End of the Year, End of 2nd Trimester

Here is the belly at 26 weeks, 4 days. This is the last week of my 2nd trimester! Oh, and yes, I cropped my head out because Hubby only seems to take photos of me when I look like hell.

Giant End-of-the-Year Meme

What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

Visited Washington DC and South Padre Island…both places I haven’t been before. Got pregnant. Skinny-dipped…thanks to having my own pool; highly recommended. Gave some work-related speeches…which was a big deal since I am deathly afraid of public speaking.

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I kept one of my resolutions from 2006 -- to travel more. Yes, I am making more for 2007.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Julie had twins. My step-brother and his wife had their second baby.

Did anyone close to you die?
Yes…Granny

What countries did you visit?
Various parts of the U.S.

What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Bigger house (our family is doubling in size!). Bigger car (our family is doubling in size!). Babies. An assistant to get more work cranked out (later in the year). More patience.

What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 30 – Granny’s death. Memorial Week – Washington DC trip with Amanda. August 1 – Found out I’m pregnant. August 29 – Find out about the twins.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting knocked up naturally (I know ya’ll are sick of all the twin talk!). Wonderful marriage. Keeping my diabetes in check (for the most part). Stayed sane.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, thankfully

What was the best thing you bought?
Car. Hubby’s new golf clubs (something he really wanted and was surprised by). New furniture.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Hubby. The Dems for somewhat getting it together.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Bush’s veto of the Stem Cell Bill. Young Hollywood’s trend in flashing their yoo-hoos in public.

Where did most of your money go?
House. Car. My business. Babies.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finding out I was pregnant (after 3+ years of trying). Finding out we were having twins. Finding out it was boy/girl twins. Feeling baby movement for the first time.

What song will always remind you of 2006?
Hmm…probably “Sexy Back” by Justin Timberlake. That song was in the background when I found out I was pregnant, so it’s burned into my memory.

Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
(a) Happier; (b) Fatter, but with a good excuse; (c) Richer.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Relaxing. Scuba/Snorkeling/Swimming in the ocean. Dancing. Traveling. Drinking (I have been wanting a good Long Island Iced Tea lately. Had I known I would be getting pregnant this year, I would have definitely thrown more back!)

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying. Beating myself up for nearly everything I'm doing/not doing/not doing fast enough. Getting muddled down in other’s drama/toxicity.

How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas all alone this year and it was horrible. I wasn’t able to travel to be with family.

Did you fall in love in 2006?
This is totally sappy, but I think I re-fell in love with Hubby. Shhhh. Let's maintain the illusion that I'm all tough 'n shit. :)

What was your favorite TV program?
CSI, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Sopranos and a ton of TBS and Nick @ Nite re-runs

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
"Hate" is pretty strong. I'm much more annoyed by Paris Hilton, if that counts. And there are people I'm certainly more annoyed by. My strong dislike for Donald Trump has definitely grown in recent weeks.

What was the best book you read?
I think the most helpful book I read this year was “Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy.” I pull that book out at least once a week. I have been saving up all of other books to read in January and February when I am stuck in bed.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
As we speak, I am rediscovering the greatness of James Brown. I’ve also become a big fan of reggae and Latin hip-hop/rap…strange, I know. My musical tastes tend to run in cycles. My musical highlight of 2006 was seeing Aerosmith play "Dream On" live in concert (in January in Dallas). It's was awesome!

What did you want and get?
A house with a pool. A new car. A new computer. A satisfying marriage. Pregnancy.

What did you want and not get?
New house slippers…stupid, I know. I wish we could have gone to Europe this year. With the twins coming, big trips like that will be years and years away now.

What was your favorite film of this year?
As I get older I have really become anti-movie. The one movie that I will always remember this year (and NOT because it was a piece of brilliant film-making) is “You, Me and Dupree” because we saw that movie on the date night in which we conceived the twins. I can’t believe I got knocked up after watching an Owen Wilson flick…how sad, and funny! I will have to live with that shame forever.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29, and I honestly don’t remember what I did for my birthday. Oh, wait, yes I do remember…I was moving in our new Austin house. Needless to say, moving is one of the worst things to do on a birthday. We were too tired and sore to even go out to dinner.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to call my dad and Granny to give them womb updates. Not having to stick a needled into my tummy four times a day (insulin injections).

