Brookie and Caroline Smile

My college friend Wendy says that babies finally smile when you are at your wit's end of taking care of them....you know, for encouragement. Brooke and Caroline started smiling last week, but really kicked it into high gear just in the last few days. Brookie is the one really laughing, Caroline is slightly more subdued at this point. Jack is taking his job as a big brother quite seriously recently....in this photo he's telling Brooke that he has a "Yellow AND green dinosaur."

I am so tired I nearly fell asleep waiting for these pictures to upload, but in brief.....J's trial is over and while it was hard fought, he lost. Not without great presentation though. I sat in on his closing argument and, dear reader, he's really VERY good. A pleasure to watch....it was particularly interesting to watch the jury, they were entralled. I am still negotiating my part time/consulting situation. I am also contemplating taking the rest of this year to raise the babies and then get back into things next legislative session, or January 2010. Our nanny hunt has stalled and we're struggling with that issue altogether. However, the tribe is thriving and well, and that's really all that matters.

Fat Tuesday

Greetings from our sleepy Midwestern town, home to the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country. Laissez le bonne temps roulez! Aunt Emmy visited us this weekend and had a chance to go to the parade and party in Soulard. We attended a neighbor's Mardi Gras party and had one too many Hurricanes....demon rum hits again. (Note that in our current lifestyle, two was considered too many....)

Apologies for the lack of blog updates, I had no idea friends were actually reading this! Thank you for checking in with us. I have been working on a part time work proposal and also a consulting firm concept, which has taken up most of my meager free time. I am hoping to have some sort of resolution soon, I have about another month before I am scheduled to head back to the office in some capacity. However, I did get a some what positive response initially from the head of our department, so I am hopeful that we'll work something else out. Now I just have to find another fabulous nanny to help us out.

J is at trial this week, retrying a case that ended in a mistrial over two years ago. He picked the jury yesterday and is probably giving his opening statement as I write this. It is a murder trial, high pressure, etc., but I do think that he enjoys putting on his case and will see this week as exciting once it's over! He's one of the best I've ever seen, I hope to see his closing statement later this week.

The twins had their 2 month doctor's visit this weekend. Caroline is 10 lbs., 11 oz., Brooke is 10 lbs., 12 oz., they are nearly the same size exactly! They are in the 50th percentile for full term infants, which puts them above 50th percentile for preemies, so their progress is fantastic. They are doing really well, though still sleeping in their baby papasans. Oh, well.

Jackson is doing really well and starting to enjoy being a big brother. We have been taking him to a "Monkey Joes," which is basically a warehouse filled with bouncers and inflatable slides. For the $5 admission price, a better time cannot be had! I am working on scheduling swimming lessons and other activities for the summer.

In the pictures, the twins sleep together, Aunt Emmy comforts two crankies, the twins post-bath and Jack reads me a bedtime story.

Winter Wonderland

Last week landed us with a 7 inch snowfall....nice to look at, not fun to remove. Jack went on his first sledding experience above, please ignore my husband's plumber's crack. J sleeps with the baby angels. Jack is talking to 'his' babies and teaching them the colors of their butterfly mobile. This picture is the first one where I have all three of them in the frame, I think it's just priceless.

The early days with the twins have not been easy and Jack has had some issues adjusting. But I received an email from an old college friend this weekend.....he and his wife are having fertility problems, which is so hard. I remember back to those bad old days for me and it is truly hard to believe that I've come from a terrible relationship without any hope for a family to having three kids and a wonderful husband within a six year time span. I had a lot of arguments in those days about whether or not having a family is worth the sacrifice, etc., etc., what is the right life choice? I made a risky one to go it alone and chose the family and it worked. And I was right, it is the most rewarding experience I've ever had. So, my fingers are crossed for my friends. Family life is a long journey, but it's a rich one.

Terrible 2s continue & Grandma's visit

The twos are trying us as parents. Truly. I now believe that the terrible 2s occur in order for parents to be able to let their little ones go to preschool and therefore start the process of emptying the nest.

