Dad Update

Dad came home today from the hospital. Yay!!!! He is getting all settled in at home. Thank you, everyone, for your prayers for him. I think he will still need to take it easy for a little while and he is going to be on Coumadin for at least a year (if I remember correctly) but we are all happy to have him out of the hospital for sure. Welcome back home Dad! 

It's official..

Sitting with my nose pressed to the screen in the door to inhale the smell of the rain and wet earth

... as I was saying.. it's official. I am looking at a post-it note stuck to the computer screen that says "C-Section - Rex 8/6 @ 10:25 am (be at hospital by 8:25 am)".... surreal. There you have it, the girls official birthday... that is if they choose to stay put until that date arrives. Please pray that they do. I still feel so far from ready for them to be here. We are meeting with the pediatricians office on June 30th for our prenatal consult and we have our hospital tour on July 1st.. I have all the clothes and gifts sorted awaiting their first washing in baby detergent... awaiting the arrival of the cribs and dresser on July 10th so they can be organized in drawers and baskets..I still need a few things for the layette.. so that means a little more shopping.. have my nursing cover.. have my baby sling.. one of them.. still working on the other since I will need 2 for when they get too big to fit into one (yes, they will actually fit into one sling in the early weeks.. how cute is that going to be ?!?) ... slowly but surely we are getting a schedule solidified for help in the first weeks after their arrival.. I am trying so hard to get all ready so that I can relax and enjoy the last few weeks of this process... but it's not working out so well. 

The last few days I have been having a lot of Braxton Hicks, perfectly normal for this time in the pregnancy. I thought I had been having them for awhile now but.. these feel different. I did some more in depth research and these are definitely the real Braxton Hicks thing, the other thing I must have been feeling was just my poor skin and body stretching and tightening.. something I have been feeling for a few months. This new thing scares me a little. Don't worry, I am paying very close attention to their frequency and duration. I have been told to call my doctor if I have more than 6 in an hour. So far that has not happened because every time I feel one I rush to lay down and drink gallons of water.. and subsequently it goes away. Still, feeling my body prepare to deliver these babies is nerve wracking for me. I am so nervous they will come early. So, I feel paralyzed. I am afraid to do too much, but I have so much that I need to get done so that I can relax.. at least it feels like so much to get done.. it's not really that much.. one or two afternoons would knock it right out. I hate being unproductive. I sort of hate having to sleep late after my breakfast and being in my PJs until lunch time. I am much happier when I am getting things accomplished and not feeling like a breakable egg tiptoeing around the house. I wonder if all new moms feel this way towards the end..? Unprepared.. nervous about the baby(s) coming early..? I am so used to feel uncomfortable by now that part doesn't really even bother me. Sigh. All I can do is be super careful and do what is best for these girls which right now is to lay on the couch and drink enormous amounts of H2O. This morning I have had a headache since I woke up so.. there's that too :(

Enough wining.. just please pray that they stay put until 8/6...I really want them to be as fully developed as possible..

In other news.. David stayed with us last night on his way from Tallahassee back to Cleveland. He is headed out to Colorado to seek his fortune out west. I got all teary watching him drive away this morning. We are so excited for and proud of him for taking this adventurous step into his future. Somehow I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I have no idea when we might see him again .. hopefully at Christmas. Colorado seems so far away. Still, I know most of those tears were hormonal. Can't wait to see where he lands out there. 

Alright, it seems I have sat upright long enough so back to the couch I go. I promise I am being careful and paying close attention to these things so no worrying out there ok ? :) 

Oliver's favorite afternoon nap spot.. sometimes I think he is part cat. 

Sweetness

Don't these make your mouth water? These are the last twosome from the foursome that our friends Matt and Kristen brought back for us from Magnolia's. That's right, the Magnolia's in the city (the newly opened branch which is a little further uptown than the original). They were in the city this past week for a vacation and we sent them along with our best wishes/advice, a mini-map of the subway, and a very heavily marked Zagat guide. They even ate at our favorite spot in Brooklyn Heights, Henry's End, which I hope was as much fun for them as it always was for us. 