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Uh, yeah, not my best fashion year. It was all about what was most comfortable and, more importantly, what fit.

What kept you sane?
Hubby. Mom. Music. Writing. My dogs. Good friends. New outlook on life. Going on drives (alone) out in the country with the windows down, music turned up, and clearing my mind.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I have never been one to fancy celebrities.

What political issue stirred you the most?
Stem Cell Research; Iraq War

Who did you miss?
My dad and my Granny…everyday. I've also been missing one of my old college roommates (Tom). He dropped off the planet about 6 years ago and I can't track him down.

Who was the best new person you met?
I don’t think I could narrow it down to just one person. MySpace, in all it’s silliness, has re-introduced me to some folks from my past that I am glad I know once again.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
(a) Life works in cycles…times of extreme sadness are usually followed by times of joy; (b) Sometimes big mistakes offer moments of needed clarity

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Most things I worry about never happen anyway." – Crawling Back to You by Tom Petty

Strange Trifecta

Hubby and I have spent this stormy, rainy night watching cable news awaiting the report that Saddam Hussein had been executed. What a bizarre way to spend an evening. There is no doubt that Hussein deserves a special spot in Hell right next to Hitler, Stalin and many others, but there is just something creepy and unsettling about waiting to hear about the death of someone. Plus, it brings up the age-old debate about killing a person in order to show the world that killing people is wrong.

Hubby also mentioned how this is the strangest death trifecta in recent memory...James Brown, President Ford, and now Saddam Hussein...i.e., the Godfather of Soul, the Accidental President, and the Butcher of Baghdad.

Anyway, this has been yet another yucky, boring, rainy day and night. I fear that the next two months are going to be longest of my life. I am getting so uncomfortable at night recently...thanks to millions of 3 AM potty breaks, some mild contractions, and never being able to find a truly comfortable position to sleep in.

I am fresh out of clever titles today

My stupid glucose numbers are out-of-whack again. They have been so good and stable for months now -- thanks to 4 shots of insulin per day -- but now that my third trimester is a week away, they are nuts again. So I was on the phone to one of my many nurses this evening, discussing all of this and making adjustments to my insulin levels. Basically, the third trimester is the hardest for diabetics and we will need to increase my insulin a lot every week.

Ugh, I will be glad when that part of this journey is over. I don't mind the injections. They honestly do not hurt at all, but I HATE the blood testing.

I also put in a call to my OB's nurse. I have been feeling this strange "popping" feeling down low on my belly. I really can't describe it. At first it felt like gas bubbles/pain, but not really. It didn't feel like baby movement either. She told me it sounded exactly like "Twin A" (i.e., the girl) had the hiccups! I guess that's good news...sounds like her little lungs are starting to get ready for some practice.

I got out and went to two stores today, and then went on a little drive around town. It was nice to have the windows down and the radio turned up. It felt like freedom.

I guess the only thing else I have to report is getting a random email from a long-lost distant cousin on my dad's side of the family. I have heard of this cousin before, and it was nice hearing about his life and how he had heard about the twins. More about this as it develops.

Another Wednesday ...

I don't have much to report today. I am over all the sappiness of yesterday. Like I said, it was just hormones.

Hubby has had this entire week off, but went into the office for half of the day to meet with an out-of-town client. I sure have enjoyed having him around this week. Usually after anything more than a long weekend, I am eager for him to return to work and a normal schedule because we start stepping on each other's toes, so to speak. That hasn't been the case this week.

After four full days of not leaving the house, Hubby and I went out to a local pizza place. Getting out and about is becoming a chore for me. After my last little tumble last week coupled with the fact that I am getting so massively pregnant, it's just the smarter choice to stay put. But come on...four days is too long for me. It was nice to be out in public again, but about halfway through dinner I started to feel bad. I had some minor cramping (can I call it "cramping" or is it technically contractions? Not sure.) and felt exhausted. So, it was a quick dinner and then back to the house.

Today, for the first time in months, I actually missed work. I missed having a job. I missed all of those silly, pointless meetings. I miss meeting with clients. I miss all of the marketing I used to dread doing. I miss my adult co-workers. I miss the world of real estate. I miss feeling like I had a purpose. A title. A career.

I can't turn off the faucet! Damn these hormones...

Alright, I don't know what has come over me in the last day, but I have been highly emotional again. I feel like I have just barely drifted through today without crying, and I wish I had a rational reason for it.

Like everything else, I assume it's the high pregnancy hormones. My boobs have been sore and hurting again, which is always an indication of an increase in hormone levels. I hope it is hormones or else I might be going insane.

I have been thinking a lot about the twins today. Day-dreaming about them and what the near future will be like. I wonder how long I will sustain that rose-colored day dream after a few sleepless night with crying infants. Oh but it doesn't matter...I just want to get them here healthy and perfect. I don't know how it is possible to love something you've never seen or held but only felt (literally), but it seems to be true for me.

When I was younger, I was always worried about what kind of mother I would be one day. Would I have that maternal instinct I had always heard about? Would I be affectionate and love them more than I love myself? I don't question those things anymore. I know the answer.

I feel like I already have a bond with my daughter. She is "Baby A"...the one closest to my cervix and the one constantly kicking and moving. I know her schedule. I know she is a chow-hound because she always gets active 30 minutes to an hour after I eat. I know that if I sit straight up for too long she will get uncomfortable and start kicking. When I tell Hubby about her movements, I refer to her by name.

I don't seem to have that with my son..."Baby B." According to all the ultrasounds, he is the larger baby and is located pretty high up (way above my bellybutton). I don't know why I don't feel him move as much given his size and how active he looks on the ultrasounds. On the rare occasion that I do feel movement above my bellybutton, I get incredibly happy.

I think I need to just retire to a long, hot shower. Get all these tears out of my system -- nothing like a good cry in the shower, eh? -- and try to get to sleep...even though I am not sleepy.

According to my twin countdown clock...63 days left until March 1st.

Our Last Lonely Christmas

This was a very strange Christmas this year. For the first time in memory, we spent Christmas alone...not with family, not travelling to see family. It really did not even feel like Christmas.

There was also a strong sense that this is the end of an era for us. This was our last Christmas alone for -- well -- forever. We decided to make a traditional meal, even though it was just for us. Hubby made his first attempt at turkey...which turned out pretty good. I cooked all of the traditional side dishes...which are always good. It's funny how it takes hours to cook a meal like that and then about 10-12 minutes to eat a plate of it and feel miserably full. We cooked enough food for 6 people (we've never mastered the art of just cooking for two), and have leftovers to last us for a good while.

Honestly, I am glad this was our last Chirstmas like this. Next year we will be surrounded by family, stockings, lights, a Christmas tree, tons of pretty packages, but most importantly...our twins. I am getting more and more emotional when I think about our babies lately. I am so ready to meet them, see what they look like, and get a sense of who they are.

On a related topic, I have a week and half left until I start my third trimester! I wish I could get into a magic time machine and fast forward time to February 15th...that's when the countdown really begins!

Our Dogs Post-Christmas Eve Meal

Schatzie enjoying her candy cane rawhide

Maggie napping after a hard day of being a lazy dog

Texas Monthly's 2007 Bum Steer Awards

To my great delight and amusement, Texas Monthly magazine’s 2007 Bum Steer Awards edition finally arrived in the mail a few days ago. Here’s a small sampling of some of my favorites.

