It's official - baby is inside

I felt/saw my first tummy movement last night. I was so bummed out because I was all alone and had no one to show. Two minutes later, my DH walked in. And hooray - the baby put on a show! I just felt more wiggles just now, which prompted me to post about it.

Yay for baby and yay for us!

The weekend has been long so far - DH has been working a lot and the girls have icky colds, which they've now passed on to DH and me, too. Oh well. They're still cute as ever, and Breanna is good about walking up and making sniffy noises when she wants to blow her nose in the kleenex. Hooray for not having to use the snot sucker on both of them! I hope Lillian catches on soon.

Big Regret

I made a mistake. A big one. One that no one else seems to understand. One that's almost as bad as once accepting a job working for a lunatic-run ad agency. Almost.

When we packed up our house before the move, I boxed up my recipe box and all my recipe books except for two basic ones. I argued with myself that if I need a recipe, I can simply look one up online.

Logical.

Simple.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

I miss my tried and trues. I miss Dan Ness' Mexican Zucchini Soup. I crave Lazy Day Stroganoff. I'm dying for my own version of Taste of Home's Chicken and Dumplings. And the Grilled Eggplant Basil stacks...ugh! Nothing else is satisfying me!

So I plead with you, dear readers, to share my recipes back with me. When I find something good, I often evangelize and then forward it when requested. If I've ever shared a good recipe with you by email, and if by chance you still have the recipe in your mailbox, will you please send it back to me?

In the meantime, I did stumble on a new hit when forced to look outside. Our whole family loved it and it was pretty darned easy.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter
1 - 2 lbs. asparagus spears, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/8 t. black pepper
2 T. butter
2 t. soy sauce
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Cracked black pepper
Grated lemon rind (opt.)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a banking sheet. Coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 3. Bake for 12 minutes or until tender. 4. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. 5. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat. 6. Garnish with cracked pepper and lemon rind, if desired.

(From the Sept. 2007 Cooking Light)

Wish me luck as I search our stacks of boxes in our garage this weekend. And if no luck, on to the storage unit. And then to my sister's quonset. We have stuff everywhere - but at least the boxes are clearly labeled and in the same geographical region. Why didn't I think to keep a spreadsheet of what went where? Oh yeah. Because I do have a little bit of a life and am not totally lame all the time.

Enjoy the rest of your week, friends.

I Love Care Packages

Have you ever received a care package in the mail that has made you feel so loved that you just want to sing? I recently received a little birthday gift from an out-of-state friend. It arrived just in time for my birthday, and was the first "real" thing I received at our new apartment. And it made me feel so very special.

This was not the first surprise package I've ever had, but the first one in quite a long time. She didn't have to spend a ton on an elaborate gift. But what she did send was something she knew I'd like, and something I think of as a bit of a splurge. She made more that just my day. Thanks, Jess!

When I was in college in Iowa, my folks were wonderful about sending treats. Especially my first year, when I didn't have a car and felt a little stranded.

Somehow, the contents kind of blur together. But the thought, the effort, and the glow I felt are certainly memorable.

It's got me thinking... who can I send a surprise treat to? And can we start a mini-movement toward care packages? Friends, I encourage you to open your address books and see whose day you want to brighten. You don't have to spend a lot of money and send a spectacular gift. Even some silly cozy mittens (yes, the season is fast approaching) or the recipient's favorite candy - even something dumb will do. (I have a pack of obnoxious pumpkin stickers that I'm going to toss into the package I'm sending, along with a dozen home-made cookies and some hair chopsticks for my pal.)

Just let your far-away friends know that you're close in heart. You'll feel good. They'll feel good. As the overused hip-hop saying states, it's all good.

Breaking Ground

Digging up soil. Less than a week away. Finally moving forward. Excitement in the air!

Soon it won't just be "the lot." On Wednesday we'll have a big hole in the ground and a house on the way. Hooray!

We're heading out to the lot tomorrow morning to burn a huge brush pile (as long as the rain doesn't squelsh our plans). I have the marshmallows in the glove box already. It will be the girls' first bonfire. Wish us luck!

Change of Seasons

Lake season has officially ended and I'm somewhat relieved. This narrows down our expected travel locations to only a handful. And another many months of not having to hear my ex's obnoxious laugh coming over the trees. With his cabin being only two away from ours, it gets a little annoying to continually hear him when we're trying to relax at the lake.

The girls and I spent the weekend at the cabin with my mom and dad and my mom's sisters, as well as their families. It was two full houses, and really nice. New baby Chloe joined us - she's three months old and so precious. It's a reminder of the joys to come when I have just one baby in the spring. It felt so nice to hold her warm little body in my arms. Even her cry was sweet.

Chloe's mom and I had a date on Sunday night. We went to a restaurant on the other side of the lake and splurged. I felt like a recovered alcoholic with my two O'Douls, but the Shoreham pizza was worth it. Our conversation was so relaxing and so comfortable that it felt a bit like we were sisters, reuniting after years apart. It was really a nice reconnection. We returned to find a roaring fire, complete with neighbors and laughter. I brought out the marshmallows and Jiffy Pop and we continued to feast.

Both of my girls came home a little bruised up, but happy. They spent a lot of time outside, running through the yards and to the lake. Lots of tumbles, but many more smiles. Lillian flirted her heart out with the fellas. Breanna cuddled with Auntie Jeanne as much as she could. And both girls floated in the lake and loved it. Exhausted today, they slept in late and took two very long naps. All is good.

As nice as it was to spend the weekend with our family, it was just as nice to close up the cabins for the year. When we returned home, DH met us after his long weekend of antelope hunting. He'd been in the Black Hills, and only returned with one deer. He really enjoyed his weekend, though, so it seemed to be worth it. But I think we enjoyed all being together again even more.

Time for the new season. More walks outside as the temperatures drop (hopefully soon). More bonfires and s'mores. More coats and tights and cider. Let autumn begin!

Drip Drip Drop

Nope, it's not the start of that chipper song from - what is that from? A ballet? A musical? I suddenly don't remember. But the tune sure is stuck in my head.

Anyway, the drip drip drop I'm writing about today is far from chipper or cute. I had quite a little scare on Tuesday night that resulted in a midnight ER visit. Oh the joys of being me and having quirks. I never get the normal stuff, like headaches, morning sickness, or hangovers. But bring on the Bell's Palsy, non-growing toenails, and most recently, a bloody nose that wouldn't quit.

It all started out of the blue. I was changing Lillian into pajamas when I saw a drop of blood hit the carpet. Great. We're in a rental, and I'm bleeding on the cream carpet. I grabbed a tissue and figured it would be enough to contain the bleeding. I must have sneezed too much during the day. Welcome, harvest season in the valley!

At 11, I had my own pajamas on, teeth brushed, contacts out... nose pinched. Still bleeding. So I went to Web MD and followed the instructions for stopping a nosebleed. I wasn't too worried, since the bleeding wasn't heavy and it would stop when I kept my nose pinched. But I couldn't keep in pinched all night and I just wanted so badly to go to sleep.

I followed the instructions to squeeze the soft part of the nose and apply ice for 10 minutes. The bleeding started up right away when I let go. I did two more 10-minute freeze-outs. No luck.

I then woke up my DH, who promptly flew out bed and freaked out. Right away he asked if it was something happening with the baby. I calmly reminded him that miscarriages don't come out of your nose. He then got on the phone with Ask-a-Nurse, who said I'd better get to the ER right away.

Thankfully, it was a very quiet night at the hospital. I was seen immediately, and after we tried a few different options, the super-nice doc decided to cauterize the inside of my nostril. Whatever... at this point, I just wanted to sleep. He told me to put on a gown (for my nose?) because the burning flesh would probably make me sneeze. With an eye roll, I dressed in a gown and asked him to return and get the show on the road. Sure enough, this guy knew what he was talking about. I sneezed about a dozen big hard sneezes, with blood spraying everywhere except into the washcloth I was trying to use as a hankie. It was disgusting!

