dear Santa: can I have some stranger anxiety, please?

With the exception of meeting Santa, maybe, it was a very Merry Christmas!

We are back from an amazing time in California, and definitely enjoying staying on Pacific time because for the first time in a year, it feels like we're sleeping in. So much catching up to do! More to come...

Happy New Year!

Christmas in the city - this year and last

This really is the most wonderful time of the year in New York City. And that's coming from a girl who loves the summer so much, my husband thinks I'm going to leave him for it. The city gets all dressed up for the holidays, and since we'll be leaving for California in a few days, I've been doing my decoration-seeing over the past couple weeks.

(I only got pictures on my phone because my real camera has been hiding for the past couple weeks. I refuse to believe it's actually lost. But if you happen to see a little Sony anywhere, let me know...)

By the tree at Rockefeller Center

It started to snow as soon as we got there! Pure magic!

Humongous snowflake at 5th/57th

Jewels growing on trees in the Tiffany's window

One of the Bergdorf Goodman windows

Chelsea Market isn't a typical stop on the NYC Christmas route, but I wanted to check out their decorations made from reclaimed materials...

Last year needs an honorable mention here. We made this trek with our friend Will just before last Christmas, when the babies were in utero instead of in strollero. I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but doing this with babies that are already born is soooo much easier! It may well be the first thing that has been easier post-children. All that walking while 9 months pregs-with-twins just wiped. me. out. And it didn't even send me into labor like I had hoped.

It was crazy cold BUT I was so excited to wear Jared's old, super thick down coat that I coveted all through college--at least the cold winter parts of college. (I told you it was old.) I could barely zip it up over my big belly! I looked like Violet Beauregard except instead of a blueberry, I was an olive. That's okay, Jared loves olives, and I didn't have to worry about him leaving me for them. Because I was one.

By the Rockefeller tree, with the wind shooting pellets of ice/snow into our faces. Totally worth it.

okay, there was more than just climbing

<--Isaac | Bethany-->

In no particular order, at 11 months...

*Isaac started saying no. He has a knack for finding danger. (That's my way of rationalizing that no is one of his first words--he obviously hears it a lot.)

*Neither one is walking or standing unsupported yet. We thought they would take after their daddy and walk by 10 months. Everyone tells me to be okay with this. I am.

*Bethany will point to her ears when you say ears and sometimes her toes when you say toes. But usually she points to the ears whether you say ears or toes.

*Isaac will point to whatever Bethany points to. Or stick out his tongue whenever she does. That mister loves his sister.

*Bethany has different laughs, but the most commonly used one sounds kind of like a crackle. Sometimes I think it's a courtesy laugh. Even still, she's stingy with it.

*Isaac's current favorite mode of transportation is cruising. He will travel along walls, bookshelves, sofas, etc., for as far as they will take him, only crawling when absolutely necessary.

*Bethany continues to defy her pediatrician, who has told us for 3 visits in a row us that she'll shy away from people by the next visit. She still makes friends everywhere she goes. She points them out, literally, with her sweet little index finger. You, be my friend. You, giggle at me. You, smile and wave. You, saw "awwwww."

*Isaac still loves his friends but is beginning to prefer his mama. Yesterday he hung out with Katie for a couple hours while we took Bethany in for round 2 of her flu vaccine (she was too sick when Isaac got his). Katie said that toward the end, Isaac was searching the apartment, saying "mama." I think he was looking for sister, too.

*We bathed them together about a week ago, for maybe the first time ever. It was complete chaos and both Jared & I ended up getting soaked. Not doing that again for a while!

11 months and moving on up!

The twins are 11 months old today!

It's hard to tell what they are doing that's new--it feels like they are just doing more. More babbling, more cruising, more climbing.

Oh, the climbing!! It's going to be the end of me. Just when I thought their nursery was sufficiently babies-proofed, they learned to climb and cannot seem to stop. I do love these pictures though, mostly because of Bethany's deliciously chunky thighs and Isaac's faceplant-climb...