You know it’s going to be a good year for Bum Steers when 61% of the people vote against the governor’s reelection and he wins anyway. When Kinky Friedman asks, “How hard could it be?” – and finds out. When Tom DeLay steps down as U.S. House majority leader, resigns from Congress, and hands his district to a Democrat he had redistricted into oblivion in 2004. When DeLay’s temporary replacement, Shelley Sekula-Gibs, runs off his holdover staff with a temper tantrum and runs her chance to win the seat in 2008 into the ground. When George W. Bush contributes “thumpin’” to the political lexicon. When the Longhorns beat Southern Cal for the national championship but can’t beat Kansas State or Texas A&M. When the Spurs can’t beat the Mavs, the Mavs can’t beat the Heat, and the Rockets can’t beat anybody. When Bobby Knight is shown on national television slapping a player – image that – and Drew Bledsoe, who began the season as the Dallas Cowboys’ starting quarterback, plays like he could use a good slap. But non of these antiheroes measure up to the man we’re here to honor. A politician and a sportsman. A man who’s a real blast to go hunting with, who this year gave the country (and his friend Harry Whittington) a shot in the arm, among other places. He may be number two in the White House, but to us he’ll always be number one with a bullet. Or a pellet. Come out from that undisclosed locations, Dick Cheney. You’re our Bum Steer of the Year.

What’s Black and White and Red-Faced All Over?
A referee called a technical foul on Tom Penders when the University of Houston basketball coach collapsed to the floor after his team was called for a foul, because he thought Penders was showing him up. Even though Penders, who wears a pacemaker, was carried off on a stretcher and treated by EMT’s for dizziness, the referee refused to rescind the technical foul.

We’ll Drink to That
In an annual survey by the Princeton Review, the University of Texas at Austin was ranked the nation’s number one party school.

We’ll Take “Irony is not dead” for $200, Alex
President Bush’s education secretary, Margaret Spellings, was beaten on Celebrity Jeopardy! by the actor who played Lenny on Laverne and Shirley.

If we can’t be first, we’d rather be sixth, that way, we’d have a fifth in front of us
Austin ranked fifth on a list of “America’s Drunkest Cities” compiled by Forbes.com.

If Jesus is really your co-pilot, why are you flying commercial?
Pastor Joel Osteen, of Lakewood Church in Houston, as his wife, Victoria, were kicked off a Continental Airlines flight after a dispute with a flight attendant caused Mrs. Osteen to allegedly push an airline staffer and attempt to get into the cockpit.

Ho-Ho-Hum

I woke up this morning to the aromas of my hubby's famous breakfast -- omelet with mushrooms and smoked cheese, bacon, biscuits, sausage, etc. He made a fest for me and mom before she headed off to San Antonio. It has been incredibly chilly and rainy. Perfect for napping in front of the fireplace....which I did a good deal of yesterday.

I was a bit sad to see my mom leave so early this morning. I did not get to spend much time with her (she was here a day and a half), and we really did not do much of anything. She likes to "pet" my belly and talk about the twins as if they are already here. We talked about my fears about birth and wondered what they twins would look like. She reminded me about how much fun next Christmas will be with 9 month old babies and all the fun times that are literally just a few months away. She also told me how proud she is of me -- that I've handled this high-risk pregnancy amazingly well, surprising even my doctors, and she's never heard me really complain about it. I guess that comes from wanting something so badly for years and finally getting it.

The night before I gave Hubby the new golf clubs he wanted so badly. So, he went out and braved all the crazy last-minute shoppers looking for a new golf bag and driver. He was as giddy as a kid! I think I might be half crazy to be giving him new golf clubs a few months before we have infant twins to take care of, but he really wanted them.

We had plans to go out to eat last night, but due to the nasty "perfect-for-getting-sick-in" weather, we opted to cook steaks, baked potatoes and green beans here at the house.

Photos: The only Christmas decoration we did this year...a pathetic little table tree. Mom added the twins' Christmas bears. The second photo is of Hubby's new golf clubs.

Nursery Photos

This is where the nursery stands now. I still need to do more work -- especially with artwork, etc. -- but it's coming along. The paint on the wall looks horrible in photos, but it's softer in person. I also think I am going to switch out the red gingham sheets for something less harsh. Even my mom agrees with that. I also need to do something about the windows. I just hate to invest too much into this nursery because we are moving into a new house in July, and the twins will probably be sleeping in our room until then anyway.

Low-Key Visit with Mom

Mom came into town yesterday at noon. We have had a nice, peaceful visit. Usually she runs me all over town (have I mentioned she's a shopoholic?), but I think it's finally setting in that I am just too big and pregnant for that kind of activity right now.

