Rich rich so rich.....

I'm sitting here in the study on a beautiful Saturday-after-TGiving afternoon. My girls are in their nursery chattering and singing away (not napping but oh well), Ed's out back working on our new screen porch addition with John helping him, the girls and I met Col and her girls for a downtown museum-hopping morning, I have a glass of wine, there is Christmas music wafting through the house, Ed and I have a date tonight, the house is a mess and laundry is piled-up and it's not bothering me even one whit...and all is so so very good. And, I've been traveling a lot (yes, a lot) this past year to all sorts of Third World countries in South America and Africa and Asia and well, jeez-a-reez.....we are rich. Rich beyond belief on so many fronts. You know the feeling you get when you're just blown away by your riches and fortunes and just plain ol' good luck....? Well, that's me right now.....

Twenty-Seven Months

Dear Liang-Liang and Can-Can,

You will be twenty-seven months next week and we just celebrated our first anniversary of your Gotcha Day earlier this month on November 6th. Oh, you are both doing so well....so well indeed and so happy, healthy....and just rockin-n-rolling. Even though I have been travelling quite a lot these last two months for work, I still feel like we've had the best times together in the evenings and especially on the weekends. Your Dad and I aren't stressed these days, we're really feeling like we're in the groove, you two seem to be thriving on all fronts and we're just plain ol' having a blast. Boy-oh-boy, we've waited a long (long long long did-I-say long) time for this time in our life......I have to say I enjoy the "now" better than the "then" but I'd do it all over again in a skinny-nano-minute if that's what it took to get the two of you....Ahh, here's a fond and empathetic thought to all the other families out there waiting for their babies...Keep thinkin' the good thoughts, guys. It will happen.

You're both shooting-up in height...not so much in weight but definitely in height. Where your height is really showing up is when I hold you and your legs wrap more around my waist and..cutest thing....when you ride on your School Bus and trikes. Neither of you can still really pedal the trikes yet (still a bit too short) but I bet you both will be Springtime. Still in 12-month pants, still 22 pounds (yikes-tiny!!) and in 18-month shirts.

Biggest milestone is your chattering.....it's so cute. Nicki, you're more inclined to try out the long sentences but Sammi, you're the one that just sings-sings-sings all the time. In fact, as I'm sitting down here in my big comfy chair writing this letter, I hear both of you up in the nursery. Nicki, you are chatting away and Sammi, you are singing a silly song.... :)

The other thing I've noticed these last two months is the growing empathy you both have for each other. Sammi, you are most especially prone to run to Nicki the second she sounds the peals-of-distress and you busily with great dedication bring her her towels (ie blankie), toys, baby doll, etc....and you cutely pat her head or back....It's very nice and I'm quite proud of you. Nicki, you're beginning to do likewise....At dinner, you are especially attuned to knowing if Sammi wants some of your food (she's a faster eater than you....) and if she does, you gladly hand it over, sling it over, throw it over to her. Your intent is admirable; your delivery needs some working-on.

So, you two, we're getting ready for the holidays. Yay!! Your Dad and I are so excited! We're going to the Cartiers for T'Giving Day Brunch, we're spending the rest of T'Giving Day with the Schmitz and then we'll spend the rest of the weekend putting up Christmas decorations. Wait til you see the train set Ed will put up for you. We bought this very elaborate Lionel set years ago (maybe 5 yrs ago....!) in prep for you two (although I suspect it's just as much for Ed as for you....). And, we'll be hosting a gigantic Christmas Party this year on the Dec 15th. Oh, I love hosting parties....I'm off to buy your TGiving and Christmas outfits today while you are at school and I am going to SPLURGE SPLURGE on the cutest of cute outfits.

So, my two little twinkies, as our good friend Rony says, time to get moving and get you two monkeys up and about. I'm feeling the need for a giggle-fest just right about now....

Love, love, love,

Mommy

P.S. Note sure I ever said this to you but....Truly one of the reasons I always dreamed for girls and dreamed for twin-girls (and knew it was meant to be...) was because of girly giggles. I simply love to giggle, have always loved doing it, am personally good (no, great) at it and wanted more girl-giggles in my life. You two are expert at it and I'm just so glad because it is a very important thing to have in your life. May we continue to hone our giggles for the next 50 years! :)

Love love love again,

Mommy

To Ed -- the ROCK who rocks!!

Well, I knew the last two months at work would be tough...and it has been....but it's been okay and I'm almost through with the "big-push". For those that remember, I've been totally absorbed in implementing a new global system at work....and I've been on-the-road practically non-stop for about 8 weeks....Been across Europe numerous times, been down to South America, and been all over the US implementing and training and troubleshooting. But now I have just two more easy-peasy US-based trips to go and the light is at the end-of-the-tunnel. Hip Hip Hooray. It's not been so gosh-awful, either, because of one and only one reason which would be...Ed. This post is so dedicated to Ed. He's come a long-way, baby, in just a mere 12 months. He held down the fort pretty-much solo, he kept everyone happy and healthy, he is a constant non-stop positive force as I travel to all sorts of crazy places and he is, well....he's the Rock. The girls are good...no, the girls are GREAT.

We've all kinda turned the corner in the last few months and on top of me being so mostly gone, Ed's kept the positive momentum not only going but darn-right thriving. Folks, this is a manly-man kinda "guy-who-grew-up-in-steel-town-Pittsburgh" Polish fella who didn't have the slightest idea how to change a diaper or deal with a tantrum or sing a lullaby or convince a toddler (um, two toddlers...) to eat healthily and play nice...he didn't have a KA-LUE. And now, he's just all over it......all of it...especially the lullabys and the toddler-chat. I heard him chatting with them just tonight as he was giving them a bath--he just keeps the cutest running commentary going and doesn't even blink at it.....Ed--YOU SO ROCK, sweetheart.

So, enough said.....just take a look at these pictures 'cause it says it all. Nicki is the one leaned-back in so much laughter....honestly, how does it get better than this? A knock-out husband and twin daugthers that are overbrimming with giggles....

Here's to you, Ed! THANKS!!! :)