Big Accomplishments Today

* Sleep
* Watched The Proposal, which furthered my love of Betty White

* Watched Easy A, which furthered my love of Emma Stone, but not like in a Jim Carrey way.

* Changed the password to my email so that my friends, family and people long unspoken to in my e-mail contact list will not receive any more offers of Cialis. Or the Beer for Breakfast diet.

* Finished a bag of Gummi Bears purloined from the Kroger $1 bin.

* Sleep.

* Got a hankering for Sunday brunch and scheduled it thusly with the lovely Nikki Smith.

* Made a list of things needed from Walmart, which made it abundantly clear that I am very nearly not going to have sufficient materials to maintain an adequate personal hygiene routine.

* Finally roused up the energy to have a personal hygiene routine.

* Returned my Redbox movies prior to 9 p.m.

* Went to Wallmart where I was remarkably self-controlled until I arrived at the $5 DVD bin which contained Elvis's Viva Las Vegas.

* Procured toilet paper, much needed since I was down to one roll.

* Stripped the sheets from my bed, which I'm sorry to say, were dirty enough to walk themselves to the laundry

* Finished the Double Stuf Oreos so I will no longer be tempted by them.

* Cut my nails, an activity so simple and mundane that I've spent all week dreaming of having five minutes to do it.

* Made a list of things to do tomorrow that will undoubtedly will not get done because, let's face it - every day can't be this productive.

Strip It. Strip It Good.

With the odds stacked against me after my first trip to Vegas, I had to go back to Sin City just a few weeks later. A nonstop flight delivered me safely to McCann International where a silent cabbie took me back to the strip and deposited me at The Venetian where I was greeted by an accordion player in front of a giant gold-leaf fountain underneath a Michelangelo-style painted dome. Welcome to Vegas.

The hotel hosts a performance of Phantom of the Opera every night, so as you're walking to your room under dainty cherubs and elaborate chandeliers, they're piping haunting organ music and Christine's high notes, which you have to believe make those little glass pendants on the chandeliers tremble. And wonder if some half-masked caped stranger will be on the elevator when the doors open.

Business ended on a Friday night at 6, but my nonstop return flight didn't depart until first thing Saturday morning. As such, I found myself wandering down the strip alone, a stranger in a very, very strange land. Determined to make the best of it, I took in the pirate show at Treasure Island - which, for the record, was preceded by Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hot Stepper" on the loudspeaker. The show itself featured two sirens named Cinnamon and Sugar who lure poor Captain Mack and his decidedly hunky crew aboard their siren ship by singing and gyrating in scanty glittered hot pants. After that explosive show came to an end, I headed to The Mirage for a volcanic eruption and then back to the classics at The Forum abutting Caesar's Palace where all sorts of amazing replica statuary lives. From the heart of Italy, I jaunted to Paris and its Eiffel Tower. And no trip down the strip would be complete without a viewing of The Bellagio fountains, which, for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, were choreographed to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."

After hours of being a quiet watcher among the noisy crowds wearing ginormous test tubes of multicolored alcohol and of studiously ignoring casino barkers and those peddling the seedier side of Vegas who made me walk like Mary Katherine Gallagher to keep them from putting things in my hands, I headed back to the Phantom's lair. I captured my journey entirely on my iPhone and assembled my bizarre evening on the strip into a little photo book. Me and Vegas aren't at odds anymore, but frankly, if I play my cards right, I won't be going back any time soon.

Click here to view this photo book larger

32

Photo: Leo Reynolds

According to Wikipedia, 32 is a happy number. It's also the number of pages in a standard comic book. And the Fahrenheit temperature at which water freezes. Today, it's also my age - a way of marking the passage of time. The last few years, that particular pastime has been full of frustrations at those things that weren't part of the equation. Those things that, in my own mind and heart or in the eye's of others were subtractions. But this year, I choose to look at the math a little differently. This year, I'm going to look at what adds up to 32 reasons to celebrate myself.