My Dad is doing well, though still in the hospital. They are weaning him onto Coumadin and he is now allowed to get up and walk around, which is a huge improvement. We went home Friday night to visit. Hung out all day on Saturday. A good time was had by all. Thank you everyone for your prayers for him. 

We woke up this morning to the most glorious weather. It was cool so we got to open all the windows. It rained last night so the breeze wafting through the screens smelled of cool, moist earth. When I closed my eyes, it almost smelled salty ... like being at the beach. That is one thing I have started noticing a lot lately. The smell of dirt and how it has been absent from my life for the last four years. I almost want to bury my nose in the ground and just breathe it all in. I actually considered bringing a bowl of dirt in the house and leaving sitting on the kitchen table, like a bouquet. 

The traveling this weekend wore me out, as usual, and I woke up exhausted today with more pain in my hip than usual. Determined not to sleep the day away, however, I made myself get a shower (yes, I can still shave my legs... yet another benefit of being double jointed it seems) and we took a short trip to the North Carolina Museum of Art to see a piece from their collection by Michael Rovner. We saw a show of his in Chelsea while we were still living in Bloomfield and it was one of those shows I will never forget. It was nice to see those familiar little hieroglyphics bowing in unison under the florescent light of their case. I must admit, it was rather nice to be able to just stop by Food Lion on the way home to pick up a few items. I had forgotten how convenient a car can be at times. Soon we are heading over to the park for the first in a series of weekly Sunday evening picnics with Fellowship Raleigh. It's a bring your own food situation so Stephen grilled out chicken breasts and we are having grilled chicken over salad with walnuts and cranberries, a summer staple around our house. 

Open Windows

This is Oliver's favorite napping/snuggling position these days. He loves to cuddle on and put his "arms" around the babies. The funny part is that every time he is up there, the girls start kicking and punching at him. His head bumps around with their movement, but he never blinks an eye. I like to imagine that the three of them are getting to know each other even now. 

The weather is actually cool today so we have all the windows open. I tried to do this yesterday but once the temperature in the house got above 80 I had to break down and turn on the old air recycler. Pre-pregnancy me could handle a wider range of temperatures, but now if I get too hot I feel like I might faint and that could be trouble when I am home alone. One of the perks of living in a first floor dwelling (for the first time.. ever..) is that you can open the door and go straight outside, skipping all those stairs. The downside is that you can't leave the windows open when you are away, or even when you are asleep at night. Our neighborhood is pretty much one of the nicest in Raleigh so I bet I could leave them open at night and be just fine.. but .. I felt much better when I left them open all the time on the 3rd floor. At least if someone was in the mood to do us harm they would really have to work for the "privilege". 

In other news, Dad is holding steady, doing well though still in a lot of pain. Mom said the doctors assured her it's not the most extreme case they have seen. Everyone is very optimistic that this will all be over soon and he can go home. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. 

I myself am feeling marginal today. Hardly slept last night and have been super drowsy and nauseous all morning. I have a doctor's appointment today so that means I have to get it together, shower and shave, so that I can feel presentable at the office. Also, Stephen and I have "our" breastfeeding class tonight at the hospital. Wish us luck!

Update

Dad is in the hospital and they have him on a strong blood thinner at the moment. He is not in ICU but he is in an area that is heavily monitored by hospital personnel and he is being watched very closely. He is in a good deal of pain, hurts to breathe, but seems to be in good spirits otherwise. The nurses told my mom that they expect him to be there at least until Wednesday or Thursday. After he is released he will have to be on Coumadin (blood thinner) for the next year at least. Right now is the critical period in a situation like this. Watching and waiting to make sure that the clot does not move and that it reacts well to the medication. Please continue to keep Dad in your prayers. Can't thank you enough. 

Urgent Prayer Request

My Dad had surgery this past Wednesday and has been recovering nicely since then. He called me around 3 o' clock today to say that he was having pain with his breathing and that he was headed to the hospital to have a CT scan to rule out a blood clot in his lung. Mom called about 30 minutes ago leaving me a voicemail saying that they found a blood clot in both of Dad's lungs and they are admitting him right away to start him on blood thinners. That's all the information I have at the moment but I am asking anyone out there who reads this and is a praying person to please pray for my Dad that these blood clots will stay put until the blood thinners can dissolve them away. Please pray that the Lord keep him safe and that he can get back home soon. Thanks everyone.

Happening

Scanning through some old pictures tonight I found these cheesy shots I took of myself in our apartment in Jersey while experimenting with my new camera. Look at that.. I had forgotten what my old stomach looked like. Hope to be returning to that body at some point. 

Stephen and I decided to go on a date tonight. We have recently realized that our days are numbered in this area and that we better take advantage of the time we have while we still have it. We went to a local burger place and then for a cupcake downtown and then to a movie. The burgers were great. The cupcake earned a C - and the movie was horrible. We went to see M. Night's new movie "The Happening"..... yawn. We even read the New York Times review before we decided to go see it and I have to say I feel mislead. Granted the reviewer did not give the best recommendation, but he/she didn't properly warn that this film would certainly cause drowsiness. Cheesy. Boring... we are Mark Wahlberg fans but even he allowed himself to be poorly directed in this one. We should have gone to see the "Sex and the City" movie... 

I am not really looking forward to another date night at the moment. Being out and about in this town was depressing to me. I, of course, love being with Stephen but I felt like we were out in some sort of ghost town. This is a metropolis in the state of North Carolina. This is the capitol city. Yet when we entered the cupcake shop, though 2 of the 3 tables in there were occupied, it was silent. Everyone could hear us order our Key Lime Cupcake and small cup of coffee to go. Where is everyone ? Could it be that the town was deserted for Father's Day weekend ? Am I being unfair ? There were people around.. walking on the sidewalks.. in the theater.. the theater was so clean.. and quiet despite being 2/3rds full. Sometimes I feel like I am losing my sanity being at home all day alone (yes yes I know I know I know.. once the twins get here blah blah blah.. I will be busier than I have ever been yadda yadda yadda). I think to myself, "I am just going nuts here because it's so quiet in the house.. but when Stephen gets home maybe we will run some errands or go shopping or something and then it will feel more normal" . Then we go out.. and it's just about as quiet out there as it is in here. I am coping better each day but tonight.. I feel like I am about to crawl out of my skin. I need to get lost in a crowd.. to feel like I am not the only one out on the road at 11pm... I need to feel like there are others out there like me.. not these "urban" zombies wandering around the outdoor mall waiting for the movie to start. I haven't heard someone speaking a foreign language in about a week, there are no passionate conversations to overhear while walking on the sidewalk. No intense political discussions to eavesdrop on in the restaurant. What is my problem... why can't I be happy with the peace and quiet of this place ? Struggling for contentment.. and bored out of my mind. Living in a beautiful town with loads of culture and exciting happenings... feel like I am living in the woods somewhere. Feel like an ungrateful jerk not to be over-the-moon happy with the new life that we have been blessed with here.. just... struggling tonight. 

For those of you...

...who actually want to see pictures of a hugely gigantic pregnant lady who is all hot and sweaty from a morning "power walk" in near 90 degree weather...

the front view..looks like I am smuggling a frozen turkey under that tank..

Boo-Ya!!! Oooooo you know you are jealous of my huge ..I mean .. beautifully enlarged belly..

... I just remembered that this is only week 30 .. I still have 7 more weeks to go!!!! Can it possibly get any bigger?!?!?!

