Week 33 - November 25, 2012

How Far Along: 33 weeks

[caption id="attachment_540" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Feed me Seymour.[/caption]

I've got a business proposition for you.  Only it's less of a business proposition and more of a public service.  I think that there should be a place that all pregnant women go in their third trimester where:

• There are beds that are actually comfortable to sleep in


• Massages on demand


• Pools with little floaties and drinks with umbrellas (non-alcoholic, of course...this isn't France)


• People trained to tell you how beautiful and goddess-like you like are at all times of the day


• Somebody to dress you and fix your hair and makeup


• Someone to pat your head and tell you it's all going to be okay


• A strict policy against ignoring any pregnancy-induced flatulence, as if it hasn't happened at all


• Spray tans (because everyone looks better with a spray tan)


• And staff trained to turn their head if you say, fall asleep at the dining table


• Speaking of dining, personal chefs that will cater to your every whim


• And no one will judge you if you cry at Christmas music (It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas got me twice today)

Basically like a spa - but better.  And you stay there for two - three months - thus not subjecting your family and friends to the horror that is being pregnant and uncomfortable and cranky.  As suspected, whatever 'pass' I got during the first trimester and second trimester in terms of pregnancy symptoms, I am making up for now.  Name a symptom - I probably have it.  In fact, 33 weeks marked two of the worst days I've had as an incubator - the day before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving itself.

Between our own nervousness and the doctor's insistence that driving across Missouri was not the greatest idea, Nick and I decided he would go to St. Louis for a few days and I would be "Sarah-sat" by my parents at their house here.  Nick should probably consider himself lucky that he missed the two worst days thus far....and also probably thank my parents.  Although, to their credit, they insist that I was perfectly pleasant, but I am pretty sure they are required by parental law to say such things.

It helps that the weather is now cooler - it seems I feel a lot worse the warmer the weather is.  And there is a two-three hour window in the morning where I feel darn right cheerful.  That said, I CANNOT IMAGINE GETTING ANY BIGGER.  How can my skin stretch any further?  It's already as tight as can be.  Won't I topple over if my belly gets bigger?  Moving is becoming burdensome...will it get worse?  These are the questions that plague me.

That said, I am delighted to have made it this far and still be, you know, upright and with babies still on the inside.  So I probably shouldn't complain.  But I will.

Doctor's Appointment Update:   Another bio-physical profile this week - and again, everything looks great with the twins.  In fact (prepare yourself for mommy bragging), the sonographer told me that the twins completed their 'tests' faster than any of the singleton babies she had performed BPPs on that day.  Because they are geniuses.  Obviously.

Also, I ran into one of my many, many pregnant friends at the doctor (we are both at the same practice)...although she is a subset of pregnant friends who ALSO used the same reproductive endocrinologist, so she is extra special.  Our due dates are pretty close so maybe we'll get lucky and be at the hospital together.  Because, of course, labor and delivery is the perfect place to catch up on gossip.

Size of Babies:  Pineapple

Cravings:  Nothing to note in particular other than that my consumption of peanut butter while pregnant is easily four times its normal rate.  Peanut butter is the perfect food.  Easy to consume.  Full of protein.  Delicious.   I should probably have one of the twins' middle name be JIF.

Sleep:  Just more of the same...which is to say...less sleep.  I think the Ambien helps but honestly it's hard to tell.  I've decided that a lack of sleep during pregnancy is just nature's way of preparing you for not sleeping for the next 18 years.  I feel pretty confident in my ability to survive without sleep, so THANK YOU, NATURE.

Nursery Update:  I have barely even been in the nursery this week, so clearly nothing has changed.   I think the cats may actually spend more time in there than I do.  Which, by the by, Ernie gives two paws up to the rocking chair.  If I sit down, he jumps up on my shoulder (a la a baby) and waits for me to start rocking.  Which I do.  Because I am a crazy cat lady.

Symptoms:  Oh, nothing other than being 33 weeks pregnant with twins.  Which is basically like being 39 weeks pregnant every day.  It's like Groundhog's Day, only with less Bill Murray and more crying.  My goal, though, is to keep working up til the bitter end, so as long as I can still move (and the doctor is cool with it), I'm going to keep dragging my crew to work every day.

