Latest 3D Baby Pics

OK. So these are way better than the last 3D pictures we got way back in, oh probably March.

You can actually see each of their faces, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc. Who do you think they look like?

Baby A has his right arm up with his hand over his eye, so you can only really see half of his face. Do you think they look alike? I think their noses are different, but I am sure it is just the angle, right?

They look like real babies now. Plump even. How cool is that?

It's The Final Countdown...

Oh yeah!!!!!

That was a top 10 single in 1986 - according to Wikipedia.

Well - I feel like I have just entered it.

On Thursday evening I thought I had gone into premature labor. The staff at my Dr.'s office thought so too. They hooked me up to monitors and did all sorts of little tests to make sure I wasn't. 2 hours later we were sure it wasn't my water that had broken (I know, iew).

While I was hooked up to machines at the Dr.'s office, Ernie was across the street from our house at the hospital meeting with a bunch of pediatricians. He was the good daddy-to-be and asked about a million questions in front of a half dozen other expecting couples; how long do you recommend breast feeding, how do you feel about circumcision, what if the babies are premature, etc. He was the only man there without a pregnant wife.

This may have caused a few odd stares, I'm not sure.

Anyway, he liked the Docs and we have decided to go with them. We can walk to the office from home, and they will put off the MMR vaccination until the kids are 3 years old if we choose. So that was cool by us.

Oh, the album cover art? I guess I am just on a Hair Metal kick these days. Nostalgia before I give up my youth to become a mom?

Could be but maybe not. The song just popped into my head and I couldn't help myself but to look it up. So shoot me.

Now we are in the 10 week countdown. 10 weeks and these boys will be ready to join the family for real.

Ten weeks.

Ten is not a lot. Not a lot of weeks at all.

Next weekend we are going to a wedding.

Then there will be only 9 weeks...

The following weekend Krista's baby is due.

Then there will be only 8 weeks...

8 weeks is two months. That's not a lot of months...

Five weeks from now our new windows will arrive.

Then there will only be 5 weeks.

Why do we need windows? Well, we thought it would be a good idea to replace the 100 year old drafty ones in the babies' room before we put them to sleep in there over the winter. Here is what their room looks like right now...















Yes, we need to paint, too.

Are you beginning to see why I feel like we are running out of time?

My belly is getting so huge that I don't know if I will even be able to paint the room (but don't ask me to post any more belly pics, I would rather you all remember me the way I was way back at 17 weeks). And if you ever saw a paint job done by Ernie (or heard him complain while painting a room) you would understand why this prospect frightens me so.

The cats are getting ready. They know big changes are around the corner.












Ernie is freaking out at the sheer amount of baby gear we now have littering up our diningroom (waiting for it's place to live). Don't get me wrong, it is all AWESOME and I can't wait to use it all - but the babies aren't even here and their stuff is over-running the house. We have no idea how much stuff one baby needs, let alone two...















I remember when this was all a dream that we never thought would come true. And now here we are. 10 weeks to go. And waiting for two (a rhyme, I know).

Wow.

So maybe it isn't REALLY the final countdown. I suppose I should save that moniker for the last week or something. But it all feels so real now, and I wonder every morning how I could have possibly gotten bigger since the night before. So it feels to me like I am in the home stretch.

I feel truly lucky, no matter how much I complain about my giant feet or my aching back, or the lack of sleep, or the shooting pain in my hips, or the lack of clothes now that all of the maternity stuff is too tight, shoes don't fit, and it's so so hot......

My Feet

Look like this (according to my adoring husband).

Yes. My feet look like giant, swollen Monty Python feet. I am ready to step on some heads (most likely those belonging to my kitties, poor things). Don't know if there's a damn thing I can do about it either.

At work I prop my feet up on the garbage can beneath my desk. Not the most comfortable arrangement but I figure it's got to help at least a little bit right?

They say to help relieve swelling you need to drink tons of water. Well, if I drink any more water in a day I will have to move my desk into the loo. Not sure how well that would go over. I mean, I have only been at my job for two weeks, it may be premature to ask for relocation.

