A Successful Soccer Season

The rain has not cooperated with Oliver's (already short - just 5 weeks) soccer season, so they hosted an extra make-up session last Friday at 4pm, (prefect for these two working parents).  I had been pressuring Adam to come watch, but 11am on Wednesday isn't exactly the best time to be slipping out of work for over an hour. I loved watching Adam see how much fun Oliver was having. 

First Strawberries of the Season

Oliver is really enjoying watering our plants and asks multiple times a day to play out back on the patio.  It's a drawback to our city lifestyle that there isn't more room for him out there to play on a bike or with a call.  But, he is water-mode, so he's happy.  He loves to play with the hose, fill the watering can, water the plants, dump water on himself, make handprints/footprints on the cement -- lots and lots of fun!

Lately, we have gone out on the patio after dinner to check on the strawberry plant.  It has been a great motivator to get Oliver to eat some more: "If you eat 5 more bites, you can have a strawberry for dessert".  How awesome is that?  Not a cookie, ice cream, etc... a single strawberry from the garden is motivation enough!  I am so happy we bought some strawberry plants! 

POTD: Early Halloween

Last night at bookclub, I was fortunate to get a few baby items I could borrow and some 2T hand me downs for Oliver (perfect timing!).  I also got a 6-12mo spider halloween costume that Oliver got a big kick out.  The inevitable happened after lunch and he was asking to wear it.  I was pleasantly surprised that we were actually able to get him in it (coincidentally he is wearing black pants, or he would look a bit ridiculous).  Of course, getting him to stand still for the photo-op is no easy feat!

Assorted Cuteness

Pauline just started a class at the community college that has us scrambling a bit, because she needs to leave the house, 3x/week around 5pm. Since I needed to continue working when she left, I plopped Oliver on our bed to be babysat by Bob the Builder. When I heard that the episode was done, I went back in to the bedroom to start the next one, and found Oliver "playing" with the vaseline container I keep on the nightstand. The sheet was a goner and his hands/forearms were covered! Luckily, it's only a 10min show or it could have been a real disaster!

Oliver doesn't mispronounce too many things (he's been able to say words like helicopter and motorcycle sine he was 18mo old!), so it is especially cute when he gets tripped up.  

          1) Potato - I tried saying P-P-P Potato.  Oliver replies "P-P-P Tomato!"

          2) He calls the elevator "alligator"

It's time for us to clean up our language (I know, I know, we should have already!).  Mommy taught him "what the hell!" a few weeks ago (Philly cab drivers! It's not my fault).  What cracks us up, is that he always says it in the right context.  I was working upstairs one morning while he and Pauline were playing legos in his room.  I hear the tower fall down and then a little voice exclaim "What the hell!".   Thanks to a weekend with our college friends, he has also started saying "sucks".  He doesn't really understand this word yet, so we just reply "socks"? very puzzled. 

M&M 32 Week Update

On Monday, I went for my 32 week ultrasound, a non-stress test (to measure the babies activity and heart rate), and regular OB appointment.  All systems are go!  Unfortunately, starting at 34 weeks, I have a ridiculous amount of doctor appointments to look forward to, including seeing my OB every other week, a weekly ultrasound and bi-weekly non-stress tests - UGH.  Thank goodness for health insurance!  I feel like they are going a bit overboard with all this monitoring, and I will be pushing back as much as I can.  If I have nothing putting me in the high-risk category other than my twin status, is this really necessary?  They have a laundry list of things for me to monitor and I haven't experienced a single symptom.  Ease up people!

Anyway, both babies are still breech, and that doesn't look to be changing anytime soon.  Needless to say, I remain EXTREMELY uncomfortable and that's just the way things are going to be until the end.  M&M weight 4lb 2oz & 4lb 4oz - the weights are good for two reasons 1) both are above average size for 32 weeks (less good for me)   2) the difference between their weights has narrowed.  If one is growing faster than the other, it can be cause for concern.

This weekend my college friends, some of whom had come in to town for a double-birthday party, took me out to for a "Non-baby-shower" lunch (since I'm a baby shower poo-head).  I couldn't have asked for a better outing - I'm one lucky gal!

Gardening Fun

Last weekend we did our annual gardening project - this is the sixth year that I have planters/window boxes filled with herbs and veggies.  I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't have the energy to get real flowerbeds added on the patio, but we have a lot going on with babies on the way and the bungalow deck. Lately, Oliver is happiest doing anything that involved water, so this project was right up his alley.  Squeezing out the rag to "wash" the inside of a planter was a big hit, and he was wet, and pantless in no time (such a cute toddler look).  

Playground Fun at Omi's

While we were in Jersey, we enjoyed a family day at my mom's house with Nicole & Devon and my mom's friend that was visiting from Switzerland.  Before an early dinner, we took the boys to a local playground, where they had a lot of fun.  It is so great that Oliver gets to enjoy playing with his cousin - the age difference (7mo) seems to shrink with every visit. 

Opening the Bungalow

A few weeks ago, we went up to Jersey to open up the bungalow for the season.  It's amazing to think back how far our bungalow improvements have come since we got started - and we still have a LONG way to go.  This summer, Phase 2, we're getting a dec built.  We also need a new kitchen table and possibly a couch in the living area, as well as some furniture in the guest bedroom.  For now, we aren't going to do much in the kid room - might as well wait until they are old enough for real beds, or bunks.  My mom got Oliver & Devon cots (similar to what daycares use) and the twins will be in a pack & play. 

It was also pretty eye-opening to see how much Oliver has grown - we noticed a difference from the start vs. the end of the season last year, and the change was even more pronounced now.  Last year, Oliver was afraid of gravel and I couldn't really help much, as I needed to be within 2ft of him at all times.  This year, even though I probably shouldn't have been, I was able to rake leaves and just had to keep him in my line of vision.  He was more than content playing with rocks and sticks. Of course, he was happiest driving the old Jeep and tractor that were in the club pavillion - which he visited 4 times over the course of the day.  My mom & her friend Ellen came up in the afternoon and had fun with Oliver too!  He was in heaven and was talking about being at the bungalow for over a week afterwards.  Hopefully, new twins won't keep us from the club this summer. 

30 Weeks: M&M Update

I'm 7 weeks and 6 days away from my scheduled C-section.... not that I'm counting or anything!  With both babies breech for the past few weeks, I have been HIGHLY uncomfortable.  Imagine trying to eat, type at the computer, etc. with a basketball sitting on your lap... yeah, that's my life.  Two weeks ago Adam & I went for the 28wk ultrasound and we could see their heads next to one another on the screen.  They are already conspiring against us!

Other than the obvious discomfort, things are going well.  I've worked full-time from home the last two weeks - I got a monitor and keyboard for my laptop sent to the house, which really increased my productivity.  How nice that I work for some a great company!

I just can't believe how HUGE I am.  At my 29 week appointment, they told me I was measuring 35-36 weeks (so, if it were one baby, I'm carrying almost at full term!).  I was always measuring small with Oliver, so I honestly don't think I got this big the first time around.  {Nervously biting my nails as I realize I still have TWO months to go}

30 weeks

Because I can be a good sport about this, I figured I'd post a photo from when I was pregnant with Oliver - lest you think I am exagerating by my current large-ness.  I don't have a good side shot from the day we went to the hospital, but suffice it to say, I'm not lying when I say that I am larger now (or at least the same size) as I was at the end of my last pregnancy.  

"Wolfie" at 37 weeks