So much awesome happened this weekend!

Where, where, where to begin?

I think I'll start with the MOST awesome.

Some of you might recall that I was inspired to start this blog because I stumbled across Laura Case's blog when I was pregnant with Cary and Dean. I Googled something like, "pregnant, twins, ambivalence" because I was going back and forth between being super-excited about having two much-prayed-for babies and being terrified out of my mind about having TWO babies at the same time.

Somehow Google found Laura's blog and I read an entry or two about her life with twin boys and found I couldn't stop reading. Over the course of a few days, I read every single blog post this hilarious, honest woman wrote, starting at the very beginning of her journey. And I got inspired by her to start a blog of my own. It took me until the boys were about 9 months old to actually get around to blogging, but I did, finally, and I'm so, so glad.

I love that I'm getting down the details of my babies' lives (all three of them now) which I'm sure would all grow fuzzy over time if I didn't. I'm recording my thoughts and perspectives, which I hope one day my children will find interesting or useful; I know I would absolutely love to read what my parents were thinking and doing when I was a kid. And I'm enjoying the process of (semi) regular writing, which helps me sort through complicated feelings sometimes and make sense of the chaotic (but happy) life I'm living as wife, mother, career woman, sister, friend and child of God.

All those things are invaluable, priceless even. But I had no idea that starting a blog would also bring to my life this wonderful and necessary thing: the support of other like-minded women who are also moms and wives and slightly crazed by it all. Women I'd never met - who found my blog because Laura once posted an entire blog post about ME! (you cannot imagine the screaming I did that day) -- started commenting on my blog posts, with advice, affirmation, encouragement and funny stories. And then one day, one of the women and I agreed to meet. Beth was so awesome, we hit it off immediately and we've hung out over food or drinks a few more times since then, each time topping the last one in terms of being super-fun and restorative!  And last month, when I was in Maine, I met up with Maria, another of Laura's friends, who was also amazing! I felt immediately comfortable in her house and we talked about real life things maybe 10 seconds after I walked in the door -- no time for small talk, just straight to the real deal. It was great.

So when Maria came to DC this weekend for her birthday and Beth emailed saying that the two of them wanted to meet me for dinner, I didn't hesitate. Beth AND Maria? I was in!

At the restaurant bar, I waited for the two of them to arrive and I waved happily when I saw Beth's smiling face and Maria behind her. And then...I noticed...someone else....

Could it be? Noooo?! Are my eyes deceiving me?

Wait...it is! It is! It's LAURA CASE!!

I seriously screamed like Prince just walked in the room.

Look - my eyes are still screaming in this picture we took outside the restaurant just moments after they got there.  

See? I screamed like a banshee!

I was too shocked and giddy to remember to hold my head up straight and not squint my eyes all up like a crazy person! But who cares? It's me, standing next to a woman I've admired from afar for years! Sure we've emailed and texted, but there's nothing like sitting next to a woman in a lively restaurant, ordering tapas and drinks and laughing your head off for FOUR HOURS, watching as the restaurant slowly empties and you're not even close to being ready to leave, because the women you're with are all so much better in person than they even seemed on screen and life is pretty freaking great to still be blessed to meet people who move you, inspire you, encourage you, LIKE you, and want to see you be the best person you can be.

I thank God for that. Truly. I always say that picking awesome women to be friends with is my super-power. And this weekend was just more proof.

SO glad I started blogging. If you're on the fence about it, DO IT. It's so worth it.

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Also this weekend, all five of us had a collective playdate with a new couple, Ashley and Desira Stewart, and their two little girls, who I think they're pretty private about Internet-wise, so I won't say their names. It was really, really nice. They were so welcoming and fun, and they FED US, so they are my new favorite people! (I joke. Sorta.)  It's always just a little bit weird meeting up for the first time with people you only sorta know, but it is so rewarding when the meet-up turns out just perfect!

I imagine more outings with this family in our future!

