Poka Toka What!? Bugalew??? Thanksgiving Play!!!

Lucy had her fall Thanksgiving Play today. It was the cutest thing ever. Here are four videos and a handful of pictures. Enjoy! God Bless! - Dad

Grandma helping out! God BLESS Grandma! 

Our little pilgrim stepping onto stage!

Our little pink pilgrim!

Down from the stage doing a dance! Poka Toka something or another :-)

 

Discovered that there is food hiding behind the grown-ups! Our little foodie beams right up with a big smile!

Lucy with her teacher!

Love this big girl...

I told Lucy yesterday that she can date a boy when she finds one with more chest hair than me :-D Her head tilted and eyes crossed in quiet confusion. Laura laughed so hard I'm pretty sure we almost had the twins premature :-P

Here's a picture of my little beauty, Ms. Lucy Cooke!

Oh brother....

Are you ready to be shocked and horrified? Hang on to your hats, folks. Graphic images ahead. 

 Oh my goodness, is Molly the cutest kid EVER in this pic? This is me at 38w,  the morning of my c-section with Claire. 

This is me ON my due date with Lucy. I went another week and a half. 

This is me approximately 2.5 minutes ago, at 22 and a half weeks. At least 12 weeks to go. 

I am definitely hitting a wall at this point. I was told by many of my twin mom friends that it would happen once I hit "full-term size." I am very tired and very crabby and in LOTS of pain. I think it would be fine if I were actually anywhere near my due date, but that is a season and a half away, y'all...

Feeling TWO bouncing babies bopping around in there is certainly motivation to keep going, and I am SO excited that we're going to have twins, but it really is two pregnancies at once.  

I will, of course, rally like the champ I am. I'm sure this is just a phase. I am also told by my twin mom friends that the wall comes and goes and that I should be feeling right as rain in a couple of days. I think that leaving behind the August heat will work wonders for my outlook! We've had another jump in the temps and boy is it nasty out there! I live for my early mornings outside with the little girls, playing in the hose, watering flowers and sweeping. Just a couple of weeks until we have nice weather every day!

Lucy's First Day of Kindergarten

Dear Lucy,

Remember this day? After 43 hours of hard labor and almost 4 hours of pushing, you were born with red hair and peachy-white skin. Remember how Mommy and Daddy cried and cried when we finally heard your scream? Remember how Mommy was so weak that she couldn't hold you, and Mimi helped you learn to nurse? Remember how Daddy held you for three days straight and wouldn't put you in your bassinet? Remember how Grandma came to Frostburg to meet you and just said, "Oh, she is just beautiful," over and over? 

No? You probably don't, but Daddy and I still remember every minute like it was yesterday. 

This morning you put on your Hello Kitty t-shirt and aqua blue backpack before the sun came up. You stood by the door until we finally let you out, and you ran up the driveway as fast as you could, yelling, "Hurry up, you two!" Armed with your tiny Miraculous Medal and big expectations, you climbed on the bus and ran to the back, only to have to sit in the first seat when your bus driver caught you. 

You won't remember today, just like you won't remember the your first peas, your first steps, your first word or your first tricycle. But Daddy and I? We remember every single blink and breath. We know every freckle and dimple, every sigh and smile. And when you know your little girl this well, you know that she is filled with success. I know that Kindergarten will be a big adventure for you and that you'll take that place by storm.

Knock 'em dead, Red! We love you! 

Whew.

I just got back from a 3 mile walk. It was very nice. I went to the library and got 4 books, I secured a storage unit down by 7-11, I went to the PO, and I stopped at Gianni's for lunch. That hill is a killer, but it's nice to feel what little burn I can still feel, being this pregnant. And the baby loves the exercise. She gets very wiggly and excited over it all.
Let's see...this past weekend was really nice. Mom and Nina hosted a beautiful shower, and everyone was so generous and giving to our little Lucy. It was so nice being around all of the women who make such a difference in my life!
Andrew and I met with Rick and Celeste about Lucy's baptism. I think we're going to do it in June, hopefully the same weekend of Josiah's party. We asked Lisa and Michael to be Lucy's godparents this weekend, and they were thrilled. I know they'll be wonderful. (Ack, I need to call Good Shepherd and get this baptism scheduled. I'm going to do that right now. Line's busy. Well, I de-registered from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, so that's a step in the right direction.
In that case, I'm going to be really proactive and get Dr. Menchavez settled as her pediatrician. I am such an on-the-ball momma.
Ok, well, Zeita was not in. I left a message. Good enough. I feel like a very responsible parent at the moment.
Andrew had his dentist appointment this morning. He has one wisdom tooth that needs to be pulled. That is going to be done at the very beginning of next month. I'm glad we're getting all of these things out of the way before B-Day; it'll make the event much more relaxing!
I get to move a bunch of stuff to storage this week! I am so excited. We have so much stuff and just not enough space! It will be really nice to get some stuff out of here and get this place a little more open and cleaned out. I need more space if we're going to move a munchkin in here!

