Happy Halloween!

Here are our girls in costume - hamming it up and loving their "bugginess." Lillian is the bee and Breanna the ladybug.

And here are a couple links to more information about the Halloween party we attended on Saturday: DandeLion Soup: Halloween Party: The People and DandeLion Soup: Halloween Party: Babies in costumes. The girls swapped costumes that night. What a wonderful night out!

Dotting Eyes

We've been dotting eyes with anbesol - eye teeth, that is. Poor Breanna and Lillian are both struggling to cut these teeth, which means whining, crankies, chewing, sore bottoms, poor sleep, and just plain no fun. After a tough weekend, the girls finally had a good evening tonight.

Breanna sang the whole tune of the ABC's tonight - no letters of course - but the tune was solid. DH and I looked at each other across the dining room table, and were stunned to hear her start over again and get it right on. I hope we have another musician in the family. I'd love to teach piano lessons down the road, once we're settled into the new house. Whenever that actually is...

In the background, I've been working on a small magazine article for a regional pub. And my main interviewee has had to postpone our interview twice now. The article was due today, but we had to reschedule again! for Wednesday at 2:00. I've written the rest of the piece, and just have a 300-word hole to fill with some quotes from this gal. I know it would be easiest to just find someone else, but she really seems like the perfect subject, so I'm going to hold out. But after she postponed again tonight, I did let her know that after Wednesday, I'd just have to submit the article with or without her due to deadlines. I still need to send a note to the editor, begging forgiveness and a two-day extension. What do you do?

Anyway, after being home with crabby kids and a high-strung hubby and trying to tie down a flighty B&B owner, I'm glad I'm pregnant or I might be tempted to really tie one on. Well, that or play hooky for an afternoon at the spa. Even with the glitches, I'm still feeling very blessed these days. The baby had the hiccups again today, which was fun to experience. And I had a nice lunch with a group of writers at a new restaurant today, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Life is still pretty darned good, if I may say so myself.

Pictures!

Taking it all in at the pool







Lillian in her floaty car

Breanna in her floaty car

Lillian in the cupboard

On the way home...

Tuckered out

(And yes, we have since had haircuts!)

Exhausting Relaxation

What a trip! The girls and I thoroughly enjoyed our road trip to see our girlfriends. While we relaxed at the pool and mostly just hung out, I'm beat. And so are the girls. We moms determined that it's been about 5 years since we last visited in person - what a shame! It felt like just a couple of weeks.

I love non-glamorous experiences like this. Talk about rewarding. We had jammies on before 10 last night - two beautiful pregnant bellies, feet up, cozy as can be. My dear friend brought along her wonderful 6 1/2 year old daughter, who was so well behaved she actually gave me hope. It's nice to see there are still some good parents out there. I often forget that when I'm out and about - the terror kids (and parents) somehow are more memorable. But oh what a great helper we had - she's going to be a great big sister in just a few short months. If I could only borrow her once our new little one arrives...

From the girls' perspective, there were a few highlights. The cabinet in the entertainment center under the TV was a huge it. In. Out. In. Out. Repeat a thousand times.

They also loved the inflatable cars we borrowed for the pool. They had such a great time climbing in and out of them in the hotel room. At the pool itself, commotion surrounded us, so I don't think our little ones relaxed. Kids everywhere - pirate ship - water spraying and splashing - and brisk water temperature. They were troopers though. As you can see by the end shots, B & L were exhausted after all the fun. And now it's my turn to zonk out. Good night and have a great week!

Gaah! Blogger pictures can't upload right now. Sorry to tease you, mom. I'll try to get the pictures up tomorrow.

New Due Date

Our OB confirmed it today - our due date is right around when I thought we'd be due in the first place. The official date is now February 21. That means we're more than half way through, and all is looking great! The baby is measuring just over a pound at 22.5 weeks, weighing in at about 1 pound. And I've gained 8 pounds so far (but I look like I've gained much more, in my opinion). And my blood pressure is right where it should be. All is just the way it should be!

I'm super super super super excited to get up in the morning and road trip to Sioux Falls. The car is packed. An overflowing bag of snacks. An overflowing bag of toys. A bag of spare clothes. Disposable bibs. Diapers. Wipes. Disposable changing pads. Swimsuits. Life jackets. Floaty cars. Hooded towels. Camera. Warm coats and mittens (just in case). Two pack and plays. Double stroller. And some comfy shoes for mom - although I plan to wear cute heals - you never know. The car is even more full than when we head to the lake for just a weekend.

