Announcement #2

Hey kiddies, today we had announcement number 2 via the Facebook.  I wonder if it will still be around when you guys are using computers.  Probably will have been replaced by something cooler and hipper and you guys will make fun of me for using Facebook.  Bratty children.

Anyhow, as your dad puts it, a seismic wave of good wishes came your way from Mommy and Daddy's friends all over the world.  It's sort of cool, and we're hearing from people we haven't heard from in a while.  I will explain to you who all these people are later, but it's nice and there are lots of people who are excited to meet you.

Also, Mommy told her boss yesterday that you two were coming.  He kissed my cheek and hugged me for too long.  It was sort of adorable.  Then he told me that it was time to start thinking about myself first before Apple (where Mommy currently works) and that I should start delegating more.  It's a relief to not have to think about the most baggy, least stomach-revealing clothes every day to work.  Cheesesteak was warm and fuzzy and supportive, which is nice for the Mommy's peace of mind.

Oh, you guys had a check up yesterday (which led to all this news spilling).  Apparently my cervix is not incompetent, so you guys shouldn't fall out before you are done cooking.  And the third genetic screening test came back and everything was negative, hurrah!  While it isn't a guarantee, it is telling us that the risk of you guys having some genetic disorders are pretty low.  And we looked at your heartbeats, and you guys are all good.  Nice work so far, cherubs.  Keep up the great work!

So cherubs, in what universe is it fair that I have to drink a gallon of water a day and then am up all night, night after night, with dry mouth?  At least it means that I have lots of water in me at all times of day and night since I am constantly wetting my mouth.

The first Announcement

The day has finally arrived! All tests look good, and we're ready to broadcast your arrival. Here's my post to Google+ (the social network I'm working on at the moment).

(Yes, my profile image is a picture of a lego statue of a dude in a tie-dye shirt, jean shorts, and a big jew fro. That's exactly what I looked like when your mother first saw me. No clue how we got past that first moment.)

Double the Trouble

Hi cherubs, I am glad there are two of you in there.  You guys can be buds.

But I sure am glad that there are not four of you:

http://www.sfgate.com/life/healthzone/article/Mom-gives-birth-to-two-sets-of-identical-twins-at-4287871.php

Law School Flashbacks

All of a sudden, all I want is pizza and Sunkist.  I blame your uncle Gerg.  We had that meal many a time in law school.

Sunkist is caffeinated in the States do that's not happening.  I already had the pizza...

Waterlogged

Baby brioches, I have been depriving you.  Depriving you of precious water you need for your healthy development.  I am sorry!! I thought having a minimum of two liters of water a day was enough.  But last week, the case manager said I am barely having enough water!!  Apparently, with the pair of you, I need to have a gallon a day!!  Gah.

Your first pictures

A couple of pictures of you guys, to look back on fondly.

One of you is all stretched out as your picture was taken -you are 13 weeks.

The other one of you was sucking your thumb - you are 13 weeks.

One of you is all sprawled out, and the other one is all curled up at the top.  You guys are baby cherubs here.  Just past 12 weeks.

Happy 18 Weeks!

Hi cherubs, you just finished 18 weeks of development kicking it in the belly.  Depending on which website one reads, you are either the size of a mango dipped in cheese (gross, but it's something about some layer of fat which is protecting you guys from becoming raisins with the amniotic fluid), a banana pepper, a bell pepper, or a deli pickle.  In any event, you are growing steadily in there, and I think I can feel you more every day (especially when Daddy is driving around winding roads and you guys are sloshing around in there).

To celebrate your 18th week in the womb birthday, we went to Mendocino.  Your dad planned a trip and we had a gorgeous weekend along the Northern Californian coast.  Buns booked us into a bed and breakfast which was adorable, but hilarious because the restaurant was vegan.  Cherubs, you do not currently enjoy the vegan food.  I had chilaquiles with tofu eggs, and it was sort of gross.  Anyhow, after too many hours of traffic on the way out there, we checked into our adorable room complete with fireplace and we went to a lighthouse, and walked along the gorgeous Mendocino headlands, and we saw llamas, and miniature donkeys, and horses and sheep and tons of dogs.  We took the Dubster to a off leash dog park where he got tricked by waves that splashed him when he wasn't looking and we had superb food at a little French restaurant.  All in all, you guys had a pretty good 18th week in the womb birthday!

Also, this homeless man (or he may have been a very dirty hippy) sad to me, you are beautiful like a picture, and look, you're carrying a little one!  Little did he know that there are two!  Doctor's appointment this week, so I hope you guys are doing well in there!

See below for a shot of your parents at the Marin headlands.

Valentine's Day

Hi baby brioches, I thought today would be a good day to tell you about the last romantic Valentine's Day your dad and I had before you guys.