1. Daughter - Perhaps my first role in life...one I arrived almost a full month late for, but when I showed up, it was with a total devotion to my parents that I carry still.
2. Little sister - It came fast on the heels of daughter, being a sister, and the fierce loyalty and love for my older sister and brother with it.  
3. Friend - I'm still friends with some of my earliest friends - Sarah, who I've known since I was three; Niki, who's been one of my dearest friends since first grade.  That loyalty thing again.
4. Loyalty - So let's talk about that thing loyalty. Once I'm won, I'm hard to lose.
5. Smile - From the earliest pictures, I can see my smile. Even if the baby face doesn't look like me anymore, that smile - big, open, happy - is there.
6. Laugh - Loud, cackling and anything but ladylike, it's frequent and heartfelt. And contagious.
7. Writer - I found one of the great loves of my life early in words and stuck with it.
8. Pictures - My eyes see, and I can show what I see.
9. Honesty - I cannot tell a lie. Never could.
10. Hugs - Hugs are little bits of love passed on through a squeeze. I believe in 'em. And I give them out with reckless abandon.
11. Compassion - No one ever cries alone.
12. Left-handed - My wronghandedness has always been a badge of honor - especially when I have the telltale smear of pen ink on the outside of my hand.
13. Humor - I can laugh at me.  That's important.
14. Courage - When I got to a point in my life when I really needed help, I admitted my frailties and found the strength to ask for help.
15. Clumsiness - My bruises and scrapes (literal and figurative) have been the reason for many a side-splitting story.
16. Dandelions - I know they're weeds, but even weeds need love.
17. Hopeful - Despite the trials and tribulations, I never lose hope that better things await.
18. Creativity - The inner-workings of my brain are mysterious and magical.
19. Faith in mankind - While it gets me into trouble from time to time, I have an unfailing (some would say naive) faith in the goodness of man.
20. Aunt - A more recent addition to my list (four years and counting), I lavish love on my nieces and nephews.  And promise to teach the left-handed one to tie his shoes.
21. Volunteer - The notion of giving of one's self and one's time entirely for the benefit of someone else carries the power of change.
22. Adventure - Some would question my inclusion of this...not an innate quality of mine...but a learned one that has led me to push my boundaries and discover the world outside of my comfort zone.
23. Openness - No mystery here, which I often lament. But you can trust that what you see is what you get.
24. Simplicity - While I can get caught up in an overstimulated need/want frenzy with the best of them, in the end, I can enjoy the simplest of things: clouds, a particularly lovely tree, a drop of water on the edge of a petal, that you can buy something called Fluff in a jar.
25. House - The bane of my existence for some time, it's still something I accomplished. Like a grown-up or something.
26. Nostalgia - All that came before, hazy with hindsight, is precious.
27. Shoes - What, you say?  How can shoes be on this list?  Because they've evolved into some extension of all the facets of my personality.  A shoe for all seasons.
28. Grace in the profane - One of my grad school professors used this phrase all the time...and I like to think I've learned how to see the grace even in the dimmest of circumstances.
29.  Curiosity - Mostly this leads to the accumulation of more useless trivia knowledge, but occasionally, I find a way to turn it into something meaningful.
30.  Encourager - I will be your cheerleader and your champion.  Your triumph is mine; your failure is a reason for me to swoop in with hugs (see #10).
31.  Singing - It's a terrible racket. But I do it because it makes me happy - with the windows down and the radio up, and it's one thing that's taught me not to apologize for those things that bring me joy.
32. Love - In an ever-widening circle of people, from those who have known me for decades, to those who have come into my life in recent years and months, there is love.  I never run out of that.

So that's my list.  Happy birthday to me and all my 32 years.

Double Trouble: An Update

Three weeks since our peas in the pod made their appearance.  Since then, both are making early strides toward the competitive eating arena, with Elyssa at the forefront gaining a pound and a half.  Once lagging behind her brother by almost that much, she's a solid 7-pounder behind her brother's 8.  Ethan's breathing hasn't been a problem since he left the hospital - unless he's gasping in desperation to be fed.  Elyssa's eye infection cleared up, although both twins still have mysterious eye colors that could go blue like Dillon or brown like Reese or something else all together.  Both are also champions at destroying diapers, and it's like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if you're emptying a trashcan that isn't piled with Pampers.  And while most of the time, you probably envision the twins looking sweet and serene cuddled together like this:

Elyssa & Ethan

The fact of the matter is that we see a lot of this:

Big yawn

And this:

Just loving having her picture made

 And in case you were wondering about Dillon and Reese...well, they're still some of the cutest bugaboos around, although perhaps Daddy would disagree at this moment here:

Wake up, Daddy!

All in all, four kids are keeping everyone...on their toes.

Elyssa

Ethan

Big Brother Goes to the Hospital

In the past 36 hours, Ethan has rotated between the regular nursery and NICU, his breathing regulating itself and then growing rapid again.  So he'd take his transport - which I imagine to be very Star Wars-like - between the 7th and 5th floors.  With his yo-yoing progress, Justin and Eva's discharge from the hospital has shifted, too.  Plus the silver drops they put in Elyssa's eyes have resulted in a reaction and subsequent infection. 