Went to the ol' OB appointment yesterday.. I feel like I am there every other day right now... we had another measurement ultrasound. The girls are looking great and as busy as always. They each weigh a little over 3 lbs... that's right.. I am toting around more than 6 lbs of baby right now (in addition to all the other stuff that's in there) and it's only going to get heavier!! The great news is that it looks like they are on track to be a very healthy weight for twins.. maybe even 6 pounders.  That would be fantastic. I shudder to think what my poor belly will look like after their departure but nevertheless I am packing in the protein to try and make sure they put on as much weight as they possibly can. I am doing everything I can to make sure we get to skip the NICU with these little ones. 

Baby A (aka Susan, aka Romulus..) was the show-off she always is on ultrasound day. She stared right up into the camera thing and wiggled all around looking cute and sweet. Little baby B (aka Sharon, aka Remus...) was a shy as she always is. She was rolled over with her back up so we couldn't see her face at all. When the tech poked her a little to get her to move to a better position for the measurements, she poked right back. She is not a fan of having her picture taken and is very quiet. I can't wait to see if they maintain these little personality types when they arrive. 

We invited Mom and Dad to come with us to this appointment so they got to see the girls in action. A good time was had by all, particularly after the appointment when we all went to get some food!

We have our potential dates for the birth, haven't decided on one yet. Never really considered the fact that I would be actually choosing their birthday. Stephen has orientation for the school the week that the girls will arrive so we are trying to work all of that out and will let you know when we have a firm date. 

Random baby stuff that I may or may not have mentioned on here... 

... if anyone is interested we are registered at Babies R Us.. not sure why that is really relevant but it occurred to me the other day that I never mentioned that before. 

... names.. we are keeping the names a secret until the big day. Have I already said that? Probably. 

... the birth itself.. we have chosen to have a C-Section with these girls. This decision was tough because we really wanted to do what is absolutely the best and safest thing for both the girls. After talking to the doctors, other friends who have had C-Sections, and reading up online we determined that a C-Section was the safest bet overall. This is based on several factors. 

A) these are my first babies (if it was a second or third pregnancy it would just seem like delivering two small babies and thus would be easier to deliver the "regular way")

B) the doc's won't let me go into labor naturally .. they would induce me .. so I wouldn't even have a chance for my body to do things the way nature intended..

C) I am a pretty small girl and these are on track to be pretty healthy weight babies for twins..

D) Baby B. Baby B would be the one who could suffer from a "regular birth". As the second twin in line she is at a higher risk for being inside too long or getting caught in a breach position and on  and on and on..

All in all I am not looking forward to be sliced open and the recovery that comes with that, and I know plenty of people who have delivered twins the natural way and everything turned out just fine.. but... we feel more comfortable with this decision and that's what we are going with. One of our doctors actually said he thinks that in the future all twin births will be mandatory C-Section, for the safety of the second baby. So.. there you have it. 

I had a nice refreshing walk this morning with my new friend and fellow preggo Erin, and now I am going to take a nice refreshing shower to wash off the layer of ick that has accumulated as a result.

Seventeen Year Cicadas

While we were at the lake over Memorial Day weekend, it just so happened that the seventeen year cicadas had hatched and were out singing in force. I have never heard anything like it. They were so loud it was all you could hear until dusk when they retired for the evening. Pretty cool to be there for something that only happens every seventeen years. The next time they hatch the girls will be about to turn 17 themselves :)

Catching up

Internet at long last. The following are some pictures from the past month in no particular order...



Stephen with cousins Mark and David in Palm Harbor.



This is our new place of residence. If you look carefully, you can see a very small dog looking out the left window (through the tree branches). Posting pictures of the now cleaned up interior as soon as we hang the rest of the art. Tomorrow ...?



Dad and Uncle Gavin on a scenic tour around the lake during our recent stay at their lake house. At first I wasn't allowed to ride in the boat for fear the water would be too rough.. but it turned out to be a calm day so they took me on a little cruise.