Wouldn't you know, there was a second section in my nostril that was also bleeding. So he had to go in again. Ick. Much deeper this time. The sensations going through my face were by far the grossest feelings I've ever experienced. There's no way to describe the sliminess.

Anyway, I guess it's my side-effect to pregnancy. An icked-up nose. I knew it was a stuffy problem (that's the symptom that made me think, "Hmm. Maybe I'll take a pregnancy test. My nose is stuffy out of the blue.") But this doc said that the inside of my nose is plenty "mucked up" and that I'd better get on some allergy meds to avoid more bloodbaths. He sent me home, with a dry nose, at 2:30 AM.

I sometimes wonder if I'd just rather be normal and have expected side-effects. Then again, morning sickness sounds pretty awful, too. Regardless, everything's fine now, although I'm still tired.

Have a wonderful long weekend, friends! Rest up if you can! (I hope to get my rest on an air mattress. All I ask for is one hour. Isn't that reasonable enough? Keep your fingers crossed for me!)

The Big Girl Tub

One of the very few perks to our apartment is the garden tub. I've had several relaxing soaks with good reading materials and fake wine, and our girls have found out that they love bathing (ahem, splashing) together.

After a long weekend full of relaxation and running around town, the girls soaked and splashed until they were prunes. Here are a few snapshots. In the top one, Lillian is laughing on the left and Breanna on the right. The second shot is Lillian flirting with Dad. The bottom is Lillian on the left again.

The "-ies"

I'm no longer just 30. I've officially passed the threshold and entered "into my 30s." I can't believe how much different it feels to have made the transition. Gone is my youth forever. If I didn't have so many terrific things going for me these days, I think I'd be sad. But life is grand, so all is great!

Thanks to my sweet family, I had a very nice birthday weekend at the lake, exhausting as it was. My sister came bearing a basil plant and and aloe plant - what a dear! And my folks bought me a bright red raincoat - and in perfect time! My dad and I went shopping Friday night after the girls went to bed, and we found their first tennis shoes. They're adorable! Lillian's are navy with pink flowers on the side and Breanna's are pink with silver stripes. Cuuuuuute!

Unfortunately, the girls both got sick and didn't let me get much sleep either night, and we ended up coming home early Sunday morning so we could go to the clinic. They both recovered quickly in plenty of time to help Mom celebrate her birthday.

DH surprised me with a beautifully wrapped box full of shirts and even a pair of sandals. While I was at the beauty shop the evening before, he'd taken the girls to Macy's and had a bit of a spree. And they picked out wonderful clothes! Great fabrics, colors, and cuts! He later told me that he'd looked at the pants a bit, and when he held a pair up, they came up to close to his armpits. And he's not exactly a shrimp. I think he finally understands the misery of being a short woman. Nonetheless, the gifts he did buy are great! Some of the tops will have to wait until after the baby comes out, but that's ok. They also bought me a Madeleine Peyroux CD, which completely delights me!

We met my sister and went out to eat at the Texas Roadhouse. Not my normal pick for a birthday meal, but with tots in tow, I wanted someplace noisy and ok to be spilled at. This place was perfect. The food was delicious and the girls received their very own cowboy hats. I took some pics with my camera phone, so if any techie readers can help me figure out how to get those shots onto the computer, I'll be happy to share. It was a really fun day all around.

Birthday Weekend

It's our annual Birthday Weekend at the lake - just in time for rain and cold weather. I guess it will be an inside celebration. My mom, cousin, cousin's girlfriend, and I are all August babies. Why have 4 cakes when we can all celebrate together and share? I'm really looking forward to some down time with family.

Poor DH has to stay in town and work, so the girls and I are going to take the road trip ourselves this afternoon. I'm hoping for content travelers, and also hoping that I haven't forgotten anything.

Wish us luck! Happy weekend, everyone, and stay warm!

Last Big Day for a While

I had a great appointment with my OB doc today. She answered every question on my list and gave me a terrific report. Yay! And she even laughed at DH's lame jokes!

From there, DH and I ran to the title company downtown and closed on our house. After depositing our nice check, I headed back to my office. All is quiet in my work world today. The phone hasn't been ringing, and I spent most of my morning in a zone of productivity. The afternoon looks like more time to concentrate - not a single meeting on the books. So, as I return from my reuben break (Arby's now has turkey reuben wraps!!), off I go back into my zone. I love days like this!

15-month Checkup Today

Our growing girls got 5 shots each for immunizations today. Poor babies were so sad -until we enticed them with fresh chunks of banana. They received good reports from the doctor. They're two inches apart and about 2.5 pounds apart still.

With jeans and a T-shirt on, Breanna weighed 21 lbs., 13 oz. Lillian weighed 19 lbs., 3 oz. That little stinker still hasn't reached 20 lbs.! Oh well, they're on good growth curves, so the doctor said to keep doing whatever we've been doing. Easy enough!

I'm not sure about everyone's fascination about their weights, because that's one of the first things people ask us about. I can't say that I've ever wondered how much anyone else's child weighs. Regardless, I'm always anxious to find out weights when we have their checkups. Maybe it's because they were so darned small when they first entered the world. And just look at them now... (well, Lillian, anyway).

Changes Right Up to the Last Second

DH is wonderful and so very talented. But he's driving me a little crazy. We're planning to break ground any day now and he's still adjusting the house plans. I trust his judgement, but, sheesh, can we make up our minds already? I'm ready for this move to be over with so we can just settle in a little bit.

The new baby is due on March 5th, and we have no idea if we'll be in the new house then or not. All I know is that there's no way I'm planning to move when I'm huge and miserable, so we'll have to see where this ship takes us. I'm trying to be light-hearted and go with the flow, but you know me. Laid-back is probably one of the last descriptions you'll hear about me. I'm trying, though.

If anyone is in the mood to carry some boxes and share some pizzas, please help us out - we're moving this Friday evening and Saturday. The more the merrier. I'll provide an endless supply of beer or anything else that you request. I'll expect I'll be hearing lots of "You need to get off your feet" and "You shouldn't be doing so much." Such is life.

Finally at Terms

Not sure if you've noticed or not, but the dogs have not been mentioned in my posts in quite a while. That's because they haven't been in my daily life for the last few months. One evening this past spring, I noticed that I was having to remind myself to pet the dogs right before bed. As the last step of my tiring days, I had to remind myself. What kind of rotten dog owner had I become? One who puts her kids ahead of all else, and the dogs pretty close to last, apparently.

After some very serious, realistic thought, I decided to give Maddy and Tootsie away. I'd tried to keep them in the family, but no one was ready to take on two 7-year-old shih tzus. So one Sunday, I ran an ad in the paper, looking for a retired couple to adopt them. Several people called, and the ones who are the new owners are certifiably "dog people." For the first month, the new mom called once a week with an update, and to point out the dogs' personality quirks. It's obvious that the girls are in the right spot with the right family. They don't travel or believe in kenneling, and the woman is home all day with them. She takes them on a short walk each afternoon, and they spend a lot of time hanging out on the deck overlooking their hobby farm. For the dogs, life is grand.

For me, it was hands down the hardest thing I've ever done. Even tougher than filing for divorce all those years ago or facing back surgery as a teen. For the first week, I cried at least once a day. After the first night of not having them, DH (who'd always claimed that he hated dogs) suggested that he call the couple and tell them that we wanted the dogs back. Because he missed them. How cruel would that be after they'd taken the dogs into their home and created a new life around them?

I still haven't gone to see the dogs. Maybe later this month, after we're moved into the new place. With selling the house and moving into the condo, we'd have had to do something anyway. But at least I had time to think it through and find the best option for them.

It is getting easier - very slowly - to adjust to their absence. But knowing that Maddy and Tootsie are in the right place for them makes it ok. It feels good to be able to finally write about it.