So I sit with ever-expanding feet. Not to mention big round ankles. Oh yes, it is sexy. And all I can think of is the fact that I have three more months to go. This is only the beginning...how far can this take me I wonder? I am getting a little bit frightened.

I think my days of having that cute pregnant look are over. I went to the Chiropractor yesterday and she said "I thought you said you were 6 months?" and I was like "Yeah, with TWINS". She just looked at me with compassion in her eyes and let out a low "ohhhhh yeahhhhh." *sigh*...what's a girl to do?

The good news is that Baby A and Baby B weigh almost 2 pounds a piece and are growing perfectly. So I guess this all counts for something afterall. I try my best not to complain but am not succeeding (ask my husband). I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and if I were feeling this way in oh say month 8 or 9 I would probably suck it up. What gets me is that I still have so far to go and at this stage the end is not in sight for me.

So if you see a giant foot headed your way, it's just me out for a stroll. I will try my best not to stomp on your noggin but hey, I can't make any promises.

Almost Like Where's Waldo

But instead, try to find me in this video from 1990 (maybe it was 1989??). My friends Jennifer and Lisa are also here somewhere.

We shot this at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on the Lower East Side, back in the days when it was scary down there. We watched Headbangers Ball on MTV every Saturday night for a year and never saw this video. Jennifer does one search on YouTube 15 years later and Voila....Enjoy the hair.

Babies, Babies Everywhere

Today we celebrated Melissa's expectant status at Camp Hilltop. It was so good to see her, home from Switzerland for a couple of months. She is due about one week before me, with one baby. It seems everywhere I look there is another pregnant belly. I think this is the baby boom of '06!



Three preggos all in a row...











Back to Back...















Belly to Belly!

More Reasons Why it is Dangerous to be Around Me While I am Pregnant...

For the first reason, refer to my previous post about chopping Godzilla's tail...

A couple of mornings ago I caught Mrs. Jinx's HEAD in the bathroom door. If you've seen Mrs. Jinx you know how tiny she is. Her head doesn't have much bulk to it. Getting it caught in a closing door could be instantly fatal to the likes of her.

Luckily I didn't slam the door. It was more like I just gently swung it shut behind me as I entered the bathroom. I have no idea why she was following me into the bathroom, I wasn't expecting her to be behind me (even though she does follow me into the bathroom every morning, this escaped my mind at this particular moment). So I shut the door and turn around and see her desperately trying to get her head out of the way as the door is quickly coming towards her. I yell...

Go Mrs. Jinx! Get out of the way! Hurry, hurry! Get your head out of there!!!!!

Ernie, who is already in the bathroom shaving, looks at me and says...

What the hell are you doing!?

I answer...

Killing the cat, obviously.

Mrs. Jinx, utilizing her utmost agility, quickly twisted and turned her little head to squeak it out of the doorway just as it was getting squished between the door and the frame. Like I said, she has a very little head, which may have actually worked in her favor here. She had plenty of time to get herself out of there before the scene became too ugly. Had it been Godzilla's head he would have been a goner. He's got a big one.

So, Mrs. Jinx was OK. She walked around shaking it off for a little while, and I felt terribly guilty and terrified of what I might do next, for the rest of the day.

Even more frightening is what I did yesterday morning. I left three eggs on the stove, hard boiling them to eat as snacks for when I am STARVING (i.e. all the time), for more than 2 hours. Yep. They sure were hard boiled after that. My not-cheap Calphalon sauce pan got a nice new charred finish to it as well.

Once again, Ernie and I were upstairs getting our selves ready for the day. We may have even finished watching a Netflix DVD, before coming downstairs to a terrible smell. Me..

Are you burning something?

Ernie...

No! It smells like eggs.

Me...

Yeah, it's gross.

He...

Weren't you boiling eggs this morning?

Me...

OH SHIT!!!!!! Oops :-)

Of course there was not a speck of water in the pot. I suppose it was a good thing I was cooking eggs and not something with a less-offensive odor. If so, we may have walked out of the house and left it burning. I could have burned the house down!