Maybe one day I'll blog about how I expertly reupholstered that chair instead of covering it up with a mattress pad. But for now this is going to be the kind of blog that shows old chairs covered in mattress pads.

Needless to say, we moved that chair away from the window, and out of the room. Sad/painful climbing experience has also led us to make other changes: we moved their swing out of their room, we began a daily ritual of flipping over their ottoman so just the legs poke up (yes, it's less dangerous that way), and now I usually put them in a crib when I have to leave the room even for a minute. They're fast little monkeys! Wow, if at 11 months all I can say is how much they climb, then clearly the exhaustion of chasing them down has really set in.

But oh my, these babies are the best! Before heading out into the cold yesterday, Isaac thought that Bethany was hilarious in her hoodie. He was probably laughing at all her mismatched stripes. I caught it on video with my phone: (wait for the cuddle at 35 seconds! you will die! tell me if you don't die!)

Happy 11th month, babies!

CT thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is Jared's favorite holiday. And while Fourth of July and Christmas still top my list, I do really love that this day is all about family, friends, food, and gratitude. This year we had a short, but great Thanksgiving weekend in Connecticut with some of our favorite friends from UCLA--the Shamos, Martins and Thomases.

Getting there was absolutely insane, I can't not write about it. Jared had to work a full day in the clinic on Wednesday, and there are 2 little ones that would have made a late night trip (how do I put this nicely?)... difficult. So we planned to take the 7:07 AM train to New Haven on Thanksgiving morning. Once you're on it, it's a really pleasant under 2-hour>

I bet right now you are thinking we must have slept in and had a domino effect of drama as a result. If so, I am sorry to say you are wrong but that you must know me very well, so points for that. Here's what really happened (if this feels like the end of Clue, well then that's awesome)...

Somehow we woke up early enough that we realized, if we hurry, we could get on the subway (A train) leaving at 4:18 a.m., transfer to the 7 train at 42nd Street, make the 5:35 train at Grand Central, and get to CT almost 2 hours earlier than planned. If we missed, we would have to wait an hour and a half for the next train at Grand Central. So it was kind of a gamble, but we went for it. We threw those last items in our bags, yanked the kids out of their cribs, made an unexpected diaper and PJ change for a very wet little boy, tossed those babies lovingly into the stroller, and glanced at the clock on our way out the door. It was 4:09. That meant we had only 9 minutes to take our elevator down 19 floors, RUN (literally) a third of a mile (probably), and take 2 more elevators down to the subway platform. Our train pulled up as we went down in that last elevator, and Jared and I panted and laughed and stared at each other in disbelief and then fist bumped as it took us away. It reminded us that we used to do that kind of crazy, by-the-seat-of-our-jeans stuff all the time when we were young and fun, at least 11 months ago.

Sleeping babies, sleepy mama

Finally at New Haven Union Station. They were just putting up their tree.

Our Thanksgiving meal was perfect. Jared made the turkey and gravy; Jen did mashed potatoes, fruit dip and pumpkin cake; I made my Aunt Carol's famous rolls and apple pie; Jaime made two more delicious pies; and Janae made sweet potatoes, green salad, cranberry salad, green bean casserole, several pies, and was an amazing hostess, and made it all look easy and beautiful, aaaand was heard saying "I feel like there's more I should be doing." Rick & Jared M did all the cleaning up. It all went smoothly and deliciously.

Happy first Thanksgiving, babies!

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing in front of the fireplace, playing with babies, watching Elf and eating leftovers. We also made it out for some early-morning Black Friday shopping (girls only), to Avery's and got a bajillion sodas, to the playground (it was freeeezing but Jared still pushed those kids on the swing like a dedicated dad), and the two Jareds fit in 9 holes of golf. Once again, I didn't get enough pictures of everyone, but at least the babies were well-covered!

Jared waited a long time for the day he could throw his kids around.

By their giggles it seems like they'd been waiting a while too...

