"One morning I woke up lying in a pool of blood," said Gisel, then seven weeks along. "I was hysterical; Melvin started crying. At the doctor's office, once I was settled, he returned to the car and prayed for half an hour."
When Melvin finally set foot inside, he found everyone smiling - including the nurse, who congratulated him. Five times.
"Melvin's face was like a Kodak moment," Gisel said.
FOR THE RECORD - A quotation displayed with the continuation of a Page One story in Sunday's Baltimore Sun about Baltimore Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora was incorrectly attributed. It should have been attributed to Angela Wigginton, wife of Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton.
The Sun regrets the error.
"How many babies?" he kept asking. His reaction was understandable.
"I checked my wallet to see if I had enough money," he said.
For Gisel, the next few months were rife with episodes of bleeding and bed rest and five counts of premature labor. She had been hospitalized for several weeks when the moment came. The Orioles were in California.
"I couldn't have been farther away," Melvin said. At 3:30 a.m., he rushed to the airport and caught a flight but did not arrive until after the babies were born.
Trusted doctor suddenly gone
The quints' cesarean delivery went smoothly under the care of Dr. David Nagey, an expert in high-risk pregnancies.
"I remember focusing on [Nagey's] face the whole time," Gisel said. "He made me feel at ease. I always envisioned keeping him up to date on how the children were doing."
That hope was short-lived. Exactly nine months later, Nagey, 51, died of a heart attack while running in a road race.
"I still miss him," Gisel said.
For more than a year, the quints' own health was uncertain. Each required separate formulas and took six medications a day until they got stronger. For 2 1/2 years, the Moras employed a nanny to help with their care.
"My parents helped as well, when [the kids] were younger," said Gisel, who was raised in New York City.
And now? Fifteen times a year, the whole lot will pile into mom's Mercedes minivan, take in a game at Camden Yards and then enjoy a family dinner at a Japanese steakhouse downtown.
"They are growing up, but they are still my babies," Melvin said.
Christian protested.
"I'm not a baby, I'm a boy," he said.
"Doesn't matter," Melvin said. "When you are 45, you'll still be my baby."
Much to Gisel's chagrin, the kids' old stroller, a five-seater, is still taking up space in the garage.
"Melvin won't give it up," she said.
