per usual, Archer was right

"I can see myself being surrounded by sisters," he said.

Doctor is 92% sure he's right.

As someone who used to be petrified by the notion of ever having a daughter, I have to laugh. And then cry. And laugh again. I'm going to have three beautiful, strong, amazing daughters. Three daughters and a sage for a son who will guide and protect them as he does me (and everyone else).

Baby A's legs + Baby B's side (and membrane separating babies)

Baby B watching us watch her (doesn't she look like Fable?)

Once again, good things happen in threes. Wonderful things beyond, beyond, beyond.

GGC

It's a... Twin Gender (Twender?) Poll!

? + ? + Fable + swings = swings + Fable + ? +?

So. Tomorrow (we hope) we'll have word on whether penises or vaginas are inside me. In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to see what YOU think. So! I created this handy little device/counter thingy-poll-situation for you to click on anonymously and guess! The winning group will receive.... knowledge that they are psychic!

So! Without further ado, a sex poll. (Not to be confused with "sex pole", which we can discuss at a later date or not. Probably not.)

GGC

99/100

Since this is pretty much the end of Mix Tape, and I've been getting nostalgic these last few weeks, feeling the need to post old faves instead of new finds, this week's track = my favorite music video of all time. It's also the only music video I've ever purchased in my life.

It's been eight years since I first saw this video, in a museum in Queens with my old friend, Cheyne. We had the gallery to ourselves so we sat and we watched and we watched and we fell asleep, and then we watched again... Both of us equally stoned in awe of Bjork's ability to make out with her robot self.

Anyway, an oldie but a GREATie, this one is. To me, anyway. And my old friend, Cheyne, who I also purchased a copy for (which according to him, was incompatible with his DVD player).

Oh well. I tried.

99. All is Full of Love, bjork

GGC

***

ED: Eat Well will is on hiatus this week - my fault as I planned to post in WWW's place (later) today and ran out of time, oy. Tune in next week for some homegrown Fava bean action! Hell yes!

On Cameras, New York (Sponsored)

The following post/photo tips brought to you by Best Buy. Thanks, Best Buy!

I took a total of 1271 photos last week, most of which were snapped in New York City, one of the most photogenic places on earth. One of my favorite parts of traveling has always been the process of documenting everything. I kept journals for ten years, thousands of tiny pages hand-written about my experiences, and photographs in the hundreds, many of which I printed in the dark room myself.

The first time I traveled on my own, I was nineteen and I had just taken my first photography class at Otis where I was turned on to Nan Goldin. I fell instantly in love with her work, the realness of what she portrayed and her ability to pull me into her subjects' stories -- the loudness of silent stills. Through her work, I fell in love with photography as a storytelling device, raw and real and often out of focus. Like every moment of every day of every life.

After that, I carried a camera with me at all times and for the last twelve years, have continued to do so. Pre-digital cameras, I carried my Canon EOS Rebel with me everywhere I went - trying to replicate the grit of what I saw abroad and in my own city, street, apartment. In those days I was flying solo, so a small purse and a camera was all I needed. I was able to justify the space in my purse - a wallet, some lip gloss, cigs and a camera.

These days my purse is full of snacks, diapers, changes of clothes, and about a thousand other things... no room for an SLR even if I owned one to carry with me. Not that I want one. I'm perfectly happy with my point-and-shoot (Canon Powershot SD 1400). It challenges me to use my eye, instead of its lens, to tell a story. A great camera does that, I think. Because good photographs (like words) rely on the stories they capture, more than the crispness of their quality.

There was a time I'd carry my camera in and off subways, searching for the sad and lonely, the slumped over and half-naked... the libertines. I'd chase Mr. Bojangles down the rabbit hole to snap his portrait, ask his name. Now, I stay above ground. I study the smiles of my permanent muses, live inside their moments - watch. And watch. And watch.

I no longer print in the dark room. All my pictures are digital now, but I am able to up the contrast in iphoto, bring out the brilliance of color, mute the tones to black and white when I feel like I should, crop, burn, edit, print, frame...

I used to carry a camera with me everywhere I went in hopes I'd someday understand the darkness. Now, I carry one with me as reminder, a daily affirmation that everywhere I look, there is light.

GGC

Fifteen Weeks

After twenty-four hours of grueling travel delays/getting stranded at Midway/sleeping zero/missing Easter in Nana's garden (boo!) we made it home, in four one-piece pieces. Relief, yes, but also, mild depression. You know what I mean? It's like a fog of discombobulation spiked with frustration, stress and sadness that every day can't be Vacationville. (I could seriously live out of a suitcase my entire life, join the gypsies and hit the road in a converted school bus so long as there was room for my entire extended family. In another life, perhaps.)

