diabetic coma

there was a note in our mailbox monday that said we had a package in the office. unfortunately, the office was closed when i got home. and since the next day was christmas, and i forgot about it wednesday, we didn't get the package until thursday. we actually got two packages: one from my aunt carol, and one from josh's aunt filled with prezzies. guess which one josh opened first?

At the zoo (and later the farm)

in addition to shopping and baking, we went to the zoo. this was quite a feat since the babies took up most of the seats in the sub. mamsis got us all shakes (egg nog for me, yummy) so the trip was made easier by consuming sugar and fat. unfortunately, the elephants and rhinosaurs don't like snow, so we only got to see ocean and desert animals. when we were entering the aquarium, there was a sign that said "shark petting tip: use two fingers." what a weird sign we all thought. turns out there was a pool with dog sharks that you could "pet." i think silas touched one or two, but eli was a little more reluctant and his arms were a little too short. we also saw seahorses in cylindrical tanks and penguins swimming under the floor between the tanks.
the dolphin exhibit had also been remodeled so you could walk underneath the pool and look up. it was like being in an underwater greenhouse with 6 in glass walls. we also went to the desert exhibit which had a really neat meerkat enclosure. there were pipes with cut-out and underground windows so you could see them in the tunnels. the snakes were next and you can see mom and silas imitating them.
besides giving me a cold. the babies were a lot of help around the farm. they helped feed the goats and calves every day and then helped collect eggs. when we'd come inside silas would insist on washing the eggs.
eli even helped dad and mom feed the cows.
they also helped decorate the christmas tree. ellis helped by breaking and ornament over the living room and silas arranged eight ornaments on three branches. these were about the only branches he could reach, so it wasn't bad for a first try. for more cute pictures see the web album.

he's so cute, except for his giant wiener

i flew home last week to attend my grandmother's funeral. it was nice to see everyone, although it was a solemn occasion. unfortunately we didn't get a lot of time to visit due to the weather.
i did get to spend a week at the farm baby wrangling (which resulted in a cold) and baking cookies. rachel got some 3-d rudolph the reindeer cookie cutters so we tried making those. most of them came out really well, although some of the legs (and a head) broke before we could put them together. (this is where the title comes from) bridget just kept talking about wieners after rachel put together sam the snowman. can you guess which one mom decorated?
i went to the doctor yesterday. bp is good and i've only gained four pounds. (which i was told isn't a lot) and heard the heart beat, though the baby kept kicking the machine.

maternity hotel

yesterday morning josh and i went on a birth center tour of the nearby hospital. the hospital is only four years old so everything is still relatively new and shiny. the maternity center is really nice. there are locked doors and you have to be buzzed in, which reminds me of the psych ward at home hospital. all the giant rooms have mountain views, a recliner, and a pull out sofa for people to spend the night (one room even has it's own jacuzzi, and there is a second one for everyone else). there is also a 'baby care station' in each room so the baby never has to leave the room except for pediatrician visits. and mom, dad, and baby are all tagged and baby has a security tag that goes off if he gets too close to the doors or the regular tags are tampered with. there is also operating rooms in the center so you don't have to go all the way down to the regular OR for a c-section. a chef prepares the meals and you can order them pretty much whenever you like! i was really impressed with this place, even though the tour seemed a little like a commercial. plus they have player piano, which i think may be the deciding factor.