Fetal Movement:  Less kicking, but definitely more powerful jabs and pokes.  I feel like I might be carrying boxers.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Another doctor's appointment...my mom's birthday...accomplishing more random tasks that MUST GET DONE BEFORE THE BABIEEZZZZZ COME so says my crazy pregnant mind.

Best Moment of the Week:   Several!  We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family last Sunday...I swear that was the best Thanksgiving meal I've ever tasted...which is probably a combination of my mom's great cooking and just being a hungry pregnant lady most of the time.  Also, Nick's return home to KC.  Though I was glad he spent time with his family, I missed him a ton and was so glad to see him yesterday.  We had a date night-dinner and a movie.  Except no dinner, because I got sick after the movie, but still - good times.  Actually, seeing movies is one of the few past-times I am really good at...this week I saw Breaking Dawn II (don't judge), Lincoln (with my parents), and Silver Linings Playbook.  The latter two were both amazing...the sparkly vampires were...sparkly.

[caption id="attachment_549" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thanksgiving at my parents' house[/caption]

Special Thanks To:  My parents, for Sarah-sitting.  It occurred to me that this probably the last time I will ever spend that much time in a row with my parents, so I'm sort of glad I got the chance to.  And they were pretty patient with my general grumbling and groaning (my mom had to check a couple of times when I was groaning inadvertently to make sure I was okay).  I had a great time, felt very taken care of, and took on an apprentice sous chef, my dad.  Let me tell you, cooking is WAY BETTER with a sous chef.

[caption id="attachment_550" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My apprentice and I...seconds before I tackled him for the glass of wine.[/caption]

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   Even though I complain a lot, I would put up with every ounce of discomfort and pain times a thousand because you are worth it.   Also, your father is a stocking making MACHINE.  One down, and about another half a stocking to go.  Stocking making might be his equivalent of nesting as he is bound and determined that the stockings WILL BE DONE by the time you arrive.  And we will take pictures of you inside the stockings.  Because, duh.

Week 32 - November 18, 2012

How Far Along: 32 Weeks (oh. mah. gah.)

[caption id="attachment_525" align="aligncenter" width="201"] This is me smiling - see? Smiling. Definitely not grimacing.[/caption]

Do you remember when I waxed poetic about the sheer joy that pregnancy clothes, particularly pants with the stretchy panels brought me?  Those days are gone, my friends.  These days, all my big belly wants to do is bust out of those stretchy confines into, say, a nice mumu or something along those lines.  I find myself wearing mostly skirts and dresses these days.  My burgeoning belly has also led to some rather interesting, uh, wardrobe malfunctions.  Luckily, nothing in public, but let's just say that Nick has had to rescue me from both a pair of maternity jeggings (I know - totally insane, right? The reviewers on Old Navy LIED) and a maternity/nursing tank that, in my defense, needed an instruction manual.  I am basically two different sizes - my belly and then everything else.  And the two do NOT agree.

Doctor's Appointment Update:
This week, we had our first biophysical profile; there are certain tests the babies have to complete within a 30 minute time period - large movements, smaller movements, breathing practice, etc.  Both babies passed so that is good news - means they are nice and healthy!  Baby Girl is measuring at 4 lbs 5 oz and Baby Boy is measuring at 4 lbs 2 oz.  Things still look good on my end as well, although my blood pressure was a little higher than normal; I told the doctor that I was pretty sure six weeks of not sleeping was bound to raise your blood pressure and he agreed.

The doctors also told me they would like me to get to 38 weeks...not the 36/37 we had discussed earlier in the pregnancy.  Interestingly, 38 weeks would be Christmas Eve.  Obviously, a lot can change between now and then so we're just going to keep playing it by ear and not worry about things too much.

I think I forgot to mention that I got the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) at my appointment last week.  Because of the increase in cases of whooping cough/pertussis, they are now recommending that pregnant women have the vaccine in their third trimester.   I had asked about the vaccine a few weeks ago and was told that they didn't carry it in the clinic.  When I asked again last week, the doctor I was seeing 1) seemed horrified that the vaccine wasn't available in the clinic and 2) basically demanded that someone track down a vaccine for me and refused to let me leave until I had been given it.  When the nurse told her that this 'might cause an insurance problem', she said 'I don't care'.  I was both scared and impressed.  Nick and the grandparents have also had the vaccine and word on the street is that my brother, who is dating a very lovely public health nurse, might be getting one as well. :)  Interesting article about the rise of whooping cough can be found here.

