First. as promised, a photo of the tree. I set it up in the library so that people can see it from the road:
Then, a funny picture from the "Saoirse is silly" collection. Here we are making meatballs for our spaghetti the other night. The girls actually both wear this piece of Tupperware around, Saoirse just happened to be wearing it this time. What I love about this pic, though, is that it captures how nonchalant it all is. Like it's a normal hat, not a really silly thing to be wearing on your head.
Chris and I took the girls out the other night to finish up some Christmas shopping. It is awesome to be able to shop for them without even trying to keep things a secret, since they don't understand what's going on anyway. While we were shopping, we stopped at My Urban Toddler, a place I've mentioned before. Usually we just shop there, I've never been brave enough to take the girls to the playspace alone. This time, Chris was along, so we tried it out. It was awesome, and now I feel guilty for not having tried it out before. It's set up like a little town, with an open space in the middle, a "road" running around it, and little stalls all around the outer ring that are different stations. There's a market, a library, a theater, a house, etc...each one filled with toys and stuff that go along with the theme. Here are the girls playing in the fire station:
Chris went to Cleveland yesterday to help his parents with some stuff, and I didn't feel like being cooped up in the house for over 24 hours with the girls, so we drove over to visit my parents last night. This afternoon we took the girls out sledding for their first time. Saoirse kind of liked it. Rowan loved it at first, until she tipped over rounding a corner and faceplanted into the snow. 
And while we were in G.R., I saw a sign last night advertising that Kate Gosselin (of Jon & Kate plus 8) was signing books at the nearby Barnes and Noble. I already owned the book, and I thought it sounded like fun. So we stayed an extra night, and Chris drove over here this afternoon to join us. I was a bit nervous about going to the booksigning, because I had a bad experience at one in NYC. I know, dorky, right? Most people have bad experience stories about bars, or one-night stands, or vodka (well, I have one of those too, actually). But I have a "bad experience" story about a book signing. But I used to like the author Jodi Picoult. She wrote a couple books I really enjoyed, and I was reading most of her stuff for a while. It's nothing that's going to win any awards, you know, but it's enjoyable. Then she came to the B&N by our place in Manhattan, and I dragged Chris there with me. We sat through a reading, for her new (and pretty weak) novel. Then we stood in line for ages. And you know how when you're standing there in line, you're kind of thinking...what am I going to say when I get to the front? Well, the guy right before me told her while he got his book signed that he lives in Hanover, NH, went to Dartmouth, his mom sees her around town. (Apparently that's where she lives). I hadn't known that before. So I get up next, like 10 seconds after he says this, and I say, "Well, I didn't go to Dartmouth, but my freshman year roommate at Michigan was from Hanover." Kind of in a "what a small world" kind of way. Hanover isn't a very big place, I thought it was an interesting coincidence. She doesn't even look at me, says, "You don't have to try to impress me." Seriously. I thought I might punch her. I said, "Uhh...I wasn't trying to impress you. I went to Michigan, and I'm proud of it. I was just making conversation." Then she handed me the book she signed, and I left. And I have never bought, or even read, another one of her books. Was I being too sensitive? Chris laughed about me being so pissed, said he'd hate to get on my bad side. And he would. ;) But seriously, what a bitchy thing to say. So...I'm wary of meeting people that I like from afar.
But Kate was nicer, I had no trauma. I told her that I have twin girls from IUI ( as she does) and that because of her my husband is terrified of my "just one more." She laughed, said, "As he should be! Maybe he can learn something." And that was it. Okay, we won't be best friends, but I still like her. Here's a cheesy picture of me talking to her to prove that I'm not making it up out of some stalkerish psychosis. :)
12 days 'til Christmas....
the Christmas spirit
Sorry for the lack of posting. Adjusting to having Chris at home, and job searching, is throwing everyone off a little. The girls had colds this last week, which seem to be getting better. We're starting to settle into a new routine. We're keeping our fingers crossed that an opthalmology job turns up soon. And we're getting ready for Christmas.
If it were just Chris and I, I'm pretty sure we would be going the Scrooge route this year. We're feeling pretty Grinchy. But...we have kids. Yet another way that having kids changes your life (and you). So I hung the Advent calendar, put up stockings, wrapped some gifts, and we ventured out in the snow to get a tree. The first tree, actually, that Chris and I have ever had. Our apartment in NYC wasn't a great place for a tree (small, a long trip up on a small elevator...plus we would have had to walk a tree home like that scene in When Harry Met Sally). Last Christmas the kids were still so small...I could barely breathe, let alone get a Christmas tree. So this year it is.
Here are Chris and the girls all bundled up for the trip:
Here the girls are taking a ride in the cart meant for the tree:
Something I learned while at the tree farm: the girls know what to do if you say "smile" for a picture. Here's Rowan, and then a before and after set of Saoirse.
I'll post pics of the tree later. It's not fancy, but it smells so good. And having the decorations up does make us all feel more in the spirit.
Teething is no joke
I never really took it all that seriously before I had kids when people said their children were teething. I guess just because I took it for granted. Every person in the world gets teeth, after all. It just seemed so routine, how bad could it be?
Rowan never really has had all that much trouble, but Saoirse does drool and chew and sometimes get cranky. But today really topped it all. She was acting strange on Thanksgiving, but then when she passed out at the table I chalked it all up to exhaustion. But today she just wasn't herself right from the beginning, and by early afternoon she was in full meltdown phase. Screaming and sobbing until she hoarse, throwing herself on the floor, drooling by the gallon, totally inconsolable. When I managed to get my finger in her mouth, there were three molars breaking through the surface. So almost her whole mouth is swollen, no wonder she's in such pain. I lay down with her and finally got her to fall asleep, but she woke up screaming again after only about 45 minutes of fitful sleep. It was awful. Her pediatrician's office is totally closed on weekends, so it's pretty handy that Daddy is a dr. Once she started on some Tylenol-3 late this afternoon, life has been quieter. She even goofed around a little, and we were able to go to Toledo to meet some friends of ours. As Chris said, "Wow, that codeine really works!" Yes. And I have a new respect for teething.
