia, we need to give you a C-section,’ the doctor explained.
I was frantic with worry, but knew it was the safest thing for the babies.
Hours later, doctors delivered my teeny tiny twins.
Malaysia weighed just 879g and Malachi was 1.1kg, so they had to stay in the NICU while they grew.
For the first few weeks, the bubs looked identical. But as they grew, their differences became very clear.
Malaysia was fair skinned with light eyes and blonde curls.
And Malachi was dark-skinned with brown eyes and straight black hair.
I couldn’t believe it!
Their dad’s heritage is a mix of Puerto Rican and black, so that must have played a part.
Still, everyone was shocked.
‘Is it weird having a white twin and a black twin?’ one nurse asked.
‘It makes them extra special,’ I laughed.
After they were big enough to go home, we got stopped wherever we went.
‘They’re so different,’ one woman said.
‘Do they have the same father?’ another asked.
Finding it funny, I giggled, ‘Yes, they do.’
Now one, the twins’ stark contrasts continue to attract attention.
And they also have opposite personalities.
Malaysia is playful and energetic, whereas Malachi is calmer and a lot quieter.
With Harmony being dark-skinned and Aria having a fairer complexion, the twins fit in perfectly with our mismatched family.
My brood may look different to most, but it’s what makes them unique.
