Augustine

First order of business concerns the use of the word "drug" as a past tense for "to drag". I believe it is a colloquialism found in the South and I would like to pretend that my use of it in the last post was intended to subconsciously convey you to those heavy, magnolia-scented lawns of a Faulknerian summer. However, I cannot lie. In point of fact (and those among you who are fluent in the modern languages will confirm this) my grammar is frequently appalling and no one is more surprised by this fact than me. Than I. Me. Whatever. So if you happen to be cutting and pasting these vignettes to submit as your own work for English 101 next semester I highly recommend following Word when it starts squiggling at you in red and green. Me, I always ignore it for I like the word "squiggling" but then I am not trying to graduate from blogging with honors.

Second, I regret that I did not take a photo of Patrick's thing from earlier this week. It involved blocks, part of a marble run, a dump truck, some geotrax, and then the plastic cups and the funnel. The idea was that the marbles would start the dump truck down the tracks which would run into the blocks which would domino into each other which would eventually knock a full cup of water over, emptying its contents into a funnel which would then weigh down a second cup, flipping a small stuffed hippo into a basket via seesaw. Let me just say that eventually this particular piece of art involved towels. I wonder if Rodin's mother had to deal with tantrums when he accidentally chipped the head off, or something. Thank you, by the way, for the very fun links to similar things. Someone suggested a computer game that is right up Patrick's alley (unfortunately not for XP, but I linked from it to something similar) and we watched a lot of cool clips. So thank you. Patrick has no idea how much he owes you guys.

REDBOOK post up re. Patrick's deliciousness about the babies. Good grief he is cute. I had an appointment today (cervix good, placentas good, weight gain inching upwards but still pathetic... 19 weeks tomorrow, 9 lbs gained) that was fairly rushed but we did get in for an ultrasound so that was nice. Patrick was fascinated by the fact that 13a (or maybe it was b) kept opening and closing his/her/its fist. We saw a baby announcement for triplets in the waiting room and you could tell that Patrick was more impressed by this than our mere two. Sassy, in case I did not mention it, is expecting TEN kittens and much sooner than we are having babies; so yet again I am failing to keep up with the imaginary cat.

I had set twenty weeks as the arbitrary moment when I would stop thinking solely about this as a pregnancy and start contemplating the babies that will show up at the end of it (knock wood). I admit that I am slightly terrified to have two newborns. The first month with Patrick was sheer living hell. Breastfeeding was AWFUL (so AWFUL. unimaginably AWFUL. the blood, oh heavens the BLOOD. it was like a topless Macbeth - my, ah, nipples split in multiple places and would then reopen every time Patrick tried to nurse, which was every hour for WEEKS- and my milk did not come in for almost eight days) and while we eventually got the hang of it and persevered for a respectable year, I shudder to think how it will go with two. TWO! I know it is possible but how is possible? The mind boggles. And then there was the sleepless thing and the feeling that I would never again know what was coming next... ghastly. It helps to know the hard parts get easier but I am still scared.

So I am not thinking about THAT yet, more the where we will put them and what they will wear aspects. I can handle that. We are splitting that long bedroom I mentioned into two bedrooms, so Steve ordered the new doors yesterday as a preliminary step. I don't know if the babies will sleep alone or together or on top of me or what but I figure we should at least have options. Actually, Steve was just going to order one door to replace the fixed panel glass that is there right now. I pointed out that the other door would need to go as well.

"Why?" he asked.

"It's, um, GLASS and it opens to the landing above the vaulted living room."

"So?"

Show of hands, can any of you see a reason why a glass door on a kid's room is a bad idea? Anyone? OK then.

Oh bother. It is a lovely day after a week of rain... I suppose I should take the child for his airing. Hope you are well. Steve talked me into throwing a big party for twenty-somethings tomorrow, but I cannot complain since I do not have to do anything, including show up if I don't feel like it.  I should check on the beer supply, though, at least. One strives for graciousness.   

Comments

[Beth]

I keep trying to take my offspring out for airings, but after all this ghastly rain, we have a mosquito infestation of Biblical proportions. Ugh.

great to hear good ultrasound news -- glad Patrick was able to come along -- is your nausea abating at all? If so, you will probably now be able to pack on a few more pounds. High octane smoothies are always a good bet (provided you are past the aforementioned nausea of course).