Yesterday evening, me, mom, and Hubby went up to Leander (a northern 'burb of Austin) to visit with my aunt, uncle, cousin and cousin's twin babies. We had dinner and I got to spend a lot of time holding, feeding and talking to the babies. Despite all accounts I've heard to the contrary, the babies were sweet and quiet. Absolute doll babies! I could literally feel my maternal instincts coming out. I think I will look forward to when my twins are about 3-months old -- not so fragile.

This morning Hubby decided to give me my Christmas gift early...a stunning 3-stone diamond necklace. One stone for him and each of the twins. I could tell he was a bit nervous giving it to me or that he thought I had figured out I was getting it. Anyway, it's beautiful! I will have it forever and one day give it to our daughter.

Anyway, I think we are going out for dinner tonight, and then mom is headed to San Antonio in the morning to pick up my Papa. Then they are off to Houston for Christmas with the extended family. My mother-in-law called and told me she won't be coming next week to visit. I will post about that later.

There's all kinds of talk of a possible "white-ish" Christmas here in Austin! I'll believe it when I see it.

It's a Boy!

I was meaning to post this several weeks ago, but just now remembered. Here is our proof that one of the twins is a boy!

Resolutions for 2007

Alright, this is seriously the last meme of the day, and then I really will get to doing what I need to be doing. On a side note, I hate it when people say that their resolution for the New Year is to not making any resolutions. It's all about goal setting! When you actually have a written list of small goals you would like to accomplish in the near future, it seems to be easier to stay on task and when you mark something off, there is a much greater sense of accomplishment.

1. Take my bed rest confinement seriously. Know that it's to help my babies stay inside the oven for as long as possible and it's only temporary.
2. Handle the birth of my twins like a champ! Conquer my fears in this department and try to enjoy the miracle of the whole event.
3. Allow others to help me...i.e., stop being such a control freak and accept the help I will so desperately need when it's offered to me.
4. Be the best mother I can be. Hopefully gain some patience and selflessness, and just give everything I can to these two lives that will depend on me for everything. Enjoy motherhood!
5. Schedule some private time for myself and Hubby.
6. Get back in shape! Lose the baby weight and then some. This will also greatly help my diabetes. I want off of the insulin and back to just taking one pill a day.
7. Gradually start working again from home later in the year.
8. Go to Vegas in November for my good friend's wedding. This will probably be the first little post-twins trip Hubby and I make. We are already looking forward to it!
9. Stay connected to my network of friends.
10. Buy new house this summer.

10 Things I Want for Christmas

You should be able to tell how utterly bored I am when I just sit around and fill out meme after meme...

1. New House Slippers. I know it's not a sexy request, but I love the ones I have had since last Christmas and it's time for some new ones. Plus, it would be good to have in the hospital when the twins decide to make their debut.
2. Fudge. As a diabetic, I literally fantasize about this. I just want one single piece of homemade fudge to melt in my mouth. Just one!
3. High-Quality, Professional Camera. I have a pretty good digital camera, but I want something fancy. When I was in high school and college, I was really into photography (I pretty much had to be since I was majoring in journalism and often had to shoot my own stories.), but I haven't had a good camera to do such work anymore. Hubby also loves photography, so I think he will be all for getting a new camera.
4. Books. I love books and always have. I need some new books to occupy my time while I am on the 2-months of bed rest. It might be the last time in my life I actually have the leisure time to just read.
5. Bigger Car. We bought a new car -- a Nissan Altima -- back in May. That was 3-months before we knew we were going from a family of two to a family of four (plus two dogs). We seriously need some kind of SUV-type monster to haul our new crew around in.
6. Bigger House. Car? House? I know this is asking an awful lot for Christmas, but we really do need a bigger house. We had outgrown our place before we knew we had twins coming. Now it's almost mandatory. We will probably start looking this summer once the twins are a bit older.
7. Bling. I joke with Hubby that I have earned some diamonds out of this twin pregnancy adventure. This obviously isn't something I need in any way, but it will interesting to see if he's listening. He has never been a jewelry-giving type of husband.
8. Massively Huge Sweater(s). We are experiencing a pretty chilly winter for Austin, and it's damn near impossible to find over-sized warm sweaters that will fit over my big belly. Maternity clothes just aren't cutting it anymore, and the maternity stores down in the South rarely carry any warm clothes.
9. Good Vacuum Cleaner. I swear I go through a crappy one a year...thanks to having two shedding dogs. I need to just buy a high-quality one that will last forever.
10. Flannel Sheets. I just love them.

