thank you!

A Streetcar Named Desire remains one of my favorite films of all time, and today's posting makes me think of poor Blanche as she drawls in her Southern ladylike way, "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." Now no one here is a stranger to me, nor am I a woman that can be compared to the tragic figure of Blanche, but the generosity of my friends has been quite overwhelming and brought me pretty darn close to tears.

I have been a little bit worried about the amount of baby things we need in a fairly short period of time, but thanks to some remarkably dear friends, you'll notice that our pre-birth list has shrunk considerably. I can't begin to tell you what a relief it is to know that there will be that much less time spent scrambling around for necessities! Now I really have got to use that time for cleaning! LOL!

We've had a quiet week. I tend to take a nap most afternoons. I can feel the babies nearly every day now - particularly in the middle of the night if I need to get up with one of the kids (though Niek does this most of the time now) or if I have a "call" from Mother Nature to answer. I'm startlingly large even though I haven't actually gained more than a few pounds - being under 5'3" means that those little fellas have no where to go but straight out. LOL. I could very easily pass for 6 months pregnant, which is really weird. I'm feeling very well, though, and am popping in to see my family doctor tomorrow morning to check my blood pressure, weight, and discuss the delivery and where I can find a dietician (my previous one is no longer in the business) to ward off gestational diabetes. I have a pretty good rapport with my family doctor and I'm quite looking forward to the chance to talk things over with her - she's both sensible and sensitive, which is a rare mix. I suspect she'll be interested in the pregnancy, too, simply because spontaneous twinning is relatively rare.

In addition to the generosity of friends, I can't close without saying thank you to two very special mothers - my own and Niek's. My mom is already gearing her office (she owns her own real estate office) to deal with her month-long absence around December when she will come stay with us to help out. With three kids already in place, our household is very busy and wouldn't be able to limp along for any amount of time without 'a mom' in place. Mom, thank you!! And Niek's mom has offered us a family heirloom cradle to use during the first half year or so while the twins sleep in our room - I've never had use of a family heirloom, so this is just incredibly special to me. Thanks, Brigitte!

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers