Seven Quick(ish) Takes

Today's theme: babies. Or perhaps "offspring," since I am coming to realize that Michael isn't much of a baby any more. This makes me sad. But I guess with two more on the way I don't have much to complain about, do I??

1. I realized that when I posted yesterday about being huge I forgot to include a picture of my current bump for comparison. So here I am at about 18 weeks with twins.

2. Speaking of twins. With Michael I remember constantly having to push him back down away from my ribs so I could breathe. I don't remember when this started--maybe the end of the second trimester? I guess I just have a short torso! Anyway, I am sorry to say that these little ones are already trying to climb their way up into my diaphragm/stomach. Or something. Not comfortable.


3. I am a little disappointed because I wasn't able to schedule our ultrasound for next week, since they need to set aside extra time for twins. So we won't be finding out the genders until the week after next. I've been reassured that finding out the sex isn't any more difficult with twins than singletons, but the twins and I have been having some heart-to-heart conversations about cooperation, just in case.


4. I think that Michael has been going through an intellectual growth spurt lately. He is getting pretty good at communicating, and his list of words is growing pretty steadily. Because I am sure you are all dying to know, here is a convenient list of his most common words, complete with translations.

Mama
Papa
Gaga (grandma)
Keek (Keith)
kaka (avocado)
nana (banana)
ba (ball)
ka or kak (car)
kak (clock)
kunk (klunk. As in banging his head against something.)
ig (egg)
eezh (cheese)
eezh (Jesus)
eezh (keys)
bap (beep; also his term for the microwave)
bubbo (bubbles)
na (no)
ee (eye--usually accompanied by a finger poke in mama's eyeball)
hm (home)
meetbo (meatball--he hasn't said this since but I put it on the list because I was pretty impressed.)

Also I think he sometimes says "poopy" when I change his diaper, but I could be imagining things.


5. I just realized that I forgot #5 when I originally posted this. Oops.


6. Because Mama is the boring parent, and because he no longer nurses, we hear "Papa" a lot more around these parts lately. One day he chatting to himself and I asked if he could say "Mama." He looked at me, smiled, and said "Mama papa papa." Back when he used to have trouble saying "Papa," he used to do the same thing only reversed: "papamama." It actually really touched me because I realized how closely we are tied together in his mind. Papa, Mama. Both of them. Separate but united. Of course. That's how it is, how it's supposed to be. That is his reality, his world, and I am so grateful.


7. I think I'm going to have to break down and buy some yarn for the babies. I just can't stand it! Only one nearly-finished shawl stands between me and baby knitting, and gosh darn it I need yarn.

Huge

I know that every woman feels huge by the time she's in her third trimester. And each woman totally deserves to express that feeling.

But. I, at one day shy of 19 weeks, am here to express my feelings about hugeness.

I remember reading someone's blog who was complaining of looking huge at eight months. Like any woman would. But I looked at her bump and I thought, my goodness, I was that big when I still had four months to go. And then ... I kept getting bigger.

My father-in-law was there to yell "surprise" at my baby shower before he, my husband, my dad, and my brother went out for beers or something equally masculine. Afterwards he said, "So, I noticed there was another pregnant woman at your shower. She seemed like she was maybe two months behind you?" I answered, "Actually, she's due two days after me. Unless you meant the other pregnant lady there who is due a month before me."

He didn't really know what to say, poor guy.

Me at my baby shower! 

I would like to point out that I still had two months to go when this picture was taken.

Meanwhile a friend of mine had her bridal shower literally a month before my due date. Someone uploaded the pictures to Facebook almost a year later. I like to think that I have a little more perspective now that the baby is out and over a year old.

But tell me if I'm wrong. Or if I'm right. I think I'm right.

Huge.*

(For comparison the lady on my right was due a month after me.)

Considering that I was outgrowing maternity clothes in these photos ... I'm kind of scared of how big I'll get this time around. :-P


*I kind of hate this photo because it looks like I'm working real hard to feed that belly, haha. But it serves its purpose!

Garter problems ...

Still working on Rock Island. I finally finished the edge and picked up stitches for the body, which started out as a few rows of plain garter stitch. Then there was a lace chart which I zipped through, and now it's garter stitch from here on out. 

Apparently I have problems with garter stitch.

I think it's because this is a bottom-up shawl and so there are a TON of stitches, and without a lace pattern to automatically let me know if my stitch count is off ... well, I'm not going to count 200+ stitches every two rows just to make sure I'm on track.

Somehow, in the ten rows before the lace pattern, my center stitch migrated by two or three stitches (not insignificant) and I came up a stitch short overall. Ugh. Eight or so rows into the body I realized I'd forgotten decreases at least once, maybe twice, and had started decreasing on the wrong side row instead of the right side.

Sigh.

Things seem to be back on track now. I did some finagling, because no way am I ripping out miles of garter stitch in laceweight.


So far I've only read the introduction of The Year and Our Children and flipped through the rest of the book, but I'm excited. The traditions and celebrations in this book are so tied up with the liturgy and liturgical prayer, thoroughly grounded in the life of the Church. I can't wait to read this and begin some of our own traditions as our little family grows.

Linking up with Ginny.

An endless edge ...

I have been really bad about responding to blog comments lately so I just want to say THANK YOU to all those who commented last week with protein suggestions. I've been getting a little better with my eating habits during the day. It does make a difference. That and (yes) coffee. Seriously, the other day I had all this energy and patience and was thanking God for the grace and then I realized it was also the caffeine (just an 8oz cup) ... I think that caffeine and grace are not always mutually exclusive. ;)

Thank you also to those who commented on my "Process" post about my anxieties over the twins' birth ... now that the initial shock is over, I am back to living my daily life in such a way that those worries aren't as present. Your comments were so very helpful and supportive ... thank you again.

