eviction notice

Well we didn't get the usual boring... things are awesome... news at the OB's office this morning.  Things are not terrible but they are less than ideal.  The babies seem to have been put on a clock... and it's ticking faster than I would like.

Tomorrow I will hear back to see if I am developing pre-eclampsia... I had a few of the markers but none of the serious signs so I had bloodwork done to help confirm or rule out.  If it is actually confirmed (which I am doubting and the OB is doubting) then we will likely be pressured to induce.  On the other side of things my next ultrasound appointment is Tuesday and if it shows slow growth for the babies they will likely be given eviction notices.

They are happy in there... can't we just let them be?

So we are now on a mission to gently nudge them down and out before they are served with a real eviction notice ... any suggestions?

I could give all to Time by EmeliaJane via etsy

he had a dream

Last night Andrew had a dream that the babies arrived, were adorable and that the birth was a piece of cake.

He wants them to make a break for it already.  I do too.  Not in that it's time for you girls to be evicted sort of way, but in the we are so ready to meet you kind of way.

We are 36 weeks today!  How did this happen?  It seems like just yesterday that I was stressing out while reading Mothering Multiples and all of the chapters on how to breastfeed babies in the NICU.  They are 36 weeks... full term twins.

I haven't taken an updated belly shot this week but I don't know that much has changed.  There was a point a few weeks back that I just stopped trying to see the difference and accepted that I am rather huge in the belly area.  Yes people get all wide eyed when they see me out and walking around.  I think most fear that I might spontaneously have the babies right there... in front of them.  Right now it feels so surreal.  Like we know it's coming soon but it won't really feel real until we can see them out here, outside of my tummy.  In my head I keep thinking that they are going to come out looking like two different babies... but really they will come out looking the same, they weigh practically the same amount... I mean is an ounce going to make a visible difference?

Andrew packed his bag last night so both bags are fully packed and zipped up.  There is no turning back and we are at the point where I feel that we are overly ready so that they must be coming any day now.

I am ready for his dream to come true... anytime now little ladies!

by simplyhue via etsy

missing this place

Do you have somewhere you normally go each summer?  For the last two years Andrew and I have headed off to Acadia National Park in Maine.  We cram as much as we can into our Mazda 3 Sport and camp, hike and bike for the week.  The first time we drove into Bar Harbor I knew this town had me for life.  The smell of the ocean, the views from the hikes and my love for sleeping in a tent surrounded by tall trees are what does it for me.

This year we won't be going.  We will be having babies.  But next year... we will be back.

Boats Parked at Bar Harbor by ccotophotocraft via etsy

Do you have a place like this?  Where is it?

how i relaxed about this upcoming birth... we hired a doula

I have some pretty strong opinions on this whole birth thing.  Opinions that I may just throw out the window during the actual event... but maybe... and hopefully not.  I have an idea in my head of how I want this to play out.

If I could have it my way I would follow through on my empty threat to sharpie "DO NOT CUT ME" across my stomach on the day of.  Could you imagine the reaction of the hospital staff!  I think that might just be a first.

If I could have it my way I would be allowed to push in a labour and delivery room, rather than an OR surrounded by oh let's say 20 people and bright lights... like a scene from Grey's Anatomy.

If I could have it my way I would be 100% confident that I can have these babies without an epidural and without the help of any narcotics, pitocin... you get my drift.

Unfortunately this experience will be more about hoping to have it a certain way, but being realistic about what is safe and reasonable.

Enter our doula.  In case the whole doula concept is foreign to you.... a doula is a birth companion, someone there to support you, the mother-to-be, while in labour and delivery.  A doula is not a medical expert, but rather someone who is experienced in attending births.

For months we debated whether a doula was a good idea given that we are having twins and that a c-section was a high possibility (although a completely loathed possibility by me).  Then I found a doula that I was not only very comfortable with, but was also realistic about twin births.  I think the most important part of finding a doula is finding someone that you are truly comfortable with and who "gets you" and gets what you want out of this experience.  About a week ago Andrew and I sat down with our doula (and her backup) and spent 2 wonderful hours watching our stress melt away.  For me, I really think it was about gaining a better understanding of how things generally go down, how to know when it really is "go-time" and knowing that my hopes aren't unrealistic.

The nitty gritty...