And while everyone wants what's best for the twins, there are two other little people who miss Mommy and Daddy so much - and I know Mommy and Daddy miss them, too.  And though we felt Reese was too small, we thought Dillon might enjoy a visit to the see them.  So while Reese napped, Nana, Aunt Sneaky Pete and me took Dillon out into the garden where he clipped four black-eyed susans: one for Mommy, one for Daddy and one for each of the twins.  Sporting his big brother t-shirt and pin and wearing his ever-present firehat, we trekked down to Northside.  He walked very calmly to the hospital, holding my hand and Nana's, but when he spotted Daddy in the lobby, he took off running and launched himself into Justin's arms like it'd been two months rather than two days since he'd seen him.  Mommy got an equally enthusiastic reaction when she opened the door to the room.  He didn't even care that his helmet was knocked off by her big hug for her big boy. 

He took meeting the twins in stride, declaring them both "cutie patooties" and very carefully holding them in his lap.  He wanted to pet their heads, and his zeal led to several reminders to touch gently.  But he was sweet and kissed them and sang lullabies to them and asked them to please come watch cartoons with him tomorrow morning.  And right about now, Justin and Eva should be departing from the hospital with both twins in tow, and so Big Brother just might get his wish.

Ethan

Dillon meets Ethan

So unbelievably sweet

Mommy gets Ethan to open his eyes

Dillon meets Elyssa

Dillon says, "Hi, Elyssa!"

Dillon plays peek-a-boo with Ethan so he'll smile.

Happiness Times Two

For those of you who are not on The Facebook, and therefore not privy to the onslaught of Twinapalooza pictures yesterday, here are some for your viewing pleasure.  

Sweet Ethan was having a bit of trouble breathing and was whisked off to the transitional nursery shortly after being born, so that's why most of my pictures are of Elyssa.  He moved to NICU in the night, but it looks like he's getting his strength and will be joining his sister later this afternoon.  As the bigger twin who was accused of "stealing the groceries" by one of the doctors, Ethan should be glad to know that his sister is making up for lost time by eating constantly.

Thank you to all of the many friends and family who prayed for us during this time.  We all feel so blessed to have two precious new family members.

Elyssa Anne Harp

Ethan Carter Harp

Mimi with Elyssa and Nana with Ethan

A proud mama with the two little ones she brought into the world.

Parents of two, now parents of four.

Daddy loves double trouble.

Smitten (with Elyssa)

Grandpa with Elyssa

Uncle Greg, Mimi and Pops

Breaking News

5:05 p.m.

Elyssa Anne, 5 lbs., 14 oz., 19.5"

Ethan Carter, 7 lbs., 3 oz.  and 20"

4:49 p.m.
Elyssa Anne Harp and Ethan Carter Harp are here, born about four minutes apart.  Both babies are healthy, Eva is somewhere between a saint and my hero!

4:43 p.m.
The doctor has pulled out a breeched boy!  And everyone is good!

4:41 p.m.
Baby Girl is here safely!!!

4:39 p.m.
Eva just lamented that she has Hobbit feet, but that will all pass.  AND WE HAVE A BABY GIRL HEAD!

4:30 p.m.
Baby Girl will be born first.  She is turned and ready to go.  Baby Boy is breeched, but we're hoping that everything will go well.  We're about to start the pushing...

4:20 p.m.
Eva is 6 cm.  She's having serious contractions, and we are getting ready to roll!

4:15 p.m.
Eva's epidural is going in now. She's had two bags of fluid. Ultrasound is next. And while all this is going on, we're sitting in the waiting room Watching Pawn Stars.

3:45 p.m.
We're here!!! The babies are still hanging out in Eva's belly.

3:20 p.m.
So truth be told, I'd been a lazy sot today and hadn't even showered yet when Justin called. If my makeup looks off in the pictures, it's because it was a highway job. Eva is safely in labor and delivery. Unfortunately, it won't be Eva's regular doctor doing the delivery, but they did meet the doc who will have the honors, and Justin liked him. At this point, Eva would let a trained monkey do the job so she's fine with this seemingly capable physician. They are doing an ultrasound to make sure the babies ate ready for delivery and then will start the epidural. Getting on 85 and Earnharp estimates our arrival at 20 minutes.

3:00 p.m.
We thought we'd have a nice, orderly induced delivery of the twins. But Eva's water broke about thirty minutes ago. And so I'm coming to you live from 316 from the passenger seat of the Harp family party van driven by Brad "Earnhardt" Harp. Eva and Justin have made it to the hospital, and contractions are three minutes apart. So these kids and yours truly are coming at a high rate of speed. Stay tuned...