Non-poopy Picture Updates

When my sister comes over to do daycare, our girls love it! Here's jolly Breanna enjoying her Oreo after ravioli or lasagna or something like that last week. Our daycare lady was on vacation, so the chaos of finding replacement help was interesting. But everyone survived!

And then there's miss Lillian. Messy is so much fun!
This bottom photo is from last Saturday. We had lunch and a little park visit with our niece, Kaitlyn, who lives in Idaho. She was back in MN for a vacation. What a nice day together!

Not for the Weak of Guts

Not for the Weak of Guts

Before I begin, let me issue this blunt disclaimer.

IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH, DO NOT READ THIS POST. IT IS GROSS AND LONG AND QUITE POSSIBLY PUKE WORTHY. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED.

The reason I haven’t posted lately is because of my distraction from the grossness of last Sunday. I feel haunted, and a little dizzy each time I think of it. So maybe writing about it will get it out of my system.

Sunday started off as a beautiful day. The girls slept in, which meant that the whole house slept in, too. After nice long morning naps, we decided to go for a picnic. We picked up some chicken strip baskets at the Dairy Queen and headed for a big, shady park. Everyone ate well, and we proceeded on a walk down a tree-lined walking path. The girls were laughing, and we were all enjoying some outside time.

As the girls tired, we decided to drive out to our lot to see if any other lots have been sold. We have to keep an eye on our next neighborhood, after all. Perfect time for naps, right? Not long after leaving the park, I smelled a foul odor. Both girls were playing happily in the back seat, so I suggested that my DH pull over to change a diaper at the next convenient spot. Moments later, the smell overwhelmed me. I glanced back and was horrified to see that Lillian’s hands were full of feces. In her hair, on her face, and wouldn’t you know, her chunked up finger was on its way into her nostril.

I screeched to DH to pull over immediately, and we whisked her out of the car. In the process, I also became covered in poo. Our tiny, feminine, precious little girl had exploded. As I went through wipe after wipe, trying to remove the disgust, DH tackled the car seat. She’d leaked through the car seat and filled the base, which also spilled over onto the actual seat! There was no way we could put her back in there.

Wearing only a diaper, she sat up front with me and shared my seatbelt. For any readers who know me well, you know that I am the biggest rule-following nerd of all time. But there was just no way that I could plunk her back into the car seat o’ filth. We rushed home and I raced her to the shower. No inflatable duckie tub today. Just the force of a warm shower and LOTS of soap. While she and I scrubbed, she splashed and giggled. This sweet child was completely oblivious to my nausea. And she seemed to be completely comfortable!

Each time I remember the grotesque image of her finger entering the nostril, which seems to be forever branded into my memory, I have to talk myself out of vomiting. Queen of the strong stomachs, I’ve finally found my weakness.

As I began drying Lillian off, DH traded me for a screaming Breanna. She was soaked and covered in grass clippings and was very, very upset. Apparently, while I was rushing Lillian to the tub, DH took Breanna out of her seat, and as he plopped her onto his hip: splat. Same explosion, in the car seat and onto my car seats, as well as onto DH’s white shirt and khaki shorts, and all over a good portion of my car’s upholstery.

Being the man that he is, he rushed her outside and began hosing her off. As he told me this, I was picturing her clumsily trying to run away into the yard, naked. But he reassured me that he held her as he sprayed her, and that the grass clippings just found their way onto her skin from the breeze. I’m still not sure.

After thoroughly washing her (yes, it was in her hair and on her face, too), I lotioned and dressed them and put them down for a nap. Then off I went, in search of new car seats. It was time to move out of the infant seats, anyway. In the meantime, DH had the fun task of pressure-washing the soiled car seats and laundering the cloth parts on hot a couple times. I think they’re ok.

After numerous, NUMEROUS attempts to scrub and sanitize my car, I think I might still smell a faint bit of ick. I use Lysol each night after we get home, and then Febreeze right before bed. After all the scrubbing we did, I can’t imagine there could be even a hint of a feces-infected germ, but my paranoia is driving me a little crazy. I’m going to spend my lunchtime tomorrow at Don’s Carwash, opting for the heavy-duty, expensive, upholstery cleaning. I’m guessing they don’t have too many 2007 models in for that already, but who really knows?

Needless to say, I didn’t eat a thing the rest of Sunday. At first I thought it was just a pregnancy thing, since I’m still in my first trimester. But after some consideration, I’m convinced that this experience could make pretty much anyone sick. As big of a fan as I’ve been of DQ in the past decade, I’m never eating there again.

So there you have it. There’s your mental nausea for the week. May you have a poop-free rest of your week.

The fantastic aroma

There's something about warm cardboard that makes me smile. Not a lot, but just a little smile. As I've been pulling warm, empty boxes from the garage and filling them with house things, I notice the smell with each box. Luckily, not one so far has been a former container for stinky stuff.

Packing is coming along - slowly. When the babies are awake, there's no use even thinking about trying to fill a box. They're so curious and so "helpful." They often put their toys into the boxes and take out the items I'm putting inside. Fruitless, but they love it. And so I continue on.

We took them to see grandma and grandpa at the cabin last night so that they can all enjoy some vacation time while our daycare grandma is also vacationing. That means that tonight and tomorrow night are going to be packing marathons. Wish me productivity!

Here's a bit of eye candy until I get to take more pictures of the girls. I miss them already!

The Tuesday Night Appeal

I'm not sure what the deal is, but in the past two weeks, I've received four postcard invitations to in-house parties of various kinds - cleaning products, food, decor, etc. All for the same night. All for the same night as the ice cream social I'm hosting for our Mothers of Multiples group. I picked the night about two months out. I wonder if the others did, too, or if it's just fluke.

Regardless, I'm going to enjoy my sundae (or two).

July Memories

Lillian. Part fish. Part sweetie. At the cabin.














Fourth of July fun on the deck! Lil on the left and Breanna on the right.














And Miss Breanna taking after Mom already, digging around in the baking cupboard. I missed the shot of her wearing the flour canister's lid as a hat by about two seconds.

Firsts

What a great weekend - full of firsts for our girls. Breanna really walked - not just a half dozen wobbly steps. But all the way across the room, turned around, and came back. It was great! Not so great, though, was her first blood spill. She tumbled into the rock hearth and cut her lip - two slices inside and one on the outside. Poor darling. And poor Grandma and Grandpa. They felt horrible. On the plus side, though, she got her other bottom tooth in, so now she's evened out with four on top and four on bottom - to match her sister. Now if those molars would just finish coming through, too...

Both girls went on their very first boat ride on Saturday with Grandpa and Grandma, Auntie Jeanne and Uncle Beaner, and a very happy Mom. Lillian wasn't so fond of being confined in a life jacket, but she eventually adjusted. She even went into the lake with her Grandpa and sat on the sandbar for a bit. Both girls tried Grandpa's venison pepper sticks and loved them! What?!?

We had a wedding reception on Saturday night, and those girls were such troopers in their little fairy dresses. It was pretty fun to spend some time with my Mom's family. After the late night out at the dance, the girls had another first on Sunday. A nearly 3-hour nap! My folks and I took advantage of the downtime and lounged in front of the TV set for a while. It had been ages since I'd looked at a TV, and what veg out to? QVC. (Insert eye roll here.) I'm not complaining about the TV time, though - it made for a very relaxing day.

Now back to the grind. Apartment hunting. Writing. Packing. Writing. Cleaning. Writing. Trying to remember to take a break once in a while. Aah the fun.

I put the offer out as a serious one - if you like to pack (or entertain babies while their parents pack), stop on by. We won't turn anyone away. Unless they're stinky. We have more than enough stinkies from our girls after the pepper sticks. Cross your fingers that it's out of their systems soon.

Sold!

Our house is now officially pending the sale on August 15th. One showing. One offer. One counter offer and a nice selling price. Yay! And we get to keep the wine racks!

Boy, is the next month and a half going to be busy! First step, the babies and I are going to drive around tomorrow morning and search out For Rent signs at some nicer-looking places. DH is going to call our concrete guy tomorrow and get started on our new house. I can hardly wait!

