Cradling their two babies, dubbed “twins with a twist”, Ian Sheldon and Margo Bereska are still in shock.
“Very, very thrilled and overjoyed and kind of speechless, actually,” new mom Margo Bereska says. “It’s a very long-awaited day so I’m totally thrilled — totally thrilled!”
“I think I’m a little stunned,” adds new dad Ian Sheldon. “I’m finding the process a little surreal. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got two babies suddenly! We’re a family of four!’ We’re like, ‘Wow, how did that happen?'”
The long — and incredibly painful road to parenthood — saw the couple endure multiple miscarriages and the tragic full-term stillbirth of their son, Olivier, three years ago.
“After so much loss, I got tired of counting and figured I should take it easy on myself and that I was done and that it was enough,” Margo says.
Watching the couple’s heartbreak after another miscarriage in 2018, Margo’s foster sister, Meena Buckham, offered to be their surrogate.
“I find it to be one of the most profoundly beautiful and human gifts anyone could ever give someone,” says Ian.
Meena became pregnant with the couple’s baby through in-vitro fertilization last October.
And then, just a few days later, the couple got the shock of their lives.
“I didn’t have any plans to try again,” Margo explains. “I was kind of throwing in the towel and then, surprise!”
Margo also became pregnant — without even trying.
“We were in Mexico and sunny and relaxed and suddenly bingo, miracle of all miracles!” Ian adds.
The miracle babies, Austin Olivier Sheldon and big sister Sofia Grace Sheldon, were born at Victoria General Hospital last week — just four days apart.
The couple is calling them “twins with a twist.”
They’re the babies they never thought they’d have and didn’t even tell friends about until they were ready to leave the hospital Monday afternoon.
“It’s been a pretty chocked-full of, emotional couple of days,” an emotional Margo says.
Tess van Straaten
