Oh Brother !

Today was another ultrasound and all is well:) "The babies look great and are right on target", is what the doctor said. It was so much fun to see how they were positioned and understand a bit better why I was feeling sooo much movement in one area--all four feet are bunched together and kicking away! Right now they are both head down (I'm praying that they stay that way so that a C-section is less likely) and Sam is kind of pressing Amelia into a corner of my belly. At one point the doctor said, "Yep, he's sitting on her." Amelia had her arm covering her face most of the hour and it was like she was saying "Oh brother! Sam, could you please move over a bit?!" I like to think he is just wanting to snuggle:) Anyway, it was wonderful yet again.

Our first childbirth class was great. Everyone there really desires a natural birth and so it's fun to all be on the same page. Lots of earthiness going on in the room, but lots of admitting that we are all rookies and have no idea what we're doing(though we are trying to trust our bodies)! One fun moment was when we were having a small group discussion and Joel admitted that the only positive birth image he has in his mind is that of a calf being born.He thinks it's because the calf came out pretty clean and really cute, and anyway he thought it was really great. The only human births he has seen are Csections, which he hated assisting with because it was such a brutal surgery and a video of a vaginal birth which almost made him pass out. So,I had suggested earlier that I should cut out some laboring pictures that I love in my midwifery books to remind myself that birthing can be a positive experience. We decided that Joel should find some pics of calves being born and tape them beside mine to start transferring those positive images from calf births to baby births. Oh my. But hey, whatever works, right?
Anyway, without further ado, here are my 27 week pictures:)

Here I am cooking. This is the size pot I have to use now to fill this belly:)


Then I have to go have a rest after cooking and eating all of that food:)





Guess that's all for now! Jen


Belly Pics

Like the early SLC days....

My routine these days is reminding me a lot of when we first moved here and I had yet to find a job. It didn't last long, but I remember fondly those weeks of going to the library so often, exploring the neighborhood, catching up on correspondence, etc. So, here I sit at the Sugarhouse library once again...only this time in quite a different stage of life than I was just a year ago. And yet not so different at the same time. I still look out the big windows of this reading room, thankful to be sitting here using free internet, reading free magazines, with my canvas bag of books and movies waiting by my feet. I still love looking around and wondering how others are here in the middle of the day. In this room right now I would guess Homeless, Student, Young mom, 2 Retired, and one No idea. I still look at the librarians behind the desk and think "Behind a mom, ESL instructor, midwife, and orphanage worker,working at a library would be next on my list."

Speaking of midwife...we start Childbirth classes tomorrow!! I am sooooo excited, especially after talking with the lady that will be teaching the class. She was referred to me by a midwife friend from church who says that she is "the absolute best childbirth educator!" So, I gave her a call and she had one spot left for this class and only because one couple moved to her May class. When she called that "providence" and Joel my "beloved" in the kindest, calmest voice, I knew at once that I would love her. The classes are held in her home and we will be joined by 10 other couples. I'll let you know how it goes.

I guess that's all for now. Our internet at home is down...but I promise to post a belly pic ASAP when it comes back up. I am now getting lots of comments in public..that has been a hoot to say the least. Some people really know how to warm a pregnant girl's heart with their words....and some don't. Mom and I were talking this morning about how some people seem to be lacking a "mind to mouth" filter...but from what I have heard, with twins it will be a public comment bonanza..so this is good training.

Hope you all are well and enjoying your days, Jenny

What's your love language?

Mine is time. Without a doubt. I think love languages a lot of times go back to how you were loved as a child and so time would make sense for me. Mom devoted almost all of her time loving us, raising us, educating us, make believing with us, feeding us, training us, encouraging us. We were loved by her encouraging words, acts of service, gifts, and affection too...but the knowledge that she spent THAT much time with us and treasured it has been invaluable to me. Then there was dad who also made it evident how much he loved his time with us. He chose to spend any extra time he had with us...catching softballs, playing basketball, making our backyard into a winter wonderland whenever it froze, taking me on dates....he loved us by giving us his time. He still does. If our family is together, no matter what we are doing, dad's love tank is full.

All this to say that when Joel and I read the Love Languages book while we were dating, mine was pretty clear. Going for a walk, cooking, housework, eating, singing, being with friends and family...for me, it's always better when Joel and I are together. So, this week has been bliss for me. Joel is on spring break and has mainly just taken it easy around the house and town. We have walked and talked and cooked and laughed and felt the babies move and shopped and he has gotten a whole check list of errands and household things done (maybe he is nesting a bit too?). Anyway, I am ending this week with a very thankful and full heart.

We had some fun visitors this week too.

