You Were Probably Hoping for More...

A Few More Notes

-There's still some food panic going on here. Our kids scream every time we take food away, even if they had stopped eating it during the feeding. We thought they had been getting solid food at the orphanage, but we realized that was false the first time we tried to feed them some. They had NO IDEA what this spoon thing was we were attempting to shove into their faces. But they quickly caught on. They're not yet feeding themselves really, but they have learned to chew on some Baby Mum Mums and hold sippy cups. (Note: I hate sippy cups, and my kids drink from regular cups just fine if we hold them for them, but DUDE! TWINS! Also, it means we don't have to feed them bottles three times a day anymore. So you folks who want to say, "It will ruin their teeth!" can bite me. I've decided my sanity is worth more than their teeth for now.)

-WTF?! with the WHIIIIIIINNNIIIING. Our son was really attached to a couple of his nannies, which we think is probably a good indicator that he's eventually going to have a healthy relationship with us. But all this stuff in the meantime is HARD. He's the most depressed child I've ever met. Sadness pouring out of this little boy all day. I feel guilty, and then I have to remember this is temporary. Time will heal. But for now, we keep him wrapped up in a sling and attached to one of us pretty much all day. It helps.

-Our daughter seems totally fine. This also worries me.

-I am a high-strung person. I thought this meant I would be a high-strung parent and that this was unavoidable. It turns out I'm a mostly chill parent. Weird.

-When you're a new adoptive parent, EVERY TIME your kid is upset about something you think, "Is this normal? Or is this because they were adopted?" It's ridiculous. And it makes it nearly impossible to figure out where your boundaries should be, what the "rules" should be, etc. Because you just want to do whatever it takes to get from here to normal as quickly and safely as possible. The trouble is that no one knows what that means.

Proof

We're still working on establishing one of these so-called "routines" we hear others speak of, so I haven't had time to start writing about our trip to Ethiopia. However, here's some cuteness to keep you occupied in the meantime. This cuteness is certainly keeping us occupied. Although I must say this experience has been much, much less stressful than expected. It's mostly great, with a side of hectic.

Julius: Spring's Biggest Fan

Indeed, We Have a Pile of Babies

A few notes on the last few weeks:

-Ethiopia is freaking amazing, beautiful, wonderful. Go. You wouldn't regret it. I'll even help you plan.

-Our kids are gorgeous and soooo good. We feel crazy lucky. Aside from initial food panic and some sleeping issues, they're doing great. We'll post photos as soon as we can, which will likely be this weekend.

-Separation anxiety is no joke. I've gotten very, very good at peeing with babies attached to me.

-My biceps are getting bigger.

-Feeding toddler quantities of food in baby food format is not so easy.

-These first days have been way, way easier than expected. Again, feeling crazy lucky.

-The Fabertids are allergic to clean.

-I love them anyway.

Supremium Couches! Get Yours Today!


Two comments:

1. We hate the words "supreme" and "premium," so "supremium" is just oh-so-offensive. Gross.

2. "Couche" means "diaper."

3. Yes, we're cloth diapering. (Um, hello? Twins? Like we can afford NOT to!) But I'm not brave enough to try use cloth diapers while traveling. No way.

Recent(ish) Projects

In no particular order: baby shoes, curtains, pajama pants, giraffe teethers, blankets for the Fabertids, a new shirt, a sundress for Dinke, mobius rainbow scarf.











And a much-belated photo of Xander's Christmas present to me: a diaper bag which he decorated himself. Now I just need him to make some more "Babies vs. Dinosaurs" onesies.

No "Ma'am"

These days it seems as though the good residents of Internetland are reading my mind. A few days ago, I wandered over to Dooce and came across this. I can tell you we've gone round and round on that one. How do we want our children to address people? This is no easy question for someone who was born in the South and lived most of her adult life in the North. (Yes, there are differences.) And who knows where we'll be going next?

I think we basically have come to the same conclusion: that we'll be teaching our children to call people what they wish to be called. To start out with Mr. and Ms.--we don't do Mrs. in this house--until asked to use some other name. To convey respect in the tone of their voices and the calmness of their demeanor. (That "calm" thing will not be taught by me, obviously, but by their father.) We feel like it can't hurt to err on the side of politeness. That said, "ma'am" and "sir" can sound snarky to people who aren't familiar and comfortable with those forms of address. Even though I grew up in the South, it catches me off guard anytime I'm addressed as "ma'am." Who you callin' ma'am, SIR?

Anyway, all this to say that I'm glad I'm not the only person who struggles with choosing which bits of etiquette to teach my children. When you have lived in one geographic area for your entire life, it's natural to just adopt the customs that you are familiar with. But for those of us who are known migrants, it's a bit more challenging. For instance, when we move back to the South, I'll have to remember not to go around kissing everyone.



Ah, but this reminds me of one of the many American customs that I do miss very much: the hug. Something to look forward to.

Things That Amuse Art History Majors

Belated: Sugaring Off 2010

A couple of months ago, we went back to the sugar shack with our Montreal crew for a walk among the tapped maple trees and a maple-themed meal. I will miss this tradition, and the people we shared it with.

A Favorite in the Old Port

I love rundown buildings. And colorful graffiti. And when the two things come together, well, I am a one happy city dweller.

Cats Are Useful Creatures

I really don't understand why some people don't like cats. They can be very useful. Take Julius for instance. He is always happy to help out.

He'll help you assemble furniture.


He'll help you prepare for a fishing trip.


He'll help you put the plastic on the windows in the winter.


He'll help you dust.


He'll help you pack up your apartment.


He'll help you with sewing projects.


He'll help you garden.


He'll help you do research.


He'll help you pack for a weekend away.


And he's always happy to help make the bed.


Really, cats are work animals.

The Maternity Photos

Good people of Internetland, are you ready for this? No. There's no way you could be ready for this.

Last week, our good friend Katie helped us realize a dream. She took some highly amusing maternity photos for us. (You may remember Katie's photographic talent and sense of humor from an earlier post.) I'm not even sure exactly how the idea for this collaboration came about, but it was definitely the product of numerous conversations regarding people's thoughts about adoption, birth, pregnancy, women, and families. The idea also evolved from conversations poking fun at signs like this and this.

Notice how that first lady appears to have stuck a nice, round basketball under her dress? And that second one is clearly a dude holding a beach ball. A saintly beach ball at that.

We decided to stage some hyper-sentimental pregnancy photos to mark this very special time in our lives. After spending quite some time sifting through various websites for inspiration, we created these:







When you've got the giggles under control, you can read Katie's much more thoughtful explanation of this project here.