Next example.

Me sitting at a stop light waiting to take a left turn. A giant tractor trailer decides to turn onto my street, cutting it so close he almost rams into me. I look behind me and slowly, SLOWLY I say, back up to give him some room to clear my car. All of a sudden as I am backing up there is a woman behind me, WALKING! I slam on the breaks, nearly missing her. Literally about 1/2 inch from taking her out. Both she and the woman she was crossing the street with shoot me dirty glances.

Now, in my offense, they were crossing the street behind my car. They were not in a crosswalk. There was no way I would have seen them step off the curb to my left when I was turned around to my right making sure all was clear to back up. The guy in the car behind me didn't beep to warn me or anything. And the woman obviously was not paying attention because she didn't realize I was backing up.

But STILL...I almost took her down. Scary.

One more cat example. Whilst in the middle of enjoying my breakfast my fork, for no apparent reason, leapt out of my hand and took a straight and quick projectory to the floor, the sharp prongs narrowly missing Godzilla's head. Luckily for him he was very intently watching my every move in hopes of scoring some pancakes for his morning snack. He plunged to the left, saving his little brain from being pierced.

I have no idea why these things happen to pregnant women, or to me anyway. They do say there is a phenomena called "baby brain", and I think I have it. So stay away form me when I am eating, driving or moving from room to room. And please double check the stove after I have cooked you a meal to make sure all knobs are in the off position. I think these few measures will save us all some heartache down the line.

Thanks.

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

Yes, Happy Birthday to Jennifer, who on 5/27 turns as old as me!

Every year she mocks me for turning a year older - 5+ months before she does. I love it when she catches up.

When we were in High School being 5 months older was a good thing. I got my drivers license far sooner than everyone else, I got to buy beer legally sooner than everyone else. My friends certainly reaped the rewards of my New Years birthday status. Now that we are all 30 - something, the tables seem to have turned. Funny how that happens.

Ah well, makes no difference to me, really. As long as I keep on having birthdays you will never hear me complain about them!

Jen, I hope your day was fun and relaxing. Check your answering machine - I left you a beautiful rendition of the Birthday Song.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Thank you Allyson for being a loyal blog reader and for helping me through one of my worst weeks ever. Unbeknownst to me, Allyson read my post about the end of my employment and immediately sprung into action looking for ways to help; speaking to her boss, the recruiter at her company, co-workers, etc. I was shocked and so touched to receive an unsolicited email from her letting me know she was working on my behalf. Thank you once again. You gave me hope in the moments when I truly felt hopeless.

Thank you Randy for being an ever-supporter. Thank you for keeping your eyes peeled for leads to send my way. Thank you for being a cool guy to work for/with. And thanks for those amazing Chili Peppers photos!

Thank you Judy for listening to me, even while you were in the middle of paradise. What more can I say? You owe me nothing yet you stood by me.

Thank you Anne for suggesting I look for work as a maternity model :-)

Thank you Dad for saying "Don't worry about it", even if I did want to scream every time you said it.

And thanks to everyone else who I am forgetting to thank. The past 9 days have been some of the most difficult of my life. Truly. Though my pregnancy is going perfectly (knock wood) and the boys are good, I have a beautiful house to live in and Ernie and I are both healthy - the prospect of facing even one month unemployed was just too much for me.

So, in light of all of the support, well wishes and great leads supplied by my extended group of friends and family I am very, very happy (and relieved) to report that yes, I have an offer of employment!

The response to my resume (posted on Monster.com) has been overwhelming to say the least. I have been on phone interviews, face to face interviews, screening calls, etc. non-stop since last Thursday. It has been really amazing. It has also helped to restore some of my faith in the business community - all of these companies who expressed interest have known about my pregnancy.

Today the first offer came in - while I was at an interview at another company. I have a great feeling that a second offer will come in on Monday (fingers crossed). The coolest thing? Both of these companies are in CT. No more commuting to NYC! Woo - Hoo!

Now the best part will be choosing between the two (hopefully). Both are wonderful opportunities and would be excellent career moves.