Here's a picture of Saoirse once she got dosed enough to be calm:
And here she is getting ready to go visit our friends. Isn't she cute in that hat?
I'm an auntie....:)
Okay, so they were born like 6 weeks ago, but yesterday I got to see them. These are at least the second cutest set of twins I know. :)
Newborns smell so good!
If I do say so myself
I consider my first turn as a hostess of Thanksgiving dinner a success. I know I'm bragging, but since this blog also serves as a family journal/baby book of sorts, indulge me for a minute.
Menu:
She woke up about the time we were finishing, and then decided she'd eat after all. After she took a few minutes to wake up, she was back to being herself. It's amazing how little sleep she needs to keep going. She shared her drink with Rowan. They're getting better every day at sharing with each other.
After dinner the girls just enjoyed hanging out, and they helped us put stuff away in the fridge.
Watching them run around squealing, getting grandparents to "chase" them, Saoirse wandering around the basement wearing her white silk scarf on her head like a ghost, seeing Rowan actually come into the other room to get Saoirse and seeing Saoirse follow her back out and play with her...these kids get better every day. So much to be thankful for.
We're thankful...but...
I've put off writing this post for a few days, because I wasn't sure what I was going to say. Most of this blog is pretty lighthearted, regardless of the stresses of raising two high-energy kids, working, maintaining a marriage...you know, life. But this is a tough one to spin.
We we were told on Monday that, "due to the economic downturn," Chris is being let go from the practice he's been at since April. They will pay him through April 1st, because he's under contract, but he has been "relieved of clinical duties" in order to look for another position. Yeah. The practice that recruited us, that we moved to a new state for, that encouraged us to buy a home in Toledo (thank God we didn't) because they wanted someone who planned on having a long-term commitment to the area and the community...that practice has now let Chris go. So now we have until April for Chris to find another job in the area that will allow us to keep this house. Unless that happens, we're going to be one of those news stories of people who bought a house and now can't sell it for what they owe. (Everyone please keep your fingers crossed that the new government really does pass some kind of foreclosure relief package, just in case) It has come as a pretty big shock, medicine tends to be sort of recession-proof. Apparently not this time.
So...thankful. This is probably one of those times that it's even more important to count your blessings, right? That's what Oprah would say, I'm sure. :) So here goes:
I'm thankful:
1. For our health, of course. It's obvious, but still important.
2. That we are lucky enough to have people who love us, enough of a safety net that even if the worst case scenario happens, we won't starve or be homeless.
3. That if this was going to happen, it happened when Chris and I are still young enough to recover, and the girls are young enough that they won't even remember it.
4. That this means that for the next 4 months, Chris is home with us. The girls are totally thrilled already. The last two days have been great for them, it's like a perpetual weekend.
5. That Rowan is such a great sleeper. It took like 9 months for her to get there, but it makes life much easier now that she sleeps consistently through the night, about 12 hours a night, and takes a 2 hour nap in the afternoon.
6. That Saoirse is such a sweet kid, and so good at entertaining herself, during the day. She's agreeable so much of the time, it makes it easier to deal with Rowan's need for more attention during the waking hours.
7. That Rowan and Saoirse, more every day, are developing a great relationship with each other. I love getting to watch that. They share with each other, even when I don't tell them to, sometimes. They play little games with each other now, I totally love to just be able to sit back and watch them laugh with each other. I love it when they hug and kiss spontaneously.
8. That Chris and I are solid enough that this latest setback isn't something that threatens us at all. It's a lucky thing to be married to someone that you're so happy with, that you're totally sure is the right person for you, that you can honestly be grateful for. It's easy to say that no matter what happens, as long as you've got each other, it's okay. But it's amazing to be able to mean it.
9. I'm grateful for public libraries. Honestly, given my totally out-of-control addiction to reading, right now I'd be freaking out at how I was going to get my fix on the budget we're obviously adopting for the foreseeable future. But no....I can just go check out some books for FREE! (I know, I know, we pay taxes so it's not exactly free. But we'd be paying the taxes whether the library existed or not) Honestly, the idea that libraries are a thing worth using some of the tax money on was a pretty damn genius one.
10. I'm grateful for the chance to host my first Thanksgiving tomorrow in my own home. I've been really looking forward to it, and it's going to be great. I really hope it's the first of many in this house, and that it's not the only one. But even if it's the only one here, I'm going to really enjoy it.
Here are some photos of the girls helping Mommy make buttermilk biscuits for tomorrow:
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rowan and Saoirse have decided to get up about 2 hours earlier than usual the last couple of mornings. And Saoirse has skipped naps entirely three times in the last week. That makes for long days. What does it say about you when you need more sleep than your 18 month olds?
We've spent some of that extra time starting our Christmas shopping, getting stocked up on some warm weather clothes, and preparing for Thanksgiving. Rowan and Saoirse are totally psyched for Christmas this year:
Here's Rowan wearing a new hat to play in the car, and then one of both of them. It was pretty chilly, even in the garage.
Saoirse wore one of her new t-shirts today, and she looked so retro it cracked me up. Burnt orange cords, a retro Batman tee. She looked like she could have been Chris or I, back in the 70's. Or, looking at this photo, her Uncle Blake. 
And this, because although she doesn't sleep as much as I would like her to, when she does sleep I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. 