We also met and picked out a pediatrician, which is another nice thing to mark off the list.  We chose a D.O. at a children's clinic near our house and really liked her.  Okay, Nick really liked her.  I was slow to warm up because I am all suspicious-like and feel the need to cross-examine anyone who is going to take care of my babiieeeeezzz.   But, I warned up to her and after we talked about her philosophy of care (no antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, homeopathic remedies where possible), I felt better.

Size of Babies:  Squash

Cravings:  Despite one notable 'happy hour' pig-out with a couple of fellow pregnant friends (don't worry - our drink of choice was bubble tea), I have to remind myself to eat.  I'm not really hungry...nothing sounds terribly good...and I'm too tired to prepare anything.  I know...first world problems.  I haven't gained weight in maybe 4-5 weeks?  But the babies are continuing to grow at an excellent rate, so they must be getting enough.  I've said it before and I'll say it again - pregnancy is weird, y'all.  Although Thanksgiving is next week, which means....MASHED POTATOES.  Oh, I guess Nick did have friends from St. Louis in town this weekend and my only request was smoked sausage, but I'm not sure that's actually a craving.

Sleep:  If one more person tells me to 'get my rest' or 'sleep now while I can', I will shoot them.  I would LOVE to rest and to sleep, but my hips feel like they are being stabbed if I lay on them for more than 20 minutes, which means I rotate back and forth from side to side every 20 minutes all night.  Luckily Nick is a sound sleeper.  Although it is incredibly irritating to be struggling to sleep and look over at your partner to see them peacefully sleeping (cue the Debussy)...sort of makes me want to do things irritating enough like turn on all the lights or stomp around when I have to go to the bathroom BUT I RESTRAIN MYSELF.  Because I'm a giver.

I finally talked to the doctor about the lack of sleep because I was beginning to feel vaguely crazy.  He gave me three options - two over the counter and Ambien.  After he assured me that the Ambien was safe and I tried out the OTC options with no luck (and with some convincing from Nick), I gave into the Ambien.  The pharmacist asked me 70 times if my doctor knew I was pregnant.  Yes, I am pretty sure that the doctor that is treating me for PREGNANCY knows that I'm PREGNANT.  Thanks, Walgreens.  I won't say the sleep is great on Ambien but it is an improvement from waking up every 20 minutes all night and getting up between 1-4 AM Every. Single. Night.  I realize I'll be sleeping less when the babies are here, but I would imagine during the time I'm sleeping, I will ACTUALLY BE SLEEPING.  Big difference.  (If you think differently, PLEASE DO NOT KILL MY DREAMS!)

Nursery Update:  There are still some odds and ends to complete, but I finished the name artwork to put over the cribs (thanks to some great help from my Mom and Dad!) and things are organized-ish.  Here's a sneak peek of one corner while we continue to 'zhush' up the rest of the nursery. :)  The artwork is the lyrics to L.O.V.E. by Nat King Cole - the first song we danced to at our wedding (and by we, I mean Nick, because I never practiced our choreography in my wedding dress, so Nick basically had to drag me around the floor.)



Symptoms:  Nothing really besides the lack of sleep! (knocks on wood)  I have a few Braxton Hicks here and there, but still pretty minimal.

Fetal Movement:  No slow down here...although I did learn that what I thought was Baby Girls' butt is actually Baby Boy's feet now.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Thanksgiving!  Our plans are a little bit up in the air; we have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and we'll talk to the doc then about whether or not we are okay to drive to St. Louis.  We would really like to make it to spend time with Nick's family, but we are playing it by ear at this point.  We are also celebrating Thanksgiving with my family today - hooray!

Best Moment of the Week:   My work threw me a very sweet shower...I am overwhelmed at how generous they were to Nick and I and the twins.  You wouldn't think we could possibly need anything else, but it turns out - we do. :)

Special Thanks To:  Ambien...and also to Nick.  He has tried to help as much as he can while I'm dying  suffering from sleep deprivation.  He also finished  Baby Boy's stocking this week and it looks amazing!  On to Baby Girl's...I've even been drafted to help with hers.   We're running out of time; obviously the babies can't come until we finish.