My sweet cousin Christa who is now a resident of the great state of Minnesota. She and I used to ride together on an orange plastic sled thing that they pulled behind the boat. So much fun but it did tend to beat you to death. Memories. See that bright blue dock in the distance.. that's the dock that goes with the lake house.. the boat is also Carolina Blue.. this family loves them some UNC. Go Tarheels!!



I didn't get any shots of Stephen knee boarding (drat!!) but he was really tearing it up. My mom even gave it a whirl and did super well after a few false starts.



Here Stephen is cleaning out the pool at Elsie's house in Palm Harbor. Oliver was helping...



.. at least.. Oliver was attempting to help...



Me and Elsie back when I was a sort of reasonable size a few weeks ago. Best seafood I have eaten thus far in the pregnancy...come to think of it.. the only seafood I have eaten... gotta change that.





Stephen and those crazy cousins examining the giant chain hanging from a tree..

So don't you feel caught up now.. hope to post more regularly now..

Where I would like to be at this moment..

..sitting in a sun dress by my favorite fountain at the Brooklyn Museum...eating a chocolate dip cone from Mister Softee.

Progress

Here we are in our new kitchen which is moments away from being completely unpacked and organized. Baby steps. Oliver has been a huge help, alerting us to all the goings on outside his new windows. I think he preferred his previous view from the third floor but he is willing to trade that for the frequent trips to the "backyard" to play fetch..sans leash (shudder). So far so good. He is being a very good listener.

An organized house is within our grasp at this stage and our spirits are high. Vampire Weekend is dancing along on the cd player in the living room and I can hear the whir of Stephen's drill and he starts to put the art on the walls. We debated about whether to sleep beneath the owl or the polar bear and landed on the polar bear as he is slightly injured and will feel less self conscious in the bedroom. The owl is coming in for a landing over the computer desk in the living room.

Stephen is so amazing at making a new place feel like home. He made a few simple alterations to the light fixture in the "dining room" and voila we were able to hang out old green light that we had at the other place. He also went out and got a tiny under cabinet light to put over the sink.. we both hate overhead lighting so these things make us feel good inside and more mentally stable. We are both very dependant on our surroundings for mental stability. Thus the last week has been pretty rough and has seen us spending an unhealthy amount of time in the bathroom, as it was the only room in the house clean and fully put together.

We keep being blown away by the number of people, friends new and old, who want to hang out and visit with us. These new relationships seem to come so easily as, oddly enough, everyone around us is in the same boat - young, married, expecting in the late summer or fall. It's sort of crazy how many of these new friends are having babies around the same time that we are. It's just as awesome hanging with those that are not expecting..overall it's just amazing to have so many arms reaching out..helping us not feel trapped.. helping us feel good about our decision to move here.

Still doesn't feel real though. I watch the Today Show in the morning and and the NBC evening news at night. When they show shots of the city it doesn't feel far away. I feel like I could hop on the train at any moment and go do a little shopping downtown. Sometimes I try to remind myself that I am not there, I am here... but it doesn't work. The city is more a part of me than I thought and I think I like that my mind has tricked itself into believing that I have just moved to another borough.

hangin' tough

New Kids on the Block are playing out on the plaza today. I have to say that I sort of wish I was back on the 24th floor, able to hang out the window in conference room A to see the crazies in the crowd lose it over these guys. I remember listening to New Kids at the Rolla Rink and feeling super cool as I skated around in a circle on my brown rented skates with orange wheels. No, I was never asked to couple skate. Maybe that was because when couple skate started I made a beeline for the snack bar where I sat staring at the menu choices wondering which item I would spend my snack money on, normally settling for Skittles.