Owen, Rick & Isaac

Bethany & the boys drive some race cars

Double-teaming Caleb

Bundled up for a walk

3 sleeping babies

Janae & Isaac

Boys vs girls in Emma's room

Maybe this is where I should include a thankful list. And maybe it sounds cliche but for the last few months I've felt like my heart could burst with gratitude at any moment. For now, let me just say that this Thanksgiving I felt especially grateful for the good people in our lives--the ones we've known forever, the ones we've known for 6 years like our dental school friends (including the ones we missed this weekend!), and especially the little ones we've known for not even 11 months.

tongues of fun

What?! We have tongues??

The twins have made this discovery lately, and Jared caught it on video the other night. Tongue time was cut short by me asking "who's first?" for bath time. But even their reaction to that is pretty adorable.

"cured"

Bethany's post-op appointment was yesterday, and the doctor thinks she's cured! He actually used that word. I'm still cautiously optimistic... I will have an eye on that eye for a while, I'm sure. But still-- this is great news! Yay!

Hopefully this is the last of the eye business (and posts), although I realized I hadn't described the surgery. It's really a pretty routine procedure-- the scariest part was putting her under general anesthesia. I was allowed in the room with her only until she fell asleep with the oxygen mask. She fought that mask but quickly surrendered and passed out, although she was breathing very quickly. I asked Is that normal? as if I were the only one in a room full of doctors and nurses that had noticed this abnormal activity. Yes, it's normal. And then they said Mom, you can go about 12 times before I actually left her side, and even then I practically walked out of the room backwards, watching them papoose her little body.

Just 20 minutes later, it was over. The ophthalmologist had led a tiny probe down her tear duct (that little black dot in the inner corner of the eye), looking for 2 things: (1) to see if the duct itself was smaller than it should be, and (2) to see if there is a blockage. Bethany's doctor actually found both. The duct is just a little bit small, and so he tried to widen it a bit and doesn't think it will be a problem in the future. Further down he found an actual blockage and was able to clear it with the probe.

Bethany immediately looked better after the surgery, which was unbelievable. We had expected maybe some bleeding from the eye or nose, or bruising later on, but there was only the tiniest trickle of blood from her nose. She was cranky coming out of surgery but cheered up after some food and a nap. Later that afternoon she got grumpy again, but was better after some tylenol. She must have been sore, but she toughed it out.

I think she did it. She's done with it. The teary eyes don't seem to be coming back.

We are so appreciative of everyone's prayers, concern, help and offers to help. It's made a huge difference for us. We have felt the love, and love you all right back.

Yay!

a year ago: 32 weeks

It's hard for me to believe that a year ago this week I was 32 weeks with childs and parading around in

<--this condition. Feels like a lifetime ago.

Here's why I remember this particular week...

At each appointment, my doctor would measure my belly to estimate/confirm how far along I was. I'm pretty sure they do this for everyone (right?). Of course, having twins makes that number misleading, but I still thought it was fun to know: "ah, so this is how I would look/feel at ## weeks with one baby."

At the appointment 2 weeks before this picture, my 30-week appointment, my measurement was 40 weeks-- that's full term! So I was anticipating (and pretty amused about) going in and getting a higher than full term number. It was crazy to think that as the pregnancy went along, I would just get further and further past full term size. I had heard of some twin mamas measuring as large as 52 weeks!!

My official measurement at 32 weeks: "Enormous." That's a direct quote from my doctor. She never even gave me an actual number.

We know, however, that at 30 weeks I was measuring 40, and at 35 weeks she managed to get over the enormousness enough to calculate me at 43. (I eventually delivered at 38 weeks measuring 45.) So apparently, somewhere between week 40 and 43 is where the medical profession has identified the "enormous" range. Just in case you wanted to know.

cuteness for your Thursday

Their daily--no, several-times-a-day-ly--ritual of dumping the shoe basket and pulling all the board books off the shelves (I finally got smart and moved the tearable ones out of reach):

And just a massive double dose of cuteness:

Bye!