That is, we're enjoying another surprisingly 'free' weekend! Today marks our 'estimated due date', which we'd like to remind folks is an estimated date, not an expiration date ;) Babies are still fine, and we'll think about trying to convince them to join us on the outside later this week if they haven't yet started/completed the process. Among other techniques, apparently acupuncture can be quite successful in starting labor. Woo hoo needles here I come.
Yesterday we went hiking at a local open space preserve (yes, I said hiking... it was a steep hike, too!). It was a wonderfully blue-skied day, and it felt so good to be out in the woods enjoying the spring wildflower show. Just a few of the flowers that we saw: Monkeyflower, Starflower, and Wild Red Columbine.
To cool off after our hike, we went to the local pool. Julian the fish-boy swam a million laps, and Kara the buoyant whale swam enough laps to relax a tight back before retiring to a shady spot in the grass to eat some granola bars!
And last night, we washed the cars :)
It's a lovely cool morning, and I'm enjoying the dawn light and the scent of roses wafting into the house through the screen door. Though I've been awake since 5am, I'm grateful to have slept from midnight to 5... it's been an erratic sleep week, to say the least. The night before last, the babies decided to throw a 2 hour rave filled with dance moves quite new to all of us. We're talking full-blown baby grooving - hands here, feet there, booty shakes and body gyrations. It would have been comical except for the fact that their excited nonstop kinesthetics were taking place between the hours of 12:30-2:30am, I was exhausted, and you can imagine the discomfort of two 6 pound balls of bone busting moves in your abdomen. How I did not hemorrhage internally, I have no idea. Thankfully Julian was a saint when I woke him up by bawling out of pain and frustration, and eventually the babies tired themselves out. It seems that the babies have rearranged themselves a bit post-dancing, so that they are both settled a bit lower (hip hooray!). Now, however, Footsie's feet aren't obviously popping out of my belly but we think are instead stationed behind Head-Head's head... poor Head-Head must really be getting a whoopin' now!
Off to enjoy the day...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Baking
The babies are still baking away. Here we are at 39w, 1day. Poo on all those people who had the nerve to tell me that 'twins come early'. Although you predicted that our babies would end up in the NICU, you were blissfully w-r-o-n-g. I feel blessed to have a supportive husband, care providers, and an online group of moms all due in April who encouraged good health upkeep, education, and a positive attitude; although part of life is luck, these factors certainly played a part in evading premature delivery. Our babies, apparently, like to bake. Let's just hope the timer is up soon! People are really starting to gawk at me in public now - ha ha!
Julian and I had a good weekend. Saturday we went to the gorgeous Stanford University campus and to their art museum, which offers free admission, an important factor when you are playing the 'halve-your-income-while-doubling-your-family-size' game in CA! The museum houses fairly impressive rotating exhibits in addition to the permanent collections. We saw some ornate wooden masks from Namibia's indigenous peoples and also a collection of landscape paintings by American artists of the late 1800s/early 1900s. Many of the paintings depicted North Eastern wild lands such as the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the White Mountains, and Acadia, which left me longing for the forests of New England. After the museum we went SHOPPING at the Stanford Mall, a bourgeois display of designer boutiques and upper-market shops. However, Julian did find a pair of thongs (hooray) and some new dungarees. And lastly, we trucked over to a diner for some hamburgers - YUM!
The baking theme (besides babies) has been buttermilk for the past two days. Yesterday I happened upon a fantastic buttermilk corn bread recipe (just add 1/4 cup sugar to the dry ingredients), which we greedily ate for dinner along with BBQ pork chops, and fresh from the farmer's market golden beets and also sauteed greens - the beet tops and rainbow chard. Julian was surprised to find that he likes the taste of fresh beets!
If you like chocolate, buttermilk, and muffins, you absolutely must bake this recipe for chocolate-chocolate chunk muffins. I just love 'em, because they aren't overly sweet and are very moist and dense. Best when warm from the oven, or just pop in the microwave after they've cooled. The house smells amazing at the moment, because I just baked a double batch of these (and ate two already... oops!).
Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 370 degrees. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan, or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
Melt the butter and half of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, or in a microwave. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined.
Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough; a few lumps are better than over-mixing the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake for about 16 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.