Maggie: Jealous of the Pregnancy?

I'm a horrible dog-mommy. Yesterday was my black lab Maggie's 5th birthday and I completely forgot. [No, I am certainly not one of those people who throw a doggie birthday party or dress up my dogs, but I could have given her some gravy on her dog food or a piece of cheese...or something.]

One reason I forgot could be because she has been in the dog house a lot in recent months. When I was in my 3rd and 4th months of pregnancy, she started putting her ear up next to my belly. She had never done anything like that before, so I assumed maybe she could hear the twins' heart beats. I think I had read somewhere that it's possible. At the time I thought it was sweet and cute. In my 5th month we started working on the nursery -- removing the old furniture, painting the walls, putting in the nursery furniture, etc. We decided to ban her and our other dog (Schatzie...a friendly, Corgi-mix) from the nursery. I didn't want them getting their dog hair everywhere and I wanted to start establishing that that room was now off-limits to them. Anyway, it was around this time that Maggie started getting "bad." She has been getting into the trash (kitchen and bathrooms), pulling items off of the kitchen counters (bowls, loaves of bread, etc.), and now she is fighting with her sister-dog Schatzie. I mean really fighting! To where we have to separate them physically for fear that Schatzie (the smaller dog) will get injuried. All of this is compltely out-of-character for Maggie. Granted, she has always been a bit anti-social -- which is rare in a pure breed lab. All of this is making us very worried about how she will react when the twins come home. She tends to be jealous -- especially when we show too much attention to Schatzie. Hubby wants to send her to a dog trainer, but I heard the only way that really works is if we (ahem, I) attend the classes with her and learned how to train her as well. I physically can't do that anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore with her. She has been our spoiled baby for 5 years now, but things will have to change when the babies enter the picture. I would hate to force her into being an outdoor dog, but if I have to pick between the dog and my babies...guess who wins? Does anyone have any suggestions?

As for me, I had another restless night of sleep, and I plan to devote the day to cleaning. My mom will be here tomorrow around lunch. Hubby might be coming home tonight.

Fell Again!

Well, my shopping adventures were cut short today because I took yet another tumble! This is the second time in my pregnancy that I have fallen down, and it's getting damn ridiculous. Like the last time, I have no good excuse for how it happened. It has been raining on and off here for the past two days, and I must have just slipped on the wet concrete. Thankfully, this time I fell on my ass. (Last time I landed forwarded on all fours.) Anyway, I managed to pick up my mom's gift and half of my mother-in-law's gift.

My cousin Julie sent me some cute photos of her 3-month old twin boys. In case you are wondering, twins do not run in our family. She had Clomid twins, and I have no idea what happened in my situation. I did three cycles of Clomid in the summer of 2005 and then went off of it. A full year later we got pregnant with our own twins. My OB swears they are "natural" twins, but I will never buy that. I am convinced Clomid did something to my ovaries or something. They simply don't run in the family.

Anyway, I thought I would post a few of Julie's twins photos. They are so cute! On days when I feel physically miserable, I focus on photos like this to get me through. Cuteness is just around the corner for us!

