Evening At The Park

As we finished up our dinner at the table Cesar came up with a great family activity. He suggested we pack Hugo's bike and big wheel into the back of the van and drive down to the park. Woo hoo! The dishes were quickly tossed into the washer and the leftovers were hastily packed into containers for the fridge. We three ran out the door to enjoy the last of the days sunshine and beautiful weather with family time.

Bed Time by Poppa

Cesar did bedtime tonight.

Hugo came running down the stairs crying. He tattled on his Poppa.

Hugo: (through crocodile tears) Mom Mom, Poppa wont let me brush my teeth!

Me: What?! You go on back upstairs and tell your Poppa to brush your teeth, Momma said.

Me to Cesar upon his return to the living room: Did you really not let Hugo brush his teeth???

Cesar: I thought he was stalling.

Adam Taylor May

My sister Millie took these beautiful shots of our brother Taylor, his wife Jennifer and their new son Adam Taylor May. Mom flew out to southern Cal to lend a hand with all things baby and to fill up their freezer with frozen dinner treats and their pantry with her canned apple sauce and peaches. They also both received a lesson in how to whip up her famous sweet rolls. Lucky ducks. Adam is supposed to be the best baby ever. His Poppa Taylor plans to call him Deuce.

Itchy Fingers

I've got the bug to knit and it's a good thing because I have a lot of knitting to accomplish before this winter arrives. The little socks above are for the girls. They're cashmere and a little on the big side but will shrink when washed as the cashmere blooms. It's strange to think that I have 1.5 socks completed and still have 2.5 left to be knit to cover all the new baby toes. I think I'll knit the next pair at the same time on one needle to see if that saves any time. Oh, plus another larger pair must be knit to warm our Hugo's toes. I am thinking of sewing some suede to the bottom of his and turning them into mukluks.

This diamond patterned swatch is a sweater for Hugo. He has been watching me make things for the girls and pipes up how he wants a sweater too. He wants a blue one. I hope to have it finished soon so that he can wear it on the first chilly morning of preschool. They mailed out a letter with all sorts of information like no backpacks, this made me sad. I was all excited to send him off to school and watch him march away from me with his little back pack in place. His nursery school wants everything to be labeled, sweaters, jackets, boots, sneakers - you name it, they want it labeled. Where should I look for labels?

Two Little Beans

I took this photo a few weeks ago in my Mother-in-Law's garden. I've been holding onto it, saving it for some sorta pretty post. Today is the day to share it with you because, I'm gonna talk about my girls.

I had another ultrasound at the doc's office today and got to see the girls. Oh, and yes, they are still girls! I asked the ultrasound lady to check their genders once more because my brain is still partly in denial. With all the stores in full sale mode, in spite of my doubts, I've purchased a few outfits for next summer. In the back of my mind, on delivery day I've imagined that one girl and one boy are still gonna pop out. I've saved the sales receipts wondering if I'll be making exchanges. The ultrasound today was pretty clear that the babies in my tummy are both girls. Would somebody please tell my imagination to settle. Girls, girls, girls, I am having girls. Two of them.

The girls are in a "T" formation within my womb. Baby A, as the Doc refers to them, is vertical, feet down. Baby B, is horizontal and she has been for the past month and a half. Since she is so comfy in that position, I am trying to prepare myself for the strong possibility of a c-section. Don't get me wrong, I do not want a c-section by any means. I am simply trying to prepare myself that this could very likely be my birthing reality all too soon. I'd like to avoid a personal meltdown in the delivery room in front of a load of strangers if at all possible. I've never broken a bone, I can't imagine being cut open like that. The Doc asked, if the c-section does happen, would I want my tubes tied at the same time? He said my uterus would already be out (out?!, oh my!) and it would only be a matter of clamping off two tubes. I do not want my tubes tied. I'm not sure that I'm in a state of mind to think clearly about the possibility of another pregnancy in my future, but I want my options open. Plus, it has been so difficult for Cesar and I to make a baby on our own that if it happened, I'd feel it was meant to be. My fingers and toes are all crossed that Miss Baby B will get with the birthing program and begin to turn, head first, southward and not be so stubborn, like her Momma.

Not much of a surprise due to the size of my abdomen, I learned that the babies are both growing at very healthy rates. Baby A weighs 1 lb 11 oz and Baby B weighs in at 1 lb 13 oz. Good weights for a singleton pregnancy, awesome news for twins. I pray each day that the babies will have a chance to grow big and strong within my body before they arrive out into the world. I hope to be blessed with babies being discharged the same time as myself from the hospital.

*p.s. - I believe we are narrowing in on names. They have changed a bit recently and I'm not sure that Cesar is on board with my new choices. I've got Hugo chanting them out loud with me. Together, we'll win him over! Still working on the middle names. I've wanted one daughter to have a Portuguese middle name after Cesar and our other daughter to reflect my melting pot heritage. My Dad just called and gave me an interesting suggestion from our family tree. We have a Cherokee Indian lady in our southern past. We've known that she went by the name of Puss Dobbs. Very recently a woman helped my father with more info on Ms. Puss, her given name being a part of that our records missing (Puss was her nickname) info. It just so happens to match up with a name I've had rolling about my head for a long while... Prepare yourself Cesar!

24 Weeks w/Twins

Side View

Cesar spotted me entering the pantry and really looked at me. All he could say was, "Amazing. It's amazing that the human body can grow like that." He finally noticed that it isn't just round. My belly is actually pointy shaped. We had a good laugh at it, my torpedo shaped abdomen.

Frontal View

Big Purchase

We finally did it. We purchased a van. A mini van. A Chrysler mini van with lots of nice nice inside but it is still - a van, a mini van. The very vain side of me can't believe that I'm gonna be driving a mini van for the next forever years or so. A massive, moving station wagon. A total kid mobile. A giant "Mom and or Grandma drives this thing" moving billboard sign. Hugo is in heaven.

I tried and tried to get us into a cute SUV. In the end, I simply couldn't see it happening. All my girl pals kept shaking their heads at me and said that the van was the only way to go.

Jin said, "Alissa, it has dual sliding doors. How are you going to manually open up doors with two baby carriers in your arms without setting someone into the snow this winter?, plus dealing with Hugo somewhere, hopefully, by your side?" Good, good point, I thought.

Shaka said, "Alissa, the kids will open their own doors upon exit soon, you wont have to worry about those kid operated doors slamming into the parked car next to you." Oh boy, I wouldn't have ever thought of that, thank you, thank you.

Millie said, "Ali, I just completed a 3000 mile trip with the kids (without the husband) and it wouldn't have been possible without our van." Ooooo, I like road trips. How am I going to fly with Hugo and the infant twins? ever??

My Mother, Jin, Shaka and Millie all said, "Alissa, once you enjoy the space, you'll never, ever go back." Um, that one is still debatable.

Friday Night Wrap-Up

Hugo has enjoyed lots of time with play pals this week.

Cesar has worked crazy hours
and had a crazy schedule
of working with many crews
and many locations
this past week.

I survived the heat, my stuffed up nose, my broken down car ac and my young women's sleepover here at the house last night. Whew! Hugo loved being a part of the party. He showed off and copied and listened and eventually crashed on the sofa around eleven-thirty pm. Gabby carried him upstairs and helped me tuck him in. As I made breakfast for the girls early this morning he found me in the kitchen. Hugo hugged my legs tight and told me that he was very sleepy. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon of convalescing about the house. Oh, and tidied up the place a bit. Bring it on weekend! We're ready for ya!

The Tummy

We went to the mall today
in search of some cool,
humidity reliving
air conditioning
for my sticky skin,
smooshed lungs
and soon to swell feet.

I spotted this cool shadow as we crossed the Target parking lot.

The view was tricky to capture.

Hugo was patient - even though he said that the sun was burning his eyes.
Look! My foot is peeking out from beneath the belly!

The summer heat has finally arrived
and I am doing my best
to walk slowly
and breathe deeply.
The lung space just isn't what it used to be.

Hot and Miserable

Sunday found me to be hot and miserable. This sinus cold of mine is lingering and I am uncomfortable. We left church after sacrament so that I could rest. Cesar and Hugo watched baseball and played silly games on the couch. I tried to knit. I tried to sleep. I tried to be anything but the hot and miserable that I was.

Sheri and Paul needed their car battery charged and knocked at the door in search of tools for borrowing. We three ventured outside to the shed. The sunshine was beautiful. It reminded me of last August. How the summer days are quickly ticking by and I have hardly photographed any flowers. How with the late summer days slipping past last year, I feared and wondered what I might possibly take pictures of, or write about, with the approaching short, dark days of winter. This year, this August, I am happily lost in my missing calendar days. Can't wait for fall and it's exciting promises. I feel sorry for Hugo that he hasn't had as much pool time or playdate magic this summer as last. It has been the summer of the rain. I am so completely excited for this coming late fall and early winter to arrive! Oh, many rooms in the house need to be sorted, there are big purchases to be made and the ever expanding to-do list emptied, but I am excited. Our family is going to change so very, very much. I still can't hardly believe it's happening.

Our Hugo will be a big brother.

A women told me today, that he needed an "I'm a Big Brother" t-shirt. What came to my mind, was one of those "2 Sisters for Sale" shirts! I think it's more our Hugo's speed.

Hugo loves his Poppa.

I'm curious how the sharing of his Poppa will go. I wonder if Hugo and his Poppa will begin enjoying more alone time together while I stay at home with the girls. I'll miss our dump runs. Isn't that silly? Who would ever think that I'd miss a trip to the dump? But I will. We five wont fit in the truck all together until the kids are out of car seats. That's a looooong time from now!

I love my two boys. One tall and one short, both are strong and brave.