Friends with boxes to get rid of, please toss them our way. Or if you have a penchant for packing and want to kill an evening or two, join in the fun. Ha ha.

In the meantime, we're having a barbecue to celebrate Independence Day tomorrow evening. Ir you're in the area and looking for some socialization, stop by any time after 5. DH's brother and fiance and another good pal are coming for sure. Kids are welcome, too.

We'll have top-shelf burgers and dogs (and Bocas for us high-maintenance mamas), as well as a variety of beer and wine. I'm going to make my Gram's homemade potato salad and a fresh strawberry pie for my hubby. I still can't believe I found someone with a bigger sweet tooth than me!

Happy Fourth of July!

A Mushy Gushy Day

Ever have one of those days where you just well up, so thankful for all the good things around you? I don't know what my deal is, but today I've felt almost overwhelmed with goodness. Everywhere I turn, I just can't get over how blessed I am. Terrific family. Sweet friends. Kind colleagues. Decent health. Big taste buds. So much good!

I'm guessing it has a little to do with some reflections on the recent deaths in the family. And some really nice downtime with my own little family.

I took the babies to the lake yesterday to see my aunt, my folks, and my one remaining grandmother. We enjoyed a picnic on the beach, bikinis on babies, not-too-hot sun, delicious Popsicles, and a really pleasant, mellow day. Breanna learned that sneezes prompt "bless you"s and so now the big thing is fake sneezes. Could it be any more fun?

When we returned in the evening, my dear hubby fired up the grill and made me a fabulous dinner of fat garlic pork chops and potato wedges right on the grill. No foil. No pans. Just grillin'.

Today my dear had to work again to make up for a couple days of funeral time last week. So we went to church as a family and then he was off. The girls and I shopped at Target for a bigger bikini for Breanna (and a Frappucino for me, which will probably contribute to the need for a larger swimsuit, as well). Then we went for a long stroller ride outside and ended with a grand finale. I brought the duck tub out onto the deck and gave the girls their baths outside. Good thing I bathed Lillian second, because she nearly emptied the tub from all of her splashing and squealing. She's a fish already. They are just so darned cute!

Tonight, once the babies were in bed, I read the Sunday paper. For real. The whole thing. Even some ads. That's the first time in over a month. And it felt so good...

With a mixed-up week ahead, I'm sure I'll feel out of whack a bit, but will most likely enjoy it. What a huge difference from the holiday week last year. What fun!

If anyone is in town on Wednesday and wants to get together, give me a holler. I have nothing whatsoever on the books. Believe it or not, I'm boycotting the boat parade and fireworks at the lake for a day off from driving. Have a great holiday week, all!

Petite Jackpot

As a side note to a post last month regarding the lack of petite anything that isn't elastic, polyester or gross... I have great news. Thanks to some feedback from some wonderful readers, I have learned of a few new sources. First J.Jill has a full line of petites. While they don't exactly have the kind of suits I'm looking for, they do have some nice-quality, slightly more casual clothes.

Also, drum roll please..........

tadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatadatada

The defunct Petite Sophisticate brand was recently bought out by another company and is now operating as Petite Sophisticate Outlet stores across the US. I visited the one at the Albertville Outlet Mall a week ago and bought an adorable (fully lined, nicely cut) navy skirt suit. Complete with fabric-covered buttons. For under $50.

Yes. You read that right. Clearanced, and then an additional 50% off the lowest price - less than $50. I nearly screamed. And backflipped. But the skirt prohibited me. While the old Petite Sophisticate designers were canned over a year ago, they skirts and jackets have pretty much the same cuts. The pants are a little off for my taste, but oh well. Even if I have to resort to skirt suits for the rest of my life, I can handle it. My calves have stayed strong and tight as the rest of me has dealt with the reality of a twin pregnancy.

So, all my petite counterparts, please join me in a celebration of the recent find of decent clothes. Yahoo!

And They go Two by Two

My grandma died at the hospital at 6:20 this morning, and my grandpa followed just a couple hours later at the nursing home. When my mom called with the news soon after each death, I could hear the ache in her voice, and in my dad's in the background.

We're holding a double wake on Wednesday evening in Brainerd and the funeral on Thursday. I have no other details yet, but if any dear friends have questions, please feel free to drop me a line. And of course you can always call.

As sad as it is, it's also kind of romantic. Side by side, grandma and grandpa are moving into their next realm together. How very peaceful.

Please keep my parents and my dad's siblings in your prayers as they grieve doubly.

Opposites and Extremes

It hardly seems fair to be writing that we enjoyed one of our most relaxing, slow-paced weekends in quite some time. We took a leisurely road trip to the Twin Cities to send off a dear friend as she follows her heart to LA. The going-away party was full of pleasant well-wishers and long-time friends. And of course, it's fun bringing two well-behaved kiddos along to show off their almost-walking skills a bit.

Today, we stopped in at my cousin's house to meet the newest family member, sweet itty bitty Chloe. What a treat to hold such a teenie little baby again - and such a darling one! The visit was just the right length for us - our babies fell asleep in the car soon after we left. And hopefully our stop was quick enough so that the new parents still had some alone time before more of their relatives arrived.

As lovely as our weekend was, my parents had a time on the opposite end. My dad, as the proxy/power of attorney/oldest child, etc., has been faced with making the decision about whether to allow my grandpa to continue receiving dialysis. My grandpa had his last dialysis session on Friday, and now my folks get to spend grandpa's last moments at the nursing home this week. While all this has been going on, my dad's mom was found on Saturday, having collapsed and hit her head on her bathtub. She's in the hospital for night number 2, ready for a barrage of tests tomorrow to see what can be done about her numerous, very serious conditions. My folks left the hospital near midnight last night.

I guess that at around 5 this morning, the sound of wind woke my dad up and he said he felt it was his dad calling him. My folks called the nursing home, and sure enough, the nurses said they'd better come quickly. Grandpa perked up a little later today, but my oh my, I hope this all happens quickly for everyone's sake. Especially my grandpa's.

Needless to say, my folks are exhausted. Emotionally, this is so hard. Physically, they're not sleeping well and juggling all their time with parents in different locations, while trying to coordinate care at the same time. Please keep my family in your prayers, and count your blessings for the health you have every chance you get. I sure am.

Good night, friends.

Plea to the Faithful

If you're a believer, please keep my family in your prayers.

My dad's dad is dying, and has been for a long time now. And as my folks stay by his side, hoping that Grandpa will be with people who love him when he passes away, they're exhausting themselves. Add into the equation my dad's very sickly mother and her house to keep up. And then there's my mom's mom. Dementia has hit in full force. The toll on my folks is amazing - they rarely get home before 9 at night after working all day.

Please pray for comfort for the sick ones, and physical and emotional strength for my parents.

On a positive note, I'm all for prayers of thanks. We've been blessed with the arrival of a healthy new girl cousin (Welcome to the family, Chloe!). And our girls are getting along famously. Lillian has been such a trooper that we didn't even realize her molars were coming in until they were already through. Breanna's still working on it. Add to that gainful work and a little down time here and there, and we really are blessed. (Busier than ever before, but so very lucky...)

13

13 teeth in our babies mouths combined at 13 months - can you believe it?

Here's a proof from a month ago (Lillian's on the left). Since then, Breanna's had her nose touched up and Lillian has filled out a little in the face. Now that I've trimmed Lillian's bangs a teensie bit to match Breanna's, holy cow! They look more and more alike each day!

We went to a surprise 30th birthday party for our old neighbor, Handsome Joe, last night. He was back in town visiting from Alaska for the week. What a fun time! Handsome Joe referred his parents to DH for some remodeling, and they've pretty much done the whole house now. They just love DH! They're putzy and tight with their money, but so nice. We had a great little "date" for a couple hours last night.