We are hanging in there around here too. Still unpacking.. can you stand it ??!?! I can't. I have never take this long to unpack in a new place ... ever. I am practically useless, that seems to be the problem. I can work for an extremely short amount of time before I am dizzy, tired, Braxton Hicksy etc. etc. etc. Then I have to sit down, have some water, rest.. sometimes take a nap. I know it will get done eventually but right now it feels like an eternal task that won't be completed any time this century. I have dreams of our nice neat apartment in Brooklyn, then I wake up here amid the boxes. Grrrrr.

The girls had another measurement ultrasound on Monday and they are measuring exactly as they should be for 25 weeks. They are both the same size and weight and for the first time actually had the exact same heart rate. They weight about a pound and a half each right now. Still super busy and kicking constantly.

Still don't have our own internet service (soon we hope) so I better try to post this before I lose the one bar of WiFi that I have going here. Will post pics as soon as it starts to look more like a home instead of a rummage sale...

Floridian..?

Still without a camera cord so I feel like I have blindfolded my readers, unable to give you a peak at my current surroundings. Still without consistant internet access, stealing wireless when it becomes available.

After two days of unpacking boxes and running local errands to attempt to get settled in our new surroundings, we packed the car and headed down to Florida to visit Stephen's family. We spent the night in Tallahassee with the parentals and then headed down to Palm Harbor to enjoy a long weekend with Elsie and Laura and John and the boys. The weather could not be better. It's the sort of Florida spring weather that temps you into thinking you would enjoy being here all year round. Humid but not too much so, warm not hot. Sunny and breezy and generally a nice change from the weather we had been enduring in NY. We are enjoying our mini vacation.

Right now I am sitting by the pool, watching Oliver run round and round the edge as he tries to get up the nerve to jump in and save Stephen who is spashing around in the deep end. Stephen comes to the side of the pool and Ollie, relieved that he is actually safe, smothers him in puppy kisses. Oliver is not used to seeing the leader of our pack jump into that much water and it seems to be unsettling to him. He is also locked in a battle of wills with the beachball that is drifting in the water. He wants it to stay put and the breeze keeps sending it his way, ignoring his insistant barks that it back off.

We are leaving tomorrow to head back to Tally for more visiting and family time. Being here seems to make the transition seem less shocking for some reason. We are actually starting to enjoy the slower pace, finding the minimal traffic and clean public restrooms a novelty.

Met the Ringling gang in Tampa for dinner last night (Shawn, Ryan, Nathan and his new chica Suki). That was fun and mentally refreshing as always. Not sure why sitting around a Tiki Bar with 4 grown men spouting adolescent comments and inside jokes, simultaniously remarking on the burdens of current student loan ballances, mortgages, and new policies at Ringling is so refreshing to me but I laughed until my sides hurt, as I always do. These things feel like home to me and at a time when my home is not yet fully established those are precious moments.

Carolinian...

I am sitting at the table in our new kitchen...hyjacking someone elses wireless service since we don't have our phone/internet worked out yet. Boxes are everywhere.. furniture is ascew and waiting to be told where to put down roots. Oliver is clicking back a forth from the kitchen to the front door to look out at the grass and then return to his bed to work on his bone. It rained 6 inches last night and the air is cool and damp coming in threw the open window. Stephen has gone to take Larry back to the airport in our car and I am here just in case the gas man comes earlier than expected.

We are far from adjusted. I spent the weekend with my parents at Merlefest having a wonderful time visiting and listening to good music during the day and crying myself to sleep at night missing the hum of the city and the sounds of our little piece of 32nd Street. I feel a little homeless at the moment. Found myself saying things like "at the end of our block" and "we always do blabbity blah at Sheppard"... I have no block and there is no more "we".. it's "they" now. Soon I will find my niche here, I am sure of it. It will just take time. I also spent the weekend snapping at well meaning people who said things like "I bet you are glad to be back in NC and away from NYC!!" ... "No.." I would tell them, " I am most certainly NOT glad to be in NC and away from my home.. I am excited about what the future holds for us here but this is very hard and it's going to take a lot of time to adjust." People just don't get it. The only ones who do are the ones who have been through it (shout out to Wendy.. I know you feel me girl). Stephen is just starting to go through withdrawal, having just arrived yesterday. Last night, after dinner at a Mexican place, he asked for an espresso as he would normally do after dinner back home. The waiter looked confused and announced that they had "regular coffee" which he then delivered in a mug the size of a beer stein with a handful of those little plastic creamers that don't need to be refrigerated. That was Stephen's reality moment. Not only did he miss his favorite hot beverage.. but he also felt the sting of being possibly perceived as a snob.