Happy weekend!

Baby Update - We're having a ...

We're having a modest baby. DH and I went in for an ultrasound yesterday and our sweet baby was being shy when it was time to speculate on gender. I wonder where s/he gets that from...

Beyond that, the baby looks good. Everything is where it's supposed to be and appears to be functioning perfectly. I can't believe how much bigger everything seems with just one, as well.

The U/S tech said it looks like our due date is about 1.5 weeks off - just as I'd suspected from the get go. That would put the revised due date at somewhere around the 22nd of February. But, we'll wait for confirmation from our doctor before planning a different delivery month. As we all know too well from Breanna and Lillian, ultrasounds can be waaaaaay off many times in a row.

It was so quick to breeze through vs. a twin ultrasound. We were in and out like a flash. Our appt. with the OB was set up for right afterward, so we walked over just in time to hear the nurses let the ladies in front of us know that our doctor had been called in to deliver a baby.

So, we rescheduled for tomorrow at 11:20. I can hardly wait to get the good report.

As a side note, my ring is finally done from the jeweler. I lost it just a few months after the girls came home from the hospital, but I didn't want to file a claim until we moved. I just hoped and hoped it would turn up. No such luck, so we had it recreated. The engagement band is wider than the original, so I'm going to take it to the jeweler on Monday to get it shaved down a bit. Other than that, I'm delighted to have a pretty ring on my hand again. I can hardly wait to take the girls out this weekend and not have people rudely judge me for having twins and a bun in the oven - with no ring on.

I'll post the update from the doc tomorrow.

My Favorite Routine

When we had our marriage blessed by the church last February, our priest gave a very short, but very personal sermon. It was really just a simple piece of advice, but a good one that's been easy to follow, and nice to follow. He told us that each night in bed, we ought to hold hands and each state one thing that we're grateful for that day. The only rules are that you can't repeat within the year and it has to be just one a night - no laundry lists.

Since then, we've followed through. And even when we've been away from each other, we've talked on the phone before bed that night to share our piece of thankfulness. We've often stated things that have nothing to do with one another, but it's what comes to mind at the time. It's ranged from healthy babies or a pleasant visit with in-laws to a productive workday or a yummy meal. Sometimes we've stated gratefulness for help with laundry or a surprise love note, or feeling better after a cold or no longer having to work in a toxic environment.

No matter how tired we are (and we're often just beat by the time we crash out) we still follow the routine - often the last words of the night.

Feel free to borrow our priest's sermon. It's the best one I've ever heard, and while occasionally I've struggled to come up with the right thing to mention at the time, it really is a great way to end the day and to prepare for tomorrow's unknowns.

Tonight, I tucked my DH into bed early since he has a very early tomorrow. He told me he's grateful for our good marriage. Talk about a great way to end the day. I kissed him goodnight, then came out to the kitchen to peel apples and bake a cinnamon apple cake. While the cake filled the room with wonderful smells, I peeled/sliced a bunch more apples to freeze, and feel like I'm now ready to call it a day. I wish you all a pleasant Monday and a fulfilling week ahead.

Trying to Stay "Up"

For the first time in many years, I'm struggling just a tiny bit to keep my happy demeanor. While in my immediate family, life is terrific, we're surrounded by more and more sadness. Today I learned that a former colleague's husband just passed away - from flu complications. And he was young. As in under 40. With itty bitty kiddos at home. Awful!

And more and more families are dealing with sick or dying babies, and I am so sad for the parents to be struggling so much. In our local MOMs group, there are a lot of moms in need right now and I don't know how to help to them. So I just pray - that I can make time for. That I can do with kids at home. That I can do when I stretch in bed - sleepless for hours.

And knowing that my friends from TEC, Sarah and Nathan, are dealing with major cancer ickiness (he's back in the hospital), my heart just aches. Why do so many good people have to have such crap happen?

When I look at how far our girls have come and what miracles God has displayed over and over again, I am so very grateful. And yet in the back of my mind, I feel so guilty. I don't think it's just pregnancy hormones.

You know, I'm pretty tough. I can handle anything you throw at me. So why can't I just trade spots with some of those who are suffering right now? Just to give them some respite. Even a couple hours. I'd gladly swap - I could take it. Unfortunately, that darn reality thing bites sometimes.

I'm treating myself to a "vacation" in a week and a half, and thankfully, it's something to really look forward to. My old college pal, Danyellow, and I are meeting in a city about halfway between us. We're only 5 hours apart, yet we act like it's 25 hours apart. She reserved a Ramada suite, where we can bring our daughters, compare our preggo bellies, and most likely, laugh and cry a lot. I haven't physically seen her in years, yet the closeness is always there. I can hardly wait! Having that out there in the near horizon has been big for helping keep my spirits up.

That, and having a DH who tickles me and snuggles and hugs and calls me out of the blue also helps significantly. And of course, seeing our girls tickle each other - or better yet, tickle themselves. Now who couldn't smile at that? The trick seems to be finding the balance of empathy and living for today. Wish me luck.

All Things Jiggly (Well, some things, anyway)

After last weekend's reminiscing with Joe Cool's parents about his first reaction to Jell-o, I decided to try it on our girls. Sure enough, Lillian was pretty darned apprehensive for about 3 minutes. She poked, wiggled, curled her lip, the works. Breanna grabbed her pieces and gobbled them like they were green beans. Lillian soon followed suit and we deemed Jell-o to be a new household favorite.

We also tried out the snack-sized banana pudding my mom sent home with us last weekend. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - the girls or me. But guess what? Our local grocers don't carry the Snack Packs in banana. Of course, I didn't think to buy a box and make my own until hours after we returned from the store. Go figure. I still can't believe that my folks, living in small town USA, still have a better grocery selection than all of our chains put together.

And then we had to end the weekend with another turd in the tub. I'm not sure why this is the new trend, but if anyone has any advice on how to stop it immediately, I welcome all suggestions. Once again, the culprit is unknown because of the bubble bath. Thankfully, Dad was home, so (with his shorts on) he took each girl into the shower to re-soap. Neither girl liked the shower at first, until Dad showed them how much fun it is to collect the water in your mouth, then spit it out like a fountain. Great. I expect the next thing will be playing fountain with milk or juice. Oh well. As long as the pooping in the tub stops, I'll take the fountain messes to come.

Consumed

There is so much grief in the world right now, and a lot affecting me secondhand today. Two family friends lost their mothers in the past two days. I just learned of another friend who's gracefully handling chemotherapy after the removal of a brain tumor this summer. And the Medders family (the quads with TTTS that I wrote about in my last post) lost Baby A and the mother is in pain after the surgery.

I've cried off and on all day, praying and praying. And remembering to thank the Lord for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. Talk about a mix of emotion. I guess it's a good sign I'm still human.

The blog address for the Medders family is http://meddersfamily.googlepages.com/home

Have a safe and blessed weekend, everyone.

Mega Prayers Needed for Local Family - Updated Link

I've recently learned of a couple living in our community that is expecting identical quadruplets (naturally!). Her 32-week due date (8 weeks early - but realistic for quads) is late December and they have a 2-year old at home.

Two of the babies (Baby A and Baby D) have Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, the disease that nearly killed our girls. She and her husband went to Rhode Island for the laser surgery in hopes of saving these little ones. This will be the first time ever that the laser surgery for TTTS will be performed on quads. In the case of twins, the odds of both twins surviving are less than 5%. Now consider there are two additional babies in there.

Here's a link to the family's blog if you want to stay updated. If anyone needs prayers right now, it's this family. Please pass the request for prayers on to your family and friends right away. I can only imagine the fear this poor couple must be facing. If any of the babies survive, we'll have a first-hand miracle.

Long-time friends

Have you ever had someone in your life who just seems to fit? Someone around whom you can be comfy in your jammies and share a cup of tea and visit about anything under the sun?

I had the luxury of spending some time with a couple of very long, long-time friends over the weekend. Technically, they were my folks' friends first. And their sons are about the same age as my sister and me - so some might think there's a generation gap. And 20 years ago, I would have noticed it, but not so much today.

Wayne-o once spanked me for a childhood antic that resulted in several bags of grass seed being soaked in the garage - long before he'd planned to use it. (I wasn't the only one spanked that day.) And Viv once held me on her lap and tried to convince me that spilled grapejuice would not kill my beanbag dog. She gently washed the stain out and everything turned out fine. But today we can chat about religion and raising kids and how funny mine are. We can discuss business and news and life more as peers.

These folks are the kind of people you'd want to leave your kids to if you die. Kind and generous, down to Earth, a little corny in a cute way, and just true, good people. No wonder my folks have kept this friendship so long over all the miles. I've only spent one vacation with them, but like this past weekend, it was too comfortable to describe.

We stayed up late on Saturday night and visited into Sunday afternoon. All in comfy clothes and without fanfare. What a lovely time. Why aren't there more old friendships in the world like this?