Art’s teacher Jen just posted this nice photo on the school blog. Apparently he was quite proud of this and wanted to show us.

My sister, Emily, is in the hospital while her in-utero baby continues to cook safely. I really like her attitude about being sentenced to indefinite hospital bedrest. She said, “Well, it’s better than bedrest at home because I’d be all worried in between check-ups and it’s better than having a baby right now.” (She’s 32 weeks.) Emily. Always so practical.

Here we are comparing bellies and laughing about various aspects of pregnancy.

So Ben and I brought her some Chipotle lunch and hung out a bit. Ben pushed me a wheelchair again just to save time, since I’m soooooooooooo slow walking, and a guy said, “You guys are going fast! Good luck!” as we wheeled by. It was really funny to think everyone must think we were going to go give birth. And apparently the nurses in Emily’s wing were a little exasperated when I came in last night to visit because they thought I was and bypassing the correct assessment/registering area for labor. It’s fun to think people are all thrown off like that.

Arthur and Lewis played so well together today. Sometimes they get in many little arguments and spats. And sometimes they can be each other’s complete best friend. Like today. Always near each other, chatting, talking, scheming, laughing. Art even asked Lewis to come upstairs with him while he made a poop. That’s friendship!

These twins will be entering the world soon and the dynamic in our house will be forever changed. As will our relationship with each of our kids. But Art and Lewis will always have each other. And that does provide me a little comfort. I love them and want them to be happy and inevitably worry about what’s coming. I’m so happy they have each other.

Lewis leading a blindfolded Arthur.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – we have been blessed and humbled by the generosity of our friends and family while we get ready for these babies. The other day Jen, Art’s preschool teacher and our friend, started the long-overdue project of painting our bedroom. Today my Aunt Deb and cousin Cait continued the work. This is so wonderful because as soon as I found out we were having not just one but TWO babies I knew it would be a very long time before our room would get any attention, but I really wanted it to feel like a beautiful and peaceful sanctuary, so even if it was messy we still felt like it was OUR place to rest. And now it’s almost there. So nice.

Look at these women work!

I made Ben take a picture of me grating this thing.  So far I’ve made fritters and two small meatloaves.  Tomorrow maybe I’ll use some more of it for a zucchini bread.

I resisted at first. I can totally walk around, but Ben really wanted me to ride in a wheelchair or scooter thing, if they had one. “I’m not an invalid!” I argued, but in the end it was a really good decision. I am terrible slow walking around. Our simple IKEA trip for a comfortor and curtain would have taken two hours! And it is true that I get achier with every step, and more contractiony. So the wheelchair was fun. Ben was an excellent driver as well.

This is probably the last ultrasound I’ll have before labor. LABOR! I’m scared about going into labor and possibly having a non-surgical birth for the first time, but also pumped about trying to do it and definitely excited to meet the two girls.

Anyhoo, this time I got to have Ben and Lewis around while I did my weekly baby monitoring test and the last ultrasound. Here I am being monitored. Look how flat my belly button is!

Here Lewis is eating ice chips with a spoon.  He ate a whole bunch at first and said, “Too cold, Papa!” then Ben showed him he could take a tiny bite.  Which he did again and again.

This is a 3D pic of Baby A, who is head down on my right side.  I think she’s pretty well squished.  She’s not as jumpy as her sister/wombmate.

This is B’s ear.  She was moving around far too much to get a decent profile or anything, but the tech tried and got this very well defined ear pic.

The tech was saying the ultrasound gets a pretty accurate measurement for weight, but the OB always comes in the room with this card saying, “Ultrasound is not a scale, but here are the estimates…”  I can’t believe it.  Six pounds?  Where!  I know I have a projectile belly and everything, but really!?  But I must admit, I’ve been feeling nudges and jabs under my sternum.  It’s a miracle I still have enough lung space to breathe.

Here’s the Big Brother To Be!  Lewis is happy if I talk about how he will get to hold a baby, and so will Papa and Art!  He was happy when we talked about that.  But when I told him that the babies will take a lot of work and time from Mama and Papa he got sulky.  When I told the boys that they might one day wake up and find Bubbe at our house while Mama and Papa are at the hospital “trying to get the babies out” Lewis said, “No, Mama.”  I do wish and hope Lewis will have many carefree, on-top-of-the-world moments like this even during the transition into a family of six.  That’s just one of the reasons we’ll be calling in troops to help us out when babies arrive.