Minus of the biting reality of being home and still having to grocery shop, I feel great. Exhausted, sick with the usual airplane-cold c/o inhaling recycled farts air, but great. We had an amazing time in New York and I didn't once feel the need to break, sit, collapse or throw up, which is pretty incredible considering how active we were vs how inactive I've been in the last few months. I feel similarly sized as last week and am still able to sleep on my belly with some pillow propping, which means = I'm sleeping through the night. (Side-sleep means insomnia for this girl so I'm milking the belly sleep for as long as I can tolerate it.)

The babies are the size(s) of apples this week, which means I get to say, "how do you like these apples?" to people and watch them not laugh.

Awesome = I felt movement this week for the first time! I think so, anyway. (!!!). I was sixteen weeks when I felt first movement with Fable so I'm pretty sure this was legit. High five!

Not awesome = Braxton Hicks contractions. Already! Ahhh! At first I thought I was feeling two baby heads, but then I looked at a diagram and saw that baby heads are nowhere near where I could feel them, duh. So. Braxton Hicks party central. (For those who haven't experienced them, Braxton Hicks contractions feel a little like getting a Charlie Horse in your belly, except eating bananas doesn't make them go away.)

A few of you asked what the difference has been, size-wise, this time vs. my last pregnanc(ies). Aha! I will show you.

Here's a shot of me at sixteen weeks with Fable:

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a belly shot photo of fifteen weeks, but, here's a shot of me twenty-two weeks pregnant (Fable), which is a lot closer to what (I think) I look like now:

22 weeks w/one = 15 weeks w/two

Friday, if the babes are cooperative with their genitals, we'll get to find out their sex(es). In the meantime, I am shitting my unitard in anticipation/excitement/because I'm wearing a unitard and have no other choice.

***

fourteen weeks

thirteen weeks

twelve weeks

eleven weeks

ten weeks

nine weeks

GGC

Room Service (& Giveaway)

**updated with winner below!**

Back in November, a lovely woman named Christina contacted me via The Four Seasons and asked if I was interested in staycationing at their Beverly Hills location, in exchange for a contribution to their website. Hell yes, I was interested! There is nothing I love more than spooning in comfortable beds with my fam followed by hour long baths with Bvlgari products.

Unfortunately, as it so happens during the holiday season, we were unable to find a weekend that worked for all of us. I asked if Christina would be willing to raincheck for April/New York -- a trip we had had in the works since last summer. She kindly agreed to comp us for one night and discount our rate for the remainder of our stay (this way we were able to afford to stay all three nights here at the hotel). So far it's been worth every penny and in the words of Archer, "I'd be open-minded to the possibility of moving here."

...Says the child, who is welcomed to his new hotel room with fresh fruit, milk and cookies, and sponges spelling his name in the bathroom.

...Not to mention a bed covered with board games, stuffed animals for Fable and quite possibly the most comfortable bed of all time.

For the record, I concur.

So does Fable.

And Hal.

And the womb-mates, who are nodding in unison as I type this in my a robe and slippers, while my children sleep soundly giggle under their covers beside me.

"Go to bed, kids. It's a zillion o'clock!"

Oh, whatever. It's vacation. (Until we leave tomorrow! Sob!)

P.S. Tiny robe.

P.P.S. Eggs Florentine in bed.

Thanks Christina, Tiffani & Four Seasons, New York. You rock our world(s).

... Annnnd they rock your world, too. Becaaaaaause they've offered to give one of you a $500 voucher to experience The Four Seasons (any location) with your fam. Or friends, lover(s), self, etc... To win? Tell me about a memorable trip you've taken in your life, or one you'd like to take someday. I'll pick one winner via random.org next Friday and announced Monday, May 2nd. (You can browse The Four Seasons' family travel blog, Have Family, Will Travel, here, which I'll be contributing to in the upcoming weeks.) Good luck and thanks again to The Four Seasons for your generosity, kindness and welcome. We love you, goodnight!

***

Congratulations to random.org winner, #479 Erin!

Enjoy your voucher, lady and thanks to everyone for participating, including The Four Seasons hotel(s)! Lets do one of these again soon, yeah?

GGC

Observation Deck

Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center

(We're having the best time ever ever ever.)

GGC