Anyhoo... that's were we are at.. still haven't found the camera cord but should find it soon and will post pictures..headed to Florida on Wednesday to see all of our family there. Miss you guys.

May the road rise to meet you..

...may the wind be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. May the rain fall softly on your fields... and until we meet again...until we meet again.. may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

All of you Vineyard folk know the emotions that gaelic blessing evokes. Tonight is my Xi Rho .. my closing ceremonies for the last two years in Brooklyn.

I rode the train this morning fighting back the tears. At the Atlantic Pacific stop, a man got on with two brand new bright purple bikes. I lost all resolve and the tears poured down my cheeks. When will I be in this place again ? This place where bright purple bikes share the train car with men in suits, headed to their midtown offices. The normalcy of it all. The coexistence of everyone in close spaces. The knowing looks shared when a fellow rider has apparently gotten up on the wrong side of the futon. The newness is still there. The novelty of riding the train to work has not worn off yet. The luxury of day dreaming for 30 minutes before the official start of the work day. The view of the Brooklyn Bridge, regal and serene, standing watch over the boroughs. The small comforts of anonymous cohabitation. The reassurance that visibility can be attained at will by making eye contact with another.

Stephen and I went to dinner one last time at Burger 67. We ate outside to enjoy the weather. We looked away from each other when the tears welled up. These have been the sweetest of times. Our happiest times to date, where we have fallen in love over and over again. I find myself clinging to every last moment, the last glimpse of BAM as we walk back to the train, the last train ride home from Flatbush, the last evening stroll from the train stop to the front stoop...the last evening kiss on that stoop. I can't even imagine my trip to work tomorrow.. walking down the block for the last time. I know we will be back to visit one day. I have to believe that we will be back. I knew it was going to be hard to leave, but I never expected it to feel like this.

Exciting times lie ahead for us. Endless new experiences and memories. I won't forget what this place has meant to me. How it's shaped me, molded me, given me the promise of twin smiles. I want to write a thank you note to Brooklyn.. pour my heart out and let it know what it means to me. It will continue to march on without me, it won't skip a beat. It won't feel my departure, but I will mourn it's absence from my every day. Tomorrow this will no longer be my home. My journey to a new home will have begun.... I am so horrible at goodbyes......

Be it ever so humble..

I am back and it's official.. we now have a place to call home in Raleigh. Stephen has been packing like a crazy man and packed away my camera cord so I can't show you the pictures yet but I will put them up when I am able. My apartment search was pretty wild ... and I can tell you all about it later (I'm sure you are all eager to hear the minute details -ha) but right now we are headed out to Coney Island for some french fries and a stroll on the board walk. Later ya'll!

Super Quick

Just a super quick update before I finish getting ready this morning. We have been pretty busy around here lately and I haven't been able to take the time to update this thing ..but here goes..

- I am leaving this afternoon to find us a place to live in Raleigh. I have multiple leads, thanks to Ellen's help, but please pray that I will find something quick that we can afford and that the process will be smooth and pleasant for all involved. It would be cool if it's a cute place too but I'm not too picky :)

- Baby girls are doing great. Still super active and growing stronger every day.. some of those kicks are real doozies. I am feeling great and have loads of energy and adrenaline flowing so that I am taking advantage of it as much as I can.