Some clues to know that it is actually "go-time" and not just "massive amounts of braxton hicks time"... my body will likely decide to clean house (yes that means lots of trips to the washroom), I might also feel like puking, the real contractions will hurt, no more of this easy but uncomfortable hard tummy braxton hicks contractions, I will likely get super indecisive (more so then now... not sure how that's possible).  I might want to eat something but if I do... I need to remember that I will likely be seeing it again in the not so distant future so something like a banana would be good.

Our doula will meet us at the hospital.  When you are having one baby and your pregnancy is low risk you would likely want to hang around at home for as long as possible (well I know I would) and in this case your doula would likely come to your house first.  This is not the case in our situation for several reasons.  One being that we're having identical twins (who share a gestational sac), another being that I was dilated at 26 weeks so when it is "go-time" it likely won't take long to keep on dilating, and another being that quick births run in my family (who knows if that's even possible but we're not taking any chances).

At the hospital they will asses me and make sure I am in fact in labour.  I will then insist on one of the birthing suites with a tub so we can do this as naturally as possible.  They will want to hook me up and continuously monitor the twins.  I will work with (and not be a birth-zilla) the nurses and negotiate that they can monitor me for a solid 10 minutes every hour (assuming Isla & Alice are in fine form).

How exactly do these whole contraction things work... well it really helped me when our doula said to think of them as ocean waves, and to think that I am standing in front of them.  Well last I checked I was no super hero and can in no way stop these waves from coming.  I have two choices, fight them off, every last one of them and exhaust myself, cause myself more pain or try to work with these waves.  There is no magic recipe for how to work with the waves and what works for one person won't be the same for another.  Andrew and my doula are there to help create the best environment for me to be able to work through these waves.  She rhymed off several different methods that woman she has seen have used including meditating within themselves, using yoga like breathing, to actually repeating the word "no" over and over again.

Apparently the first 4 cms are often the worst ... I will try to remember that.

Apparently lots of women do not like to be touched, do not want to be talked to during a contraction.

Apparently I might shake... shake violently... where was this information in our prenatal class... I can only imagine the look of horror on Andrew's face if we hadn't been warned.

Apparently hospital staff (sorry for the generalization) can be quite loud... will barge in and attempt to break the solitude of the room (I assume, unintentionally).  Andrew can help here... act as my protector so to speak.  Quietly request that they let me ride through the latest contraction and then approach me.

Yes there is a burning ring of fire... but it comes and goes so quickly and if I'm not all drugged up I will have a nice flow of endorphins ... which will help.. a little.

An arm up inside isn't as bad as one might imagine... okay yes this is a horrifying image but if the second baby needs a bit of assistance coming down I will live through it.

It isn't like all of this information made me feel all warm and fuzzy.  What it did do was make me aware of how this could all go down.  The unknown was no longer unknown.

Yes Yes I know that things can change and that going in with a plan is dangerous but I feel good about going in with as much knowledge as possible, having a hope about how things will play out.

In the end, something that I will always remember is when she asked us why we made these babies, the answer being that we didn't create them so that I could have the perfect birth scenario, we created them so that they would be our family.  This I will have to remember if things do go south, and if I end up wishing I had really used the sharpie on my tummy.

Breathe by ewarner photo via etsy

alice & isla's dresser transformed

A couple of years ago we lucked into a free antique dresser from a friend of my Mother-in-law's.  We always knew that we wanted to eventually paint it and use it in a nursery.  We just weren't exactly pregnant at the time.  So it sat in the garage for a while, then it sat in one of the former guest room's (now nursery).  Every so often I would look at it and hope that eventually we would get to paint it... we just needed to see that positive test first.  So it took about a year longer than we hoped but I was finally able to look at that dresser with some real potential.

Originally we were thinking we would paint it white and then distress it and clear coat it.  Then we bought white cribs and a white leather recliner.  There is a lot of white going on in there.  So off to Uproar Paint and Paper I went.  They are our only local source for Farrow & Ball paint and they have never steered us wrong in the colour department.  We chose one of their new colours from 2011... Cabbage White.  It essentially is white with blue in it.

You may have seen the before... or maybe not... just in case you missed it, here is what we were working with...

and now for the transformation...

We are so happy with the final product!  The colour is great in the room and works very well with Farrow & Ball's Teresa's Green (the wall colour).  Normally I would have contributed more to this type of project (I love to paint)... but this belly just didn't make that feasible so Andrew takes the credit (well most of) for this transformation.