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   Nothing, other than your momma and daddy are already completely in love with you and think you are the most adorable things everrrrrr.  And, as I said on Facebook this week, we love that you already make us laugh and can't wait to share these pictures at your weddings. (Too lazy to scan again this week, so you get cell snaps).

[caption id="attachment_533" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A little sneak peek of Baby Boy's face...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_534" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sweet baby girl's face...and her brother's butt...again.[/caption]

Week 31 - November 8, 2012

How Far Along: 31 Weeks

[caption id="attachment_503" align="aligncenter" width="225"] 31 weeks, possibly the last week I wear pants.[/caption]

Week 31 - lots of excitement!  We had our first vaguely emergency trip to labor and delivery.  I had some symptoms I was concerned about and when I called the triage line, the resident I spoke to told me I should head to the hospital.  Whee!  I was at work at the time, getting ready to leave for the day, so I quickly called Nick and told him (calmly) to meet me at the ER...and then I stupidly spent 15 minutes quickly cleaning off my desk and leaving helpful notes so that someone could make sense of the piles of paper.  I think I am one of those people who gets freakishly calm under stress, so at the time, this made sense to me.

When I finally got to the ER, Nick was already there and it was kind of a mad-house.  They found someone to take me up to Labor and Delivery, which was also a madhouse (apparently) because they couldn't fit me into the triage area and instead put me in Recovery.  No one else was there, so that was kind of nice.  It was like having my own room and dedicated nurse.  Anyways, they asked me a million questions and ran a lot of tests and obviously, everything was fine.  Which is good - stay in babies!  You still got cookin' to do.   All in all, I felt very good about what I dubbed our 'practice run'.

Doctor's Appointment Update:
All good news still...I was supposed to just have a clinic visit, no ultrasound, but the doctor decided she wanted to 'lay eyes' on the twins.  I told her I never turn down an ultrasound.   Babies stats are good, my stats are good AND....Baby Girl has finally moved around into a position where we can see her sweet face.  Which, of course, meant that her brother was utterly uncooperative.  Forgive the sort of sad camera phone picture; I didn't have time to scan this photo yet.

[caption id="attachment_507" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Baby B and her brother's foot. :)[/caption]

Size of Babies:  Pineapple

Cravings:  Still nothing really.  In fact, this week marked the first time ever that our refrigerator was nearly completely bare.  It also may have marked the last time that I get groceries while pregnant as it is just too uncomfortable for me anymore.  By the way, Nick would gladly take care of the groceries; I've just been holding off on transferring that very important duty because normally I really like doing it AND I'm kinda picky.  I know - you're shocked.

Sleep:  Another important milestone this week - the week I tried sleeping in an upright chair...it worked surprisingly well for a few hours last night, so I see this becoming a regular thing.

Nursery Update:  You can see the floor again!  Huzzah!  Things are looking really good.  After an important curtain consult with my parents (and a brilliant curtain hanging idea from my dad), those are up.  The closet is getting put back together.  Artwork has started going up on the wall.  Overall, I feel less panicky.  And, yes, I do realize that the babies could have come home even if the nursery wasn't done, but it is one of those things that makes me feel better about having completed, so there.  Only a few things left to do - my mom and I are working on a DIY project with the twins' names to hang above their cribs...finish organizing stuff...style the shelves...and maybe look for a rug.  But, all in all, it is coming together and I can't wait to share pics!  Nick has been working his you-know-what off between the nursery and the stockings; he's such a good dad already.

Symptoms:  Just poor sleep and the resulting fatigue!  And leg cramps.  And some waddling, I suppose. :)

Fetal Movement:  Still going strong!  Around 8pm at night seems to be their favorite time to really get their groove on.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Eeek - next week is really crazy for me at work, so I guess I'm looking forward to...surviving the week?  At the end of the week, I have a baby shower at work planned, so that will be fun.  Oh, and we have our newborn/breastfeeding class.

