Still at the Hospital

We were hoping to go home today, but the little stinkers, who already have more nicknames than I had maternity clothes, need to get better at eating and gain back some lost weight before the doctors will release them.  Even though Brett is the smaller one, Magdalena is stubbornly competing for the newborn spit-up Olympics.  

A nurse came in to ask us some questions about taking care of our babies.  When they asked me if I had found some good techniques for soothing them when they cry, I shared my big secret, which works like a charm every time.  I'll share it here, too, but no one better steal this one from me: give them to Dan!!

Photographic Redemption

This latest batch of photographs covers a few important things:

1. The Lobacks paid us a visit tonight and bribed us with fine champagne in exchange for spending time with the babies. Little did they know we would have agreed to even Miller Light. (Erin hasn't had a drink in 9 months, so she's not picky.) Seriously, they've been incredibly supportive throughout this entire adventure and we know the twins will love them as much as we do.

2. Magdalena kind of got the short end of the stick with yesterday's photos. Just about all of them show her crying or with her eyes closed. Turns out she's very pretty. So we wanted to make sure we included a good shot of her, sans tears.

3. It's funny... everyone told me that the anesthesiologist also serves as the impromptu photographer of your delivery if you ask him or her to be. Well, all our guy did was administer anesthesia. And actually he did superior work. But Ansel Adams he wasn't. So good old Dad wound up taking all the pictures and being in none of them. Today we remedied that by including a few photos of me with The Sweetie and The Tough Guy. I lack the vocabulary to describe how good this feels, so let's just get to the pictures..

They've Arrived!

Twin Watch 2009 came to its thrilling conclusion this evening!

Brett Halsey Berthiaume

5 lbs. 8 oz.

6:22 pm PT

Magdalena Reade Berthiaume

5 lbs. 13 oz.

6:28 pm PT

Mom is a hero.  Dad is loopy. The babies are absolutely incredible.  

More photos to follow tomorrow, but in the meantime here are a few early glimpses.  In most of the photos, Mags is the one crying with her eyes closed.  Brett's alert and already showing off for the camera.

Twin Watch 2009 Continues...

Quick update: as of 12 noon PT on Monday, the babies remain "indoors."  The induction process, as we're learning, is a slow one.  Erin is very comfortable and is actually feeling better than she has in weeks.  After a delicious hospital breakfast of chicken broth and lemon-flavored gel-like snack (I think it was lemon Jello) and a few visits from the nurses, she's taking a nap.

Without getting too medical, we've gotten a number of signs in the last few hours that we're getting ever so closer to arrival.

Twin Watch 2009 continues...

The Staycation

First, the less-exciting news: We checked in at 8 a.m. this morning and still no babies.  We juuuuust spoke with the doctor and she let us know there's a chance things could go as long as Tuesday.  Clearly we're dealing with stubborn babies here. I think they take after their big sister.

Then, the good news: Erin is doing great.  She's mostly just relaxing, getting lots of visits from the excellent nurses and watching football.  For the record, it was her wishes and not mine, that the TV in our room be turned to the games.

Finally, the really good news: Apparently, we're having the babies in the Presidential Suite of the UCSF maternity ward.  The room we've been given is incredible.  It's a corner room on the 15th floor of the hospital with panoramic views of the San Francisco city skyline, Sutro Tower and the Marin Headlands.  We've got a TV, WiFi, a private bathroom and shower, mini-fridge, and even partial hardwood floors!  There's even a little sleeper sofa for me.  Erin and I joked that it's almost like we're having a staycation at one of San Francisco's finest hotels.  At a minimum, it's far nicer than the first few apartments I lived in when moving to the City.

More news later.  In the meantime, here are a few pictures of our suite:

In Its Final Appearance... The Belly at 37 weeks, 2 days

So long, The Belly. It's been nice knowing you.

Update

No babies yet.

The Babies Who Refuse to be Born

A quick status update on when to expect the new arrivals:

Apparently they have decided to save us some diaper and day care costs and will not be arriving until 2014 just in time for kindergarten.

My full-term twin date is two days from now, the 20th of September.  That's 37 weeks, 3 weeks shy of full-term for a single baby.  I've been on modified bedrest (not going to work, sitting or laying much of the day and rarely leaving the house) since 32-and-a-half weeks at the doctor's urging, in the hopes of preventing a premature birth and avoiding NICU stays.