He started out by sanding it down with an electric sander.  He then applied several coats of Kilz Original Spray Primer... not the most environmentally friendly product but we were dealing with several stains including a big area where wax was seeping through.  After priming he hand sanded it to a smooth finish.  He then applied two coats of Cabbage White in the Estate Eggshell finish (which is amazing on woodwork) with a brush (although you can see no brushstrokes since it dries so flat).  He sanded in between coats.  We (this is the part I helped slightly with) then used 320 grit sandpaper to distress parts of the dresser.  To finish he applied one coat of SafeCoat Acrylac which is a non toxic hard clear coat that doesn't yellow.

We love it.  This nursery is finally coming together!

35 weeks pregnant

Yesterday I was officially 35 weeks pregnant!  About 10 weeks ago I thought that getting to 35 weeks was a dream but here we are... still pregnant... which is great.  We feel pretty ready for the big arrival.  My bags are packed, the car seats have been installed, we've met with our doula and we're finalizing some nursery details.

Since we're at 35 weeks I have abandoned the whole reduced activity thing and have been walking as much as I can.  Walking has taken place in the middle of the night (heart burn turned into belly burn which only subsides with a 3 am walk), really early in the morning and pretty much throughout the day.  My feet keep swelling and lately my leg muscles feel like they are outgrowing my skin... unpleasant... yes... worth it... yes.

I have no idea how much weight I've gained to date.  I basically have stopped looking at the scale while the nurse weighs me.  She always seems pleased and I wonder whether she says good job because I've gained a lot or good job because I've gained a reasonable amount.  I am afraid to ask.

I pretty much get braxton hicks contractions whenever I make a major position change... like standing up, turning over... you get the picture.  These aren't painful and the more practice I get the better... it's also quite funny to see my belly turn into a hard basketball.

Everyone from our multiples pre-natal course delivered their twins during their 35th week... so maybe this will be the week.  I am excited but I do have those panicky moments where I realize that it will only be Andrew and I for awhile longer.  I also daydream about going to my first post birth body attack class (which I know won't be for a few weeks / couple of months post birth) but I really just can't wait to get this body moving again no matter how sleep deprived I might be in the months (or years) to come.

I can't tell if my belly has grown since last week.  Alice & Isla are definitely running out of real estate and I am thinking they will make a break for it soon!

windows... nursery style take two... pregnant and indecisive

A couple of months ago I blogged about a few different window ideas for the nursery.  Well at that time I thought we'd arrived at a decision.  We were going to order these panels from Pottery Barn... only they were backordered until July.  Well it's July and they are still backordered and I am having second thoughts.  Last night we did some nursery room rearranging and now that I am seeing a closer picture to what the final product will be, I am thinking that white panels, even with the adorable circle cut outs... will be too white.

I don't want to introduce another strong colour since the walls are not white and we have a ton of colourful artwork to hang but I was thinking that some sort of pattern or stripe might do the trick.

Here is the too white window now...

We just installed the blackout roller yesterday.  Boring yes... but if it keeps the light out then that is all that matters.

Here are some options that I am liking...

Grey Chevron by CastleCreekDesigns via etsy.... I am really liking this but a bit worried if 1. we will grow tired of the chevron and 2. it won't work with the polk-a-dot bed skirts.

Horizontal Striped Panels by MarthaAndAsh via etsy... why is it next to impossible to find horizontal striped panels??  These are just too pricey at $150 PER PANEL but I really do like the concept.

Suite Ribbon Drape Panel by Pottery Barn Teen... you can pick the colour of the ribbon... I am liking the grey but still worried that these wouldn't add enough punch to the room.

Custom Panels by MaisonBoutique via etsy... Funny enough I have a sample of this fabric that I got from a local store... unfortunately the store had no more of this fabric and could no longer source it.  Well apparently this etsy boutique still has some.  The challenge here... Andrew isn't loving this...

What do you think?  Do any of these work or do you have a better idea?  I have hit the wall in terms of thinking and would really 

what I packed for the hospital

My bag is packed... finally.  I know I will likely not use some of this but I have never stayed at a hospital before (well except that time when I was 5 and slit my throat open on a glass table... can we say accident prone!).  So this is the first planned hospital stay and I imagine it will be a far cry from our usual get-a-ways.  I may have hinted in the past that I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe... well hospitals are a germ mecca in my opinion so rather than bring things that I actually care about I bought several "disposable" things that I will just throw away at the hospital.

