Michelle

Ok, so it was only their 8-month birthday yesterday, but any excuse we have for cupcakes and we're there! We've been celebrating the girl's birthday each month with tasty treats and candles--I just hope this tradition doesn't fuel some future fascination with fire...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year Easter fell on Jateen's birthday. This apparently won't happen again in our lifetime (not until 2160). We were pretty low-key for both celebrations. A few weeks ago I asked Jateen what he wanted for his birthday--"rest" was his answer. He got his wish as he and the girls took a two-hour nap that day. Look out world, just try and keep up with us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

...have a date with a heapload of boxes in our parking space that go *all the way* to the ceiling. This week will be filled with unpacking, purging, re-packing, re-labelling...eh.

I used to have a nifty tape gun that would have been oh so handy, but I can't seem to find it. Gee, wonder why that is?

(posted for Me and My Monday group)

...thirty-seven years ago, my wonderful husband was born. Happy birthday honey! I'm looking forward to our picnic in the park with the girls.

 

I'm already out of date, but here's a quick review:

Weekend:
The girls had a big day last weekend. They started their day with meeting Pleo (the jury is still out), and then we headed to Slo Club for brunch with the Shertzs, then off to meet the Easter Skunk at Marc by Marc Jacobs (see previous post).

Pleo is kind of cute, but I have to admit robots freak me out. As for the girls, they are currently siding with their mom...

Monday:
Jateen had to work on the most magnificent drinking holiday of them all, but Donna, the girls and I met their uncle Jay and our friend Sonya at 21st Amendment for a yummy stout and some snacks to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Tuesday:
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me "wow, twins eh, how do you do it?" And if I had a nickel for every time I think "I'm not doing it!!" Sometimes I don't know if I'm doing a good enough job. Staying at home, I should be a super dynamo accomplishing all things motherhood, heart and hearth, right? Then I have moments like this that remind me I'm doing exactly what I need to:

 If I can dance two babies to sleep simultaneouly while washing and sterilizing baby bottles, I'm pretty sure I can get to the other stuff (i.e. heap of laundry, sink of dishes, etc.) in due time.

Thursday:
I took the girls down to the south bay to visit Jat's parents. It's a little feat to pack up twins and go anywhere alone when you live 4 flights upstairs, but I enjoy getting out and about with the girls. We went to the Jain temple in Milpitas. It was the 20th of the month which is an important day of worship, and I'm feeling ashamed that I don't remember exactly what it is again. Of course, the grandparents were stoked to have a visit with the lil' ones.

Elina discovered her feet

Friday:
We had a lovely Friday. Dad got to "work" from home which meant we got to go out for a little bite at our neighborhood breakfast joint and later take a nice long walk and lunch on the top of Potrero.

Last weekend we went to the Marc by Marc Jacobs store to get the girls' photo taken in their Easter holiday window. They have their window staged in a nice spring theme with bright flowers and giant psychedelic mushrooms featuring a giant skunk with whom you can pose.

We noticed when we arrived that the skunk must have been on a break so we headed into the store to browse. We continued to browse as we waited for our friends Donna and Matt to arrive. Ten minutes later Donna and Matt arrive and we hang out and chit chat. Fifteen, twenty minutes go by, and we start to wonder what kind of smoke break this stinky rodent must be taking. When we finally asked what's the problem, we found out there has been a wardrobe malfunction. We were assured they were working on it, but were offered a picture sans skunk. We decided to wait.

We wait and browse, and wait some more. The girls are starting to get a little restless, and Jateen is now just standing outside sort of tapping his foot. I decide to ask what exactly is the problem with the costume. Apparently the fan in the skunk head had taken a dump. (Aerated skunk heads, who knew?) Then I see this stressed guy sitting on the floor, skunk head in lap, crappy soldering iron in hand exclaiming "I'm going to freakin' burn myself!". Before the words really register in my head I hear myself saying "my husband knows how to solder--he's an engineer...".

"Oh really? That would be awesome!" Hee, hee. So I find Jateen on the sidewalk who has been accosted by someone who is "also a twin".

"Honey, they need help with soldering the skunk head...you think you could help them?"

"Wha????"

"They have a soldering gun, and the guy is freaking out..."

"Ughh..."

Five minutes later Jateen was up to his elbows in skunk head as solder smoke wafted out its neck (I'm STILL kicking myself for not getting that photo!). As (almost) always, Jateen was good-natured guy. Fifteen minutes and he had the skunk back in business. Here is what we were waiting for:

They were so stoked to be back in business that they let Jateen take photos of the girls with our camera while they were taking their "official" photos. We got an extra print from them too.