How did I get so lucky? How did I go from being on the bottom to being back on top? I really don't know but I do know that I can finally breath again knowing that income and health benefits are once again part of my immediate future.

Yay.

Don't know why I was so worried, really. If I weren't pregnant I would have continued taking my time looking for a new position and just enjoyed a week or two of down time. It is the pregnancy that really sparked a sense of urgency in me, and it served me well. Not that I am/was desperate, but I will admit that I was a bit panicked.

So thanks again to everyone. You all rock and I owe you big time! Everyone is invited to the farm for a big party sometime this summer...stay tuned.

Peace y'all.

Germanos

After a not-so-stellar week, I hosted a luncheon for my Germano cousins. This is the side of my family that my friend Krista likes to compare to the Sopranos. The names alone make her chuckle every time I talk about them. Let's see, we have

Joe
Sylvia
Joey
Joanie
Lindsay
Stacey
Theresa
Joanne
Ruthie
Noreen...

Then we have the off-shoots, the Murones

Johnnie
Carol
Bonnie
Carleen

So, anyway, we all know the Mafia doesn't exist...

This past weekend my cousin from Colorado came to the East Coast for a family visit. We haven't seen her since our grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary extravaganza about 6 or 7 years ago. Since then she has been busy saving Sea Turtles and studying the Barrier Reef off of the Australian Coast (she is a Marine Biologist). Soon after leaving here she will be off to Equador, Galapagos and Brazil.....cool.

It was so much fun to see my crazy cousins all together in my new house. Luckily for Ernie he was in the city playing a matinee. If anyone has been around me, especially when having a conversation with my mother, multiply the volume factor by 11 and you will understand what it is like to have any more than 3 cousins in the room at the same time. Sometimes it is even difficult for me to bear.

The family vibe got my head in a better place about the whole getting laid off while pregnant with twins thing. A little perspective goes a long way. And besides, maybe I'll put in call to Uncle Joey.....he, he, he

New Living Room

FINALLY we have completed one room of the new house. The living room. The little kid-friendly couch arrived from Jennifer Convertibles last weekend. We hung the IKEA curtains and rearranged the furniture. The baby grand made it quite a challenge to say the least. Mother asked for photos, so here they are.

Next on the list is the babies' room...and of course Ernie's never-ending project, the studio.

Congratulations Emily and John!

Baby Simon Heath was born today (Tuesday) May 9th! YAY! Welcome Simon. Emily came through labor without a hitch and pushed for only 5 minutes! If only we could all be so lucky...

Zoe is now a big sister. Congratulations Zoe.

Someone Please Buy This!

You have to check out the CBGBs online store. They have baby gear! Please, please, please somebody buy the hat and onesie for the twins! (just not in pink, he, he)

You Want Pictures?

You got 'em. So you can all stop asking for them.

If you don't want to see pictures of my belly-ring-less belly then I suggest you do not scroll down.

Here are a couple of cat photos to take up above the fold space...scroll down for the money, I mean belly, shots.

(Sorry, but I can't bring myself to post photos of my grey hair. Naked belly is one thing, grey hair, na-ah.)



Have bag, will travel






Zen cats. (Imagine them without hair, and human, and that's pretty much what the babies look like right now, but only like 7 1/2 inches long apiece, and floating in goo)









Me as Easter Egg on Easter Sunday.




OK. Here come the belly shots. You've been warned.






So it's not naked - but the picture quality sucks. This is what happens when you try to photo-document your own pregnancy while your husband is off busy playing around, I mean playing for a show, on 42nd Street.

20 weeks is more than halfway for a twin pregnancy. So we are more than halfway 'til birth day! Wooo-Eeeeee! What happens after that is anyone's guess.



And that's all folks.

May Update...

As stated in the comments, I missed Jennifer and Steve's 8th Wedding Anniversary, which was also on May 3rd. Sorry about that!

You would think I would remember that day. I was in the wedding, but was touring the country with a children's theater production of The Wizard of Oz. I caught a red eye flight from San Francisco to make it back East in time for the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. Then the wedding was on Saturday, and it was beautiful. I think I flew back West on Sunday - to a different airport to meet my cast and crew with a show on Monday morning!

