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.

So much things to do, February 23, 2006

There are a lot of things that I have to do, to get prepared before my babies are born : cooking a lot of meals and freezing them, preparing the babies bedroom and clothes, packing for hospital .... I still have 8-9 weeks, but who knows ? Maybe the boys want to be born sooner. I hope not, because I do need the time to get ready, otherwise I will have to run all the time ....

Last night I just remembered that I need to do spring cleaning too, before Iranian new year, which will be March 21st. I had thought to do it before my mother and sister come, but because they could not come, I forgot what I had planned to do. Right now, I don't think if I have time, energy and feeling to do that any more. I guess I will be satisfied to do just a simple cleaning. Thankfully, this year I don't need to make new curtains which I had done in last two springs.

I guess I am not handling the situation very well, because I make myself too tired until I can't move any more, and then I go to bed with all the pain, sometimes crying. I handle it better when Michael is at home, he reminds me to take a break and he helps me when he can, but otherwise, I do feel crazy. It is why my psychiatrist suggested me to read the book ' The boy who couldn't stop washing' , which I haven't had time to read much. But Charlie is right, my babies need me more to spend time with them not to spend time for them. He often finds the way to make me calm down, that's why I believe he is a very good friend for me and even for my boys. He cares about us and tries to help when ever he can, that's why I am sitting and writing now, because he left a message for me and told me to take a break, sit and write when I get his message. Thank you Charlie, from three of us!   &  

Doctor's visit, February 21, 2006

My OB/GYN had told me that she will be on vacation but had wanted me to go to see another doctor to check on babies. So we went for another ultrasound which I always love because it gives me the opportunity of seeing my babies.

The technician who did the ultrasound for me, was the one who told us for the first time that we were having twins. So, I was really excited to see her again. I wanted her to know how I am happy now for having twins. I do think it could never be so exciting and especial having just  a baby.

The boys have been bigger : River is 3 lb- 14 oz  ( 1763 gr ) and Relic is 3lb- 3oz  (1457 gr ). Relic was moving and kicking around, it is why the technician said : Wow! you are going to have trouble with him! But River was very gentle and quiet. We wanted to see how he would react to music, so Michael played  Good Vibrations song by  Beach Boys for him. It is one of his favorites so River started to dance with it, but Relic was all excited and jumping around. The technician did mention : we don't need music to see him moving !

Relic would not show his face so we could not have a picture of his face, but River would let us see those cute chubby cheeks which reminded me of my very sweet niece. I was very excited to see how he looks  cute. It made me wish to kiss those cheeks even if I want my babies to go full term. However the doctor believes that it is almost impossible for me to go full term, because of how small I am and how big my babies are.

I am going to see my doctor in 2 weeks and have a stress test on the babies, which will be needed every week after that. So, more work to do for us which is really worth it .

The boys' amazing reactions, February 19, 2006

I was telling to my husband: I think even myself will not believe what I have seen about our boys during my pregnancy, after they are born. I might think it was just an imagination of a very sensitive pregnant woman. Or I might think they have been daydreams. It is why I have never wanted to write these things down. But Michael is right : nothing should stop me from writing what I am feeling now !

River has always loved music, he would react more for happy songs. But Relic loved voices and not care for music much. He was the one who reacted first for his father's voice, when he was reading for him. He always loves deep voices. But now River has been interested in different music ( not just happy songs ) and Relic has been loving music too. They both get excited to listen to Mel Torme. It is fine with me, because I love Mel Torme's voice, too. But it is funny when they get excited about a song that I don't care for, or even hate. I almost get mad at them when they move like dancing with a music that I don't like at all. If I am saying DANCING, it is really true. I know it is one of the things that I will not believe myself after the boys are born, but Michael has seen and felt that. He will be my witness and it is what he is doing now, to not let me feel crazy !

The boys always love to hear their father. They get also very excited when Michael touches my belly to caress them. Sometimes it makes me begging Michael to stop, when I am exhausted of the boys' moving all the day. And sometimes he whispers to talk with me to not let the boys hear him and make their poor mother more tired of their kicks! ( Oh!  their kicks have been really strong recently) 

An hour ago, Michael was giving Relic a test, to see how smart he is. Michael tapped gently the left side of my belly with his finger where Relic's hands and arms are. And Relic replied back very fast. Then Michael tapped the right side of my belly where Relic's feet and legs are and Relic replied back fast again. Michael did that 2-3 times and Relic never failed to reply back. Then Michael tapped the two sides at the same time. Poor Relic was confused, he did not know what to do, but he did not do something stupid and it was really thoughtful : he just stopped moving!  Maybe thinking : what should I do now ?

