Time for whine

WARNING WHINING AHEAD: I'm starting to feel a bit discouraged. I really feel like my body will never feel normal again. I've been forcing myself to eat apple sauce and chips everyday and I'm sick of it. I really would like to be able to eat a normal meal and enjoy myself. I've been taking a new drug called Zofran (new to me) to help with the morning sickness. It's been helping quite a bit. I'm no longer vomiting when I'm on it but it totally drains me of any energy. I still can't eat much either, especially today. Jack greeted me this morning with a poopy diaper and ever since I've felt awful. It's a little overwhelming to think that I'm going to have three kids in diapers. I can't imagine what the next few years are going to be like. I'm sick of the winter too. I'm ready to go outside and absorb some vitamin D. As a child living in Oregon my mom would make me go outside in the winter whenever there was sunlight to ward off depression. Smart woman. I've been waiting to do that for awhile now, but we seem to have permafog here in Kansas City.

Oh, no....

So, I figured I'd better leave an account of just how we found out about, "the twins" for everyone who has been asking questions. Yesterday was my first doctors appointment since finding out I am pregnant. We have been joking about having twins for a couple of weeks now. While I was in Utah over the break I had been dreaming about twins and my family teased me. My sister gave us her used double stroller and Chuck kept joking that it was jinxed and that it surely meant we would be having twins. Even the morning of my appointment I told my mom I was excited to go to the doctor so he could assure me I was just carrying one. Our dr. was super nice, a good friend recommended him. When the ultrasound showed up, it was clear there was two babies in there. The dr. didn't say anything for what felt like a very long time. I was preparing myself to hear that one of them was dead, but there were two little heartbeats and two little bodies moving around. The first thing that came out of the dr.s mouth was, "Oh no........it's.......twins. Chuck and I both started laughing witch quickly turned to weeping on my end. I didn't know what to think, and the dr. seemed confused by our reactions. The babies were exactly the same size which is probably a good sign. The dr. thinks they're identical but we might not know for sure until they're born.

Overall this pregnancy has been quite different from my first. Even though I was really sick with Jack, this time has been much worse. Every symptom I've had seems multiplied. I think this was my biggest reason for thinking I was carrying twins.

For those who've asked how I'm feeling....I am excited, so excited I can barely stand it. I'm also terrified. I'm really scared of losing one or both of these babies. I think that's my biggest fear right now. The dr. did a pretty good job at easing that fear a little. I'm scared I'm losing too much weight right now( 16 lbs. so far) and more scared of gaining too much later on and turning into a blimp. I have barely even entertained what it will be like having two newborns, three kids in diapers, and a move to Detroit shortly after their births'. I'm not ready to worry about that yet.

Thanks everyone for all the calls and support it means a lot to our little family.

Missing Uncle Michael...

No-Knead Bread

Yes, I made this bread. No, I didn't knead it.

Pretty awesome, I know.

Recipe: No-Knead Bread
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.