One of the most memorable things for me was the size of the dress I wore - I think it was an 8! Those were my starving actress days, literally. Even my feet were smaller then. I bought the cutest fabric shoes to match the dress and they never fit me again after that day, no matter how I tried to stretch them.

I also remember the morning of the wedding, being at Jen's parent's house with Michelle and Stephanie. We each had a different assignment. I think Michelle did Jen's hair and Steph did her make-up. I can't remember exactly what I was assigned. That was the last time I was in Jennifer's old room, where we spent many nights with the Ouija board and on long phone calls with boys....

Now 8 years later Jen and Steve have two adorable sons, a dog who looks like Duchess (my old dog whom Jennifer made fun of all the time, lol) and two cats. They have created an awesome family!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Friday Morning Cat Calls

It is a beautiful day today in NYC. Sun is shining, a warm breeze is blowing, trees and flowers are all in bloom. Breathe it in...ahhhhhh. Just lovely. Zen even.

I will admit that I had a little strut to my step this morning as I made my way three blocks from the subway in Union Square to my office building. I was feeling pretty good about myself. I had a nice new pedicure done yesterday and was wearing open toed shoes, I was carrying a cute new summertime tote bag from Old Navy, I was wearing pink (with jeans, not head to toe pink). My belly looked big but not bad, and I was wide awake and full of energy (this was at 8:30am, give me a few hours...).

Up ahead I see a construction supply truck parked at the curb. OK, nothing weird there. Until I notice one guy staring me down. I mean really. IEW!

Hello - I am very obviously pregnant. Even from a distance.

I was at least 300 feet away and here he is burning holes in me with his rude stare. So of course I pretend not to notice him and continue to saunter past. Again, iew.

Then I get the old "Hello there. Good Morning" in that creepy, construction worker guy kind of way.

IEW!

What is wrong with men like this? Obviously I am pregnant. There is a 99% chance that there is a man involved in this equation that is not Mr. Construction Worker Guy. This would lead one to believe that I am either 1. Happily Married or 2. Happily Committed in a non-committal-type relationship. Either way, a big bulging belly does not scream "AVAILABLE! FREE FOR DRINKS AFTER WORK! I LOVE STRANGE MEN OGLYING (how the hell do you spell that?) ME! PLEASE COMMENT!!" Thanks.

But honestly, I was in a good mood to begin with and even though this guy completely grossed me out it did make me feel sort of good to know that my pregnant belly isn't completely repulsive. Not that I am saying I look like Heidi Clum or Uma Thurman when they were knocked up, but I guess I'm not all that bad either.

Happy Friday and Happy Cinco de Mayo! Please have a Margarita on me.

May

...third is my Mother in-Law's birthday. Happy Birthday MIL!

...fifth is Cinco de Maio, and more importantly, Gerald and Genevieve's wedding - Happy Wedding Guys!

...27th is Jennifer's birthday - I will wait until then to wish you a happy.

...any day now Emily's son will be born (he is being stubbornly late) - so we will soon have another birthday to announce, hopefully very soon!

...is Christine's birthday - I think the 25th?

...Mother's Day is the 14th

...Memorial Day is the 29th

And so on.

Spring is here. Flowers and trees in the city and the suburbs are bursting with color. I actually forgot how beautiful this time of year is in the suburbs. So much color, so much green. It really does change your mood. I am sure the farm is gorgeous right now as well, with all of the things we planted last spring and fall - unfortunately we haven't been able to get out there at all.

Hope you are enjoying spring, wherever you are.

Bye Bye Belly Ring

It's official. I am losing all my street cred. Not only is there three inches of grey roots on top of my head, but this weekend I had to remove my belly ring. This is the same belly ring that has been in place for the past 14 years. 14 years is a long time. I remember the day I got that piercing like it was yesterday. My roommate Dana and I went to some jewelry store in Fairfield, CT where we heard they were doing under-cover belly piercings (it was all so new back then).