Best Moment of the Week:   Sorry, I know everyone is tired of talking about the election, but I am really happy with a number of results and since the purpose of this blog is to document everything during the pregnancy, I feel like I have to talk about it.  So - yay!  For me, anyways - Obama was re-elected, Akin was defeated, gay marriage passed on several state ballots AND Elizabeth Warren won?  It was like Christmas and Easter and Halloween all rolled into one.   Gives me hope for the future.  Additionally, I had started saying that I wasn't going to have these babies unless Obama was re-elected, so a big 'phew!' there. :)  I know not everyone is happy with the results, but my biggest hope is that our children will be born into an era of political cooperation.   Fingers crossed anyway.  At a minimum, I feel like, in particular, the growing support for gay marriage means that our children will grow up in a country where that might just be the norm.

[caption id="attachment_505" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Obligatory 'I Voted' sticker on bump.[/caption]

Special Thanks To:  the nice people in line in front of me to vote who let me cut in line when the weirdo behind us started making some decidedly rude comments about voting for Obama

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   Kids, it's like I don't even know your dad anymore.  Someone that used to generally eschew politics is now 1) actively reading, listening and seeking out information and 2) wanting to talk politics and policy issues with me on a near daily basis and 3) will WILLINGLY watch cable news with me, although we have to take turns between all the stations.   Now, don't get me wrong - your father is brilliant...he's just always not been terribly interested in these things.  He also just discovered that he's a Libertarian (which, by the way, I have been telling him that for-EVER) and thinks that is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  All in all, I am super pleased with all of these developments (despite the fact that we now disagree on some candidates) and think that at least, in some part, we have you two to thank.  It seems like having kids does add another layer to how I think about government and politics and I suspect the same is true of your dad.   Now that said, if you have any questions about politics or government, you should DEFINITELY come to me first. :)  Your Dad can handle math and science homework.

Happy Fall Back Day!

In honor of Daylight Savings Time, I thought I would share a recipe I just made up to celebrate the extra hour today...(Good for You) Pumpkin Pancakes.

I took the Biggest Loser's recipe for pancakes and adapted them.  Fair warning - these are not light and fluffy pancakes...they are more dense and cake-like...but they do serve a couple of important functions 1) PUMPKIN. 2) Making you feel like you are eating pancakes and 3) They are actually good for you. (mostly)

1 cup rolled oats (pulverized in the blender or food processor...I took the latter route since when I turned on the blender this morning, it started smoking.  RIP, Cuisinart!  We had a good run.)
2 eggs
1/3 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/3 cup canned pumpkin (or fresh puree, if you're all Martha Stewart and happen to have some on hand)
1 tsp. sugar (I used organic cane)
Pinch of salt
Pumpkin pie spice to taste (I probably used at least a 1/2 tsp)

Mix all ingredients well.

Heat the griddle or pan to medium/medium high heat and add your oil of choice (I used coconut).  And then...you know...cook the pancakes.  I have no idea how long it takes to cook each pancake side.  Just make sure there's nothing runny inside left.  Makes 4 medium sized pancakes.

Serve with REAL maple syrup (just a bit!)...so help me god, If you use pancake syrup, I will hunt you down.

Week 30 - November 3, 2012

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

[caption id="attachment_493" align="aligncenter" width="164"] Seriously considering getting a tee shirt made that says "I'm pregnant with twins and due mid-December" so that people stop asking me.[/caption]

Doctor's Appointment Update: From here on out, I am getting weekly doctor's visits...in two weeks, those will include bio physical profiles, where they measure a whole range of items about the babies - their weight, the amniotic fluid, muscle tone (the babies, not mine - thank goodness), etc.  Everything was still looking good at this week's appointment, so I'm grateful for that.  We also did a hospital tour, which had the effect of both simultaneously giving me relief and utterly terrifying me.  The labor and delivery suites are pretty swanky (as my mom pointed out, the website notes the "Italian Riviera" style bathrooms...I doubt any woman ever giving birth has noticed) though the mother/baby rooms are pretty standard (my mom also pointed out that this is probably so you are more apt to go home).  We also swung by the NICU so we would be familiar with that and talked about at what point there would be automatic NICU time (even just for a few hours)...which is anything prior to 36 weeks, I believe.  There is something a little heartbreaking about thinking about your babies not being with you right away, but obviously 1) we want the doctors to give our babies the best care possible, whatever that means and 2) We have had many friends and family with babies in the NICU for long periods of time - which is hard for me to imagine, but also gives me strength.