The goods...

This is the entire bag contents (well I'll be honest... it takes up more room than one bag so we will be sharing with Andrew... he is STAYING at the HOSPITAL... if anyone thinks he is coming home and leaving me alone with two babies they are OH SO WRONG)..

Isla and Alice need things.  I was originally thinking of just bringing a going home outfit for each of them, a few cloth diapers and a nail file but after reading E Tells Tale's Post on what she actually needed for her newborn son at the hospital I upped their packing list!

We're bringing 4 hats... every picture I see lately has these newborn babies all wrapped up in hats (personally a hat in a hot hospital in July sounds awful to me but maybe I just don't get it and they will actually want their heads in hats)
Mittens so that they don't scratch themselves... apparently their nails might not actually be long enough to file this early
2 onesies... in case they are actually hot like I think they will be and do not wish to be in the full sleeper
socks... in case their toes are cold
4 sleepers... so that they don't have to always be wrapped in hospital issued blankets
2 receiving blankets... to swaddle
1 package of preemie disposable diapers (okay so apparently what comes out of them at first is so unpleasant that I have been warned not to use our cloth diapers for the first week)... preemie you wonder?  I doubt doubt doubt that these girls will be over 6 pounds but go ahead and prove me wrong babies!
1 tube of zoya nail polish in LC.  We have to be able to tell them apart some how... so one baby will receive a pedicure and will keep receiving pedicures until we can safely tell her apart from her sister.
1 baby grooming kit... in case they come out with heads full of curly hair that needs to be tamed immediately

Now for me..

1 big fluffy non-hospital issue towel so that I can feel like a human again
2 hideous night gowns that I purchased at walmart that will never leave the hospital... but they are soft, button way down the front and are mine so I figure they will feel better than hospital gowns post delivery
1 ridiculously soft robe... this would be my luxury item
1 pair ugly blue slippers that will never leave the hospital but are surprisingly comfy
1 pair shower flip flops because there is no way that my bare feet are touching that floor... ever
bravado nursing bras that have no underwire and are amazingly comfortable
a pair of jeans (maternity... I am not THAT naive) and a t-shirt to wear when we are leaving the hospital
1 bamboo belly bandit in size small... I am worried that i won't be able to squeeze this on the day after I deliver so I have a contingency plan... a list of local stores that carry this band and a willing grandmother-to-be (my mom) who will jet out and purchase the medium if I require it because I am not willing to give my uterus & skin any additional time to sag around
facial wipes... so when I am all sweaty and gross during labour I have something to cool myself off with
nivea soft cream... because it smells so good
contact lens solution... not because I wear contacts... but for Andrew
cariwell silk nursing pads... who knows if I will need these so early on but I would rather have them just in case
New Mamma Bottom Spray... apparently this stuff sells out everywhere and is a must have post vaginal delivery
NatraCare postpartum pads... enormous yes... full of nasty chemicals no way!
Substance nipple cream... organic and you don't have to wash it off before you nurse
Nipple shields... in case our babies need a little help in the latching department (hopefully not)

Have I forgotten anything?  I hope not!

have you seen my ankles?

I seem to have entered dangerous territory... cankle territory.

I was doing so well cankle free.  I had hot feet yes... but delighted in my minor swelling and visible bones... no such luck anymore.  Ankle bones... what are those?

At this point we are thinking any day could be "go-time".  I've been putting off actually packing my hospital bag for a long time now thinking that if I actually pack I will be too ready if that makes any sense.  I am excited for them to arrive but perhaps not quite ready to go into labour.  Tomorrow will be packing day .. I promise.

On Friday night we spent 2 hours meeting with our doula(s)... we have a primary but a backup since our doula will be out of town on our actual due date (if we actually make it to August 3rd).  Those 2 hours were amazing.  We learned so much and I left feeling like a weight had been lifted off of me and that I really could have the birth experience that I crave (yes, yes, I know that things can happen but I now have a realistic picture of what it could look like if things do go in our favour).  I will share more about what we learned in a post this week.  The rest of the weekend was spent at restaurants, with friends and in a pool.  It was bliss.