So I hope that you know this by the time that you read this, but I really love your father.  He's thoughtful, kind, loving, generous, smart, funny, patient and pretty much the best partner a girl could hope to have.  This morning, he decided to display his many virtues in the form of breakfast.  This morning, the Dubster woke me up by doing his morning tyrant session (although I feel like you two will likely take over the tyranting throne when you come to join us).  I woke up and noticed your dad wasn't in bed and the bedroom door was uncharacteristically closed.  I got up to let out the Dubster and your dad said, "close the door sweetie."  I thought I smelled something, but was too sleepy to worry about it so I went back to bed.

Flowers that your dad had waiting for me when I woke up.

Later on, at 7:30 ish, he told me to come into the living room and there was a lovely vase full of orange tulips (my second favorite flower after peonies, which are not in season right now) and breakfast.  Your dad had woken up at 6am to make me waffles, from scratch, and sausage, and fresh whipped cream.  The night before, I went with your Uncle Yuping to go see Die Hard and he apparently sorted out things with florists and got groceries and hid them from me.  Then in the morning, he woke up, and he actually beat egg whites to fold into the waffle batter because he read they would be more delicious that way.  And then Buns and I had breakfast, which you two thoroughly enjoyed, and sausage which I shared with the Dubster and we were all happy.

Tonight, we are going for dinner at a restaurant I've wanted to try in Half Moon Bay, and then we are all going to Mendocino for the weekend tomorrow.  Pretty awesome, if I say so myself.

You guys are too young to think about these things, but I can only hope that you can find the same kind of partner in your life as I found in your father.  And that you guys grow up to be more like him than like me.

Happy Valentine's Day, cherubs!

Fruit and milk

Last night, I talked to Grandma (partially to wish her a happy Chinese New Year, but partially to check in on you two).  Her advice this week was, if you want your babies to have beautiful skin, drink lots of milk and eat plenty of fruit.  And while I generally laugh at her advice, because she cracks me up, I am sitting here drinking chocolate milk.  And I had grapes and an orange yesterday.  So apparently you never get too old to take your Mama's advice.

Also children, I am lactose intolerant.  I hope for your sakes that you are not and can enjoy dairy with impunity.  And that you appreciate how much I love you when I drink milk.

And yes, this is a guilt trip technique that you will know well by the time you are capable of reading these blog entries.

Happy New Year!

Hi cherubs!  Happy new year!  Last night, I had a dream that there was a snake that was in the yard, and we were trying to figure out how to avoid it.  But then it kept coming at me!  Since it's the year of the Snake, and your Chinese horoscope sign will be the Snake, I have to assume that it's because I am apprehensive about you two.

Seriously though, your very anxious mother has not been calm and zen throughout this pregnancy. I worry about you guys every day, worry about whether you're healthy and happy, whether you are still there or you broke curfew, whether I am looking pregnant enough, etc. And because of that, I have made up all sorts of rules about when we're allowed to talk about/think about things, of which rules your father has been very lovely and tolerant.  Some of the things include no talking about logistics until after the first trimester, no talking about names until the third trimester, no signing up for parenting classes until after the 20 week anatomy scan, and other things that are designed to make me feel better about you two.  It's seriously insane, and I know this.  I try to be calm because I know you guys are unhappy if I am stressed, and for the most part, I think it's working.  But then of course, your crack medical team may be helping with that bit.

Anyhow, the moral of the story is that I am scared but also happy and so excited to meet you two.  I wonder what you're going to look like (hopefully like Daddy), whether you're going to get along with the Dubster (see right), whether you will have my memory and/or Dad's spatial skills, what it's going to feel like to hold you.  I am so hopeful but terrified all at once.  You will see one day, God willing.

Oh, as a side note, I made dumplings for dinner as is the tradition on Chinese New Year (once, your grandpa tricked me into making 500!).  You, however, did not love them.  They all tasted like lamb to me, and I believe it's all your fault!  Lamb flavored boiled dumplings is not delicious kiddies.  Not delicious.  Daddy was sad, and may have lectured you about the importance of dumplings.  Please try to sort that out.  Thanks.

Hisssss

Aunt Stephanie has this to say about your astrological sign - I am sort of grossed out thinking about you two and sexuality:

Sensual Snakes are sensitive to changes in weather, dislike the cold, and accordingly during Snake years warmer climates are preferred. A creative, artistic year, filled with pleasure, enlightenment and beauty. Music, dance, art galleries and museums thrive. 2013 brings a slower paced, quiet, behind-the-scenes lifestyle.