I can't really say what's in store these next few days - nothing is concrete except working during my working hours. In the background of the chaos of getting ready to sell the house, I've been obsessing over summer suits. Since Petite Sophisticate went out of business during my pregnancy, I didn't dare stock up - fearing the worst in post-pregnancy body problems. Oh how I wish I'd had the foresight. I seriously have nothing in the closet but black, gray, brown, red, burgundy, etc. No nice khaki suits. No cream. No white. Everything I could need for winter, and nothing fresh.

Yesterday was a pretty major meeting day for me, and so in every free moment during the past week, I've been scrounging for new suits. I'm SO very frustrated at the quality and dumb shapes out there. I did stumble across a few nice-fitting outfits at Talbots, but some were pretty frumpy and the rest weren't actual suits. They'd pair a salmon blazer with navy pants and a navy shell. Fine, but I wanted a full matching suit. No such luck.

Are there any others out there who are mourning the loss of Petite Sophisticate? I seriously don't know what I'm going to do. Luckily, we're heading to the Twin Cities later this month for a going-away party for a dear, dear friend, so I hope to get in at least a little shopping along the way. I just don't know where to even start. We'll see.

In the meantime, please keep your fingers crossed for me to either have a great growth spurt in my arms and torso or to stumble across a great designer who knows how to make nice petites (as in, suits for women under 60 - no elastic - nice lining in the pocketless pants - and classy buttons - what's with all this plastic junk out there anyway?).

OK - enough of my rant. We're over half-way through the week. Friends, please call if you want to get together this weekend. I'll be happy to grind up some good coffee, and add some Irish Cream if you wish. : ) I'm so delighted to report that I have no structure scheduled at this time. Yahoo!

Still Kickin'

Still swamped, but kickin'. Our house is finally officially on the market - big huge hoorah! We're selling without a realtor, at least for now, so if you hear of anyone ... please pass the word on.

The girls are doing great! Breanna's nose is looking good. Both babies are crawling faster than ever and my glass table tops have never been filthier - we're going through Windex like crazy! But, oh what fun we're having!

I promise to post new pics soon. And then I'll fill you in on the excitement going on for me career wise. Projects galore - fun projects - well-paying projects - working with people who appreciate what I can offer. Very rewarding, but I'm swamped. Gotta run.

Have a great week, all!

Smurf Glasses and a Zap - What a Monday

We took Miss Breanna in to the dermatologist today for a laser treatment on her nose. She has a raised red mark that appeared back when she was in the NICU. Until recently, we figured it was a harmless hemangioma and would disappear within a year or two.

A dermatologist confirmed last month that it is not a hemangioma, but perhaps is a scar from the tube she had in her nose as an infant. So, he recommended a simple laser treatment to try to remove it.

This morning, we wrapped her in a blanket (to prevent the wiggles), donned big blue glasses (to protect our eyes), covered her eyes with gauze, and held her down for the longest 15 seconds of my life. She was quite scared, and thankfully, we were able to pick her up and reassure her we were all done very quickly. It's not a painful procedure, so that makes it a lot easier to handle.

For the next week or two, she'll be black and blue, and when the bruise goes away, so should the redness. If not, we'll go for just one more treatment. So if you see her in the immediate future, please don't assume we beat her. Although, I think she could convince you of that within just a few seconds - her laughter is amazing. What a happy kid!

Never Enough

I feel like life is passing me by right now. I love spending time with my girls, and yet, it seems like just as the weekend starts, they're going to bed on Sunday night. I saw a picture another MOM posted on her website recently - her boys were finger paining and blowing bubbles on the deck. My first thought was why haven't I thought of finger painting? Oh yeah, because it takes time to shop for paints, to secure an area for the mess, to find clothes to become "play clothes" and then the cleanup. We always seem to be in such a rush that those fun things don't get done. Although this weekend, we did go out for supper with my sis and her hubby and the babies got to sit at the table and eat big-people food with us. That in itself was fun for all of us!

On the other hand, I really like the work I do and sometimes get in the zone and could write through an all-nighter or two. And yet, I must force myself to work just 40 hours a week. I haven't always had the luxury of doing work that I love, and now that I have it again, I just want to eat it up. I even dream about it. And yet if I did get into my old work style, I'd miss out on everything else.

On yet another hand (yes, I am a mother of multiples, thus, I have many hands), it's been ages since my hubby and I went out on a real date. In fact, I know that the last time we danced was in December at a wedding. For a girl with salsa music in her soul, that's a really long stretch. Oh, do I miss dressing up and flirting with him.

On the fourth hand, I miss my out of town girlfriends. A lot. Dear readers, take note. I want you to come visit sometime soon. We could even go to the lake if you want. What's even worse - I miss my in-town friends. There's no excuse for how long it's been - we're shouting distance away. And yet, months fly by. Let's kick the social season into high gear! Barbecue anyone?

And then on the fifth hand, this house. We're trying to get it ready to sell so we can move into our new place later this year. Our plan for now is to sell this one, move into an apartment for a few months, and then settle into the new house once it's totally done. That way we won't be trying to manage two crawlers/walkers in a construction zone. I've been trying to get through the basement storage closet to make a "Good Will" pile and darn it - there's just never enough time. Will we ever get out of here?

One unnamed, childless friend (who doesn't read my blog) mentioned last week that I should just hire babysittters in the evenings and weekends for a couple weeks to get caught up with everything. I laughed until I realized that she seriously thought that would be a great option. Let's just hope that one day if she becomes a parent, she'll get it. In the meantime, I'm going to keep enjoying every moment I get with my kids and my DH, and let the rest fill in the cracks. After all, both girls are now standing and walking along the furniture - look out world!

G'night all. Have a great week!

Could my schedule get any tighter?

Here it is, 11:14 at night, and I have my first free moment of the night. Obviously, this is a quickie. I just had to post some birthday pictures, though.

As a little update, Lillian popped another tooth on Saturday and yet another one today. Poor little pumpkin, that's six teeth now, but she's all smiles anyway. If you let her hold your fingers, she'll pull herself straight up and then take off running. Breanna is crawling faster and faster each day. After daycare tonight, I ran a load of clothes downstairs to the laundry room. On my way back up, there she was, standing at the top of the stairs, holding onto the gate with one hand, casually just hanging out and waiting for me to get back. She's pictured in the navy outfit with the stars, on her actual birthday. We have such happy little kiddos!

Needless to say, our evenings are even busier than before because these sweet little honeys are into EVERYTHING. It's amazing to watch their curiosities grow. The few times when I'm brave enough to leave the girls in the living room while I venture five steps behind the kitchen island (and out of sight), it's a guarantee that they'll start getting silly with each other. They make faces and grab each other's socks and laugh like madmen. It's adorable!

Anyway, I'm beat. Off to check on the girls and then on to bed.

What a year!

My babies turned one! What a rush! You know what that means - we survived! Our big healthy girls had a fabulous birthday celebration and as parents, we spent a lot of time reflecting. On their actual birthday last week, the babies were tuckered out after a festive day at Grandma Becky's (daycare). So we fed them their favorites- mashed potatoes and peaches (not mixed - ewww!) Then off to bed they went. And DH and I spent an hour on the deck, enjoying the last two "It's a Girl" cigars, reminiscing. What a year!

We survived a big birthday weekend, complete with cake and balloons and a houseful of party guests. With the prep work for the party, stroller rides after work now that it's finally nice out, shopping for DH's birthday (and his dad's and his brother's, too) and now this week, the chaos continues. I just realized that the number of Tauruses in my life is way off balance.

Anyway, I've been trying to get to a pro-bono newsletter that I put together only twice a year for TEC, and my goodness, I haven't been able to get to it for a whole month! And I have all the materials! And yet here I sit, typing away. I figure that after a whole week of not posting, I'd better put something up here before my family gets anxious.

I hope that this weekend will be nice and mellow so I can dedicate just a few hours to getting that newsletter to the printer. And getting my house back in order. Thankfully, my DH understands the connection with the wonderful TEC program and the need to donate some time to it. Since we've been too busy to work at any of their retreats this past year, this is the least I can do. But what was I thinking? At this point, I might just have to hire a college kid to do it cheap.