10 Things I Love About the Holidays

1. Seeing family
2. Watching the young members of my family get excited about the magic of Santa and opening their gifts.
3. The smells -- cinnamon, cider, Christmas trees, peppermint, fireplaces burning throughout the neighborhood, etc.
4. Sending and receiving Christmas cards. It's the only time of the year when you get more personal mail than junk mail or bills.
5. The food! It's like Thanksgiving but with more sweets.
6. Seeing all the holiday lights on houses in the neighborhood.
7. Decorating the house and tree. We decided not to decorate this year (too much work), but next Christmas we will go all out. The twins will be about 7-8 months old then and there will be a lot of excitement watching them experience their first Christmas!
8. Gift wrapping. In my family it's almost a competitive sport. We don't half-ass the presentation!
9. When I was a kid, I used to love going to Midnight Mass with my family. The church was always decorated beautifully, everyone was dressed in their new Christmas dresses, and I loved hearing the Christmas songs.
10. Baking my family's famous pecan pies for hubby's co-workers. Damn, that reminds me...I need to do that tomorrow!

Restless Night Without Hubby

It's remarkable how comfortable we humans get to routine. Hubby has been out-of-town on business since Monday, and I have yet to get a good night's sleep since he has been gone. I remember when we first started living together -- 2 years before we got married -- I had such a hard time sleeping good with him there. Fast forward 5+ years and I toss and turn all night when he isn't there. Before I was pregnant, this wouldn't have been a big problem, but now I feel like a wreck if I don't get deep sleep. Anyway, he is returning on Friday morning and then my mom is coming in from Houston to spend Christmas with us since I can no longer travel.

Ugh, that reminds me...I MUST finish my Christmas shopping today. This has been such a lazy holiday season for me. My mom wants two car seat bases for her car for when the twins visit her, and the in-laws are just getting gift certificates. I feel guilty about my gift-buying this year, but I honestly can't physically shop like I used to. My feet and ankles swell, my lower back hurts, and my energy level is wiped out. But I still feel like 'Hey! I'm pregnant with twins!' isn't a good enough reason for all of this laziness.

Speaking of the pregnancy, I am currently 24 weeks and 5 days pregnant. On one hand I am proud to be so far along and grateful that these 24 weeks have essentially flown by, but then I am reminded that my ultimate goal is to hold these babies in until 36 weeks. That's another 12 weeks (or 3 months) to go!

10 Best Things That Happened to Me This Year

In no particular order...

1. Finally got pregnant...by accident, no less!
2. Moved to Austin and out of blue-haired, conservative Georgetown
3. Visited Washington, D.C.
4. Got a new car
5. Found out I was having boy/girl twins
6. Re-connected with some long lost friends
7. Happy, stable marriage
8. Finally had my own private backyard pool for nightly summertime swims
9. Dems took back control of Congress. (Not sure if that qualifies as something that happened to me, but it still brought me a lot of joy!)
10. Maintained good health for myself and my babies

Holiday Letter 2006

Since I am utterly bored senseless again, I am going to post the holiday letter we mailed out to 150 of our friends and family. I have omitted some things that would be considered "too much identity" for the purposes of this public blog.
*************************

Dear Friends & Family,

This is the first year that we have done a holiday letter because, well, this is the first year we have ever had anything truly exciting to report.

At the beginning of this year, [Hubby] joined the law firm of [omitted] in Austin. We were both ready for a change, and his wonderful new law family have embraced us both. [Hubby] is still doing a lot of construction litigation, but now it is focused on representing independent school districts around Texas. After a month of making the Georgetown-to-Austin commute, we decided to relocate down to Austin. We have enjoyed living in the heart of Austin, and spent many lazy weekends relaxing by our pool.

The spring time was difficult on us and our family. Shannon lost her beloved Granny on April 30th. As many of you know, Shannon also lost her dad the previous October, so it was an especially tough time.

The week of Memorial Day, Shannon and her good friend Amanda spent a week exploring Washington, D.C. As much as Shannon loves history and politics, it’s amazing she held out 29 years before finally seeing it firsthand! It was a fantastic trip.

The big surprise of the year came this summer when we found out we were expecting our first baby. The big surprise of our lifetime came a month after that when the doctor found two heartbeats during the first ultrasound! Twins! We were twice blessed and overjoyed beyond words!

Shannon’s pregnancy has been smooth so far – knock on wood – and the babies appear to be healthy and strong. A few days before Thanksgiving, we were told that we were having boy/girl twins! We have been busy preparing the nursery, stocking up on baby gear and attending our birthing classes. The babies are due around March 1st, but we were told to have our hospital bag packed by Valentine’s Day.