Pics from the weekend!

Here we are at JB's party!

I missed him a lot over my week away. It's just more fun having him close to me.

Jackie, taking a break mid-party.

SO cute.

Alison feeling Lucy.

JB focusing on his cake.

Jackie

Mom getting ready for the shower!

The kitchen.

Nina having a fit about vacuuming!

Me before the shower!

Andrew showing off his guns.

Slacking. Lots to say.

First, a few more pictures of the rest of our trip. Here is Lucy at the wave pool.

Here are Brendan and Paul in their class. John was in a different class, so I didn't get to take a picture of him, but he was on a smile strike as it was, so I suppose I'll have to sneak up on him soon.

Here is me feeling cold and large in Jamestown. It was really windy and I had a foot in a mojor organ.

Here is Lucy in front of a cannon.

Here is Lucy in front of a giant anchor.

Here is Lucy in front of the Discovery. She really loves the sound of water, so it was really hard to stand still and take these pictures. It's easier to walk and rock her a little so she keeps her little feet tucked in where they can't hurt me.

Suzzy reads my blog.

Ha, Andrew was wrong. I have at least three people reading my blog these days.
Andrew will be here today! It's been a very busy week. Today is payday, so bills are all paid, and we got out tax refund this morning! Woo!! What we need to do is put the entire thing toward paying off debt. We're doing really good. However, I think we need to wait til the end of the weekend to see what we still need to buy for Miss Thang, and then put the difference toward debt. I think we'll need to buy the carseat and the jogger. This leaves me with a huge dilemma. See, the jogger isn't really museum/mall/crowd friendly. But I really want it for working out, since the terrain in Frostburg is less that adequate for Graco's sweet designs. However, the carseat is going to be about $150. Well, a travel system is the same price, and it's got a smaller stroller with it. I don't know how well Andrew will respond to my plea for two strollers, but there's no point in buying a car seat when you can buy a car seat and a matching stroller for the same price. Hm. I am going to have to butter him up really good...his biggest concern is going to be storing them, but the Graco would probably just stay in the trunk of the car permanently, for the mall and other outings, and we'd be using the jogger around the nrighborhood, so I'd keep it in the garage. I hope he reads this today and realizes how sensible I am.
I am going to go upstairs and take a little shower. I do love my showers. Andrew will be here in less than 12 hours!!! Ahh!!! I love him!

Comments for everyone!

I changed my blog so that everyone can leave comments now.
I just got back from a walk around the resort. So many children...I think that once Lucy gets ready to travel, I really don't want to do "family vacations." I know this sounds mean and horrible, but we really want to expose our kids to things that are off the beaten path, where people don't bring throngs of kids to experience all the same things. And with a giant waterpark in the middle of the resort, it's hard to get them to do anything but swim.
I'd really like to take Lucy to Africa when she's about 6 or 7. I'd love for her to see a bunch of different cultures and people, and to learn that you don't need to stay in your own country to feel like you belong somewhere. I feel like raising a kid in the US really cuts your off from the rest of the world. Maybe it's because we're so closed off from other countries. I just think that there is a huge snobbery that goes along with being an American, where most US citizens never feel the need to see the rest of the world. There are so many amazing things out there, and so many people I haven't met. It would be a shame to never try to meet them. I don't see how anyone can ever stop moving around and settle in one place. It just seems like there are so many places I haven't tried. I need to see at least 13 more countries before I decide on the best place to live. What if my best fit is somewhere in Ireland, or Mombazique? I just hate to make a decision when I don't know all my options, and I'd hate to raise Lucy to think she doesn't even have those options.
I think that's what scares me about Allegany County. There are so many different things out there, and I'm so afraid to raise Lucy in a town full of people who are so set in their ways. I want her to approach people, ask questions, eat anything, speak many languages, plan less and never settle for what's in front of her. I want her to know that there is always another way to do something, and there is always someone out there who does things differently. I want her to know that there life doesn't begin and end with purchases, and that love isn't confined to Mom, Dad, your siblings and your grandparents. I think the biggest challenge in raising a child today is raising them to be free of the societies around them, and to challenge them to think bigger than themselves and their daily routine. I don't care if Lucy never goes to college, as long as she lives a life dedicated to serving the people around her. I'm not the most interesting person, and I'm definitely not the smartest, but if Andrew and I can raise a child who relies on compassion, empathy and wit to get the job done, I know that I will have lived the right life.