Disclaimer: This is not my muffin :)
Julian and I had a good weekend. Saturday we went to the gorgeous Stanford University campus and to their art museum, which offers free admission, an important factor when you are playing the 'halve-your-income-while-doubling-your-family-size' game in CA! The museum houses fairly impressive rotating exhibits in addition to the permanent collections. We saw some ornate wooden masks from Namibia's indigenous peoples and also a collection of landscape paintings by American artists of the late 1800s/early 1900s. Many of the paintings depicted North Eastern wild lands such as the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the White Mountains, and Acadia, which left me longing for the forests of New England. After the museum we went SHOPPING at the Stanford Mall, a bourgeois display of designer boutiques and upper-market shops. However, Julian did find a pair of thongs (hooray) and some new dungarees. And lastly, we trucked over to a diner for some hamburgers - YUM!
The baking theme (besides babies) has been buttermilk for the past two days. Yesterday I happened upon a fantastic buttermilk corn bread recipe (just add 1/4 cup sugar to the dry ingredients), which we greedily ate for dinner along with BBQ pork chops, and fresh from the farmer's market golden beets and also sauteed greens - the beet tops and rainbow chard. Julian was surprised to find that he likes the taste of fresh beets!
If you like chocolate, buttermilk, and muffins, you absolutely must bake this recipe for chocolate-chocolate chunk muffins. I just love 'em, because they aren't overly sweet and are very moist and dense. Best when warm from the oven, or just pop in the microwave after they've cooled. The house smells amazing at the moment, because I just baked a double batch of these (and ate two already... oops!).
Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 370 degrees. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan, or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
Melt the butter and half of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, or in a microwave. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined.
Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough; a few lumps are better than over-mixing the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake for about 16 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.
Disclaimer: This is not my muffin :)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
How do you get your baby news?
Julian and I want to let folks know that we're thankful to everyone who is sending good wishes and prayers and reading our blog. We'll send out an email to all of you as soon as we can after the babies are born. Of course we'll phone Mom, Mum, and Dad. And after that we'll be sleeping! Apparently newborns fall into a long stretch of sleep about an hour after they are born, and it's wise for the new parents to sleep as well, as it's the most sleep we'll get once they arrive for a long time (and I'm sure we'll be needing it after birth!) And then eventually we'll get around to naming them and posting a blog update, hopefully with photos! Stay tuned...
Things People Don't Tell You, Part 3
Today we had an appointment with the MW. Things (that is, Thing 1 and Thing 2) are good. While we're at a bit over 38 weeks pregnant (of an average 40-42), my stomach is measuring at 48 weeks.
- Fundal height (that is, of a uterus) can be measured from the outside. Interestingly enough, the centimeters of height usually correspond with weeks of pregnancy - one of life's 'huh!' neat tricks. If you are carrying twins, however, you can expect to measure around 7 weeks ahead (or 10, as it were today).
- You may actually feel your stomach stretch. Sometimes the skin itches/hurts/etc. If you are really lucky, you can even get a bumpy red rash called PUPPS which begins on the abdomen and then can spread to back, legs, and arms and makes you go crazy wanting to scratch your skin off. It will go away after you deliver the babies... however, if you don't care to wait that long, you can take dandelion root and/or nettle leaf capsules. They are liver cleansers, and PUPPS is thought to be a sign that your liver is on overload, which is common with pregnancy but can lead to toxemia - read: bad. So if you're pregnant and you itch, eat your encapsulated greens.
PS. Your OB will likely not know about the dandelion/nettle leaf solution and will offer you a prescription of steroid cream. Run away! Or just smile and say, "Maybe I'll call you for that prescription if the itching becomes unbearable."
- Linea negra. It's exactly that. A dark line that runs vertically over the midline of your belly. The more pigmentation your skin has, the greater chance you'll get one when pregnant. I think it looks kind of cool... well, cooler than the stretch marks.
- People will start phoning/calling you even more at the end of pregnancy just to 'see how you are doing'. Riiiight. I'm fine, thanks! What they mean is, 'Have you had the baby/babies yet?' or 'When are you going to have the baby/babies?' Hmmmmm... I don't know, where's my Magic 8 ball?
- Did I mention that people talk with you and feel at liberty to say anything? Today a woman asked me if my due date was yesterday. So I'm left pondering whether I punch her in the face before or after answering her question. Not that I would punch her, or that I even thought about it, honestly... but um, that's not funny to me at all, lady. Now carry my groceries for me! And quick, before I go into labor!
- If you are pregnant, ask your previously pregnant girlfriends about the 'weird stretching thing' to help prepare your body for birthing. I have heard from the wise ones before me that it's a good idea... thanks, Erin! :)
- Your cuddly cat will not comprehend why it's not kosher to lay on top of your belly - you move the cat for the tenth time as you struggle to breathe and retain the contents of your stomach.
