An unexpected doctor visit, March 31, 2006

I had an appointment with my OB/GYN on Tuesday, March 28 and complained about how the boys were active strangely. It didn't sound very unusual to my doctor, maybe because she didn't want me to worry. Yesterday when I was seweng a cover for the glider that we want for the boy's bedroom, she called and mentioned that she has been thinking about me and wanted me to go and have the check-up twice a week, just to be sure that the boys are fine.

Today, Michael and I went to the hospital for a none stress test and ultrasound which both came out well.  Here is the picture of River from today which we both liked a lot. Relic never likes to pose for picture, so they couldn't do it for him, but I am sure he is as handsome as his brother, at least for me as their mother.

When the ultrasound was being done, my sister called me on the cellphone. It was really nice to hear her voice then, feeling her with me, especially when she sent kisses to my boys.

After we came back home she called me and wanted to hear about every little detail of our doctor visit. I also told her about the surprise baby shower that Michael had yesterday at his work. His boss and coworkers threw a very nice party for our twins and had a lot of cute things, a Babies R Us gift card, a cake and a beautiful card that they all signed and wished us good luck.

I do feel happy these days knowing how everybody cares about the most beautiful event in our life.

 

Norouz Party, March 26, 2006

It would be the last Norouz  for a while, that we could have more free time to have guests around. Because God knows how we will be busy with our twin boys in next few years. In the other hand I hand, I had thought to let my family-in-law know better about my culture, before my boys are born, so we thought to have a little Norouz  party with them.

I had wished to cook all Iranian food, but it would be really challenging and for me  being 35 weeks pregnant it would not be easy at all. So I rather to cook 3 Iranian meals and 2 non-Iranian. My sister-in-laws all cooked some different things and brought, even sweet Meagan had made some cookies and brought for us.  

The most beautiful thing that made me really happy was when my brother-in-law came in with  Hyacinthia plant, which is one of the most known flower for our Haft-Sin and celebrating Iranian new year. Jeanne, his wife, had searched a lot about celebration of our new year and had found out about the plant. She is very caring and kind and always makes me feel like I do have a sister here with me.

We did have a nice time and I enjoyed every moment of the little party.

Iranian new year, March 20, 2006

Happy Iranian New Year!

We have been very busy cleaning the house for Iranin new year which is the moment that spring arives. I got very tired but I tried to do my best to clean the house, especially because it would be one of the last times that I could clean the house before our boys are born.

As the youngest in my generation in my family, I was suppsed to call my siblings to wish them a Happy New Year, but I couldn't go through busy line and it made me really upset. Finally I got phone calls from my brothers, sister and mother. Of course I enjoyed how they are nice to try to call me when I was supposed to call them,  but I think they all tried to do it because they know how it is important to me to hear their voices and if I hadn't called it was just because I could't. So it was a very good beginning for my boys to know how they are loved.

I even got an e-card from my sister-in-law , Jeanne and her daughter Meagan, in Farsi. As Jeanne has mentioned,  we are like sisters for each other and I do feel that, because she always does all the delicate things for me to help me feel better as sister would do if she lived here.

Happy Iranian New Year to all of my loved ones, including family and friends who have been with me in the most difficult and hopless days that I had in the last year and happy Iranian new year to my boys. May one day they enjoy the beautiful and unique new year celebration  from their Iranian side and be proud of that. 

A bigger size of picture ?

Another doctor visit, March 14, 2006

Today I went to see my doctor and have another ultrasound to check on the babies. The boys were as active as usual but there was a better news for me : River has turned and is upside down now, but Relic is breach and it means that I might give natural birth.

My doctor was happy with the size of boys and every thing else and had a good hope for things to get better.

I will go to see her again on next Tuesday and having a none stress test on the boys.

Tonya & I, with our babies

A bigger size of picture ?

The gift from Jennifer

A bigger size of picture ?

Sweet Meagan, waiting for me to get another gift

A bigger size of picture ?

Beautiful and yummy lunch table by Jay & Jeanne

A bigger size of picture ?

The cake ( It had the boys' name on the side )

A bigger size of picture ?

Gifts from my mother

The gifts

A bigger size of picture ?

A BIG SURPRISE, March 11, 2006

When we arrived at Jay's, Michael parked the car in front of the house, not in the parking in back yard where we usually park the car,  but I thought it was because Jeanne wanted to see the new car, so I didn't question that. Jay, my brother-in-law came to welcome us and give me a warm hug as he always does and then Michael and him stopped to talk about the new car ( or that's what I thought ) so then,  I went inside, holding the 'Sabzeh' which we make for the celebration of our Iranian new year and I had made that for Jay's family when I got the invitation card from them about celebrating "Iranian new year", the "reason" that we were there  .... ( Oh Jeanne! you are amazing! It was the sweetest white lie that I have ever been told )

I walked inside the house and said Hi, but nobody was there to answer and it was not usual, so I went in, turned toward the sitting room to see if somebody was there and then : flashes of cameras .... and hearing SURPRISE ! I was all confused, who the surprise was for ? The first thing that I thought about was that maybe it was a surprise for Tonya ( Michael's niece who is pregnant ) because I had been in her surprise bridal shower and I thought maybe it is a surprise baby shower for her, and then I saw her standing up there with her big belly, smiling at me! The gifts were all wrapped in blue paper gifts and  I know Tonya is going to have a girl, so what ? Oh, my God! Was it a surprise for us ? Then I turned around, seeing Michael, standing up, smiling at me! He didn't look like being surprised at all, so what ? And I asked  : Michael ! did you know about it ? And he nodded !

