The Highs and Lows of Body Image

This weekend I saw the highs and lows of body image. On Saturday I went bra shopping, and amazingly enough I was down two cup sizes! I have never, ever experienced shrinkage. This was very exciting to me, because it gives me hope that I might get back to "normal" once the twins wean without going through another reduction surgery.

Then on Sunday, someone asked me if I was pregnant. I'm not. I don't hold any illusions, though. I'm taking a medication that as a side effect causes you to gain weight around the middle. I know I look pregnant, and while I'm not happy about it, I do accept it for now. I'll be able to come off the meds in a few months, and I'm looking forward to getting my body back in shape at that time.

Tonight, Smartie told me I need to start running again so my tummy isn't so fat any more. I hope I'm not giving my girls an unreasonable picture of what beauty should be. I want them to be at a healthy weight, but not obsess about meeting some artificial and unattainable standard of beauty. While I do want to lose a few pounds and get my abs under control, I also want to be happy with being normal. And I want my girls to be happy with themselves, too.

Getting the shot...

They looked so snuggly and sweet in their jammies all clean from the bath. I wanted to capture that precious magic moment. HA!







Success! Just distract them with tooth brushes!

Our family lately

Monkey is cruising the furniture already! At this rate he'll be walking by 10 months.


Sassy has two teeth and loves Avanti's bread.


Sweetie is working on earning a Belle doll. What does she have to do? Poop on the potty. I hope it happens soon!


Smartie has two loose teeth.

All the Dads are Wearing It

Babywearing article in New York Post.

Maternal Mortality

The Pantagraph had an interesting article about maternal mortality rates today. This is a topic close to my heart, since I could easily have been one of those statistics. The article focuses more on deep-vein thrombosis and post partum hemmorhage, but makes a passing reference to "uncontrolled blood pressure" aka pre-eclampsia.

Every pregnant woman should know the signs and symptoms of PE. I didn't when I was pregnant with Smartie. I went to the OB because I thought I was having an allergy attack. Thank God I did, because I was diagnosed with severe PE, induced prematurely, and heavily medicated to avoid seizure and stroke. If I had tried to make it through the weekend to my next appointment, I very likely could have died.

A few months after Smartie was born, an area woman did die of PE. I didn't know her personally, but we shared some mutual friends. She saw the same doctor, had the same diagnosis, was given the same advice (to head straight to the hospital for immediate induction and delivery). She decided she wasn't ready for the baby yet and wanted to wait one more week. She didn't make it. That could have been me.

More information can be found at the Preeclampsia Foundation.

Sweetest thing EVAH!

This morning, Monkey was crying and I was trying to get a load of laundry started before picking him up. When I got to him, he had crawled over and put his head in Sassy's lap, and she was gently rubbing his head. About died of cuteness!

My Angel

And while her brother is making all kinds of trouble, Sassy sits nicely and plays with toys for hours on end. She's been my easiest baby. Monkey gets all the attention (at least on the blog) because his noisy, agressive, adventurous boy behavior is new to the family, but Sassy-girl keeps us smiling. She recently learned to sit up, and is using consonants when she babbles. In fact, she likes to chew me out once in a while. "Dabble-dabble-dabble-gubba-gubba-gubba!"



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Update on Jamie: she's still in the hospital and will be for the duration, but is still pregnant at 32 weeks. Each day in saves two in the NICU!