[spanky]

"Once again, I have failed to keep up with the imaginary cat."
Ah motherhood. We're in it for the stroking.
You're channeling a Brit this morning (airing/one strives) is cracking me right up.

[Mia C]

I've always thought the best initial nightime sleep arrangement for twins was from Linda at Indigo Girl. She took a single crib with the movable side off, and fastened it to the end of their bed using bungee cords. Could be another wonderful project for the boys.
She also breast-fed twins, but I am fairly certain that bottles will not kill the 13's if bf does not work out...

[txmama]

Well, you totally didn't ask, but...don't worry! Breastfeeding will be much easier with the second than with the first. At least in my limited experience (N=2), I had a tiny amount of soreness with #2 and then it was smooth sailing. Certainly no blood that time. So, yay. Of course, the whole LOGISTICS of feeding two...I'm afraid I can't help there.

[Linda]

I can always tell you what worked for us. That first year will be a blur anyway.

[Jujubee]

Oh, oh, oh, the nipple pain. Egads, that was awful. You might already know this, but did you try APNO? I think it stands for All Purpose Nipple Ointment, or something like that. I got a prescription for it from my lactation consultant, and it was a ridiculous $60 for a small vial, but it helped so much. I tried all the OTC ointments but they did nothing.

[Jenn]

Sassy (and Patrick) crack me up.

I just finished breastfeeding my twins for a year. My milk took ten days to come in, etc. It's possible, it's hard, and my best advice is get support. I found a twin message board with a breastfeeding section that was invaluable to me and to which I owe my continued success. If there's anything I can do, let me know.

[Stephanie]

I have 5-month-old twins. Here's what I needed to make breastfeeding work (feel free to ignore this until you're ready to think about it):

--the EZ-2-Nurse twins breastfeeding pillow, though that didn't come in handy until we collectively mastered tandem feeding, at about 8 weeks
--hospital grade pump, to build supply and for supplementing with bottles (some people are against this but for me it was a lifesaver)
--support of a lactation consultant who has experience with twins
--support of my husband - at 5 months, it's only very recently that i'll attempt a whole feed on my own. Having him around for positioning help, and to hold one of the babies while I fed the other one, has been absolutely critical

We also developed a system, with the advice of a good LC, which worked to make the babies as full as possible so we could work on stretching feeds. With twins, I feel this is very important. I've posted enough unsolicited advice already so I'll hold off, but if and when you do need advice, just say the word and I'll happily provide it.

[Cris]

So cool that Patrick got to see the babies at the ultrasound at the ob/gyn's office! I can only imagine what his fertile mind will do with the experience and the peek at the babies. I'm pretty sure Sassy will have more to say about it too.

Your kind words on REDBOOK meant a lot to me - I had felt like the grinch for suggesting that bringing him to the peri's might not work. Okay - must back away from blog reading self indulgence; an underwearless child just ran through the room after stealing Cheetos.

[JaimeLeigh]

I have just recenlty happened upon your blog. Can't remember how I got to it, but here I am reading it...
You really have an amazing story and wow, such inspiration too. We have struggled with infertility (we have one great little boy) and have had a rough year (two D&C's), but your story encourages one. Thanks for sharing all of it. I will definitely come back to read some more!

[Dara]

Cheers for the weight gain and great OB/GYN visit with Patrick!

Sassy---love it!!

[Becca]

Good advice from the other twin moms. Here's my two cents. Breast feeding was very hard for me too. Milk took it's sweet time and I had a slow let down and my boy was just darn impatient. Bring a nursing pillow to the hospital. I used breast friend and it was great. But the twin pillow sounds even better. Just don't forget one and have to try to adjust those horrible hospital pillows all around you. You might get everyone comfy for a second and then one of the babies has a startle reflex and all three of your lives flash before your eyes as you try to choose who you like better incase one needs to fall of the bed.
Once I embraced the fact that breast milk and a little formula could cohabit I became much less anxious. But it's hard when the lactation nurses and the media make you feel like formula is the devils blood. I loved that the babies took a bottle. I loved that I could leave for more than two hours knowing that my husband had the option to give them food if they needed it.
You'll do great. You'll do anything when your in love.

[SarahB]

Breastfeeding my first was incredibly painful--splitting and blisters and the works. With my second it couldn't have been easier. Hopefully it will be the same for you with these two!