I don't expect my boys to be very smart. But I am sure they both have a very good sense.  I have seen their amazing reactions to my feelings or to what they hear many many times, everyday. If it was only once or even a few times, it could be just by chance. But Michael knows and believes how amazing our boys' reactions are, as much as I do. And it is enough for me, to not feel crazy . Or maybe we are both crazy  for our babies .

 

My first meeting with mothers of multiples, February 08, 2006

I had been sending email back and forth with the secretary of mothers of multiples in north shore, but had never had a chance to go to the meetings.  The meetings are in the second Wednesday of every month, and last night , for the first time I had the chance to go there. I got there late because I could not see well the street signs in dark . I almost got lost, but finally when I got there I did feel to be welcome.

 I met with many nice women with very interesting stories about all the trouble that they have been having with their twins. Some of them told that they were crying whole the first three months after giving birth, even if they had somebody ( mostly mothers or sisters ) to help. But they said when for the first time you have your twins in front of each other and you see that they are smiling to each other, you will feel it is really worthy to be in all that trouble !

It was a beautiful meeting and I enjoyed every moment of being there, so do my boys. Because they were kicking happily all the time.

When I came home, it was 9:30PM,  my husband was busy working on IKEA stuff and I saw  there were a lot of things for our twins  from a woman whom we met in Toys R Us , a few days ago. She has also twins ( adorable boy and girl ) and wanted to get rid of some of the  baby stuff that she did not need any more. They are all nice things but the only problem is that they smell smoky and my husband can't stand it. It is why he had all the things in sitting room far from where we usually are. I have started to wash the covers , but I am not sure how it will help.

A long day with doctors, February 07, 2006

I had a long day visiting all of my doctors : The OB/GYN, the endocrinologist, the psychiatrist , the nutritionist, and also having another ultrasound to check how the babies have grown up.

 

Everything looked great. River was behaving during ultrasound but Relic was still naughty, kicking the technician's hand  and made her laugh. She thought our boys look very cute which made my husband and I happy to hear. As parents, of course we believe that our babies are the cutest babies in the world, but we also like to hear how our babies are cute from others. And we did hear it today, many times from all the doctors and nurses.  Relic was sucking his thumb ( you can see in the picture ) which he didn't use to do. I guess it is a trick that his brother taught him to do to make him look cuter, because that's what River used to do and everybody loved.

 

The boys have been really big : Relic is almost 2 lbs - 9 oz ( 1183 gr) and River is 3 lbs ( 1368 gr). Both heads were on the left side, looking like they were whispering and planning for us. Dr. Reiss ( my OB/GYN ) believed that they still have 4 weeks to turn and make the natural labor possible for me, but otherwise, I will have C- section on April 24th.  She wanted me to have another ultrasound in 2 weeks to check the babies' activity and position.

 

My husband and I are very happy with all the progress and result about our babies. I can't wait to call my sister and tell her about today. She enjoys to hear anything about our babies as a very caring aunt.  And of course she is not the only one who loves our babies. It is why I feel so confident that I am giving a beautiful life to my babies.

Working on the boys' bedroom, February 02, 2006

These days we are working on our twins' bedroom. We want it to be done as soon as we can, in case I have to have an early delivery.

I have to wash and iron all of their new clothes, because they have been touched all the time by us. I want them to be really nice and clean before my boys' delicate bodies wear them.

I also needed to make a new curtain for the little window in their bedroom, which came out well. The fabric had been sent by my sister from Iran, long time ago.

We got the boys bunk beds, because we thought they will not stay as babies for long, so buying cribs would be just wasting money, especially now that we are having twins. The beds will be here probably next week.

We got them bookshelves and a drawer from IKEA. The price looked good, the only problem will be building them which my husband is really good at that.

We have already bought most of the things that they need by the money that the boys got from their uncle as a gift. So we just have to do the fun part : Working on our twins' bedroom.

There are a lot of other things that we need to get, but it is even fun to think about. I am enjoying every moment of my motherhood. I never thought it would be so much fun!