Happy Monday!

why last night made me so glad we hired a doula

This is how our night went last night...

We ate chicken, tomatoe and lettuce sandwiches and then watched i am number 4 (don't rush out to see that one anytime soon...)

I complained, and complained some more about the constant burning across my chest and the pain all over my stomach.

My stomach got hard, then it got soft, then it got hard, then it got soft... you get the drift..

It's 2 am and I still haven't fallen asleep... not even for a minute.  At this point I really don't know if I am having contractions.  I feel like puking and have been to the washroom at least 10 times.  I wake up Andrew and I am a weepy, pathetic mess.

We decide that we should call triage.  We try to locate the triage number and fail.  We contemplate driving to triage but I really didn't want to do that.

We go for a walk.

I decide to try sleeping in a chair, Heidi decides to join me.  That doesn't really work out.

Some unknown ridiculous hour I try the whole bed thing again and it works.

I wake up to Andrew dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and he is working from home.  We both look like zombies.

I am used to the sleep deprivation.  That I can handle.  What I can't handle is the ... is this go time or is this just a shitty time situation.

This morning I realize that as bad as last night was I feel so great about hiring that doula.  I mean clearly neither of us knows what we are doing.  In the moment I just want him to make me feel better but how is he supposed to know how to do that when I have zero clue about what exactly will make me feel better.  Our doula has done this before.  She has several children of her own and has been to countless births.

Big sigh... last night wasn't so bad after-all.

Sunset Cloud over the Atlantic Ocean by 4blankwalls via etsy

34 weeks pregnant and a dinner date

Today I am 34 weeks pregnant!!!  Cue the balloons!  Who knew 8 weeks ago that we would make it to 34 weeks (and likely way beyond)!

I had an OB appointment yesterday and to quote the OB... "your twins are doing awesome".

So we're pretty thrilled.  I mean the resident decided to come back into the room with the OB because he was so struck with how well things were going for both me and the babies.

Apparently he sees no reason for us not to make it to 36 weeks but told us that after today we really don't have to worry anymore.  We are in the clear.

Way to go babies!!!

poor Heidi... always wondering why I am holding my tummy and taking pictures... she'll find out soon!

Last night we pretended we were normal people and went on a date... for our anniversary... and by normal I mean not the people who talk about babies 24/7, time contractions, and hardly leave the house due to the never-ending to-do-list and the ever increasing size of my belly.

It was fabulous.

This would be dessert and lattes... decaf for me... delicious

Yeah so we tried to get a photo of me in the restaurant but I just can't handle the borderline double chin that I seem to be sporting... thank you swelling... 

3 years ago

Three years ago yesterday... we got married... and it was perfect.

I often think about how lucky we are and how strange but wonderful it is to feel like we were always meant to be together.

If you would have told me three years ago that I would be sitting here, 34 weeks pregnant with twins, I would probably never have believed you.  If you then told me what we would have to go through to get here, I wouldn't have wanted to believe you.  But here we are, on the edge, with our life about to change forever, for the better.

I would never have wanted to share these last three years with anyone else.

pretty rooms... lonny style

I am silently thrilled whenever I see the link to the new issue of Lonny Magazine in my inbox.  I don't comb the pages but I definitely have a quick look through and I always find rooms to fall in love with.  Today's new issue did not disappoint and I was very excited to see one particular room... that features Farrow & Ball's Cabbage White.  We (well Andrew) are in the process of painting the dresser for the nursery this colour and since it is new to Farrow & Ball there was definitely a lack of online inspiration when we made our choice.

I should also mention that perusing this magazine was a welcome distraction from my complete lack of sleep last night (I was up at 2:30 am... yuck) and unwelcome contractions that seem to be becoming ever more popular (dear babies... please stay in there a couple more weeks)!!

I love these stripes!!!! When I saw this room I started thinking that maybe we need to integrate some big stripes into the nursery.... via

I love this bedding.  It seems similar to Jenna Lyon's bedding that was featured in Domino Mag back in the day... via

And here we have Cabbage White!  I can't wait to see this on the dresser!  I am also loving that mirror and console table... via

Happy Monday!

happy weekend

It's another gorgeous day here and I was up nice and early as is the trend these days for me.  After spending 10 minutes with my feet and hands in a sink full of ice water (to get rid of the swelling), I am feeling more human again and spending some time clicking through etsy and ohdeedoh.  I can hear a baby crying somewhere close by and can't help but think how those sounds will soon be in this house (hopefully not too much crying).