[Angela]

More re the breastfeeding -- Karen Gromada is the go-to expert/author on breastfeeding twins: http://www.karengromada.com/

I interviewed her and like the other commenter she also recommended the EZ-2-Nurse: http://www.breastfeeding123.com/author-and-la-leche-league-leader-karen-kerkhoff-gromada/

There are La Leche League groups specifically for moms of multiples and it might help to attend a meeting before you give birth.

Your milk should come in a lot earlier this time around.

[Angela]

My first breastfeeding experience was a total nightmare- with the second, it was great. Just having a good lactation consult at the hospital helping me and the baby made a huuuge difference. Continued good wishes going out to you!

[Emmie (Better Make It A Double)]

Had to chime in - breastfeeding twins is not only possible, but especially important, as twins are often early and thus need the immunity boost even more, and also because breastfeeding is such a great way to guarantee lots of nurturing for each baby. I have a section on my blog devoted to collecting breastfeeding multiples stories, and there are many encouraging comments there to read. Scroll down a little and look on the left hand side to read them here: http://allthis.typepad.com/ There's more than one way to do it, and a lot of LC's really don't get the logistics part even when they get the mechanics of latching and milk production. IMO, it's often the logistics that lead to women stopping, not so much just the supply issues, and that's where fellow twin moms come in. Also, even if you don't join, your local multiples club may have a phone contact especially for breastfeeding moms. Best of luck - and many congratulations that your incredible perseverance has paid off.

[rhymes with lasagne]

Grammar schmammer. I follow your blog religiously even though I've had nary a fertility issue. Your writing is da bomb. You tell your story generously and it's always a pleasure to read it.

Regarding the anticipated BF pain: because I ended up with c-sections both times, I was given the go-ahead to use acetaminophen/ibuprofen if/when I needed to. Turns out the c-section pain wasn't that difficult to handle (for me), but oh the nursing pain!!! Long story short, I ended up using some motrin most days for the first 6 weeks or so, until the baby's mouth (both babies) was big enough to latch on to the whole areola (hence the pain when they were newborn). In all other respects I lean in the "earth mama" direction - organic food whenever possible, minimal antibiotics for our kids, etc., but I feel okay about my decision to ingest all that ibuprofen when nursing my newborns. After the initial torturous pain, we went on to have good nursing relationships (both kids), and I credit the painkillers.

[plum]

Julia, if I take nothing else from your words ever than "it was like a topless Macbeth", I shall feel well satisified indeed.

[louise]

Hi Julia,

Thank you for replying to my query. Now you mention it I can imagine someone saying 'drug' in a sexy Southern accent (as far as I can imagine Southern accents!).

As for the breastfeeding of twins, having only experienced breastfeeding one child, I have no advice to offer, only loads of good luck. I do look forward to reading about it though, because although you may find it hideous/Macbeth revisited, you will no doubt write about it with your customary humour/humor and flair, ensuring many chuckles at the story (not your (potential) trials of course).

[Brenna]

I think a nine pound weight gain at 19 weeks is perfectly respectable. Downright average for a singleton pregnancy, so it can't be that bad. Maybe not ideal, but what is? Just keep doing your best.

[Kate]

Not that you asked, but I had the horrible bleeding nipples and non-stop nursing with my firstborn. Secondborn was a dream, and my twins were actually not bad. I didn't have any help at all--my poor husband was in the middle of a nightmare project at work, so, 12-hour days for him. I got very efficient very quickly at nursing them both at the same time. If you don't nurse at the same time, you can expect to turn into a large, stinky farm animal. Tandem nursing also helps them get on the same schedule. They slept much better together in one of those pack-n-play bassinet thingies until they were about 5 months old. Also, I only gained 5 pounds until my 19 week ultrasound, when I found out there were two little suckers in there. Overnight, it seems, I magically gained 50 pounds.

[SuzanneinATL]

Hi Julia. Congrats on another great appointment. I'm happier for you than I should be for someone I'll never meet.

I had my third child two months ago today, and although I am fortunate that breastfeeding has always been easy for me, each time I've had two days of pain and the only thing that helps is to apply lanolin cream after every single nursing.

Your mention of the triplet birth certificates is the real reason I am posting; have you been to www.purplestork.com? They have the cutest multiples birth announcements and the staff is fabulous.

Take care!

[Lisa]

RE: bleeding nipples (how often does one type THAT?) - the lactation consultant at the hospital recommended gel pads like those that they use for burns like this:
http://www.mfasco.com/product_info.php/first-aid/burn-treatment/p/spenco-moist-burn-pads-med-4-box/cPath/10_80/products_id/7848?osCsid=5cd54a528fcf4d665298b3d265f24a3e

along with a generous schmear of lanolin ointment. The gel pads were a godsend. You can use them over a few times. I've given them as gifts to new moms.

