It was in May 2021 when we found out that I am pregnant with twins. I can vividly remember lying down in the doctor’s clinic, anxiously waiting for what the doctor would say. We just had a miscarriage in February of the same year. We were heartbroken, least to say. Thus, ultrasounds make us nervous, as we feel like there could be bad news along with it. At that time, my husband and I were just praying that a doctor would hear a heartbeat. But the Lord, who is full of surprises, gave us two! That day was indeed the one of the happiest ones we’ve had in our life.
My twin pregnancy, as exciting as it sounds, was not at all easy. Early on, we had to watch for their development as there was a growth discordance detected. Our babies, born at 36 weeks, were late preemies. They had to stay in the NICU for three days. We were discharged from the hospital on New Year’s Eve of 2021. And our life has never been the same since then.
As first- time parents, we had zero experience in raising a child, more so, in raising two kids at once. We are both working and we had to find a set-up that fits our situation. It was never easy for us. It was twice the sleepless nights, twice the spit-ups, twice the noise, twice the chaos, twice the mess, twice the expenses, twice the hospital runs – basically, double the everything in child-rearing. My husband and I, we would always doubt ourselves if we really are capable of raising these twin boys. Parenting is a challenging route to navigate, not to mention all the other things – chores, mission work, career, studies, relationships, and other responsibilities that we need to juggle. But what helps us in our family life and raising our children is fully trusting that God is with us always. When things get hard, we would always remind each other how the Lord has chosen us to be the parents of our twins, how He has equipped us, and how He would continue to work in us, as we strive to be the best parents for them. It does not make things easier, there are still those days we feel defeated, worn-out, and exhausted. But it is exactly in those moments that we are being called to tap on God’s immense love for us. It is during the “difficult days” that we feel God’s guidance and providence the most. There would be days when the boys are sick and days when the to-do list seems endless, but we would still end up in bed, thanking the Lord for sustaining us.
Tobias and Lucas are 1.9 years old now, and they have been nothing but the purest source of joy in our lives. Most of the time, we would look at them with tired eyes, but with overflowing joy in our hearts. They are God’s embrace to us here on Earth. It may be a trial and error for Jocas and I, but through them, God continues to remind us that we are made for this purpose and we are the best parents for them. Being Christian parents in these modern times is not the easiest thing to do, but it is indeed the most fulfilling and rewarding “job” for us. Setting our eyes on Jesus and making Him the center of our family life enable us to appreciate the blessings and His goodness even in the littlest thing that experience as a family.