That's all for now, folks. I'm tired, as usual, and I think we've about run out of things peopled don't tell you about pregnancy. We may return with a birthing/parenting/newborn series... time will tell.
- Fundal height (that is, of a uterus) can be measured from the outside. Interestingly enough, the centimeters of height usually correspond with weeks of pregnancy - one of life's 'huh!' neat tricks. If you are carrying twins, however, you can expect to measure around 7 weeks ahead (or 10, as it were today).
- You may actually feel your stomach stretch. Sometimes the skin itches/hurts/etc. If you are really lucky, you can even get a bumpy red rash called PUPPS which begins on the abdomen and then can spread to back, legs, and arms and makes you go crazy wanting to scratch your skin off. It will go away after you deliver the babies... however, if you don't care to wait that long, you can take dandelion root and/or nettle leaf capsules. They are liver cleansers, and PUPPS is thought to be a sign that your liver is on overload, which is common with pregnancy but can lead to toxemia - read: bad. So if you're pregnant and you itch, eat your encapsulated greens.
PS. Your OB will likely not know about the dandelion/nettle leaf solution and will offer you a prescription of steroid cream. Run away! Or just smile and say, "Maybe I'll call you for that prescription if the itching becomes unbearable."
- Linea negra. It's exactly that. A dark line that runs vertically over the midline of your belly. The more pigmentation your skin has, the greater chance you'll get one when pregnant. I think it looks kind of cool... well, cooler than the stretch marks.
- People will start phoning/calling you even more at the end of pregnancy just to 'see how you are doing'. Riiiight. I'm fine, thanks! What they mean is, 'Have you had the baby/babies yet?' or 'When are you going to have the baby/babies?' Hmmmmm... I don't know, where's my Magic 8 ball?
- Did I mention that people talk with you and feel at liberty to say anything? Today a woman asked me if my due date was yesterday. So I'm left pondering whether I punch her in the face before or after answering her question. Not that I would punch her, or that I even thought about it, honestly... but um, that's not funny to me at all, lady. Now carry my groceries for me! And quick, before I go into labor!
- If you are pregnant, ask your previously pregnant girlfriends about the 'weird stretching thing' to help prepare your body for birthing. I have heard from the wise ones before me that it's a good idea... thanks, Erin! :)
- Your cuddly cat will not comprehend why it's not kosher to lay on top of your belly - you move the cat for the tenth time as you struggle to breathe and retain the contents of your stomach.
That's all for now, folks. I'm tired, as usual, and I think we've about run out of things peopled don't tell you about pregnancy. We may return with a birthing/parenting/newborn series... time will tell.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Snapshots
Julian's thongs (yeah, flip-flops... not that kind of thong!), taped and abandoned on the back stoop.
Morning shadows
Dancing fool blowing up a pool
Belly casting at 36 weeks The final product... colors funkified here
Friday, April 4, 2008
Cowboy Boots
We met with a pediatrician yesterday, one who is well-loved among area parents. We wanted to ask this guy some questions, get a feel for him, make sure he wouldn't be the type to load up the kids with antibiotics or rush us out of his office. Well, one look at him and the deal was sealed. He was wearing black cowboy boots.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Things People Don't Tell You, Part 2
The babies and mama are doing well. The stomach skin continues to feel tautly stretched, and below, nothing but baby parts. The stretch marks are incredible. We're at 36.5 weeks. Our goal, at the very least, is for the beans to stay in past this weekend, 37 weeks - thereby avoiding pre term labor and associated NICU (in most likely scenarios).
So, on to the fun part of this post: Things People Don't Tell You, Part 2, assertions about pregnancy that, well, no one tells you!
- Stretch marks happen. Again, this is not a case of your skin being youthfully preserved by genetics or cocoa butter lubrication 5x a day (both of which, I might add, I had in my favor). And no, they don't go away. They may fade from angry reds and purples to whites and silvers, with time... or so I hear. The bottom line is: babies happen, stretch marks happen, and tankinis happen.
- Julian wanted me to emphasize the gassy-ness of pregnant ladies, which, by the way, isn't just a first trimester plague. I am amazed that not only do I still have a husband, but that he continues to sleep in the same bed with me.
- People talk to you. Or rather, they ask you the same questions over and over and over and over and over. It goes like this:
Complete stranger: "When are you due?"
Me: "End of April."