The hospital policy with twins is to induce labor at 38 weeks for twins, because past that point the placentas start to decay and it's better for the babies outside the womb than in.  We have an induction scheduled for Sunday, September 27th.  It appears these babies are waiting for their eviction notice.  I had an appointment with my regular doctor earlier this week, and I spent some time in the labor and delivery ward today (although unfortunately engaged in neither labor nor delivery, but they did feed me a good lunch).  The unanimous consensus of all four doctors who saw me this week is that the odds of the babies being born before they are induced are slim to none.

So mark your calendars for the 27th.

p.s. The purpose of this posting is not only to keep our loyal readers informed, but also to jinx the doctors' predictions by reducing them to writing and publishing them for all the world to see.  I'm still hoping that my preferred date of delivery (September 21 or ASAP!) pulls a Mine That Bird.  Let's all root for the longshot.

Ten Of Everything: Redskins Gear

Football season starts in earnest today. We're expecting the twins to arrive any second now, too. When they do, those two newest Redskins fans will have plenty of chances to show their team spirit.

Big thanks to Uncle Jason and Jennifer for the lion share of this gear. Hail to the Redskins!

Baby-Proofing the House, One Firearm at a Time

Baby-proofing the house checklist: Put plastic plugs in electrical outlets. Install child-proof cabinet latches. Securely tie up all window blind cords. Remove all rifles from the basement.

I crossed that last one off the list on Monday.

I was down in the basement of our relatively new home, working on an end table I'm building, when I saw it. It was in the darkest corner of our unfinished basement, between two wall studs. With all the scrap wood and construction junk in our basement I'm not entirely surprised that we hadn't noticed it before. But I was still shocked to see it.

It's a Remington Sportmaster .22 bolt-action rifle. Remington stopped making them in 1962 and the thing looks like it could be just that old. Also, the wood stock has some serious burn marks which, because we know there was a small fire in our house in the 70s, leads me to believe the rifle has been there for quite some time.

It's pretty cool and I'm really glad I found it before my future son or daughter did. Erin and I agree, no guns for our kids at least until they're 8.

(Relax Mom. I'm kidding.)

Locked & Loaded

This weekend traded in our BMW 328 Sedan for a minivan. (I kid. I kid.) But we did the next-closest thing, as we finally installed our car seats. Shout out to the CHP for schooling us on how to install them properly.

Originally, we had hoped that we could install one behind the passenger seat and the other in the rear-middle. But there wasn't enough room so we had to put one behind the driver's seat. Personally, I think this is a blessing in disguise. My brothers and I came to fisticuffs on quite a few occasions when we were younger, trying to avoid the middle seat. No one ever wants the middle seat.

The Last Supper

That's me on the left -- showered, hair brushed, wearing makeup, perfume, jewelry and clothing appropriate for public viewing.  A far cry from the person I'm accustomed to seeing in the mirror these days.  The handsome fellow on the right, for those who are confused by the manly beard, is Dan.  Tonight we went out to dinner and to a comedy show.  Because the babies' arrival is imminent and relatives will soon be here to help out, we realized this was probably our (gulp) last night out alone together before becoming parents.

Being hugely, ginormously, uncomfortably pregnant with perpetually squirming babies with a combined weight in excess of 10 pounds, I was the limiting factor in our choice of activities. Seated activities were a must, as even leaving the house is an enormous feat for me these days.  I'm accustomed to the attention, but once again Dan was amazed by how well I was treated.  Even though we were among the stragglers to show up for the comedy show, the usher seated us at a special table usually reserved for comics' friends (conveniently located near the bathroom), and he provided me with a chair so I could put my feet up -- and I didn't have to ask for anything.  I don't think I was nice enough in the past to giant pregnant women.  I definitely have a lot to pay forward.

Knowing this would likely be our last childless weekend, I started thinking earlier in the week about what my ideal day of activities would be if I weren't hampered by The Belly.  I wish my last day with Dan before the babies could look something like this: 

1) sleep in

2) rent bikes and ride around Angel Island

3) go for a long, exploratory walk in an interesting part of the city

4) eat a fancy and delicious meal with good wine

5) go on a pub crawl to bars with good juke boxes and drink beer, play darts, and play pool (I'm not even so greedy as to wish I'd win, I just like playing)

6) come home and play with our dog.  

Well, at least we got to have the meal (sans wine) and the dog time.  

(For you foodies out there who care, we went to Salt House and Dan had white corn soup and salmon with butter beans and basil.  I had a salad with crispy pork belly, grilled peaches, pistachios and a balsamic reduction, followed by duck (breast and leg) and warm figs over a sweet onion puree.  Quite a memorable last meal.)

Sister Feels Babies Kick For The First Time

It's always a shock to feel them for the first time.  Lately it seems like they've been trying to kick and punch their way out of The Belly.  It won't be long now...