Speaking of the NICU, I have obsessively watched the video of the evacuation of the NICU unit at a hospital in NYC this week.  It is almost incomprehensible how scary that must be, not just for the parents, but for all of the staff...it's also a nice reminder of all the good that is out there in the world.  I will admit - I've been grumpy off and on this week, but watching all the coverage of Hurricane Sandy has reminded me how lucky I really am.  That probably doesn't mean I'll stop being grumpy, but it will be more of a grateful grumpy.

Size of Babies:  Head of Lettuce

Cravings:  Nothing really this week - I'm mostly too tired to care.

Sleep:  The snoogle has run its course and is no longer helping me sleep, but is in fact, a hindrance.  I've developed a new complicated system that seems to be helping...sort of.  It would be a lot better if it hadn't coincided with Ernie The Multi-Toed Wonder Cat's new-found obsession with sleeping ON my belly at all times.  I can't blame him - I bet it's very comfy and quite warm.  Still, though, not great for sleep.

Nursery Update:  Coming along!  Nick and his dad finished up some bookcases and put up a few shelves last weekend.  I'm starting to see an end in sight...and the carpet on the floor again (now that I'm actually able to put some things away).  The chair came in and I love it - it is super comfy, despite being smaller, and I think it's something we can re-use in another room when it outlives its purpose in the twins' room.  Since I've selfishly shared very little with you about the nursery, there's a pic of the chair below.   This weekend, we are tackling the closet, I'm going to put up some artwork, and maybe get the curtains up.

[caption id="attachment_485" align="aligncenter" width="240"] For all your gliding and swiveling needs...[/caption]

Symptoms:  This was a bad week for symptoms...so bad, in fact, that I'm not going to go into the details, except to say that I had to create and purchase the Walgreens Pregnancy Shopping Cart of Shame.

Fetal Movement:  The doctors keep telling me that the movement should be slowing down, but I see no signs of that whatsoever.   In fact, if anything - I can now feel Baby B's kicks and punches even harder.  It will be interesting to see at our next ultrasound in a few weeks how the babies are positioned.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  I love Daylight Savings Time...I know, I'm probably the only person in the world that does.  And actually, it's not the change in the time that does it for me, I just really like the extra hour we get this weekend.  More time for nursery projects!  I'm also looking forward to the election; I read an article the other day that said you should take your kids with you to vote to highlight the importance of voting.   I guess I'll bring the twins along. :)

Best Moment of the Week:   A couple of things - 1) we had a great time with Nick's parents last weekend and super appreciated their help with some nursery 'stuff', as well as a great dinner with both of our parents (the best part being that Nick BBQ'ed and the moms did the sides, so all I had to do was show up - score!  My contribution was picking up pies from The Upper Crust.),  2) My mom has decided to purchase something utterly adorable for the babies' arrival...let's just say that the love of babies in outfits that involve ears might be genetic and 3) Nick has been working diligently on both the Christmas stockings (Baby Boy's stocking is nearly done!) and some other special projects.   Exhibit A: Custom Made Transformer Onesies...the only dilemma is who will be an Autobot and who will be a Decepticon?  It's important to note that GREAT CARE went into purchasing EXACTLY the right shade of onesies for this project.  Daddy has a matching shirt, as well.  Mommy - not so much.  Maybe that's what I'm getting for Christmas this year. :)

[caption id="attachment_489" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Their War. Our World.[/caption]

Special Thanks To:  My new favorite doctor at the clinic, a resident, who told me this week that the things I have going for me in this pregnancy with twins are that I am young and slim and in good health.  I nearly jumped off the exam table to kiss her on the mouth.  She might have been bluffing, but I don't care.  Bless you, kind doctor, bless you.

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   I am going to be really, really sad when you all stop letting me pick out your Halloween costumes in favor of picking your own - i.e. whatever cartoon or superhero is popular at that time.  Not that I don't want to you to enjoy Halloween and the option of picking out your own costume.  It's just there are so many great options for twins (thanks, Mom, for sending me a website with ideas!).  Sigh... also, your father probably will not be allowed to hand out Halloween candy as he gave out such huge handfuls of candy this year that we ran out early and had to turn off the porch light and hide in our own house.