The guy pierced our belly buttons with an ear-piercing gun. And we LET him!

At the time he said to me "Wow, there isn't really anything to pierce, your stomach is so flat". Ahhh, those were the days. Nothing like being 22 and going to the gym every single morning, and sometimes catching an aerobics class after work. Man I looked good. I also had a convertible that year. I would have to say those were really good times.

I am afraid that my belly is certainly not flat any longer. I can't blame it all on the pregnancy because I lost that six-pack quite a few yars ago. I guess it was around 32. Damn.

Maybe I can get those abs back after the babies are born? It's possible, right?

38D

Funny things happen when you're pregnant.

Need I say more?

Boys Will be Boys

And I am growing two of them right now. Yep, two little penises developing inside my womb. Ick. Sounds weird.

Ernie could not be happier.

He is already planning the first trick the three of them will play on me. He is already planning experiments to do on them. The pots and pans symphony is being composed as we speak.

My dad is hoping for one Dale Earnhart and one Yo-Yo- Ma.

My Father in Law can't wait to go fishing.

My Mother in Law is trying to figure out how on Earth we are going to live with four Adzentoivich men, three living under one roof.

My Mother can't wait to shop. She didn't care if she was going for pink or blue, as long as she knew one way or the other. Shopping is shopping afterall.

I am just very, very happy and grateful. So far every test and every ultrasound has been perfect. Knock wood.

They each weigh 7 oz and are about 7 inches long from head to butt. Don't ask about names because we have no idea. And if we did we wouldn't tell anyway.

My fears about my employer trying to squeeze me out of the company seem to be coming to fruition. Yesterday they rejected my Maternity Plan. In light of their "No Paid Maternity Leave Policy" I proposed a plan that I thought would benefit everyone in case of complications, etc. This plan included my working on special projects, contributing Blog entries for our company blog, doing sales proposals, and other autonomous tasks that could easily be accomplished from home using our company intranet (which was built for just this purpose)should I need to stop working early or require bed rest (already happened), etc. In the case of no complications I proposed spending some of the 12 weeks mandated by law actually working from home. This would allow me to contribute to the organization as well as continue to nurse the babies and care for them in their infancy. Well, I was told with no negotiations, that working from home for extended periods will not be allowed. Period. So I get the $175/week short term disability pay and that's it. Good luck paying two mortgages on that. Oh yeah, and caring and providing for two infants. Nice. After two years of dedicated service I get their message loud and clear.

So we are freaking out a little bit. Luckily we had an appointment today and got to see our two healthy squirmy baby boys. It helped put things into perspective. So what if we need to squeeze them and their car seats into the back of our two door Hyundai - I guess we won't be the first ones.

Cats and Bunnies and Other Furry Critters

Don't know if you read the story this week about the "Monster" Bunny in the UK who was eating many of the crops from the farms of one small village. This guy was really causing a ruckus! Nobody could catch him and the rutabagas were in danger! Every carrot and celery was fearing for it's life.

Well, they caught the scoundrel and here he is:


Now that's one big bunny!


(I chose to believe that he is being held lovingly by this fine gentleman and hasn't been shot dead or poisoned or something).


Here is the story on Yahoo!


Happy Easter.







Now for the cat part of our story.

Last night I had a very vivid dream. In this dream I quietly gave birth to a cat. Yes, a cat. Not really a kitten but a cat. This particular cat looked very much like my cat Chaplin who was black and white. Sort of a tuxedo style cat. Some of you may remember her.

Now in my dream this didn't seem all that odd. I went to my doctor and told him about the cat. And then I rationalized that of course I wasn't having twins! It was the cat we saw on the ultrasound and mistook her for a second baby! It all seemed to make so much more sense.

Until I woke up.

In the other furry creatures department: I don't really have anything. I just liked the title. But hey, it is spring. There are tons of furry creatures about. Why I have at least 6 squirrels who frequent my backyard on a daily basis. One raccoon that scared the crap out of me one evening on my front porch. And of course there are always deer - on the Parkway or Rte. 80.

Welcome Spring!