Some notes while waiting on 8 and 9...

[J]

• While pregnant, E's usual sleep-based superpowers are even more astounding. Being home for Christmas break from my regular work schedule, I get to see her regularly nod off for an hour in a kitchen chair surrounded by noisy waves of children crashing in and out of the room.
• E's method for approaching any project, including adding two more babies to the household, involves research. She recently picked up several books from the library on twin-related subjects. However, she was disappointed to find nothing particularly enlightening in any of them. The books seemed aimed at highly uninformed new parents. She pointed out that what she really needed was a book of tips for mothers of seven (or more) children who were pregnant with twins. ("Well, dear, I'm guessing that you may be one of the few qualified to write that book. And one of the few audience members clamoring for it, too.")
• Another comment on one of the books she checked out: "I certainly don't need the chapter on when to go back to work after giving birth...."
• I visited the dentist today with B, P, TM, and D. Our beloved dental hygenist, Pam (who cleaned MY teeth when I was D's age!), was very excited at our news, but the dentist himself was clearly aghast. Rarely do you get to see someone whose mouth literally hangs open for several seconds while he attempts to decide how to respond to the thought of nine children.
• Meanwhile, K is "finding his voice," you might say. He has gone from being a fairly quiet and docile waif to a highly vocal and opinionated member of the party. He's begun to pick up a few words, but more significantly, he's realized that he can make things happen by using them. He's also realized that cranking up the volume gets more attention. All through dinner preparations tonight, he confronted everyone in the kitchen with shouts of "eat! eat!", clearly expecting results. He's also testing the boundaries by carrying on with much shouting and bouncing around the bed long after lights are out. (Fortunately, TM and D seem able to fall asleep even in the same room with noisy little K.)
• It's remarkable how quickly these two little people, our unborn twins, have already become a part of our family. They are a subject of much conversation, speculation, and delight. We can hardly wait to meet them. Already I feel blessed that God has brought them into our lives, and I am once again astonished at how well He uses my family to draw me closer to Him.