Here we three are this Sunday afternoon. The boys looking sunny and happy and I looking very much the hot and miserable that I feel. Yet inside, I feel very happily lost in the countdown to our expanding family. Can't wait!

Food - Day 3

Muffins have been very popular on my eating list. My current two favorites are the Kellogg All Bran muffins (pictured above with loads of blueberries) and my girlfriend Alissa's banana muffin recipe. I've made the bran muffins for years. I think my mom started making them for us while I was in high school, maybe, possibly?? Anyway, they are good for you and delicious. I like to press sliced strawberries and sprinkle sugar on top before I slide them into the oven. Alissa brought her muffins to a playdate a few months ago and I demanded the recipe from her. She is such a good friend that by the time I drove home, the recipe was waiting patiently for me in my inbox. Hugo has been off bananas of late so we seem to have blackening extras often. Alissa's recipe is fast and oh so yummy and, is a great way to use up those lingering bananas. Hugo and I can't wait for them to cool once out of the oven. We fight over who gets to eat the last one even. I suppose in a few years I'll need to bake a double batch to include the twins in our muffin gorging fun!

Food - Day 2

I found this recipe for swedish hotcakes recently on the blog Tangled and true. They looked so lovely and reminded me of the crepes which my brother-in-law Rafael makes for his children on Saturday mornings. He even makes up fancy syrups... My mouth is watering remembering the experience of cooked apples, sliced ever so thinly, smothered in maple syrup. Wonderful! Anyhoo, I've been afraid to try crepes. They seemed so delicate and possibly problematic for my spatula flipping in the kitchen skills. But, are swedish hotcakes the same as crepes? I dunno. I looked up Ms Julia Childs recipe for crepes, which she refers to as dessert crepes or crepes sucrees. Her recipe is pretty similar but, she wants you to wait at least 2 hours for the batter to rest. Come on Ms Julia. Our stomachs are a growling over here! At least mine is. Long story short, I'm stickin' with Tangled and True's recipe. It whips up in a snap and the hotcakes cook up fast and are very easy to flip! I like the hotcakes because they haven't left me feeling bloated and slugish as regular pancakes do. I also like the fact that its okay that the swedish hotcakes are a bit cool by the time you eat them and that they're still delicious. I feel with pancakes that I'm flipping and flipping for Cesar and Hugo and end up eating alone or just as I dig in they suddenly want more. Who wants a cold pancake? Not me. Hugo ate 5 of these swedish hotcake babies, with a pile of sliced strawberries and blueberries on the side, this past Sunday night. A winner in our house I tell you, a winner.

Food Temptations

The beginning of this pregnancy found me craving fruit. Fruit, fruit and more fruit. Simply could not get enough of fruit and a good green salad. Oh, and eggs. I ate tons of eggs. Omelettes, egg salad sandwiches and shrimp salad loaded with eggs. Yum, yum! Then I moved onto a quiche faze. More eggs please! I'm forgetting to mention about my love affair with potatoes. I've eaten a whole lot of fried potatoes. I've bought bags and bags of potatoes like they were going out of style. I like them mashed but, I've wanted them fried. Haven't had them in awhile though... With Hugo I craved shrimp and oranges like mad. I drove Cesar crazy with my desire for the delivery man to peddle over some delicious Shrimp Pad Thai - nightly.

My weight gain has been right on track, so far. The doc is pleased and so are my hips. These past two or three weeks have seen me fall off the strictly healthy food wagon, big time. It's awful! All I really want to eat are chocolate bars with bits of almond and toffee in them, caramels, Panara's chocolate croissants, cookies, cake, sweet rolls, caramel rolls, sticky buns, orange pull a parts, Pepperidge Farm's apple turnovers, fettuccine alfredo, and a juicy steak, cooked the perfect medium rare, with loaded mashed potatoes. I do still crave fruit but it has most definitely taken a back burner to all the bad stuff which I want to stuff my face with.

I thought I'd share some new found favorite recipes tonight and through this coming week, some good for you and others to be enjoyed in moderation! Tonight I made Julia Child's Quiche Lorraine. Hugo and I gobble this up fast!



Earlier today we had a playdate at the park. We had a great time but summer's heat finally hit our spot of the earth today. After an hour or so of play, we decided to move our little play party to the kiddie pool. As the afternoon rolled along, a string of meltdowns occurred and for the most part were ignored, being chalked up to the heat and the children's missing naps. When the time came for us all to part company, not a complaint was heard from the kids. Everyone was content with the length of our outdoor time and ready to head for home. Once inside our house, Hugo ran up to his room to play with his cars while I headed into the kitchen to prepare our quiche. We ate, cleaned up, had a little sandbox time and then headed upstairs to wash in the bath. Hugo dressed himself in his pajamas, mostly by himself. After our prayer, we read The Last Basselope One Ferocious Story by Berkeley Breathed and had lights out. I haven't heard a peep from upstairs since.