two weeks old

Well, Adi & Mae are both doing great- they each weighed in at 6 lb 14 oz on their two-week doctor's visit, which is about 14 oz heavier than their birth weights- an amazing rate of growth, apparently. I credit all the family and friends who've been helping us, so that I can rest, eat and get my milk supply up. Pat (Dave's mom) must have changed two hundred dirty diapers in the last week, and Dave is also a pro. There is a lot of baby care that I haven't even started doing yet. This week, Dave will go to work but my parents have offered to come over whenever we need them, so hopefully I can start to figure out how to care for them without too much stress.

They are just the most delightful, adorable beings. It is hard to believe there are little people in there, but they do have pretty distinct personalities. Meredith is alert and spends a lot of time watching whatever is in her view, skipping sleep on several cycles during the day. Adeline sleeps more but when she is hungry or getting her diaper changed, she is not shy about letting us know her displeasure very loudly. We've been lucky that they were basically on the same schedule when we got home from the hospital, and we've always been able to wake the second baby to eat after the first, which means we can get some sleep (or food, or showers in).

I think my favorite thing about them is their random arm motion. I guess all newborns are like that, but they seem to be performing some sort of post-modern, sans-music ballet. One arm suddenly flies up, the other out to the side, then hits the owner (or her sister) in the face. I guess their legs kick like that too, they're just harder to see. We've been dressing them almost exclusively in the organic cotton sleep sacks that our friend, Laurie Rasch, makes and very generously gave to us (http://www.lapsaky.com/) so they look like little Maggie Simpsons. And it is amazing how loud they are- the sounds that come from both ends. It makes us laugh several times a day.

I feel quite recovered from pregnancy and the surgery, although not completely. So many symptoms just disappeared overnight. The itchy PUPPP rash keeps coming back so I'm going to see a dermatologist this week but meanwhile I've been suppressing it with oral steroids that I can take since I'm not pregnant anymore. It's amazing how far I can walk now- I'm up to 30 minutes, which is about 30 times longer than I could walk by the end of the pregnancy.

But usually on my walks, I end up in tears. Of joy. Granted, it is a beautiful time of year- the leaves are turning so all the deciduous trees are a mix of green and gold, the sun is (usually, though not today) warm but the air is crisp, the wind blows just enough to sift crunchy golden leaves onto the sidewalk, the cat tails in the nearby lake are all shades of rust and orange. I've usually enjoyed autumn but have never experienced it like this before. I just can't help but think that the world is more beautiful now that our daughters are in it.