Laura the Bad, Bad, Blogger...

Well, I did not post yesterday, because I was driving and eating cookies.
I'm at the house now, and we're getting all packed up to drive to Virginia. We leave tomorrow morning around 10am, and hopefully we'll be there by mid-afternoon.
I had a very nice day today. April and I went to lunch, Old Navy and Target. I ended up spending money, but it was MY vacation money. I bought a couple cute little things for Lu, and some flip flops for da momma. I ALSO bought some cute patootie undies to make myself feel all pretty. I really do feel that pretty undergarments just make women happier. There is nothing nicer than knowing that 1) you match and 2) your underwear costs just a little too much. Andrew always encourages these little splurges, because it's much easier to let me spend $50 on matching underwear than it is to pay $50 an hour for a therapist. I really never spend money on myself, because I always feel so guilty, so when I do end up spending on myself, I have to really battle the angel on my shoulder. But I'm young, and I'm really pregnant, and sometimes it's worth a little splurge when you realize your waist is gone and your chest is following very closely behind it. And if new underwear makes it all better, so be it. Goodness knows I've cut out alcohol, soft cheese, sleeping on my tummy, flexibility and Moutain Dew; there has to be something left for me out there!
I am so excited about meeting Lucy. Andrew must ask me when he gets to meet her about 3 times a day. We're both so over the moon for her- I can't wait to see her all slimy and confused and new. I'm not picky. I like clean babies and dirty babies. I took a bath tonight, and since my belly sticks out of the water like a dead Beluga, I was pouring warm water over it to keep it warm. She just loved that. She actually flipped over so her back was up against my belly, right where she could feel the water. Now she's very still, all nice and zonked from her bath. It's so cute feeling her get all floppy and excited when I turn on the bath water. What cracks me up is that right now, since all we can do is feel each other, we're very in tune to what's going on. I know she's going to come out and do newborn things, like, oh, lie around, and I'm really going to wonder why I thought she was so responsive to me.
Well, I am starting to feel all sore again, so I'm going to call my honey and tell him goodnight, and then we're going to settle in and watch The Transporter. We still have to get some clothes into bags and get some more stuff packed, but if we start it around 9:30, I should have at least 20 minutes of movie-watching time in me...
I worked on my baby wrap tonight. I think it'll work well. I used a baby doll as a model, and ended up squishing the little rubber head under my chin. With any luck Lucy will have more beans in her hiney. That baby doll was just not cooperating with me....

Snack wraps and secret babies.

Well, I just walked in the door from the doctor's office and a big WalMart trip. The WalMart trip was ultimately more interesting than the doctor's office, but that's kind of par for the course at this point. Dr. H said I'm still looking great, and as long as I'm feeling fine, I should just keep up the good work. Hooray! And I passed my one-hour glucose test. I guess all those expensive cereals and chocolate chip cookies paid off; looks like little Lucy is immune to my incredible sugar intake.
I spent a large part of the afternoon watching the old men at McDonald's shoot the breeze. I had an hour to kill, so I ordered a snack wrap and parked myself in the corner. The big event was the broken ice machine...it actually turned out to be much more exciting than sitting at home.
I actually mailed Sarah's care package today! I figured that after the big explosion at Bagram today, she deserved a little gumption on my part. A woman at the post office rubbed my belly. Surprisingly, I didn't get upset at all. She was so cute.
Andrew and I were talking at the doctor's office today...what happens if you have a baby at home, and you never tell anyone? Are there rules pertaining to making your child an official person? I mean, could I just have a baby and never obtain a birth certificate or SSN or anything? Are there people out there without official identities? I'll have to ask my Nesties.

