Soccer Players or Male Rockettes

The biggest thrill of the past two weeks has been the palpable activity of Boy 1 and Boy 2. They have been kicking and flipping and twisting and making all sorts of in utero workout routines. At least, so says Mama Bear. Every time she comes home and tells me that the boys were practicing their floor routines, I have a moment of gender envy and wish I could know what she is experiencing just for a moment. (And that one moment would be plenty.) I imagine our boys looking something like this when they are active:



Twice I have had the good fortune to feel them/one of them move. Both times it felt like a mini lightning bolt of wonder shot through my hand straight to my heart. It almost hurt, it was so incredible. I can't wait to meet these guys.



The house continues to have lots of foot traffic but no buyers, save for one low-ball offer that we turned down. (Fingers crossed that that wasn't a bad idea.) It's frustrating that we aren't able to start putting a nursery together now because we are hoping to be somewhere else when the babies arrive. We have all this cool stuff to put up and make this "parenting" thing a little more real, but our hands are tied and it remains boxed up for now. Patience, Papa Bear. All will work out.

(By the way, we are praying madly that things will all work out.)






Heard:
I've been digging into a couple new records lately. The first is Poison & Wine EP from The Civil Wars, a haunting and sweet little collection of songs for those who like beautiful tunes with a tragic tint to them. A great set of sounds for those who like Iron & Wine, O Brother, Where Are Thou? and things involving crossroads.



 The second is Your Love Never Fails from Jesus Culture. This one heavily features Chris Quilala, Kim Walker, and Melissa How. I've been rediscovering some of the newer worship music out there and I've liked this one, mostly because of how unbelievably rockstar Kim Walker is when she leads the songs. It's a natural talent, not a showy putting on of "lead singer-ness." It's raw and incredible. "Sing My Love" is excellent.

What have you guys been up to?

As Opposite As Twin Brothers

The twenty-one week checkup (couldn't get in with the doctor at twenty weeks) was on Tuesday. Another ultrasound and a meeting with our new OB (our old one left the clinic at the new year). The ultrasound showed the different personalities (or more likely, different sleep cycles) of the two boys. Baby A was uncooperative and moody, doing little more than mooning the ultrasound tech the entire time. Baby B, however, was acting like Peter Griffin on Red Bull.



He was spinning, flipping, turning, not holding still at all. Perhaps it's a foretaste of what family pictures will be like from now on.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE:
We felt the babies move! More specifically, Mama Bear felt "something" that was probably babies last week, then felt that "something" several times last Friday. While she was laying in bed, she felt it strongly enough to call me into the room where we both saw her stomach MOVE. Bloop. Just like that it moved! We put our hands on her belly and felt Baby A kick (or punch or roll or something) on his side, then Baby B outdo his brother on the left side. It was...(wait for it)...breathtaking.

Mama Bear is now growing at a rapid clip, making up for lost time after a nauseous first trimester with little to no weight gain.



The house has had all sorts of activity lately. Lots of showings and open houses and needs to quickly evacuate the house for a couple hours. We are racking up steep dog-sitting debts to some good friends who thankfully like Win despite his googily eyes.

Seen:
We caught a couple of films over the weekend. The Social Network was playing at the Riverview (best movie deal in the Twin Cities). I was leery going into the viewing for some reason but it turned out that I had no reason to be at all. The movie was fantastic. A wonderful character story and a wonderful performance by Jesse Eisenberg, no matter how accurate or fictional it may be.

Next was a morning matinee showing of The King's Speech. I am a fan of just about everyone in the film and had high hopes. It was great but...not as great as I was hoping? I am soon to graduate into a rehabilitation-based career and had a professional interest in seeing how they depicted early speech therapy and was encouraged by how it was portrayed. Again, not sure on the historical accuracy but I appreciated how Lionel Logue's career was based out of a need to help people regain a load-bearing piece of their life after some trauma, either physical or emotional.

What have you seen lately? What did you think of it?

The Latter Half

We've passed the midway point of this pregnancy. Mama Bear hit twenty weeks yesterday. (Technically the halfway point for multiples is usually around 18 weeks as 36 weeks is considered full term.) I've grown accustomed to the idea of pregnancy and the two virtual boys that are floating upside-down in her belly. Now I get to adjust to the idea that these little guys will be here sooner than I think.

More official baby gear keeps streaming into our house. This week Mama Bear used her bargain-hunting super-powers to buy many adorable outfits for our chitlins. (It is frustrating to think that our children will wear these outfits only a handful of times, if at all, before they outgrow them. After that, we turn them into costumes for Win.) 

The stroller and car seats also arrived this week. There's a level of excitement about it that I relate to getting a new car: lots of new features to try out, you want to show off the latest model out in public, you imagine all the off-road trails this beast could totally handle. Then you remember that it's a stroller and you will never ride in it. And you are the engine.

(Speaking of which, we opted for this bad boy and the 22 lb accompanying car seats. We originally planned on the 35 lb capacity seats but then realized that we didn't want to potentially push around 100 lbs of baby and accessories.)

We're gonna be badass.

Finally, I want to start a feature here that I am blatantly ripping off from a blog I used to read that no longer exists, and whose idea (assuming it was his to begin with) is now very popular. I want to share things that I have recently seen, heard, and read.

