Cool diaper bags = cool parents.

We know, we know... being a parent doesn't exactly scream "cool." So, for the record, we have no illusions that any shred of coolness we are still holding onto will still be there when we finally become parents in just a few short weeks. In fact, one of the good things about pregnancy is that it has been sort of a gradual breaking-in to prepare me for the next and largely uncool phase of my life. (Joe, on the other hand, has not yet fully realized that he is already somewhat uncool by association.)

Lately we've been sorting through baby items, putting together nursery furniture, and starting to make room for babies in our house. Which has made us feel slightly uncool as we begin to say goodbye to our style of yesteryear. But, there is one thing about being parents that can still be cool - and that is having cool diaper bags. The way we see it, we're going to spend lots of time changing diapers over the next couple of years, and therefore, lots of time toting around diaper bags. So why not enjoy a stylin' diaper bag? So we did it up, and acquired some diaper bags that actually are pretty cool... and, that don't even look like diaper bags! And here they are - Joe's on the left, and mine on the right:

Pretty cool, huh? I think we will actually enjoy toting these around. And who knows - maybe we'll even figure out more ways to be cool parents besides having cool diaper bags. :-)

32-week update

Yesterday, we went to the doctor, and got to see the twins again via ultrasound. Of course, these days we are seeing their movements through my belly just about all the time! We were pleased to learn that their estimated weights are now approximately 4.2 and 4.4 pounds - which is excellent! Each one is on target for a single baby's weight at this stage - which, of course, means I am carrying about 8.5 pounds of baby right now, and growing wider and wider with each passing day (since they are side-by-side). We also found out that they had completely reversed positions... three weeks ago, the boy was head-down and the girl was breech; but now, the girl is head-down and the boy is breech. It's unusual for twins to still be able to move this much this far along, but we were warned that if it did happen, that we would definitely know it! We're pretty sure the big flip happened on Sunday night, when what appeared to be a minor eruption occurred beneath my skin. Good thing we were warned!

In other news, we were able to get some important baby-prep projects done this weekend. First and foremost, Joe set up the crib and one of the two dressers - yeah! Which means that now we have a place for the babies and their stuff. (In case you were wondering, twins usually share a crib for about 6 months - so that is the plan for us.) Meanwhile, I got to work organizing our impossibly tiny (though very necessary) hall closet. If you saw it before, you would know this is a vast improvement! Joe also got us a label-maker, so I even went to town labeling each shelf - which may be too teeny to see from the picture, but they're there. Yes, a tad anal, I know, but I love my labels! We also reorganized our room, washed and organized all the baby clothes we're received, and cooked some meals to go into our storage freezer. Next projects: finishing up the rest of the nursery, relocating my closet from the babies' room to our new armoire, and tackling the basement. Hopefully, we'll be able to squeeze in some time for at one of these projects next weekend, in between our childbirth prep class!

Inauguration Weekend

We're excited. This weekend, Mr. Obama comes to Washington as our new president. Hooray! From what we hear, it sounds like a weekend of fun and festivities is leading up to the big day... though unfortunately, we are not able to partake in the fun first-hand. Somehow, a crowd of millions doesn't seem like the wisest place for a 32-week woman pregnant with twins to be. Any other year, though, and we would bundle up, brave the cold, and head out for the inaugural action!

At least we are there in spirit, and at least the inaugural route is very familiar territory for us - even if Obama wasn't there before. We're just trying to convince ourselves that watching all the inaugural events in HD from our cozy home a couple of miles away is almost better than watching the real thing from a jumbotron in the cold on the National Mall. Still, we're sorry that we can't be there during this incredible time, and that the babies have to miss their first live inauguration. And, hopefully, it will be a different story when the time comes for Obama's second inauguration!

A Shower Weekend!

This weekend, Joe and I were treated to back-to-back showers... the first, hosted by my lovely co-workers, and the second, by our wonderful friends. On Friday, my co-workers greeted Joe and me with a great "Buns in the Oven" themed potluck lunch shower, during which we played some hysterical (though embarrassing!) games, and received some wonderfully thoughtful gifts. We also learned that candy can be cleverly disguised as dirty diapers, and got lots of hilarious baby name suggestions from the wacky group... the general themes ranging from famous pairs, to our bosses' names, to various adaptations of some of our fondest AmeriCorps processes! Thanks all for the recommendations... we will definitely have to take Frick and Frack into serious consideration, among others. :-)

Then on Saturday, my friends hosted an incredible "Two Peas in a Pod" baby shower. This was truly the shower to end all showers! The theme was planned down to every last detail, from the gorgeous cake and cupcake favors, to the decor, and even down to the cups, plates, and baby shower bingo cards. The food spread was amazing, and no one could get enough of the cake - once we could bring ourselves to cut it, of course, since it was so adorable. And in addition to an edible cake, we even had a "two peas in a pod" diaper cake! The lovely hostesses Olivia, Shetal, and Missy truly outdid themselves in the planning department, and Sylvie was kind enough to furnish the shower location - in addition to planning my work shower the day before! We received so many fun, functional, and thoughtful gifts from everyone - we feel so much better prepared to become parents thanks to all of your generosity. We are overwhelmed with gratitude to you all!

You can see more photos from Saturday's shower through the link below... there are too many to post here! All photos are courtesy of Olivia Hamel, party planner and photographer extraordinaire!

http://picasaweb.google.com/scrites/BabyShowerPhotos

Throughout this pregnancy, we have felt truly fortunate to have the love and support of such wonderful and generous friends and family. Our babies are very lucky to have a such a loving family throughout the country, as well as a tremendous network of adoptive famly right here in the D.C. area! We cannot thank you all enough for being so good to us throughout the years, and particularly through these last few months. Without you, we couldn't have made it through pregnancy... or all that is still to come once our little ones arrive!

Christmas

We had a great Christmas here at home, and were fortunate to be visited my parents and sister. All in all, it was a wonderful week of firsts and lasts... our first Christmas tree together since we've been married, our first time hosting Christmas, and our last (somewhat) baby-free Christmas. All week, my parents and sister knocked themselves out helping us with baby preparations... my parents bought us a storage freezer, which we promptly filled with frozen foods from Costco and goodies that my mom prepared, baked, and froze for us. We will surely be well-stocked through at least the first week of post-partum craziness! Meanwhile, my dad and my sister helped us clean out our guest room to convert it into a nursery, and painted it a lovely green tea color to match the crib bedding. It looks great so far, and we will post photos of the nursery once the full conversion is complete. All in all, it was a great week with the family, and Mika loved having three more people to give her attention while they were here. :-)

After the holidays, we also learned that the babies must have been very well-fed... because they have grown! As of December 29, our baby boy was estimated to weigh 3 lbs. 2 oz., and our baby girl weighing in at an even 3 lbs. Both were at very healthy weights for just over 29 weeks along! Even though it means I will become inhumanly large, we hope the growing trend will continue... it's worth it to have healthy babies in the end!