You'll find a picture above of Jack sitting in our master bathroom sink. In a two minute time span (J and I both thought he was with the other), he climbed up on a chair, sat himself in the sink and turned on the water. A little bidet experience, if you please. We're just glad he turned on the cold. This picture really doesn't do the situation justice, as the water splashed down the cabinets and covered a great part of the bathroom. There are no words. We are now blocking the bedroom part of the house off with a safety gate while we are in the kitchen/great room area. I could continue with our Jack stories, but there are really so many! I am reading "The Happiest Toddler on the Block," which suggests that Jack is a Happy Spirited child and the best bet for us is to keep him terribly busy and run him around outside as much as possible. Good news is, he seems highly intelligent and will probably rule the world. Just have to get out of the toddler years.

Grandma visited this weekend and had a good time with her grandkids. We took Jack to see Elmo LIVE! He cried when it was over, so fun was had by all. Caroline and Brooke are enjoying their new mobiles in the pictures.

Week 6 with the Twins & Why I Hate Monopolies

Like most American cities, we have but one electric provider. This practice originally began with the concept that whatever company invested in the infrastructure to light a city then had the ability to charge its citizens for the service. This my elementary knowledge garnered from a lobbyist acquaintance who works for the electric devils. Needless to say, this practice does not provide for good service. Our city's company does not maintain its lines, causing entire areas to go dark for days on end, in storms, in heat, or any regular day. It is an outrage. And where I live, they just received a rate increase, resulting in an astronomical bill for me this month. Apologies to my journalism professors, this is a ridiculous lede.

We lost power on the coldest day of the year thus far on Thursday. The excitement began at 4:30 a.m. and was resolved by 3 p.m. While this would be a problem for anyone, with preemie twins who are not supposed to be exposed the elements, this was quite the drama. We spent time at J's office, Jack's godfather's house and Nana's boyfriends. Nomads, we were. (Made me check the box for the Heat Up program on my bill this month, though.) Electric companies should have to bid out and they should have to do it regularly. I don't know what I'm talking about, as I'm sure there's some sort of process, but there really should be more accountability. I know, I know -- parts of the world are surviving on oil-powered generators, yes, I know. Still irritating.

The twins are 6 weeks old this week and are doing well, nearly 8 lbs. each. We went to the doctor's today, everywhere we go we are celebrities. It's weird to have all this attention, I'm not sure I like it. Jack is getting used to the twins and has been very sweet. He is headed to preschool hopefully in April, but it's definitely time. J and I are surviving. In the pictures, Auntie Carrole visits and assists on a Monday, the twins nap together, Jack and I play outside in the leaves.

One week down.....

Today we celebrate the twins' first week anniversary at home. Things are going pretty well, though we all feel as though we are running a marathon. Aunt Emmy described twin baby care as Groundhog Day, feed, wash, change, do it again. She's right! Saturday marked Aunt Emmy's departure home, very sad for us, but we're thankful she was able to stay with us for so long and help us get settled in.

Jack is acting like a 2 year old, a bit worse than normal, but he has been very sweet to his sisters. A little too sweet, as he tried to feed Caroline a green bean the other day, but we're working out the boundaries. The babies are eating pretty well and learning when nighttime arrives. Overall, we're holding together! In photos, Jack sings to his sisters, Brooke is pretty in pink, and Caroline decides that she hates Tummy Time.

HOMECOMING

Nineteen days it took us to learn to eat on our own, but we finally did it! Today the girls finally made it home and we are thrilled to have all the chickies in the nest. Brooke held us up one extra day trying to eat a bit better, but she finally passed all her tests yesterday. We are forever grateful to the wonderful nursing staff and neonatologists at Mo Bap, as they were eternally patient and empathetic to our plight this month. The twins' most frequent and our favorite nurse, Katrena, saw them off today, a fitting ending to their stay.

Big brother Jack accepted the babies in stride. He is very interested in them and has been terribly kind, wanting to feed them and even giving them his favorite new toy, his stash of Dora and Diego bandaids. (No, he doesn't have the actual need for a bandaid, but likes to wear one every day). While sibling rivalry is surely in our future, at this point, all is at peace.

So far as the pictures, Jack is feeding and loving on Caroline. We dressed the girls in the same outfit for coming home, which was a mistake! We can tell them apart, but at first glance, they certainly are twins. Brooke is the one sleeping. Finally, a picture of their cribs in the special needs nursery, their first home. We are so grateful that we are finally out of the hospital!