Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Margo and Ian Sheldon arrived at their home in Jasper on July 3 with their "double rainbow babies" after a three-day drive from Victoria, B.C.
Margo's mom, dad and sister were at the house when they pulled into the driveway, giving it a festive feel with balloons.
"It's such a relief to know all that is over," Ian said.
"It's all a blur," Margo added.
Trying to conceive a baby over six years, Margo and Ian went through many miscarriages and a full-term stillbirth.
The 'near twins' were born after an interesting sequence of events: Margo's sister, Meena Buckham offered to be a surrogate. Then Margo and Ian learned they had conceived a baby, after a romantic trip to Mexico.
Both babies were born early. In Victoria where her sister lives, Margo said Meena went in for a stress test in mid-June and she was zipped up to the delivery room shortly after. Sofia Grace Sheldon was born on June 16.
"Four days later I went in for a stress test," Margo said.
The same thing happened; it turned into delivery day.
"I went in around 1 p.m. and at 3:30 p.m. I was holding our baby in my arms," Margo said. Austin Olivier Sheldon was born on June 20.
With all they've gone through, Margo and Ian said it's important to keep it upfront.
"We're trying to normalize the suffering around IVF (in-vitro fertilization)," Ian said.
"We had a stillbirth. There's profound grief. We're bringing IVF, surrogacy to the forefront. It's nothing unusual, nothing wrong with it, nothing to be ashamed of."
"We've talked to people who shared their experiences," Margo said. "We had no idea this would spread so far - with media attention."
The couple received messages from people all over the world, including Australia, telling them thanks for sharing their experience.
"People who had similar situations - success and heartbreak. And joy too," Margo said, noting she was contacted by people she went to school with 20 years ago.
"It's wonderful to see the domino effect that these little people brought with them."
Both babies share a shock of dark hair, but already, their mom and dad can see Sofia's and Austin's different personalities.
"Sofia's very dainty and quiet," Ian said. "She's an observer."
"Her eyes are open all the time," Margo added.
Austin - "he's a solid boy" Margo said. "He's a bit more like, 'I want it now.'"
"He's very expressive - the grunts that come out of him," Ian said.
Another family member - Pu, their 15-year-old cat - has apparently accepted Sofia and Austin. "She's never liked small people," Ian said.
"She came up and checked them out, found them on the couch, in the bed."
Seal of approval given.
To say life has changed is a monumental understatement.
"It's a whole life from happy hours and restaurants," Margo said, joking that, "There's probably three [breast] pumps on the table now."
Ian recalled there was a day "It took two hours for us to have dinner. At one point I was shovelling food into Margo's face because she didn't have a free arm."
That's the scenario when what Margo and Ian call 'cluster feeding' happens. Sofia and Austin start meal time around 5 p.m. and go and go and go until about midnight - sometimes even longer.
"On a good night, they go to sleep at 1 a.m. and wake up about 4 a.m.," Ian said. "We're doing shifts now - so we can each get sleep."
Ian said when they're dealing with cantankerous babies, lack of sleep, diaper changes, meals-when-you-have-time, he and Margo remember the journey that brought them to today.
"We're very blessed," Margo said.