So everybody knew but me, so it was really a surprise, a big kind of surprise for me !

Then I found out that my sister-in-law, Kerry had suggested my family to be a part of this party and Michael had been talking with my niece, Ghazal for more than 2 months. So my boys got some gifts from my mother, sister and brother and their families in an American baby shower! It was beautiful to feel my family being there and thanks to Kerry for her very delicate idea.

Seeing our  friend and neighbor, Jen there also  surprised me a lot. So she knew that too!  She had driven all the way from Salem to Kennebunk to be in my surprise baby shower. So, did my another sister-in-law, Liz who lives in Worcester.

My boys got a lot of beautiful and thoughtful gifts, even from their aunt Chris and her fiance who live in Australia. Nana ( Michael's mother ) was not there but she did make  my heart warm with her mothering kindness through a nice card with her beautiful and special handwriting, and a very useful gift ( the blue stroller that I have loved ) from her and grandpa Jack for our boys.

Anyway, it was a very beautiful day and I enjoyed every little detail of that. I loved all the blue dishes and baloons and the baby shower invitation card that Jeanne hadn't sent to me but she saved one for me to see.  I will always have the beautiful day in my memory as one of the best days of my life.  

 

A sunny brunch with a friend and his family, March 11, 2006

It was a beautiful sunny day and we were going to have lunch with my brother in law's family because they wanted to have an "Iranian new year celebration" for me. Michael has a very good friend from college who lives in Maine, so we thought to see them in a restauarant and have brunch with them.

It was really wonderful to meet Nathan and his wife and their adorable little daughter Mathea whom I used to have her picture on my desktop when I was working in Iran. I had been following her,  growing up with the website that the parents have for her, enjoying every little step of her sweet life and the love that the parents have for her. And now, meeting all of them in real life was really exciting!

Mathea is not even 4 yet, but she is a very smart cute girl. She can write her name and knows all the letters of her name, she can count and even do a little math! I loved how she is and how the parents were giving her love and also trying to talk with her and teach her with fun every minute.

They had a big bag of baby things for us as a present which I love all of it.  Mathea was giving them all, one by one to me and looking at me how I was enjoying.  It was a great time that we had with them and I enjoyed every moment of it. 

Then we left , going to my brother in law, when I had no idea what was going on in their house!

More check on the boys, March 07, 2006

Today was the boys' first none stress test which went really well. They wanted to monitor the boys' activity and the hearts' reaction  to the activity. Of course the boys were extra active as they always are, so there was no doubt on that but their little hearts passed the test too.

 

Then They wanted me to have another ultrasound. I guess Relic was really exhausted after moving too much so he did behave during the ultrasound and let us have a picture of his cute face. River was opening his little mouth practicing to breath and made my heart warm.  For sure, I can't say how much these two little miracles mean to me....

 

Then I want to see my OB/GYN and endocrinologist. They were both happy with how I am, but my OB/GYN thinks that because River which located in lower position hasn't been upside down yet and he won't have room to do that it is more likely for me to have C-Section. She also rescheduled the date for Sunday April 23rd.

 

I am going to see my OB/GYN next week and to have more checks on the boys. I do feel better when I go to see my doctor more often, because I won't have enough time to get worried too much.

Our first parental class, March 05, 2006

It was a beautiful sunny day. We both were excited about our first parental class which would be Parenting Multiples.  The class was from ISIS Maternity located  in Needham close to where Michael works.

 

It was a very nice environment, very neat and the staffs were also very nice and helpful.

We met a lot of new parents and  enjoyed their company. Many of them were there to enjoy  the music for their children and some of them had twins which we enjoyed the most to talk with.

 

In the class, we were 8 couples, all expecting twins. It was really exciting to see all the women with big belly. The instructor had triplets herself and had a long experience handling multiples. She was very nice and understanding and we learned a lot of things from her.

 

Relic was kicking all the time in class and River was kicking sometimes, but I was the only woman holding belly to calm my boys down during the class. I guess the other babies  were resting and letting their mommies listen, but my boys were playing all the time....

 

We also did a little shopping there. Of course everything was more expensive there, but it was really nice to see all the things that new parents would need for their new babies, around. I got a wedge pillow which I am going to return, because doesn't feel very comfortable and also we got a Mother Earth Lullaby CD for the boys. It is very nice and I think our boys, loving music, will enjoy the CD.