Watch for birthday pictures coming soon!

Whirly Whilry

What a crazy whirlwind of a month! Both girls have had their one-year checkups and come up with all smiles. They've grown more teeth and separated into two cribs. And Breanna's just about due for big-girl car seat.

We ended the month of madness with a girls-only road-trip to my folks' place, and then to the Twin Cities over the weekend. Our weekend was so nice, but so long at the same time. We went to a baby shower for my cousin, whose due date is just about a year after mine was. And of course, she's an adorable prego mom, nearly causing me to reconsider holding off. But not quite.

We had another first over the weekend - we ordered something off the menu for the babies. Real food! They shared a grilled cheese and mashed potatoes and loved them! And they sat in the booster chairs like real kids. It was so exciting! What are we in for next? Just two more days until the big 1!

Movin' on Up

Breanna started crawling - official good crawls - not the sort of half-baked crawling she was doing for the last month. Friday night, she showed off her moves, and is now pretty awesome. Not one to be out-done, Lillian has started pulling herself up from sitting to standing, and holds on to the coffee table, the outside of the exersaucer, whatever. She just loves to stand up, and is taking little tiny steps as she goes.


Needless to say, our weekend was busy. My DH was gone all day on Saturday, and I was on the go all day, playing with the girls - and completely beat by dinnertime. When he came home, he asked if I wanted to rent a movie, and I bailed out. I just wanted to climb into bed.


We still didn't get the second crib up, but at least we rearranged the baby bedroom to make room for it. And the new mattress pad and bedding are on. Now we need to actually make time to put it all together. If it's not one thing...


After the exhausting weekend of parenting, I let DH take Breanna in for her 1-year checkup. It's a week and half early, but we figured we'd get it in while we can. Lillian goes in for her appointment on Wednesday. I'll let you know how it goes. Fully clothed, Breanna weighed in at a whopping 20 pounds and is 28 inches long. How is that even possible? And she's perfectly healthy! Just remembering back to how little and red she was at birth, I have no doubt that God has blessed us with incredible abundance.

Superstitious

All day long yesterday, my mind was focused on the date of one year ago. Last April 19, I was enjoying a lovely dinner at the Cork & Cleaver with my husband, babies kicking delightedly, when an unwelcome Bell's Palsy invited itself into our lives. It was the day that turned my lovely pregnancy into the start of what ended up becoming a very complicated pregnancy. It was the one day in my life where I can truly say that all hell broke loose.

Boy, we've come a long way!

I've never considered myself to be very superstitious, but yesterday, I kept wondering how the universe would right itself in my world to make up for the awfulness of April 19th a year earlier. I even thought about going to the same restaurant and ordering the same thing to see if that would be the magic to completely kill off the Bell's. It's still hanging on a bit - barely - but stubbornly, nonetheless. I kept waiting for an exciting phone call - or something wonderful to arrive the mail.

Turns out, my superstitions were justified. Though my Bell's Palsy didn't suddenly disappear, I did have several very wonderful experiences that I have to believe are not just random goodnesses.

I'll be starting a new writing project on Monday that should carry me through a few months. I found out within 24 hours of the initial meeting with the client. It looks like it has lots of room for taking it where I want, with no one to squash me. I'm excited about it! So, today I'm not going to "work." It will be my last free day of vacation for a while. I think I'll go get a facial, pick up some party hats for our girls' birthday, take the dogs for a long walk, take part in noon mass, and enjoy a latte from Atomic.

Happy Friday, friends! And happy weekend, too!

No more hotel stays for a while

Yawnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

I'm beat, as I'm sure everyone else is who stayed at the Best Western in Chaska on Saturday night. My DH and the babies and I hitched a ride with DH's favorite aunt on Saturday afternoon for a quick trip to witness a First Communion on Sunday. DH and his aunt (who is also his godmother) are the godparents to their niece, so there was no getting out of this roadtrip.

The drive down was great, but once we arrived at the restaurant Saturday evening, the tone changed - too subtle for us to realize that it was a whole tonal shift. DH decided to see if our babies liked baked beans. Let's just say that all it took was two bites to learn that Lillian barfs from beans. No crying or anything, just really gross. When we returned to the hotel, the babies went to sleep in the pack-n-play in the other room of our suite.

We were all tired, thinking bed sounded good, when DH's brother decided to bring his fiancee to the hotel at 9:50. They left at around midnight. Once they left, we sat up and visited a bit more and then took turns doing bathroom routines. (I finally found someone who takes longer to get ready for bed than me!) As DA (Darling Auntie) headed off to bed, the babies awoke soon after. For the night. And not just one at a time. DH and I didn't want to wake up DA and the rest of the hotel, so we were both up, trying our darnedest to keep everyone quiet.

Our room was extremely warm - both babies laid around wearing only diapers - no blankets. And Breanna popped a new tooth during the night. And Lillian had barfed up beans. And while the hallway traffic outside of our room was rather entertaining at times, it got annoying when it kept the babies up. There were about a dozen green glowing lights in the room - smoke detector, microwave, clocks, etc. I ended up taping diapers over the ones I could reach to try to remove some of the spaceship feeling.

We even tried just leaving the girls in the pack-n-play with the TV on (if they don't sleep fine, but at least we can sleep through the TV). Didn't work. They just wanted to be held. So held they were. The last time I looked, the clock was 4:49. We got up at 7 in order to make to the First Communion - and we made it just in time.

The First Communion was lovely and the family gathering was nice. On our way out of the cities, we met up with some very dear long-time friends for a quick bite to eat and visit. Both DH and DA grumbled a tiny bit as we pulled into the parking lot, but once we left the restaurant to officially make the rest of the trip home, both of them admitted that they were glad we'd stopped. It was by far the highlight of the trip for me - old friends breathe so much life! We arrived at home by about 10:00 and quickly put the babies to bed and then collapsed.

This morning, we all slept until 9, which is a small miracle in itself. I think I'll take a quick snooze now and then get back to work. This is a week full of fun writing/consulting projects on my docket. Happy Monday, everyone! May you be rested and joyful!

What goes around...

In case anyone is wondering (and I know you are because of all the phone calls/emails), my life is really good. Business is coming in and the projects are all fun so far! In between, I've loved spending some time with my family!

As I've finally had a little down time to reflect during these past few weeks, I've noticed that when you live your life with purpose, choosing to live with a conscience and awareness, with good intentions and the hopes of being a good example, you get it back. Goodness returns to you, sometimes in ways that surprise, sometimes in teenie little niceties.

Nonetheless, it pays to hold your head high, resist clever opportunities for revenge, and be proud of being nice. To those who encourage goodness, thank you. For those who egg on the negativity, please stop. (It comes back to you - avoid it at all costs.) Life is so very much lovelier when you can concentrate on being the kind of person your kids look up to. The kind you know your grandmother can be proud of. The kind whose spouse says they love you not just because you're a "looker," but because you're genuinely nice.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends. On this beautiful Friday afternoon, I encourage you to go out of your way to share the love.

Easter Dresses

In case you're wondering how cute our girls looked in their Easter dresses, here are a couple pictures. I can't help it - I just have to show them off. My folks recently returned from Playa Del Carmen, where they spent a week on the beach. My sister and I both agreed before they returned to the US that Dad and Mom most likely picked up some pretty little dresses for the babies. Do we know our folks or what?
The dresses are hand-made, a little different from one another. So intricate, so delicate. So fun! Thanks, Gramma and Grandpa!



(Breanna is in sleeves - Lill is showing off her teeth.)

Babylegs

Just a quick photo to share - this one's for Newzgirl. Breanna loves being a ballerina in her Babylegs.

Sorry it's a litte dark.

