I Thee Wed

After 9 years together, it was still a thrill. We went to dinner at the brew pub down the block for steamed garlic mussels and calimari. I saved all the mussel shells and will make a wreath out of them because I tend towards the goofy & sentimental.



We married at 5:30 pm on the porch overlooking the ocean, park and gazebo. We were surrounded by cans of fresh zinnias from the roadside farm up the road, out of which I had also made our bouquets for us and the kids. They acted as ringbearers which was a bit like the keystone cops there for a bit until they settled down and actually delivered them to us. We added a few vows of our own to the justice of the peace's regular ceremony and it was moving and really lovely. The neighbors on both sides cheered and clapped when we kissed, then came over to take pictures of our whole group. It was just us and our kids, my parents and the officiant



We toasted with champagne and headed off for a ride on the Flying Horses antique carousel, the kids' favorite part. Lobster and Perrier Jouet after the kids go to sleep.

And the Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down

I suppose there is such a thing as TOO MUCH Winnie the Pooh, but we read it every night to put the babes to sleep. We also watch the dvd once a week or so. This has left me humming the songs and quoting the text. Super! I used to be able to toss off lines of poetry or insert a timely pun into a conversation. Now I can't stop saying, "Tut tut, it looks like rain!"

Holy cow, but the rain is intense. All day for the last few days, hard and driving or soft and fun to play in. We played in the house yesterday until the kids were ready for naps; lots of forts and tunnels and legos. Then, according to the master plan, we were going to end the browsing phase and actually buy our wedding rings. Since our regular babysitter, Auntie Kiko, was busy jumping out of a plane, we drove them to sleep and parked right next to the door of the local lesbian-owned jewelry store, left Burl Ives playing and the engine running for vibration, and darted inside to have a second visit with the wedding rings Homestead Mama selected on our first, rushed visit.

The kids love visiting the jewelry store - so many glass cases upon which to smear their hands, tall display cases to make shake and wobble, and two super nice clerks who get down on the carpet and play with them. There is a one-eyed coiled snake made of faux pearls that we named Pippi [we name everything Pippi] and I made up a story about how she lost her eye to a frisky mongoose in India. As much as we love that version of shopping, it was nice to be child-free, hold hands and make moony eyes at each other while we pondered a wedding ring. She finally selected a beautiful band ring with some modest but sparkly diamonds. The artist thinks he can get it back to us before we go on vacation to Martha's Vineyard, where we intend to have a tiny - the kids and us - ceremony. I will be using my grandmothers ring which my mother graciously and kindly agreed to hand down to me for the occasion. I have loved it always and am really thrilled to be able to use it as my wedding ring. Homestead Mama is having a new plain band made for me to accompany it; she will pair her new ring with her grandmother's simple platinum wedding band. We'll each have something old, something new.

Home again after shopping, we had to get really creative with activities to keep the kids happy. I pulled out the mosquito net found at the thrift store for $4 and attached it to the hooks in the ceiling where we swing in the winter. Oh, my goodness this was a hit. Some pillows underneath and voila, almost an hour of joy.



After tubby, stories and the requisite chapter of Pooh, I retired downstairs to perfect my Ruby June recipe. I found my vintage glasses and enjoyed a taste of sunshine as the deluge continued.


I woke up this morning at 5 when Monito starts rooting around for attention and realized that perhaps it would behoove me to actually find someone to marry us and make an appointment so we can go through with this next month.

Third Time is the Charm

I never know how to approach blogging about our attempts at advanced procreation. It is a sensitive matter, and this blog is, sadly, not terribly private. I very much want to blog about the things going on in my life - this blog is my record, my diary, my manner of keeping in touch with friends all over the world, and since we had Pequita, one of the only references that help me remember a huge amount of what goes on in my life. Mommy-brain, indeed. But with the attempt at a third kid? Mostly I don't want to talk about this issue in real life unless I bring it up.

The few people IRL [in real life vs. online, Mom] I've told about our plans to try for a third have almost to the one been aghast, surprised, they've burst into laughter, told me I was crazy, told me to definitely not go through with it. I hear a lot of, "Oh my god, you can have mine! He's acting up so much lately!" Hardy har har. It all feels negative. This means that sadly, most of my IRL friends won't hear any news about this until after I successfully pass an amnio. This means I'll be a bit lonely in the process, which means my desire to blog is all the stronger. I guess I'm a little thin skinned about this. Mostly, I want to point out to everyone with an asshat response that I'm not the bloody first person to try for/ have a third kid. I have wanted this for decades; I know it will be hard/ nuts/ crazy-making. I nonetheless reserve the right to mourn a bit if I fail at this attempt and also to whine a bit about how awful some of it is should we be so lucky to succeed.

I have been trying to talk myself out of wanting a third kid since I delivered Monito; there are a lot of reasons not to, but just as many good reasons to go ahead and give it a go. I really feel that I was born for this. I am good at it. We already have an embarrassment of riches - two of the most beautiful, clever, athletic children ever. If we stop with that, my life will be rich. If we are lucky enough to have a third? My lifetime dreams will be coming true.

I am doing an unmedicated FET cycle, and I will be transferring two 5-day thawed blasts on Saturday morning with a 1O% chance of successfull pregnancy. We'll have to bring the kids to the appointment since we can't get a trusted person to sit with them at the ass-crack of dawn. I've had no meds until now, and since ovulation I'm doing the low-dose aspirin, PIO [progesterone in oil] injection routine until transfer; after that we'll keep an eye on my levels and deal with any issues as they come.

Tonight Homestead Mama went to bed early with a bad stomach ache, which hopefully won't manifest into Monito's bug. I was unable to convince her to give me my PIO shot before she collapsed, so I had to [gulp] give it to myself. Large bore needle. Viscous oily med. Thank goddess for my ample behind - the needle is most of the length of my thumb. Ouch.

Anniversary

Homestead Mama and I met in March 2000. It took us about two months to fall in love and admit it out loud. Our anniversary is the first weekend in May - we've been together for seven years now. We'd been together for about a year and a half when we bought our house in October 2001, and the following spring I bought her a Redbud tree. We planted it in the front yard, and every spring it is the first thing that blooms in our yard. It never fails to inspire us and remind us that we are still in love and still quite thrilled to be together.