My friend Eliza has a little girl named Oakley and Joel and I are both so in love with her. She makes you want to be five years old again in a big way. We got to babysit her on Tuesday morning and loved it. She walked in wearing her Incredibles mask that she got from Disney on Ice the night before. She was also wearing a pink shoe and an orange shoe:) We played hide and seek and talked about all kinds of things. She tried desperately to lure Willow into letting her pet her...to no avail. It was a great morning.

Then last night Eliza came over and she and I walked over to the Coffee Garden and had tea and a wonderful chat. When we came home Joel was here with another fun visitor...Luigi the cat. You guys, he is straight from a storybook. My first meeting with him was one very early morning to Joel awakening me and saying "Look what I have." He was holding a cat that was definitely not Willow. "Now this is a cool cat" he says. "He just barged right in the door when I opened it!" And so he does. He barges in on random evenings as if he has lived here all his life. He goes about the whole house like an inspector, sniffing everything and jumping up into all the nooks and crannies. Joel gets such a kick out of him and Luigi likes to snuggle up to his beard too:) So anyway (am I really writing this much about a cat?!), last night this is what we found Luigi up to in the bathroom! I can't believe he didn't fall in. We'll try to get you a more clear view of him for you soon:)


Whew, I better go for now. We are watching movies on this last night of Spring Break. Hope you all have had a great week. I'll try to post an updated belly pic soon. I can definitely tell I'm entering the third trimester...I am feeling a bit more tired, have to go to the bathroom constantly, sleep with at least 5 pillows, etc. The great part though, is that I am feeling the babies all the time now.That makes everything else so worth it. Jen

Captured in time....

The last project mom and I did while she was here was a belly cast to make permanent the imprint of this amazingly expanded stomach. I saw belly casts for the first time a few years back and thought they were the most beautiful idea and so it was like a little dream come true to get to do one (well actually two) of my own. It is already such a wonderful memory of mom and I in the sunshiney kitchen listening to folk music on our new XM radio (thanks bub and robin!) and the babies were moving around like crazy the whole time. We still need to sand them and then mom will paint them when she comes back in May. Anyway, here is a little slide show of the project...enjoy!

Belly Casting

My mama is here....

And she brought the sunshine with her! Seriously, it has been in the upper 60's since she has arrived...perfectly beautiful days. Of course she brought her own sunshine with her...brightening my days more than she knows. We have filled our days with long walks, thrift store shopping, reading magazines, taking pictures of my ever growing belly, she has made me yummy food and helped me organize baby things. Really, is there anything more wonderful than a mama's love? Here are some pictures of our time together....

Here I am sitting at the park watching the Sunday hippy drum circle. Mom loves it:)

Here's mom shopping for yarn. She has made the cutest baby booties and hats..I need to take some pictures. Why didn't I inherit her creative genes?!

An example of the yumminess I get to eat while she is here...

And the ever growing 24 week pregnant belly....

Guess that's all for now. Mom is here until Friday morning and then I guess I have to let her go. I sure will miss all the beauty and goodness she brings with her when she comes. Hope you all are well, Jenny

P.S. If you'd like to see the belly pic in the slide show, click here...

Belly Pics

Sing over me....

I know, I know...it's been a while. I have been busy this week adjusting to my new job. What new job, you ask? That of full time housewife and baby incubator :) So far, the transition has been splendid. There is always much to do in this little home...projects that have been waiting so patiently, nooks and crannies that are embarrassingly behind on being cleaned....and so this has been a week of catch up. There is much resting that goes on in between projects too, and that has been nice as well.
Good music is a nice perk of working in your home too, and this week has been full of my favorite tunes. Today I got a special CD in the mail from Anna called Sing over Me and it's a collections of praise songs and lullabies and I love it!! Thanks Anna!!I know that when the babies come I'll really rely on hymns and praise music a lot to keep me going and put things in perspective and so I was so happy to add this to my armory:)
Anyway, I'm off to watch Bleak House. It's a BBC miniseries of a Charles Dickens story. So very Charles Dickens. Orphans, tragedy, creepy characters, and then the full of goodness heroine that makes you want to strive to be pure and good and full of wisdom.
Oh, pregnancy is going well...I am still feeling good even as I continue to expand rapidly. So thankful for each day that I don't experience heartburn, swelling, and all the other multitudes of unpleasantness that many mamas to be do. Not saying that they won't come, just saying that I love each day that they aren't here. We are looking at other rental houses for a variety of reasons, which is hard for me as I am not a big fan of change but know that more room and a washer/dryer would be big pluses.So, I'll keep you updated on that. Mom comes Friday night--hurray!! Lots of pictures to come from that visit I'm sure. Hope you all are well, Jenny