The Good Life

We enjoyed a mellow Easter weekend, with my family here Thursday through Saturday and over to DH's folks' house for Sunday. About half of the people originally expected to join us at the in-laws didn't show up for various reasons, so it was actually pretty nice. Not too chaotic or noisy, and not too drink-y. As a bonus, no one tried pushing drinks on me. I enjoyed my wine at Easter dinner at my own pace. : )

My DH tried playing a joke on my family Friday night, but no one fell for it. He crayoned an egg in line for dyeing "Unborn Baby" and then our last name. Then he calmly went back to the couch to continue visiting with my dad and brother-in-law. No one noticed until my sis pulled the turquoise egg out, and she and my mom quickly discussed it - very quietly. And then I heard someone say "No way. She had a glass of wine." So, while no one actually fell for it, we all had a laugh.

As to be expected, we had a few more new moments over the weekend. Our girls both fell asleep during church. Holy cow! What a joy! And they both mastered "Soooo big."

It looks like it will be a nice week ahead. I have several business dealings in progress right now, and lots of exciting decisions to make. Plus, I have a few social dealings to look forward to, as well. (Our Mothers of Multiples meeting is tomorrow night, and I have a few other get-togethers now that my schedule has relaxed a little.)

The girls are in daycare M-W-F this week, so I'm going to get back to work while I still can. Happy Monday, friends!

Busted

Whenever I hear that Breanna is awake in her crib, but not crying, I have to laugh. Thanks to a video monitor, I've been able to see what she's been up to. She's wagging a tail.

My pen pal from Pequot Lakes gave us some adorable pillows for the babies. One is a lion and one is a sheep. Each has a biblical saying embroidered on it and is super cuddly. For the past several months, I've had the animals stuffed between the crib and the wall, sort of looking over the girls as they sleep.

Lately, Breanna has been reaching through and grabbing the lion's tail and wagging it. Whenever I come into the room and see her doing it, she lets go and acts like she was just laying there doing nothing.

Already a sneak! Well, I finally busted her on camera tonight!

Graduated

The girls have moved up from the infant bathtub to this super-deluxe duck! We tried it out this weekend and my goodness was it fun!



P.S. This is the first April Fool's Day where I didn't come up with a prank to pull on anyone. What's happened to me?

Baby Fever

Pregnant women are all around me and I just can't help but feel... really happy for them. (Bet you thought I was going to say jealous. Nope. Not yet anyway.) But I can surely relate to their excitement!

My cousin is expecting a little girl the same time my girls were due last year. We're going to have three little girls within a year of each other running around at the lake. Yay!

Another girlfriend is due with her third in the end of August. I lunched with her last week and she's looking awesome! Complete with the glow. There really isn't anything much sexier than the glow of pregnancy.

Our accountant is due in July with her first, trying to plan ahead for quarterly taxes and the likes already. She's so funny about it all! They'd been trying for a long time, so I'm really glad their family is finally starting.

Our electrician and his wife (who happened to be one of our nurses while I was in having my babies) are expecting now, too.

With so many due, it's hard to believe that we have so many friends who have recently had babies, too. Baby fever!

Shyla's little guy was born in late November and he's already almost the same size as Lillian! And Shari's tyke arrived in January and is growing like a weed, too! My girls had better keep on eating to keep up with those fellas!

I've been trying to figure out great baby gifts for all these little ones - unique ones that I've loved where I won't have to worry about duplicates. I have a few in mind for the coming babies, but I won't share my secrets here. : )

This week was a blast with our babies! Lillian's top two teeth are officially through. And the girls have kicked their colds/ear infections. (Unfortunately, I picked up their colds on Monday and have been wiped out! Today is the first day where I haven't woken up from a fever. I'm considering this a change to "on the mend" status.) Breanna is all over the place - she keeps rolling into the dining room and getting her legs stuck in the chair legs. They're both just smiling like crazy and talking up a storm. I love being a mom. Even when I'm hacking and wheezing and exhausted, I love it so much!

I hope all of you readers who are also parents are enjoying your kiddos this weekend. What a great time to stay inside and get silly together!

Spring Fever

I have great news to share! I'm back to the world of self employment for a while. After 9 long months at a company that didn't fit, I'm free to run again! I'm going to refrain from posting the gory details in writing, as I still remember my mom's famous words - Don't burn your bridges. Who knows whom all my readers are? I will simply say that I feel like a million bucks!

My darling husband is convinced that improving my environment will alleviate enough stress that my Bell's Palsy will start to diminish much more quickly. In fact, I think I can see even more of my teeth on my right side. Yay!

I now finally have time to finish ghost-writing that book I'd been working on and had planned on finishing prior to the birth of my babies. Their early arrival threw that whole schedule out of whack, so now the book writers have reason to celebrate with me.

New season, new opportunities, new reasons to smile! Happy spring!

Liberated

I had an awesome day today! The details are private for now, but please join me in a little happy dance!

Mellow is Good

The babies are on the road to recovery, though still hacking up every now and then. Lillian is saying Mama and Up, and Breanna is still stuck on Poke. Though she does say BaBa when she sees a bottle.

We had a lovely weekend at home, relaxing. My folks returned to the US from their vacation, and it was nice to know they were home and safe again. Even though they travel to fairly safe vacation destinations, there's always the fear of the weird stuff that sometimes turns tourists into victims. I sat up late Friday night, sewing adorable velcro hair bows for the girls. Their hair is so fine that barrettes would slide right out, but velcro is a whole different story.

While the babies napped in carseats on Saturday, DH and I drove around and looked at window trim color. We had great conversation, and even hopped out to wade in the mud a little bit. We returned home to the wonderful aroma of porketta in the crock. It was fantastic, although, our skin and breath were pretty "Iron Range-y" - even the next morning after brushing teeth. I've finally found a butcher shop that has real porketta seasonings! (I've tried others, and their version of porketta is just rosemary and pepper. Lots of pepper.)

On Sunday afternoon, DH's folks came over for a visit with their grandbabies and a roast dinner on the grill. We even got in a round of pinochle, which was pretty fun. DH and I didn't win, but we enjoyed playing nonetheless. I'm still learning.

It was a great time to relax.

Little Sickies

It's official - spring has sprung, and so have ear infections. Our poor little darlings are sick - down and dirty sick. Breanna has a double ear infection and Lillian has a single one. And both have terrible deep coughs. And I feel awful for them!

When they started with a little cough, I blamed myself. You see, the girls attended their first parade on Saturday - the downtown St. Patrick's Day parade. The sun was shining, the babies were in snowsuits, and DH and I each snuck a green beer into our coffee mugs to make the outing an official Irish event. (About the only Irish in either of us was the Irish Cream we sipped in a coffee last month.) Anyway, we all enjoyed ourselves.

Since this was the first time we've really had the babies outside for more than a quick run from a vehicle into a building(first time in snowsuits anyway), I figured the winter air must be what brought on the coughs.

The doctor we saw today reassured me that the parade was not the culprit. In fact, when she was going through our records and talking about prescriptions and whatnot, she congratulated us on getting them this far without ear infections until now.

I had no idea it's practically mandatory for infants to get ear infections. I certainly don't remember having any of my own, or even hearing stories about them. But what do I know?

Anyway, my dear sister met me at the clinic because DH is out of town. Thank goodness. The babies kept us both busy, and since our regular physician wasn't in, the one we saw was pretty slow and had lots of questions. The girls are now on antibiotics and will hopefully kick this all really quickly. Keep them in your prayers. And if you're reading this before bed Thursday night, please say a quick prayer for me to get at least a little sleep since I'm single-parenting tonight.

I'm signing out with a yawn. G'night, all.

Poke

In her darling hoarse voice, Breanna has started trying to copy me when I've encouraged her to poke her arms through the cute little sleeves of her cute little clothes. Each morning we put on a onesie and then a shirt, so that's four times I tell her to poke before we even have breakfast. Sometimes, we have pantlegs to get into, too, so that's another two pokes. In the evenings after baths, we poke again into onesies and jammies. I guess she hears it a lot. Tonight after her bath, I was dressing her for bed and when I told her to poke, she looked at me and squeaked a "poke" out. I said "poke" again, and she repeated again.