We celebrated our third wedding anniversary in October with a trip down to South Padre Island, have enjoyed good health and good friends, started a great new job, moved to Austin, and are now awaiting the arrival of our son and daughter. We have had a tremendous year, and look forward to all that 2007 will bring.

We hope you and yours have a joyful holiday season, and enjoy much health and happiness in the new year.

Bullets of Randomness

* I feel horrible for the families of those missing Mt. Hood climbers, but isn't this the risk you take when you participate in extreme sports of this nature? I am rather amazed that with all of our modern technology we don't have some sort of tracking device that could be worn by climbers just in case they find themselves in such a situation.

* Justin Timberlake's SNL "Dick in a Box" skit has left me laughing for days now. I personally like how they went with a Color Me Bad look for the skit.

* Am I the only chick that doesn't think Matthew McConaughey is worthy of the title Sexiest Man Alive? The last time I think he looked good was a decade ago in "A Time to Kill." He looks awesome from the neck down, heading north he looks spent.

* I still have not done any Christmas shopping! I usually spend a lot of time looking and buying the perfect gifts for folks, but this year I am just physically not up for the task. I'm afraid this year will be all about gift certificates.

* I have 12 weeks or less left in my twin pregnancy. I will be so ready to pop them out by then. I am truly starting to get physically uncomfortable.

* I can't believe we have an Aggie running the war now.

* Last Saturday night, hubby and I went down to the campus and watched the Dallas Cowboys game at Posse East. (The Cowboys game was only being shown on the NFL network, and that's hard to find.) Posse East is a place we have been to a few times over the years, and it was hubby's law school hang-out back in the early 90s. What most struck me, however, is that today's college kids look so damn young! Perhaps this is a sign of the times for me. For more than a decade I would see college students and think they essentially look like me. That's not the case anymore. They look like babies...so fresh faced, so small, and so determined to look hip. My college years were spent in the immediate aftermath of the grunge era. When we hung out at our local dive, we literally just threw on what ever was clean. Anyway, time marches on and time waits for no one.

Guilty Pleasures

Stuff I’m suppose to like, but don’t...
Beer; Reading fiction; Coffee; Shopping; Raw onions and tomatoes; Carnations; High heels; the Bible; Lakes; Religion; Cell phones; going to the movies; Cooking; Wine; French kissing; Pedicures (I have ticklish feet so it’s like a monthly torture session); Photos of myself; Cigars; Cookies; Jazz; Stephen King novels; horror movies; Hair accessories; Wearing watches; Feng shui; Reality TV; Singing; Large groups of people; Watermelon; Hard candy

Stuff I like, but I’m not suppose to...
Watching re-runs on Nick @ Nite; Politics; Popcorn dipped in Ranch dressing; Cigarettes; music from the early 90s; Jack-in-the-Box tacos; the History channel; Reading non-fiction; handwriting letters to people; Road trips; Driving a stick; Going to the doctor; Flannel pillowcases (even in the summer); Canned potato soup; Celebrity gossip; John Cougar Melloncamp (especially “Hurt So Good”); Cleaning the kitchen; Occasional fighting; Nutter Butters; Tuna Helpers; Using the “C” word; Fog

My twin belly at 22 weeks

Here is my belly at 22 weeks. I don't so much mind losing my waistline...that's to be expected when you are pregnant with twins. But I HATE losing my jawline! My face looks so incredibly fat now.

1st Baby Shower

Yeah I know it's been a long while since I have posted anything on here...but, hell, I never get comments and I am not prone to enjoying talking to myself.

Here's the update...I am definitely pregnant with boy/girl twins! We are thrilled beyond words. It's the best possible combination. I had my first baby shower in my hometown this past weekend. It was awesome, but I really over-did-it physically. I will spend most of this week recovering in bed.

I will post more about the shower later, but in the meantime, here is a shower photo with some of my old high school friends.

Photo: (L to R) Lee Anne, Donna, Amanda, Me, Misty & Chasity