Ultimate multi tasker

I will post pictures of all the babies later, but Harper Christine Judith Burke was born March 18 9:00am. She weighed in at 8lbs 15oz and was 21 inches long.

I am currently posting my blog, breastfeeding and those 2 things alone would be a pretty good multi-tasking feat. But That Isn't All. I'm giving Nolan a bath and watching the Biggest Loser. That is all it takes to be a mom, the ability to multi-task.

Good Night
Nicole

Brody & Bennett Arrived!!!

Born March 6
Brody on left weight- 6lbs 14 oz 21 inches 5:58pm
Bennett on right weight- 7lbs 6 oz 21 inches 5:46pm

Nichole & Rich are doing great!

I'm sure she will fill in more details soon.

Proud Vertical Nicole

Update #2

Water broke at 12:30

Horizontal in the hospital

Just a quick update Nichole was checked into the hospital this morning and the petossin was started around 8:30. I will give updates as I get them. I can't be more excited for Nichole and Rich!!!

Finally (so happy to be able to say that vs. "Already?")!!

It seems the word has spread like wildfire on our other favorite social media outlet, Facebook, that I am scheduled to be induced tomorrow. It's not right that our BFF Followers (all 13 :) didn't hear it here first :). I know from others that being scheduled to be induced can change, giving priority to spontaneous laborers, so I've got my fingers crossed that tomorrow is the day. I also have a friend who was induced for 5 days straight until she had a c-section on the 5th day, so I'm trying to keep my excitement and anxiety in check. With that said, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we face the thing I'm most terrified of (labor/child birth) and hope that tomorrow is the golden day that we meet our little twin babies. We'll get a call between 5:30 - 8:30 a.m. tomorrow letting us know what time we're scheduled for, or letting us know it was postponed. It's fair to assume that no news is just that: no news. We'll update the blog with pictures and details as soon as we can. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Thanks for following our story so far.

- Nichole, with an h

Was that my outside voice?

I learned a very valuable lesson from a dear friend of mine several years ago. We were at a friend's wedding and she asked a "star athlete" from our high school when she was due (we had not seen her in years). The woman so gracefully pointed at the 1-2 year old child running around the room and said, "That's my baby". Apparently she was not pregnant. Oh my God. I mean, OH MY GOD. To my friend's defense, the woman seemed to have picked up several pounds and maybe not lost the pregnancy weight. My poor mortified friend turned and walked away as I laughed my ass off - at my friend's embarrassment, not at the woman. Truly, I was just glad I learned that lesson through her and not myself because I guarantee I was seconds away from asking that same question. Well, now I am so fearful of saying the wrong thing that I won't say anything at all, even if it is clearly obvious that someone is pregnant. Apparently, not everyone has that same fear.

I haven't been offended by anyone's comments (probably because I haven't been allowed into society for nearly 12 weeks - so I haven't given people as much of an opportunity). However, over the past week I have been amused at how fearless some people (usually strangers) are. Here are a couple comments I've heard.

- Rich and I were in the elevator at the doctor's office and a woman came in and said, "You look like you're going to deliver in about 7 1/2 minutes!" I laughed and said I hoped so. After she left I wanted to run after her and tell her it's twins. Apparently I felt like I needed to justify the girth of my belly. But still, no intro 'hi', no 'good afternoon', just a passive-aggressive way of saying, "You are huge!"

- Yesterday I was doing my part to try to get the stages of labor to progress and I went to the grocery store with Rich. It was so weird trying to ignore people's looks, like I am a freak of nature (let's be honest, I kind of am. It's AMAZING bellies have the ability to stretch like this and hold two lives inside it.....so wild). So we were just about done getting what we needed and I told Rich we should buy a pregnancy test, just to get a good laugh at the cashier's face. We opted out but got a good laugh just thinking about it. However, I guess the joke was on me. As we walked up to check out I heard some loud voice say something to the effect of, "....about to pop!" I looked up and the borderline teenager/adult cashier - from TWO lanes away - was yelling through her line and the next check out lane (all full of people by the way), "Wow, you look like you're ready to pop!!" Embarrassed, and not sure how to react, we just got in line at the nearest register (not hers) and I said again, "I hope so." The cashier and bagger in our lane just kept their head's down like they were embarrassed. Not sure if they were embarrassed for me or for her but either way it gave me something to talk about the entire way home. :)

I have to wonder sometimes if these people realize that they are speaking in their outside voices :).

- Nichole, with an h

Twin Update

The time has come for these boys to join our crazy world. I'm 37 weeks, 4 days and ready. The doctor said during our appointment yesterday that I was in early stage labor (dialated to a 2-3) and she thought I'd deliver today. I think she just said that because she was doing deliveries today and I have been very vocal about how I'd like her to be the one to deliver our babies. We've only got 2 more hours until she's off though so these boys better hurry (or wait until next Tuesday!). I did do my part - got up early (for me), "got ready" with no shortcuts, took Lola for a walk, went out to lunch, and drove around with Rich and did errands. I got home and had no signs of going into full blown labor but was very sore and tired. I've been trying to continue to be active but I am exhausted (amazing how easily that happens these days). Either way, we're scheduled to be induced on Saturday, so we'll get to hold them before you know it.

- Nichole, with an h