I am just so excited for the House of Hippogriff - after reading you for a couple years - to be giving breastfeeding assvice!

[Lulu]

I'll add my happy "first baby was a breastfeeding disaster, second one has been dreamy" story to the pile. My milk came raging in while I was still in the hospital with #2. Though #2 resulted in as much, if not more, of the shredded nipples and under-the-breath cursing. I, too, have nothing useful to say about feeding twins. However, the lactation consultant in the hospital this time around introduced me to Soothies (which sound similar to the burn pads mentioned above) ... and yowza was I glad. Happy nipples.

Heaps of congrats, Julia. I so enjoy your writing and am thrilled to be reading post after post of brilliant baby news (and, of course, the latest on the irrepressible Patrick). Cheers!

[cathy]

living as i do in the deep south let me assure you that after hanging on for awhile it is perfectly acceptable to announce that, "i hung on for dear life!" in fact i'm not sure what else you would say in those circumstances. i'm so glad that things are going so well for you. don't worry about the weight, it will come!

[Chickenpig]

Breastfeeding twins is totally possible, as all the posts show, but it is also a total commitment. Forget about worrying where the twins will sleep, and think about where you will be feeding them, because you will be spending about 3 months there. I tried like the dickens to tandem feed, as many of your readers suggest, but it was never possible for me. They had totally different appetites and personalities, I didn't have enough hands to keep both of their heads supported and keep my massive breasts under control to latch, and by the time they had the hang of it, they totally distracted each other. Since they were always eating, it was also the only one on one time, short of changing them, that I had with them for some time, so there was that aspect to. There are lots of books on the topic, and if you can get the tandem thing down it will be a big time saver.

Make sure you have a changing area on both floors of your house, if you have two floors, a comfortable place to feed them in a couple of locations for a change of scene, and plenty of stuff for Patrick nearby. Also, you will need about 3600 calories a day to feed twins, so if you can, make dishes and put them aside in the freezer so you will have something good and quick to eat. There were times where I wanted to eat my own hand!

As far as baby gear goes, the single most important piece of equipment you will need is a good double stroller. Every parent of multiples has a different favorite, many will have two or more, and for some reason, it is a topic for conversation whenever we meet other parents of twins. (along with how many weeks you went and their sizes at birth). No matter how prepared you think you are, you're not, and that's to be expected :) It's a great ride, if a challenging one!

[Heather]

Wishing you lots of luck with two newborns. I think the first few months will pass in a haze. Glad to hear the ultrasound went great and that Patrick continues to be excited about the new babies, even if Sassy is beating you on the fertility front, LOL

[Marty52]

I've been reading your blog for quite some time... you have quite a gift for writing.

Just have some unsolicited advice on painful nipples. When I had my 3rd child (26 years ago this month) I spent my whole pregnancy in nothing but a sundress and underpants. No bra... ever. It was the best thing I could have done for my very fair, very tender nipples. The rubbing of the fabric and the air on my nipples toughened them up and breastfeeding was an absolute breeze. If you can go without a bra it should help bunches!!

[ali]

Are comments closed on REDBOOK?

[silene]

Sorry you're still playing catch-up with Sassy , but she and Patrick just crack me up. Glad to hear your appointment went well - keep on kicking, 13's!!

[Victoria]

Re: Patrick's kinetic sculptures; I know you said someone suggested a game for him, but I can't see mention of it in your comments so forgive me if this is redundant. I was once completely addicted to a game called The Incredible Toon Machine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredible_Toon_Machine . It's a kinetic puzzle game where you have to put in the missing parts in just the right spots, then hit play to see if the cartoon "works." (ie: Is the cat able to get to the mouse at the top of the screen without floating off into oblivion?) Loads of fun. There's also a Home Toon area where you can build your own without having to just solve their puzzles. A parental warning though, one of the parts is a gun that you can shoot at the cat and mouse (and other objects). They will yelp and rub their bum, but they don't fall over bleeding or anything. You can download the game for a short time from here: http://free-game-downloads.mosw.com/abandonware/pc/puzzle_games/games_h_j/incredible_toon_machine_the.html so that you could test run it to see if it's something he'd be interested in (and that you would be okay with him playing).