And then, I took Clair with me to a baby shower, and she was a great partner to have. No craziness or meltdowns; she was super cute at the party and gabbed, gabbed, gabbed the whole way there and back, and it was really cool to have my little buddy with me -- just the girls on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I imagine more of that too in my future -- and it makes my heart so glad.

While I was there, Lester took the boys to a little kid yoga date with their friend Spirit and a few other kids. Afterward, the boys painted a picture frame and ate pizza and played. And it was a lovely, lovely day all around.

Lester met with a handyman at the house in DC to get an estimate on doing some final small things to it before putting it on the market this summer -- so that ball is actually, finally moving. (One tiny, but necessary step closer to us getting out of our house and into a better one!)

And we also planted Black-eyed Susan seeds in the little flower pots that were once home to my miserable failure of a porch garden, so we're all eagerly watching to see if anything comes of our efforts! Hoping to have Maryland's state flower blossoming on our porch any day now!

Keep your fingers crossed!

Friend-filled weekend

I know I said a few posts ago that as I approach 40, I wanted to make sure I got to see friends and loved ones -- both old and new -- more often.

I just didn't except to do that all in one weekend.

Friday night, my friend Andrea invited me to a party/fundraiser. I was tired (of course) and had nothing to wear, but Andrea is always supportive of what I do, so I wanted to support her. The shindig was at a fancy rented-out space in Harbor East, and there were drinks and music and VIP lounges and things I haven't seen in years! The thing I enjoyed the most was getting to laugh and talk and hang out with my journalist friends -- who put to bed the myth that journalists are frumpy, fashionless people.

Check out these hot girls! I stole this photo from Jeneba's Facebook page. So I can't explain what's going on here. But here we are, doing our best super model "make your upper arm look thinner" pose.

On Saturday, I was invited to the surprise 40th birthday cookout for a good friend of mine from high school. Juanita and I actually went to middle school together, can you believe that? But we solidified our friendship at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where we joined a band of gals who were all in the science and technology program (Hahahaa! Me and science and tech. What was I thinking?)
I neglected to take even one photo of this mini high school reunion, so instead, I will have to post this horrible throwback of the six of us from some ERHS Homecoming dance. Please note the horrendous hair.

Nicole, April, Juanita, Carla B., Carla J, and me. I also stole this picture from someone's Facebook page. Someone who is not a friend of mine. Because obviously no friend of mine would EVER post this picture on Facebook.

Now that we've all stopped laughing, I need to point out that I really love the fact that I've stayed in touch (not as much as I'd like, but still in touch) with my best girls from high school, who have all grown into amazing women with great careers, beautiful families and fun and supportive personalities. It just points out to me that one of my absolute undeniable talents is picking friends. I am mediocre at a lot of things, but I kick ass at that.

Happy birthday, Juanita!

And then, right after leaving a cookout with some of my oldest friends, I hurried up the road to meet up and have drinks with some of my newest friends: Beth and Angel!

I really tried to fix the crazy eyes! But you get the picture - it's Beth, me and Angel, out having a ball. And apparently being possessed by the devil...

We met up at a fancy, fancy restaurant (Don Pablo's - ahem) and ate bad Mexican food, drank a couple dranky-dranks, got free sopapilla because our server and the service was so terrible, and laughed, dished and had the most frank and encouraging conversation I've had in months. Something about being Mom-bloggers connects us in a way I would never have predicted. And these two smart and funny women are a big reason I'm so glad I started blogging.

Angel and Beth hit it off famously and I would like to point out here again that this speaks to my ability to spot fabulous women from a mile away. Not only do I know who I'll get along with, but I can bring other awesome people together!

It just hit me! Knowing amazing women is my super power!

Anyway, it was a great friend-filled weekend, which ended on Sunday morning with a brunch date with my four best friends in the world: Lester, Clair, Dean and Cary.

(P.S. Shout-out to Lester for holding it down with all the kiddos while I was gallivanting the whole weekend with friends, old and new.)

World, meet Clair Elise Davis!