(Speaking of the twins ... the night before last Keith was able to feel one of them kick from the outside! So exciting!)

It is so frustrating right now to not be able to knit for these babies yet! We are on a tightish budget right now until Keith starts his job next month, so no yarn money. Instead I've been tackling some shawls that I've been meaning to knit with special skeins in my stash. Right now I'm working on Rock Island in Tosh Lace. The color is Tart.

Please pardon the clutter in the background!

I think that has to be one of the best colors ever, and most aptly named.

This shawl starts with the edging. 71 repeats of the edging. I've been knitting since Saturday and am on repeat 41. Ugh. I've finally memorized the pattern and that helps a LOT, but it didn't happen until around repeat #30, and knitting those eight short rows over and over from a chart was so tedious. I'm hoping to finish by tomorrow, though.

I'll probably finish the book tomorrow, also. And then it's time for a break from the world of Westeros.

Linking up with Ginny.

Honeymoon shawl + baby tricks

I really enjoyed knitting this shawl with my honeymoon yarn. It is a great pattern; the border flew by for me because it had long repeats, but they weren't too difficult to memorize (although I did always have the pattern handy to double check). Right now I'm working the crochet bind off, so I will probably finish it tonight.

That monster of a book is moving quickly enough, too. (I should have taken a picture from the side so you could see how thick it is ... almost 1000 pages. Yikes.) I realized that season 3 of Game of Thrones actually ends somewhere in the middle of book three, so in another 200 pages or so I should hit new material. (Although I admit, I've looked ahead a bit for one or two characters' timelines. For shame.)

Today was my last appointment with the midwives. They don't deliver twins, so I have to find a new doctor. :( But we got to hear both heartbeats today, and Baby A kicked the doppler a few times. (S/he is the one I always feel moving. Very seldom Baby B.)

Someone has learned a new trick. He likes to do this and throw all his stuffed animals out of the crib, then cry because his monkey is on the floor.

Energy levels are up and down with me lately ... and I need to find ways to eat better during the day. I find that I am already having trouble eating a full meal (at 16 weeks!!) but I get HUNGRY. Please share your suggestions for eating protein that don't involve lunchmeat/tuna/dairy (as I get enough cheese and yogurt already--probably too much!)--pretty please? :) I'm eating for three over here! 

Linking up with Ginny's yarn along!

Wendell Holmes

Ever since finding out we have two buns in the oven, I've been itching to start some baby knitting. But I don't have any blanket-quantity yarns stashed in gender-neutral colors, and until Keith starts his new job the yarn budget is non-existent. Soooo .... today I cast on a shawl. I really like Corinna Ferguson's patterns. Knitting her shawls feels different and refreshing. (I knit her Poe for Malabrigo March.)

I bought the yarn on our honeymoon in Nova Scotia, and it has since been waiting for the perfect pattern. I worry a bit that the single-ply yarn won't get along with the texture, but we'll see!

In between books right now so I am catching up on Dappled Things.

Linking up with Ginny!

Process

This weekend went by in a whirl. Not externally (that was pretty boring, especially since Keith went in to work both Saturday and Sunday), but internally. As you can probably imagine I have a lot to process after Friday's news! Just half an hour ago I parked in front of the building and lugged Michael and the diaper bag up the steps, unlocked the front door while balancing both, went up ANOTHER flight of steps, unlocked a final door, and sighed in relief to step into my own apartment. I can't imagine doing this with two newborns added to the mix. I mean, I won't have to--we won't be living here anymore--but still, the idea of unloading and transitioning from car to house after a shopping trip is kind of insane.

This is the kind of thing I was thinking of when I would tell friends I thought it might be twins (I was measuring ahead and feeling very early movement), and then immediately say "But I hope it's not!" But honestly, even though thoughts like that pop into my head all the time now (TWO more cribs? Will three car seats fit in our car? When to wean Michael?), I can say that they no longer freak me out. I kind of shake my head at them in disbelief, but also amusement.

Because the thing is, all of that craziness will pass. It is/will be a part of reality, but it isn't ever going to be the most important part. The most important part was seeing my babies moving on an ultrasound screen. There is no way that you can see that and not have your anxiety put in context by love. There are your children.

The stages I've gone through have been interesting. Keith and I walked away from the hospital overwhelmed, happy ... a whole mix of emotions, but unable to fully wrap our minds around it. Telling people helped make it real, and as it became more real it became less fearful and more joyful.

And then yesterday I woke up terrified, not of having three under two, but of everything that might go wrong with delivering those babies. The fact that trying for a natural, vaginal birth might not even be possible; the fact that my babies may come too early and spend the first days (weeks) of their lives not being held and nursed and spoken to but in a hospital getting their heels pricked ... oh, I was so scared.

So that is where I am at in the process right now. Working on letting go of fearing things beyond my control that may or may not happen. Especially fear of getting a c-section. This is a fear I never dealt with when I was pregnant with Michael, and suddenly it is huge for me.  Luckily I have a friend who gave birth to twins via c-section and had a wonderful, positive experience that she was gracious enough to share with me. I think that's what I need right now. Not stories of vaginal twin births--I know it is possible, that my body is capable, yadda yadda.

Before this pregnancy I would have said that c-sections are not evil, they do not make your birth experience less valuable or your body a failure. You make a baby for nine months and bring it into the world! That is amazing no matter how you deliver your baby. And once they are born, how they were delivered won't matter, but the fact that they are here.