[persephone]

Well, you're getting lots of good (and contradictory, hee hee) advice about breastfeeding twins, so I won't try to confuse you more, but if you'd like to read yet another account mine is on my blog (and we are, to my astonishment, still going strong at 14 months.)

I did want to say a quick word about the weight gain - it will probably pick up on its own at some point, but if you'd like to give it every chance, I found it really helpful when my OB sent me for a nutritionist consult and I wish I had done it sooner. She had all sorts of tricks for sneaking in more calories & nutrients without actually having to eat more. Density over quantity, basically. Because as she pointed out, eating more would have been pretty much impossible - I was already eating all day long.

Oh, and in case you didn't get my email, many many joyful congratulations!!! I am so happy for you all.

[Diane]

I'm on week 3 1/2 with #3 and just wanted to share my experience, though I don't know if it will help you when you try to feed 2 at a time. The second was easier than the first and with the 3rd, I just didn't even bother getting out of bed much. It's like I knew what I was in for and didn't try to fight it. Kind of hard to do with 2 little ones running around, but I managed to do very little else and I'm very happy I did. The feeding is going so much better than with the other 2 as well. I had read in some book something about how in some ancient tribal culture they left the mom and baby alone for a whole month just to feed and bond and then at the end of the month had some coming out party for the baby. I totally went with that. I don't know if this will help with the bleeding thing, but overall every thing went so much better this time.

[Jen A]

The absolute best thing I did for breastfeeding was to attend a lactation consultant's class and have her business card handy for after the birth. It turns out that positioning is *everything* and the vast majority of painful breastfeeding is caused by improper positioning or latch. Le Leche League is also a great resource if you can't find a LC.

[Beth]

Patrick might enjoy the Animusic DVDs (http://www.animusic.com/); some of the sequences are chain-reaction types of things, kinda like what he's been building. My girls are fascinated by them.

Unsolicited twin advice: talk to a lactation consultant and get the breastfeeding technique down. I didn't even attempt to tandem nurse mine until they were several months old and we had all really gotten the hang of nursing. Even then, I preferred feeding them individually. Yes, it takes longer to do them one at a time, but looking back I'm glad I had that one-on-one time with them. At the time, though, I felt like ALL I was doing with my day was breastfeeding. Drink a TON of water--you need to stay super hydrated.

Also, I strongly second (third?) the Soothies and lanolin cream, as they were absolutely what kept me going in the beginning despite sore nipples and screaming pain. We started off rough, but I ended up nursing my twins for just over a year.

To sleep, mine shared a Pack 'n Play in my room until they were a couple of months old, and then shared a crib in their room until they were about five months old and starting rolling into each other and waking each other up. Then they were in their own cribs, in the same bedroom.

Like I said, I know it was totally unsolicited advice, but if you have any twin questions, I am happy to try to help!

[elisabeth]

The mom I know who's BFing twins gave up on trying to feed them from the tap pretty early -- she pumps and gives it to them in a bottle, and her daughters, who were 8 weeks early, are absolutely delightful 4-month-olds.

And I'd plan on having them share a room at first, just to make things easiest on mom and dad. But that's me.

[E]

I did the twin nursing thing and it was almost *ten years* ago! There was no support available for me back then. I just dug in, grit my teeth and went to it. I never did the tandem nursing thing, I couldn't get the hang of it. The absolute best thing I did was to move a single bed into their room. I would nurse one to sleep and dh would take the other to bed with him, then we would switch. It worked for us anyway and at least I got some sleep. I kept it up for a year and then I actually bought a dairy goat to wean them onto fresh goat's milk. Yep, I was hormonally out of my mind. But dang it, they are 10 years old and extremely healthy.

[jessica]

I know you already know this but I have to say it anyhow because I'm compulsive that way.

When I had Daya the absolute most important thing I brought to the hospital was my tube of lanolin, which I used non-stop and still had half a tube left after I didn't need it anymore.

I hope the initial breast feeding goes well for you; I know how much it hurts until the day when it suddenly and magically stops being painful.

But do get some lanolin.

[nate]

Two words: postpartum doula.

Preferably one that specializes in twins.

And you're making me miss breastfeeding! No, really--it's a pain for the first few months, but they're so cute after that w/ their little fists opening and closing, and the toes stretching. Sigh...

[snickollet]

I seem to be the only twin mom in the world who didn't like the EZ-2-Nurse pillow. I was a huge fan of the Anna pillow; you can find it a the LLLeague website. Or, if you want, I'm done with mine and would gladly mail it to you. E-mail me if you want it.

I will second another commenter and say that you should be sure to bring a twin nursing pillow (or pillows--you may want to try a few) to the hospital. The only way I could comfortably tandem nurse was with a twin nursing pillow. Piles of hospital pillows were an uncomfortable nightmare. Your local twin mom club and their sale is a great place to get twin nursing pillows cheap.

I could go on and on and on about my (great) experience bf-ing my twins, but I'll keep it to myself unless you want to hear it. E-mail me if you want the full scoop. Like all twin moms, I have my tricks that worked for me. Maybe some would work for you, but it might just be overwhelming.

[Lisa]

Can't say that I can give you any advice on nursing twins, but I will add to those who have already mentioned that nursing subsequent babies is infinitely easier! The first one almost killed me . . . the second was so much better . . . and the third (who is not quite 5 months old) was, and is, blissfully easy.

Good luck with it all! I just hope you find the time to tell us about it! Today's the first I've even seen of my computer in days! *sigh*

[L]

Patrick and his comments about Sassy are hilarious. Now lets if he will compare the kittens and the babies. LOL.

The kinetic stuff sounds like lots of fun especially when it's happening in somebody else's house. LOL

[victoria]

I was just thinking about your life and wondering, Do you feel as though you've now committed yourself to twice the writing responsibility? REDBOOK pays your for your posts, but every time you post there, you ahve to write a whole new post over HERE to lure folks over THERE, PLUS you have to suddenly start slicing and dicing your life into manageable chunks (this one for the folks who know you well, this [slightly more palatable for anonymous masses of readers?] chunk for the REDBOOK readers who know you less well. AND you've got the whole Braxton-Hicks management keeping you superhydrated & prone all the time, plus all the trips to the bathroom, plus keeping Patrick entertained . . . . You have a great life, you really do: A wonderful kid and two more on the way; a nice, handsome, rich husband who loves you; a talent for writing that is recognized & rewarded. I just wonder if the whole REDBOOK commitment has left you a little more committed than you initially thought it would.

[SarahD]

I hear Sassy knew immediately upon conception if each of her kittens were boys or girls and is able to command them to move when she feels like it. Not to make you feel even more inadequate, but there it is.

;)

[Kristin]

Just gotta say ... about taking Patrick to the perinatologist appt. (I'm referring to your redbook post here), I don't see the problem. You are visibly pregnant, right? So how is having a successful pregnancy any less painful to others in the waiting room than bringing in a child? Also, Patrick is not a newborn. What is the age limit on human beings allowed to enter the same room where people suffering from infertility might be? I'm guessing that those undergoing fertility treatment see people under the age of 18 every day. Would seeing them in a waiting room be that much more traumatic? I guess I just feel that if this would be a good experience for Patrick, and for you, that you should do it. Lord knows, you've paid your dues.

[Pam L]

Also commenting from Redbook since the comments form has gone missing over there:
What's in a name? My husbands family also thought to name my DH after his Dad, but not quite. I am a little confused about naming someone not quite enough to be a Jr. I always thought, if you didn't want to have a Jr., or 2nd, or 3rd or 4th, why not just give them a totally different first name and be done with it. Then you don't have to go through the whole "No, I'm not a Jr. HIS middle name is James and mine is Jay only I GO by Jay not Ralph. And then my stepson got named Jr. after my DH, so (Ralph)Jay Jr. We get mail for all 3 Ralphs here sometimes and only one of them goes by Ralph. My DH has never had his named legally changed to Jay but still gets irritated when he gets addressed as Ralph or sees it on legal documents even though that is his name and the silly IRS and mortgage companies are just following procedures to make sure they are taking money from the right person. You will probably have to go through this for a few years until Patrick starts speaking up for himself and telling the teachers he goes by Patrick. But, be prepared when he walks across the stage for his diploma, or diploma holder anyway, they will call "Steven" unless he fills out that little card before hand.

[Monica C.]

This, I love: "It is a lovely day after a week of rain... I suppose I should take the child for his airing."

And I cannot believe you are 19 weeks pregnant. With twins! I mean, time is really passing, non? I'm predicting two girls.

[Chris - GeoTrax Fan]

Patrick's creation sounds really creative! My kids love playing with their GeoTrax and adding in other toys too.