I am loving this twin girl bedroom, I will definitely be keeping this room in mind for the future.

Andrew will be working away at this dresser this weekend.  I can't wait to see the finished product!

I will be trying to figure out where we should go for dinner this Tuesday for our 3 year anniversary.

I am loving all of these etsy photographs...

High Noon by JKLDesign via etsy

Spring Swing by SSCPhotography via etsy

Raquet-Tailed Rollar Bird by LDphotography via etsy

Photo Butterfly Purple Flower Macro by TheShutterBugEye via etsy

Have a wonderful weekend!

thinking ahead... to my closet (and a babies update)

Okay so I was originally going to share some of my maternity must haves but polyvore + blogger just weren't coexisting nicely for me this morning so I will save that for another day.  Moving on.

I have been having tons and tons of crazy dreams lately... dreams that have involved crazy things such as me... giving birth to not two but three babies (then freaking because we only have a double stroller, our new car will only take two infant car seats and I only have two boobs), me giving birth to two babies and it being rather easy (I am hoping this one comes true) and then me actually fitting into the size small belly bandit that I purchased one day post delivery (I am convinced that I will actually need my Mom to run out and get me the medium).  This last dream is messing with me and making me think that there is a possibility that I will shrink down quickly... which in turn has gotten me thinking about what I will wear when that happens.

So I've let myself click away from the maternity and baby sites and onto the long forgotten sites that hold so many possibilities for a future no-longer-preggo me.

Cissus Button-Up, Gingham via Anthropologie ... okay so just the blouse with a nice pair of jeans... I'm not so crazy to think that I will be sporting something so dressy anytime soon.

Citizens of Humanity Ava Jean via Anthropologie... I have to mention that I had a pair of these jeans about 3 years ago, I wore them right through the bum and have been searching ever since for their replacement!

Stripe Blouson Dress via JCrew.. love this striped dress

Vintage Tee via JCrew... I am very much a jeans and a tee-shirt type of girl and I love a good soft v-neck

Jericho Tote via JCrew ... okay not exactly clothes but this would go with everything...

Now, if only mat leave pay were equivalent to my regular pay... and then I could snap all of this up!

On the baby news front we went for our ultrasound today and I am so happy to say that they are BOTH still head down!!!  One baby is so head down that her head is resting... or pushing right on my cervix.  At this point, I am not going to let this stress me out.  She is just making it easier for her grand entrance!  They are measuring at 4 pounds 1 ounce and 4 pounds 7 ounces which apparently is very good.

I hope your day was as wonderful as ours!

upside down

Dear twins in my belly... tomorrow we will get to see you once again... you know... that machine that pokes at you and then you kick back at it... yes I know it's probably not your favourite activity but hang in there, hopefully only a few more ultrasounds to go.  During the last couple of ultrasounds you have made me so happy by remaining upside down (head down).  You see, I would really prefer to bring you into this world the old fashioned way.  I have been very confident in you remaining head down the past few weeks up until yesterday and today, when I find myself feeling you hiccup quite high up.  Now the rational part of me knows that I haven't felt any big turn and I am pretty convinced that if you had turned I would have felt it, given your tight living quarters.  I would really appreciate it if you could work with me on this and stay upside down for just a few more weeks!

xoxo mommy

Wading Flamingoes by ishuttertoforget via etsy

underwater preggo

This weekend I was a lucky, lucky lady.  Being in a pool while very pregnant with twins is completely amazing.

I spent part of Saturday and all of Sunday in pools.  Both outings were completely unplanned... and so so appreciated! That was several hours of pure bliss where I no longer felt the extra weight and where my formerly swollen hands, feet and calves were suddenly nice and boney once again.

Oh and I discovered that these girls also love the sun... I figured this out while lying in a lounger, shade on half of my belly, babies crowding suddenly towards the sunny side of my belly.  Babies... Mommy loves the sun too and I love that you love the sun.  Made for an interesting exposed belly!

Bikini + preggo belly.... yes this bikini is terribly old but it keeps the goods under wraps so I don't care.

Happy 4th of July to all of you Americans!