Thanks to my sweetie's thoughtfulness, you all know by now that I am now the proud mother of one utterly adorable and completely unpredictable Clair Elise Davis!

We're home from the hospital now and I am exhausted and sore (good GRIEF this C-section incision hurts!) and hormonal and oh-so-happy!

I have so much to say about this labor/delivery/hospital stay/little baby girl -- but Lester covered the gist of it (wasn't that such a cute post? I didn't even know he was going to do that! Awww!) so I'll instead do two things.

First: Thanks and shout-outs and love-grams forever to Beth for coming all the way out to Baltimore with FOOD!!! for the freshly-home-from-the-hospital Davis family and also -- just because she is JUST that awesome -- gifts for Clair, as well as for Cary and Dean!!! Seriously, she wins the blogfriend of the year award with that wonderful move. And honestly, I think it's way past time I stopped calling her a blogfriend, don't you? I'd like to think that she and I are just plain ol' friend-friends now. And I'm so happy and blessed to count her among the many amazing women I hold dear to my heart in that category.
Thanks so much, Beth! My entire family thanks you!

Second: PHOTOS!!

Clair Elise, born 2/16/12 at 11:21 a.m. -- 7 lbs., 14. oz of pure loveliness.



Hmmm. Shall I give Mommy a break and nurse today? Or ever? No. I don't think that I will.



Headed home from the hospital. My first car ride. My adorable hat. My enormous pacifier!



Curve Ball -- curved into a ball. (I love this photo.)



It is not an exaggeration to say that this man has lost his ever-lovin'-mind over this little girl. Lost his mind, do you hear me? Hello, Daddy? Meet Clair's little finger. Then twist yourself right on around it. It's a wrap for you, sir.



Cary and Dean meet their little sister for the first time, two days after she's born. The jury's still out as to what they think about her. I won't get into it here, about how differently they reacted to her -- and me -- on this day. I'm sure there will be many posts about this topic in the future.



Cary, coming in for a closer look.



Contemplative Clair.



Silly Clair.



She's got a lot of personality already, folks. Hold on to your hats! This is gonna be one fun ride!

Boys have a great day at Port Discovery; Mommy meets her first blogfriend!

We haven't been to Port Discovery since the boys were...hmmm...fairly new crawlers. Wow. That just hit me in a weird way. Time is really passing.

Anyway (before I get all teary) we went back there today and it was even better than the first time. The boys LOVE the Tot Trails room, and spent more than an hour exploring and playing and just generally having a blast.

Here is a shot of them at the sandbox, before things went very, very, very wrong. (Picture Cary's hair covered in sand. And Dean's too).


Here's the "lawnmower," which was a huge hit, as you might imagine. Cary commandeered it half the afternoon, when he wasn't on the mega Lite Brite board. Dean made an adorable motoring noise when he rolled it back and forth.

OK, there were a couple small tussles. This one was over a duckie on a stick.


But mostly there was fun. Here's Cary staring at himself in a mirror, calling himself, "Deee." (Dean.) One day my child will realize that he is Cary and Dean is Dean.


Dean -- banging things with a stick. (A favorite pasttime.)


Cary and his second favorite thing -- the Lite Brite board. He OWNED this thing.



Dean smiling because I have told him 15 times to stop EATING the stick. And somehow this is funny. Little stinker.


BUT...by far the best part of the visit was meeting up with my VERY FIRST BLOGFRIEND!!

Beth brought her super-adorable boys William and Seth to Port Discovery and we met up. It was so great to meet her; she was kind and sweet and funny, very much like her blog (which I have become a huge fan of).

And I am more in awe of her now that I know a little more about her crazy schedule (seriously, I don't know how she does it) and now that I've met her boys in person. They are so stinkin' cute!

And Beth gets kudos for wanting to hang out with a pregnant woman with maniac twin toddlers!

It was so nice to meet you, Beth! I can't wait for the next playdate. And the first grown-up date -- whenever I can have cocktails again!