- I am taking back what I previously wrote about pink stuff. I think I reacted to harshly, the shock of the news still ringing in my ears. Pink stuff is cute, pink stuff is girly.. I like/have/wear pink stuff (hypocrite alert?) and if anyone wants to get us anything at all we will welcome it with open arms. We welcome all colors equally.

- If you are in the New York area and have not yet been to see the Murakami show at the Brooklyn Museum - run, don't walk. It is a festival of color and fantasy that is not to be missed.. and if you hurry you might still catch the cherry blossoms that are blooming all around the building. Spectacular in the most commercial of ways.

- Only 4 more days at the office for me after today - YEAH!!!!!!!/ Waaaaa.... :( Still undecided.

- For our friends in the area.. time is running out fast and we don't think we will be having a "farewell party" (we pondered for awhile but just can't get it together).. so.. if you have time this weekend or next week (before Thursday) please give us a call and we would love to hang out.. come one come all.. come none that's ok too. We are going to miss you all SO much...

Alright.. that's it for now... Will let you know what I find !!!

Much love!!

Too hot to handle..

Drum roll please... super healthy... right on target for their gestational age... identical ..... GIRLS. Stephen is thrilled and doing back flips. I must admit, I cried when the nurse gave us the news. I was sure at least one, if not both, were boys ... I feel more comfortable with boys.... I grew up with a brother, not a sister. Frankly.. I'm a little scared of girls!! Still, after getting over the initial shock, I am growing use to the idea and getting more and more excited. Of course the most important thing is that they are healthy, so thank the Lord for that. We are both enjoying referring to them as "the girls" or "the ladies". Stephen calls me/us "his girls". For some reason, the fact that they are both girls made Stephen feel sure he wanted to try for more kids later on. We were both sort of on the fence but I have always wanted at least three so I am glad he is no longer afraid to try for more - given the outcome of our first attempt ;) Word to the wise - these girls will not be sporting pastel pinks until they are able to choose for themselves.. so... take it easy on the pink frilly stuff folks. No matching outfits either. I want these cherubs to have the best chance they can at individuality. More to come on that in the future :)

In other news... STEPHEN GO THE JOB AT THE SCHOOL IN RALEIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We found out today after our other exciting news about "Susan and Sharon" (btw -these are not their names guys.. but a reference to my favorite twins growing up from Disney's "The Parent Trap")!!! They were "very impressed" and it was a "unanimous decision". My man blew them away with his rugged good looks and mad artist skills. What a rock star!!! We were so psyched all afternoon calling people to share both sets of good news and answering the phone to hear congratulatory greetings. It was like finding out we were pregnant (for the first time) and winning the lottery on the same day. I am headed down to Raleigh on Tuesday (thanks to the very generous Larry) to hunt for an apartment with Ellen - who is already helping me scope out viable options that I find on Craigslist. It's going to be a whirlwind for the next two weeks but.. we are so excited to finally know what direction to head in!! 

Thank you every one for your well wishes and prayers over the last weeks and months. 

Interview Day

So this will have to be super brief because my hip is killing me and I kinda feel like I just got hit by a truck - long day. Stephen's interview today went incredibly well!!!! He is on his way home now, and when I spoke with him earlier he said that it could not have gone better! He got on really well with the principal, so well in fact they were laughing about kids and talking like casual buddies by the end of the day. They have one more candidate who is interviewing tomorrow, but the guy said that if it "didn't work out" with that person then he didn't see the point in searching any further since Stephen is exactly what they are looking for. We will know something definite early next week.. maybe sooner. Thank you everyone for all of your prayers and good vibes and thoughts. Stephen felt very confident after the interview, enough to say that if it didn't work out and he didn't get an offer then it just wasn't meant to be since the interview could not have possibly gone any better. He felt completely at home at that school and with the faculty that he met with. Thanks again everyone ... and now I am going to plant myself on the couch with Ollie and wait for the man of the house to get home.