 

 

10am and I’ve already had one:

2:19am – post on Vox while nursing a case of insomnia
2:22am – hit the sack and hope for the best
2:33am – toss…turn…toss…turn…
3:05am – the warm, heavy stages of sleep start to carry me away
3:10am – WAH!!!! Elina makes her alert presence known
3:30am – still going (intermittently)
3:47am – Jateen gives up and fetches the lil’ monkey – she proceeds to chatter and swat at our faces to her heart’s content (ugh)
4:11am – WAH!!!! Naiyana winding-up
4:12am – all hope for salvaging any bit of sleep in these remaining morning hours disappearing…
4:25am – sounds of peril prompt me to get up, and change Naiyana’s diaper
4:30am – throw a hail Mary and start rocking Naiya
5:00am – aaahhh…back in bed to toss and turn
7:30am – WOW! The little elves slept in! Change them, make bottles and start the feeding frenzy.
8:45am – start breakfast on the stove
9:05am – Jateen walks in the door with two fat lattes and a pound and a half of coffee beans (have I mentioned I love my husband?)
9:15am – wipe delirious drool off face and settle in for a nice breakfast with my family…life’s good

It’s good to be back on Vox. There are so many cool new bells & whistles I’m hoping I can make the time to learn some of them. I haven't touched this blog in over a year--I've been otherwise engaged. I gave birth to fraternal twin girls July of last year and after several months of night feedings x 2 (and everything else x 2), a multitude of b-feeding challenges, and recently finally switching solely to formula/bottle feeding I am finally getting my footing. We also have an excellent nanny (whom the girls and I adore) to help a few times a week (thank you wonderful husband!) and I have just recently started to feel like I can get a little dose of frivolity back. I will try to post regularly, although there will definitely be a marked difference in the subject matter.

Our girls were preemies, born at 32 weeks (nearly 2 months early) and were impossibly tiny. Naiyana weighed in at 3lbs. 12oz. and Elina weighed 3lbs. 8oz.  Naiya is now 17lbs. 11oz. and Ellie is 16lbs. 14oz.! In just seven ½ months they've made incredible progress and have more than caught up. At their last appointment their dr. happily reported they have no further signs of prematurity.

Here’s a little before and after:

 

We started our day at the Musée Rodin.  I just love this museum.  It is situated in the Hotel Biron where Rodin lived and worked from 1908 until his death in 1917.  Rodin enjoyed a state-owned apartment and studio in the Biron in return for leaving his work to the nation.  In the surrounding grounds are displayed such great works as The Thinker, The Burghers of Calais and The Gates of Hell.  The grounds are also said to contain an array of some 2,000 rose bushes…sadly dormant at this time.  Here are a few of my favorite pieces…

In search of lunch, we walked before the grounds of the Invalides after our museum visit.  The Hotel des Invalides was founded by Louis XIV as the first military hospital for French veterans.  We sat on a park bench regarding its beauty and scale as we had a quick lunch of savory crepe and panini.

Then off to Tour Eiffel…huge and crowed with gazillions of tourists, including us.  We didn’t ride to the top, but headed to the Palais de Chaillot.  I had my sights on the Trocadero fountains, but not before we stopped for a chocolate chaud and crepe sucre.  On our way across the bridge we passed a tentative group of Indian men who were peddling Eiffel souvenirs.  Apparently, the French government doesn’t take so kindly to unauthorized souvenir sales of their national treasures.  As the police quickly approached they sprinted across the bridge and through the Trocadero gardens with the distant sound of whistles behind.

Unfortunately, our perfectly-timed visit to the Trocadero fountains as they were to be lit up at night was thwarted by a temporary exhibit which apparently necessitated a tented covering.  No fountains for us.  No matter.  On we roll to L’Arc de Triomphe…

As we entered the Arc I was so excited to get to the top before night fall for some good photo ops. that I started sprinting the stairs, assuming at some point they lead to an elevator (stupid Américain).  Jateen said nothing, just following behind me at a fair pace…with a big grin on his face.  I finally turned to him and exclaimed “you could have warned me there’d be no elevator!”.  This after I had sprinted at least a third of the way up.

We descended the Arc for a stroll down Champs-Elysees.  There were lots of designer shops down the Champs, mostly seen in the states as well.

Finally we met up with Jateen’s friends, Mark and Trista for drinks at Pershing Hall Lounge.  Although Pershing is a bit “sceney”, the music was eclectic and cool.  We heard the Nirvana cover of the Meat Puppets’ “Lake of Fire” and Jimi Hendrix “Wait Until Tomorrow” and everything in between.  I'd go back.

In the end it was a long day, and we just barely made the last Metro line home.  The ride was packed to the hilt on the way home, and as we made our final exit from the train someone was nearly sick on our shoes.  Good times…

 

Today we made our leisurely way to the Picasso Museum in the Marais quarter.  They have an excellent resident collection and a great visiting collection which includes some of his metal sculptures and x-rays of same.  The museum is just the perfect size.  It leaves you just barely wanting more, but very satisfied and ready for a nice lunch.  Here are a few of my favorites.

After the museum we happened upon a great little Italian restaurant named p casso.  This was a welcome respite from the wealth of fromage et beurre we’ve had since we’ve been here.

After lunch we bipped around the Marais quarter.  There are lots of great little shops and we’ve vowed to return.  We even have our eye on a couple great little paintings we may claim as our own.

We ended our evening at a Nuveau Beujolais party hosted by Lucie-Anne and her bus. partner, Colette.  We met lots of great folks, quite a few of them ex-pats.  Jateen even reconnected unexpectedly with an old high school friend who now lives here with his wife.