Seen:

Over the holiday break, I watched a lot of things. Football. Basketball. The American version of Top Gear (surprisingly entertaining). Several movies. Heavy on the Jeff Bridges. True Grit (his performance was outstanding, but the rest of the movie was meh) and Tron Legacy (his performance[s] were pretty ok but his channeling of the Dude was heavy handed, the visuals were stunning, and the story was entertaining enough to keep me engaged) in the theater. Sherlock Holmes (a lot better than what I had been told), The Rock (gets dumber with each viewing), and Coraline (loved loved loved it) on DVR. We finished off the break with The Men Who Stare At Goats (more Jeff Bridges, and a very entertaining story).

Heard:
Besides the podcasts I recently mentioned, I have been enjoying The King Can Drink The Harbour Dry, by the Dimes. It is marvelously crafted and super delicious to hear. Go check it out. Better yet, enjoy this tidbit.

Read:
Currently working through several books at once, making no progress on any of them. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, Twinspiration by Cheryl Lage, Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch, and The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. It's a safe bet I will still be working on all of them when the boys arrive.

The Christmas Where Everyone Shouts, and some news

Balloon and Bridge, originally uploaded by the_dharma_bum.

This year's festivities in my family's home were probably the most entertaining that I can remember. Easily the most raucous. (Blame that on the aquavit.) Our family was expanded by the addition of our dear family friend (and surrogate sibling) Mo and the two baby boys a-brewin' in my wife's belly.

That's right. Two baby BOYS.

We found out that news clandestinely on the 23rd and surprised both sets of parents with the news over Christmas. It was received with a mix of exclamations of joy and sharp inhaling of breath through clenched teeth. The next few decades should be fun.

I'm now camped out at the in-laws' bunker in West Michigan, enjoying DVR'd episodes of Top Gear (the American version, surprisingly entertaining) and sporting events. We saw True Grit (it was ok). I got a few books to read (Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years and The Girl Who Played With Fire) and new socks to wear (argyle patterns in cashmere and lambswool). It was a good Christmas.

Also, our home is now officially for sale. Someone please buy it soon.

Lub dub lub dub lub dub

flickr with video!, originally uploaded by Thinklab.

Sixteen week check up today. Unfortunately there aren't any new pictures to share but it was still worthwhile because we heard HEARTBEATS. It was the latest heart-stopping moment in what will be a lifetime of them.

I am now a heart-stopping moment junkie. I need my next fix. Gimme gimme gimme.

Mama Bear just got through the State of Nausea to run smack-dab into the Territory of Flu-like Bugs and Other Unpleasantness. Being prego means you can't take most run-of-the-mill antibiotics and remedies. Instead, it's just your already overtaxed body fighting mano a mano against Generic Head Cold Syndrome. So far, GHCS has won the first few rounds but Mama Bear is rebounding nicely thanks to Tylenol Cold & Sinus, about the only arrow left in her quiver.

What's Papa Bear doing through all this? Just repeatedly asking if he can make her some tea to the point where she wants to poke me in the eye. I'm the best nurse ever.

Thanksgiving

A birthday quilt to celebrate family, originally uploaded by A-Wix.

Today the twins hit the 14-week marker. According to a weekly email from a website that apparently knows about such things, our babies are roughly the size of lemons. I have citrus children.

This year brings a new meaning to thankfulness. I am grateful that we have two healthy, growing children tucked safely in their mother's womb. I am thankful that Anna is healthy also and does everything and more to ensure she stays healthy for the babies. I am thankful that we have access to quality prenatal healthcare. I am grateful that our friends and family have been so supportive and generous already, offering things that they may regret when I take them up on it.

I am grateful for my wife, my best friend, my companion. She and I are several states apart this Thanksgiving and frankly, I don't like it. Circumstances didn't allow us to be together this year but she is taking advantage of an opportunity to celebrate with a side of her family she doesn't get to see often. She will also get to show of her babies bump to her relatives for the first time. And she will present this wonderful handmade quilt to her grandmother in celebration of her 90th birthday.

Don't pity me, however. I will enjoy my family's company tomorrow, enjoying delicious food and going hoarse trying to talk over each other and laughing heartily. Too bad we couldn't mush these two celebrations into one mega-Thanksgiving.

Be thankful, everyone, and be safe. If I haven't seen you lately, give yourself a hug from me and know that I miss you.

Twelve weeks

We are humming along smoothly and Mama is getting bigger by the day.

The Nausea seems to be finally giving up and going home, but The Fatigue apparently didn't read the invitation all the way through and has stayed way past its welcome. Seriously, Fatigue. Bugger off.

Things we are currently pondering:

Should we try to sell the house now instead of waiting until spring time? Do we really want to try to schedule showings around the sleep/eat/poop schedules of twins? But do I want to finally face the scary realities of selling a house? I have a recurring nightmare of the realtor telling us our house is worth about $20 (give or take).

Do we need a minivan? (Papa wants one because they are SO COOL NOW. Mama isn't so gung-ho, or more accurately, simply rational.) Can we afford a minivan? (Have you priced out a new Odyssey lately? Geesh. I got student loans, man. We got future kids to pay for.)

And then there were four...

...and it was good.

(The babies at eight weeks, all wee and alienesque and wonderful)

And it threw the new parents-to-be for a loop. A joyous, surreal, frightening, but mostly joyous loop.

And the babies did grow and gain organs and bones and sinew and lose extraneous tails (we hope). And it was good.

(The twins at 12 weeks, a full 6x bigger than at eight. Boo yah!)

And thus began the saga of the Family Wicks. Stick around for all the fun and diaper changes and sleepless nights and wonderfulness.

This has been Papa A, broadcasting live from the front lines.