A deep-thinking, philosophical year, where intuition and all things middle-of-the-road reign supreme. Beware the green eyes of jealousy in 2013, as Snakes are also quite possessive of that which they call their own. Carnal passions and deliciously scandalous romances abound.

Some of the most physically beautiful women and powerful men were born under this sign. Sexuality is a Snake specialty.

Ravenous

Baby Brioches, you were hungry this morning.  I had a morning meeting and I forgot to grab a Nutrigrain bar so you were not happy.  I could tell because you were either kicking me, or writhing from low blood sugar.  I grabbed a dollar after my meeting and went in search of something from the vending machine.  But you were saved by the group fruit basket.  And so we all had a pear, perfectly ripe, and we were happy.

But then...I went to lunch with Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Amy.  And you were still hungry.  And before I knew it, I had ordered one chocolate shake, one basket of chicken tenders, and one swiss and mushroom hamburger, medium well of course.  And they came with a side of fries.  Which I proceeded to eat, dipped in ranch.  All of it.  Except half of the burger.

You stopped kicking me.  Perhaps because you are too full to move.  You are lying there, like I wish I were, waiting for the food to digest.

Well done, cherubs, well done.

Ouch

Darling children, you know I love you.  But must you make it so I wake up every morning with a headache?  I know it's not you, and it's the increased blood volume.  But it's no sort of joy in the am to wake up like I had a night of boozing behind me.  Especially as I have had no booze in months.  I know that my doctor told me that Tylenol is okay, but I don't want to take something unless I have to.

Also, one of the things that makes Buns crazy about me is that I do not wake up hungry.  Usually, I feel like my stomach is still sleeping because I am awake earlier than I would like.  But recently, I am starving in the morning, and I think it must be you two.  Buns says, of course, because you're his children.

Also, Lent starts next week.  In the past few years, I have been tried to do something good for myself (leading to many 1am gym sessions) and give something up (the beef/pork once a day last year was harder than I had expected).  But this year, you two are my something good.  And I am giving up raw fish, raw eggs, undercooked meat, large fish, soft cheeses, caffeine, alcohol, sleeping on my back, and salicylic acid for you two.  So happy Mardi Gras to you two!

Out of Breath

This morning, you two were doing something weird.  Moving around too much or something, but it sort of felt hard to breathe when I was lying in bed.  I read that's normal, but it's not delightful.

You guys still have a thing for Mexican food.  Salsas and spices and other Mexican flavors.  I barely resisted a Meximelt at Taco Bell yesterday, but only because I knew Dad was out getting us food.  It was hard though, because I think it's what you really wanted.  But you were rewarded with carne asada enchiladas, so all's well that ends well.

Did you know that you get fingerprints from swirling your little hands around in amniotic fluid?  That's why no two set of fingerprints are identical.  Weird, huh?

16w3d Scan

We had your 16 week scan today.  Well, 16 week and 3 day.  You guys were both hiding behind my belly button (aka the belly button cesspool) causing a long shadow on the ultrasound.  Thus, no heartbeats measured, no CRL to be had.  Instead, the pair of you were moving about to no end.  I think one of you even mooned us.  Which led the doc to tell us that he thinks you're a girl.  But if you're not a girl, well, hopefully this doesn't embarrass you when you're a teenager.

Another scan will occur in 2 weeks, where they will check to make sure nothing is open down there so that you might fall out.  And then at the beginning of March, full anatomy scans for the pair of you!

Best Super Bowl Commercial

Watching this commercial yesterday totally made me cry.  I blame you two.

Adorable baby horse commercial

Do I just look chubs?

For weeks now, I have been making your father crazy with daily questions of "does this make me look pregnant?"  The thing is, even just past 16 weeks, I haven't yet made a public announcement about being pregnant, so I am still trying to keep it on the dl.  However today, I put on a totally normal outfit for me, jeans (albeit maternity ones) and a shirt that I always thought looked flattering on me.  As I looked in the mirror, I thought, oh shoot, I am totally pregnant.  My belly has outgained my boobs!  Nice work kids.

The thing is, the scale tells me I've only put on 3 lbs or so since before I was pregnant.  And I am pretty sure those 3 lbs are all giant uterus, amniotic fluid, and you.  So it's time to amp it up.  Milkshakes are my plan toward putting on enough weight for you two.  Maybe the doc will tell me tomorrow that it's all fine and that I am putting on plenty of weight.  But we will see, my cherubs, we will see.

Hope you're having fun in there!  I read that you two are touching each other now (well, as best as you can through your separate placentas).  Play nice please.  Also, as of Saturday, you are apparently each the size of an avocado.  Your grandma asked, when I told her, a big avocado or a little avocado.  I wasn't sure how to answer, so I just said a 4 inch avocado.  That seemed to make her feel better.