Stranger: "End of April... hmmmm (thinking in head how HUGE my belly is) Are you having a girl or a boy?"
Me: "We don't know."
Majority of Strangers: "What?!! You don't KNOW?! Oh my!"
Occasional Stranger: "Oh, wow, that's wonderful - a surprise!"
If I'm feeling up to it, I'll explain the twins part. The only stranger who ever guessed twins was a homeless man whizzing past me on a bike the other day who proclaimed, "ohhhh... she gonna have twins!" And I smiled and said, "Yes, sir!"
On most days, the endless questioning is tiring to an already tired big fat pregnant lady. If you want to ask me something, how about asking if I need help with the groceries or something like that? Then I'll talk :)
So, on to the fun part of this post: Things People Don't Tell You, Part 2, assertions about pregnancy that, well, no one tells you!
- Stretch marks happen. Again, this is not a case of your skin being youthfully preserved by genetics or cocoa butter lubrication 5x a day (both of which, I might add, I had in my favor). And no, they don't go away. They may fade from angry reds and purples to whites and silvers, with time... or so I hear. The bottom line is: babies happen, stretch marks happen, and tankinis happen.
- Julian wanted me to emphasize the gassy-ness of pregnant ladies, which, by the way, isn't just a first trimester plague. I am amazed that not only do I still have a husband, but that he continues to sleep in the same bed with me.
- People talk to you. Or rather, they ask you the same questions over and over and over and over and over. It goes like this:
Complete stranger: "When are you due?"
Me: "End of April."
Stranger: "End of April... hmmmm (thinking in head how HUGE my belly is) Are you having a girl or a boy?"
Me: "We don't know."
Majority of Strangers: "What?!! You don't KNOW?! Oh my!"
Occasional Stranger: "Oh, wow, that's wonderful - a surprise!"
If I'm feeling up to it, I'll explain the twins part. The only stranger who ever guessed twins was a homeless man whizzing past me on a bike the other day who proclaimed, "ohhhh... she gonna have twins!" And I smiled and said, "Yes, sir!"
On most days, the endless questioning is tiring to an already tired big fat pregnant lady. If you want to ask me something, how about asking if I need help with the groceries or something like that? Then I'll talk :)
Breakfast Yums
Are you sick of normal eggs and toast, cereal, and such? I was, too. Here are two breakfast creations that I love (healthy, high protein, of course!).
Eggs Un-Benedict
This is a fun layered feast. You'll need bread, arugula, eggs, goat cheese, and lemon tahini dressing. Toast the bread, fry the eggs (I like red pepper on my fried eggs for some extra zing) and stack everything while warm in the following order:
Toast
Spread goat cheese on warm toast...mmmm
Arugula
Lemon Tahini Dressing
Top with Fried Egg
It's super yum. My Mom agrees - and she also made them into little sandwiches, which is good if you want to ditch the knife and fork.
Colorful Scramble
All of the ingredients for this can be purchased from Trader Joe's, if one is fortunate enough to live near a TJ's. You'll need eggs (best if you have your own chickens!), arugula, crumbled feta cheese, and cherry tomatoes.
Heat a frying pan w/a bit of oil. Add cherry tomatoes to flash grill them. Then add scrambled egg mixture and cook for about a minute, then add feta and arugula, and continue cooking just enough to finish the scramblers. Serve right away and eat...mmmmm. Even better served with a side of TJ's uncured turkey bacon - one of my new favs.
Eggs Un-Benedict
This is a fun layered feast. You'll need bread, arugula, eggs, goat cheese, and lemon tahini dressing. Toast the bread, fry the eggs (I like red pepper on my fried eggs for some extra zing) and stack everything while warm in the following order:
Toast
Spread goat cheese on warm toast...mmmm
Arugula
Lemon Tahini Dressing
Top with Fried Egg
It's super yum. My Mom agrees - and she also made them into little sandwiches, which is good if you want to ditch the knife and fork.
Colorful Scramble
All of the ingredients for this can be purchased from Trader Joe's, if one is fortunate enough to live near a TJ's. You'll need eggs (best if you have your own chickens!), arugula, crumbled feta cheese, and cherry tomatoes.
Heat a frying pan w/a bit of oil. Add cherry tomatoes to flash grill them. Then add scrambled egg mixture and cook for about a minute, then add feta and arugula, and continue cooking just enough to finish the scramblers. Serve right away and eat...mmmmm. Even better served with a side of TJ's uncured turkey bacon - one of my new favs.
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