My darling sister was here to help out, and she, too, heard the "poke." Ladies and gentlemen, we have a talker! Of all the first words! At least it wasn't "toot" or "poop" or "exhausted" or something else we talk a lot about at our house.

(For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure that she was looking at me and repeating "Mama" last Saturday morning. She hasn't said it since, so I'm not counting it. It melted my heart nonetheless. But since my DH swears that both girls' first word will be "Dada," I'll keep all this a secret. He was practicing "Dada" with them even when they were still in the womb. Good thing he doesn't read my blog or his heart would be broken.)

Identical? For Sure.

Besides their survival of TTTS, I've only come across a few other instances when I've been certain of my daughters' identical status. Take this morning at 2:11. Both girls woke up crying at the same time. Both felt warm, and the thermometer read 100.6. Exactly the same temperature?

I wondered if it was the thermometer, so I tried a second one. I'm still not quite sure how we've accumulated 4 thermometers. Anyway, the second one said the same thing. So I took my temp (98.1) and then took my DH's (who was asleep and will never be the wiser) and his was 98.7. For the record, I put the thermometer under his armpit, just like I did for myself. No mischief at that time of night.

Our poor little pumpkins have their first chest colds and now fevers to boot. Their hoarse little cries are heartbreaking, and yet a moment later they smile and laugh (and then pout again). They take after their auntie with their adorable Lissy Lip. One thing that I did notice as I was pouring some Pedialyte for Lillian is that when she cries (more of whining than actual crying), you get a good look at her top gums. She's going to sprout those next two teeth any day now. No sign of them on Breanna yet.

I hope they recover quickly - for everyone's sake. DH is heading to his sister's house south of the Twin Cities tomorrow and will be there through Friday to do some remodeling work for her. So, not only do I get to fly solo, but possibly with little sickies. : ( Keep your fingers crossed for me.

For the Sake of a Flake

Many brain cells have disappeared. I fear it's a permanent loss.

Just this past weekend, I was reminded about what a social flake I've become. I nearly blew off a relatively new friend, all for the sake of being absentminded. AP is a fellow writer, as well as a new mom. Her little princess is a little over a year old. We have terrific fun when we visit!

It all started a few weeks ago. We'd made plans to meet out for coffee one Saturday evening several weeks ago, and I didn't remember until the next afternoon. For the first time in my life, I stood someone up. The horror I felt as it dawned on me was unbelievable.

After a heartfelt apology and some well-deserved ribbing, we made new plans to meet up - this time for pie. I joked that if I'm not there by 10 after 8, she'd better give me a call. This time, I put it on my calendar. And in my cell phone. And I told my hubby. Only I'd planned for Saturday. On Friday evening, at 8:10, the phone rang. AP asked if I was still interested in pie, and as I could hear the restaurant noises in the background, it dawned on me. Ugh! I dropped everything and ran to meet her. Sure enough, I later went back to my emails, and clear as a bell, she wrote Friday.

Talk about shame! I might as well just go hide in a cave. My brain cells that disappeared during pregnancy have most certainly decided to stay away for good.

Heavy Breather

Yesterday I killed a spider on the wall for a man that I work with. Although I don't particularly enjoy handling spiders, I'm not afraid to approach them. (Except for the jumping wolf spiders - those are huge and super fast!) As a kid, I was the girl in the neighborhood who kissed a frog on the lips as a dare. He didn't turn into a prince - must have been a she. I once tried to make a garter snake into a necklace. Couldn't get the snake to stay still, though. I may come across as being a little prissy - a girly girl, but at heart, I'm just as tough as the big boys. (And in the case of the spider in the office - I'm tougher.) If you mentioned this to my in-laws, however, they'd swear you're crazy. They think I can't even swat a mosquito. If they only knew...

Anyway, I'm pretty tough, but not macho to the core. Even as a grown-up, there are a couple things that give me the heebie jeebies. Live fish and mud puppies, when it comes to animals. But breathing toilets are the worst. Blechssckk!

I recently noticed that the toilets in our office breathe. That heavy, slow, deep breathing that sends the water level up and down a couple inches. I can't bring myself to use them when they're breathing. I've even cut down my liquid consumption until the hour before lunch, and then I leave the office and find some place to go. Even though my logic swears up and down that the toilet won't suck me it nor will it produce some big slimy sea creature, my imagination can't simmer enough to get me to go.

Years ago when I was living all alone in my new house, I had a toilet that breathed for about a day. I called the plumber to come see what was wrong. When he arrived, he asked what the problem was. so I told him about the breathing. He chuckled and asked what the problem was. I told him it creeped me out. When he realized that there was no functional problem, he laughed harder. He basically said, "Toughen up. That's city water for you." I asked him why it started out of the blue, and he said that it happens because of something with the city water setup. It's more common in the winter, but doesn't hurt anything. He got such a kick out of my "issue" that he didn't charge me for the visit to my house. Thankfully, the breathing stopped the next day and I was able to "go" in my own house again.

So, now I've come out. How about you, dear readers? Does anything give you the willies?

Numbers Overload

All my life, I've preferred letters to numbers. Even in 8th grade, when I made it into a State math contest (I still think that was a fluke.).

As tax time is upon us again, I'm weary of looking at numbers and we're still not done yet. 2006 was complex for us - owning a couple of businesses... going to work for someone else... throw in a couple babies and some massive medical bills and it's a mess.

On top of tax season has been some heavy budget crunching at work. Plus, we've been comparing prices on everything as we prepare to start building the house next month. (Does anyone out there realize what an earth-shaking time this is in terms of buying OSB? Record low prices - yahoo!) Numbers have been floating across my dreams these past few nights. Seriously.

I look forward to the days when I dream of words, letters. Especially the letter "k." It's always been my favorite letter to write.

Mood - What an odd word if you repeat it often enough

As all the locals (and even my out-of-state clients) are talking about the weather, I am going to rebel. No snow talk here. Except to say that I love it. That's it. Done.

Now on to a much more important topic - how to spend my $25 iTunes gift card. Dan won it in a Christmas gift exchange, and kindly passed it along to me. The big question is what to download - Madeleine Peyroux or Norah Jones or Ella Fitzgerald or Hank Williams Sr. or... OutKast? My taste in music varies by mood, as does my taste in reading materials, food, aromas, and textures.

Today is a cotton-wearing, nutmeg-smelling, pasta-eating, Patricia-Cornwell-novel reading day - with Madeleine Peyroux in the background. Unfortunately, since I'll be in the office all day, I won't be indulging in most of these mood-makers until we hunker in tonight. I do have a cotton turtleneck and jeans picked out, though, so that's a start.

How about you? What's your mood today? And if it's a snow day, how are you spending it?

Rawwrrr!

As our girls are trying to talk, Lillian is starting to rawrrrr like a little lion. And she scrunches up her nose and smiles as she does it, exposing those two bottom teeth, melting my heart. Sometimes, she'll even get her "claws" curled up by her face when she does it. But darn it, when she sees the camera come out - she turns on the stone face.

Breanna continues to giggle at everything. Even during our occasional middle-of-the-night visits. Once in a while, she wakes up cold after she's kicked off her quilt and then hollers until I go and warm her up, then get her snuggled back in. Once I pick her up, the crying stops and the giggles start. In the dark. At 2 a.m. What a nut.

By the way, as of Tuesday of this week, fully clothed, Lillian weighed in at 15 lbs., 15 oz. and is 25 5/8" tall. She's finally arrived on the growth chart - at the whopping two percentile. (Mind you, that's not the preemie chart that we use for the first year - it's the full-term baby one, so it's not as bad as it sounds.) Breanna, my oh my, what a big girl. With big warm clothes on, she's 18 lbs., 12 oz. and is 26 5/8" tall. Only an inch taller than Lil, but a little on the fluffy side. She's at the 50th percentile for full-term babies. Wow!

Could there be anything more rewarding than parenting?