My Dad

Even though we live many miles and states from my family, it has been wonderful to share our adventures with them through this blog and phone calls. From that first call on New Year’s Eve after we discovered we were pregnant, through thinking we might have miscarried, then finding out we were having twins, and all the varied experiences and symptoms, it has meant a great deal to me to be able to call my parents with questions and news, and they have shared in our joys and concerns. Often when some new aspect of pregnancy emerged – like my temporary super-sense of smell or the babies kicking – one of the first things I’ve wanted to do is call my parents to tell them about it.

As you know from Puck’s recent blog post, when we discovered that we would have to look for a new place and move while I was already hugely pregnant, my dad immediately offered to come out to help us look for a place and then help us move. While we did the home-hunting on our own, we gratefully accepted his offer to help us move. Dad headed our way a week before the big moving day, and he drove half-way across the country with his minivan loaded with baby supplies from my sisters and brother – including twin strollers that Dad and Mom cleaned up and repaired and a new energy efficient washing machine.

It was amazing to have my dad arrive and for him to see the growing belly in person. Plus, Shakti was so excited that she barely let me hug him for 20 minutes, and then she quickly fell into her old habits of following him wherever he would go. We took his minivan full of stuff over to the new house to unload that night. Dad also loves bing cherries, so it was fortunate that the cherries on the cherry trees at our new place were quickly becoming ripe and already tasted yummy.

Having my dad out here to help was a real life-saver. Puck has already mentioned a long list of the incredible number of things Dad got done during his two weeks with us, but there were also so many little things that meant a lot too – like making sure our flashlights had batteries, equiping me with the knowledge and WD-40 needed to fix my office’s lock on campus so I wouldn’t have to fight with it every day, figuring out a way to keep the various gates open in our new yard so Shakti could easily move from the back to the front fenced areas, helping the Internet guy set up our hardline right where we wanted it, working with Puck to set up the garage door openers built into our cars, etc.

Puck and Dad were also very vigilant to keep me from lifting boxes (occasionally I would forget). At the time, I was struggling to get my carpal tunnel under control, and my feet and ankles had started to swell (all three are much more under control now). Having Dad here to help us made it easier for me to not push myself to overdo it, and it made it possible for Puck to not take time off work to move – time that he’ll be able to use to spend with our boys when they get here.

Some of my favorite memories of having my dad out here though aren’t directly related to the move:

• getting to sit on our new back porch in the cool evenings and chat,
• picking cherries together,
• taking Dad to try new foods like Indian and Mongolian barbeque (which he really liked),
• listening to the wonderful stories of my dad’s youth (some that I always enjoy hearing and some new ones),
• having him with us during one of the ultrasounds so he could see Dominic and Alexander in action,
• him getting to feel the boys push and kick and see how they stretch my belly into odd shapes in the evening,
• joking about just how huge my belly was going to get,
• him meeting so many of our friends out here, and
• having him come to one of our baby showers.

Thank you, Dad, for giving so generously of your time, your work and your knowledge. Even now I get emotional thinking of how much it meant to have you out to visit and help. My new home is full of places and things that remind me of you and make me smile, and it was wonderful to be able to share part of the pregnancy with you in person. I can’t wait until you are able to come back and meet and hold your newest grandsons.

Much, much love to you on Father’s Day and every day.