Halloween I

While I was on bedrest in the hospital, Captain America came out on blu-ray, and Bryan bought it and we had a mini movie night.  I had a wheelchair ride down to the 'concessions' to buy snacks and drinks and then I got special permission to lay on the bed/couch where Bryan lived when he wasn't working.  Once the babies were born and we met tiny 3 pound Laith, we looked at each other and knew right away he was our Captain America.  Laith was under much scrutiny while in the NICU due to his low birth weight.  Vivienne was basically given a free pass on everything, but Laith had to meet many special benchmarks.  Each day there would be something the doctors were concerned about, and we'd cheer our Captain America on, telling him he would be able to do anything he set his heart on.  Every obstacle he overcame, most on his own.  He jumped every hurdle asked of him and more.  This past week for his six month well baby, Captain America weighed in at a whopping 20 lbs 0.8 oz.  We had long wanted him to become the real Captain America.  He achieved it and pulled off his Halloween costume with style.  Unfortunately, he was grumpy, as he fell asleep about thirty minutes before costume time and I was silly enough to wake him to get ready for trick-or-treating, but if you squint your eyes just right, you can imagine he's gritting his teeth (yes, he does have 2!) and getting ready to avenge good.

 

Vivienne has stolen our hearts since we started feeling her flutter around and roll like mad when Bryan would say "Hi babies!"  She was born with an air of elegance, her little hand up by her head, with pursed lips and her chin raised slightly.  She'd pose for pictures we took while she was in the NICU, bringing her little fist to her chin and almost sighing as though it was a hard day's work in a model's life.  She's brought a quiet joy to our family and is always ready with a willing smile and happy attitude.  We braved the mall crowds back around my birthday and just had to walk through the Disney store.  When we got to the back of the store to turn around, the Minnie Mouse costume caught our eyes and we knew it was meant to be.  Vivienne loves to "watch" Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  More like she loves the huge faces of Mickey and Minnie smiling at her and she lovingly smiles and coos right back at them.  She made an adorable Minnie.  Laith's first take of her was disbelief.  He stared and stared, wondering where his sister had gone.

 

I decided we should skype trick-or-treat with Grammie & Poppa and Grandma & Grandpa.  We then headed over to Bryan's store, and did some reverse trick-or-treating, passing out candy to the night crew and showing off the twins' costumes.  They were obviously the center of attention and brought many oohs and aaahhs.  Vivienne smiled like mad and Laith actually turned his frown upside-down and started to grin too.  We took our Great Pumpkin to every corner of the store, wishing Happy Halloween to all.  Our last stop was our next-door neighbors.  Robin was out helping with Halloween festivities, but Dan was home passing candy.  The twins scored big at their house, each getting a fun new toy.  (It reminded me of Big Daddy and when Adam Sandler goes trick-or-treating with Julien and forces the Halloween Grinch to hand out treats such as CDs, a stapler, cereal...just different in that Dan was the 'Grinch' whose heart had grown three times that day).  Halloween was a far cry from our traditional celebrations.  We sadly didn't carve a pumpkin, watch a semi-scary movie (I know, I'm a wimp, but for very good reason!) or go out to a special dinner.  But I wouldn't trade the old traditions for these new ones.  Halloween will never be a lonely holiday.  Instead, it will be filled with last minute shopping for costumes, gigantic candy bowls with candy that lasts forever, pillowcases hidden in bedrooms with that secret stash of sugar, and the joint decked out to the nines.  Halloween the First was a peek into many happy memories to come.