Flannel dreams and $20 bills

Whew- I usually wake up at 7 and make Andrew's lunch. Today, I made it in the nick of time. I didn't wake up til 7:16! When the alarm went off at 6:30, I fell asleep again, really quickly, and had the most bizarre dream. I was at Motherhood Maternity with Mom, shopping for nursing tops. But Mom disappeared into the rest of the mall, so I got distracted and was shopping for tutus instead...and then Philip Stamper showed up and got on his cell phone and started telling his friend "Kim" all about how I was his best friend and we were going to a rave. Mind you, I'm 8.5 months pregnant, now trying on tutus and eavesdropping on this most bizarre conversation. All of a sudden, I'm in a glittery orange tutu and black stilettos, and I'm thinking, "Whew! Are those my legs?!? Very nice!" And then I wake up.
I would imagine that this dream stems from my conversation with Andrew, where I was concerned about the thickness of my thighs, and Andrew promptly reassured me that "it has to go some where!" Considering I have no waist and very short legs, I'm surprised it's taken me this long to notice how large my thighs have gotten. Maybe I'm just distracted.

Well, we have our 31 week appointment today at 4. I'll be happy to get into our later appointments where something interesting actually happens. Right now, it's just tedious and time consuming. But Andrew is coming with me today! I've been telling him not to come for the last few appointments, since it's just me handing out urine and crying after I get off the bad scale. But since I scheduled it so late in the day, he's going to come with me. It'll be good to have moral support today, considering my thigh dream.
Ok, time for breakfast!

Recent Happenings

Our Icicles. They're a great reminder of our honeymoon. They remind me that Key West is so very, very far away.

The guys at dinner last weekend- L-R- Tim, Calvin, Manik and Andrew

Really, she's waving. This is Lucy and I at 31 weeks. Getting BIG!

Lucy's wall letters. With any luck, this is the last color scheme we'll go through! Our "I Love Lucy" theme is now in full swing! Well, it would be if she had a bedroom...

Lucy at 30 weeks- so much cuter than my belly makes her seem at first.

What the 4D ultrasound doesn't show you. Ah, technology...

A new truck.

Well, I should have known better than to fall asleep on the couch last night. Andrew got lost on Craig's List, and found his new love. A 1989 giant red truck. Well, I can do better than that. How about a picture?

So, we have emailed the guy, and will see what he says. It looks like it would be a champ in the snow, but...it's so big. I think we're going to list the Saturn in the paper and see if we can't break even on her, to pay her off and find a car a little more suited to Frostburg weather. And if we don't sell her, that's fine too. I can drive her as long as I need to, I suppose. It would be nice to have something a little higher off the ground. I'd really like a 4-Runner. Andrew seemed agreeable, if we can find something for the right price.

I took my nap. It turned out to be better than I expected, but I had some VERY weird dreams.

Our weekend was very nice. On Friday night, Andrew came home from the gym and declared "I ran the flu out of me!" Apparently his 10k completely cured his two-week illness. Who am I to argue? He sounded much better, so...

We had a light dinner and then took our fun money and saw "The Number 23." Oh, it was beyond creepy and scary. We loved it.
On Saturday, we drove down to the hospital so Andrew could have his blood drawn. While he was registering, I dropped my water bottle and it sprayed all over my legs and I was absolutely soaked. And of course, when a pregnant woman gasps, everyone stares in concern. So, while I dried off, Andrew did his thing, and we were back in the car in just minutes. We went to Big Lots, which is a very neato place. Our first time. Then we headed home, where Andrew sat for about an hour before he decided to drive to "Bloomington" to look at a house. We drove for a looooong time, and finally found the place. It was less than thrilling, but it was a nice little drive. Any drive is nice when you have a bag of Fritos and a good traveling buddy.

We spent Saturday night...jeez, I don't even remember Saturday night. We watched a movie, maybe? I know I made chicken and pilaf...I guess we were just around the house...I really can't remember.
It snowed a LOT on Saturday night, so we spent Sunday in the house, cleaning and doing homework, and went to Mass at 8 at Cook Chapel.
Lucy had a very quiet weekend. She never knows what to do with the weekend. We have a very distinct routine during the week, and I think she gets confused when the hustle and bustle of the weekend gets going.