My babies have been alive longer than they’ve been in the womb! Two little peas in a pod have really made me think of the first 9 months as 9 months of…
…Feeling like I’ve got my act together! Seriously, I know I’m not the only working mother out there, and I can’t take all of the credit, but I’ve got twins, working full time, manage to function socially, get out of the house, do fun things with the kiddos. You can argue that I have daycare watching my kids all day so I’m not that overwhelmed but really I pride myself that I wake up at 5:07am and I’m able to get myself ready, two kids fed and ready, 2 dogs fed and ready, and 1 husband ready (not fed) and out the door by 6:45. And then we get home at 5:30 and I’m able to play with, feed twice, bathe, and cuddle with 2 kids by their 7:30 bedtime.
…Feeling like I don’t have my act together! With how routine my kids are (I see their mental checklists of activities we go through), my house is a mess, my hair is in a pony tail, and we’re eating pizza or frozen perogies 3 nights a week. I left my other job because I felt like I couldn’t keep up and what a terrible feeling to feel like you’ve dropped from the top to the bottom. Almost as quickly as I’ve given myself a pat on the back, I have to sit down and re-prioritize because I’m behind again.
…Learning that Disney is in my blood! We didn’t go to Disney for two weekends in a row and I’m having Disney withdrawals! What is it about that place that has reeled me in?? The overpriced popcorn and sodas? The massive amount of whining kids? The crowds that pack you in like sardines? I have no idea but I can’t get enough of that place. We’re not even going for the kids yet…we’re still going for Mom. It’s a great way to get out of the house and get the kids in fresh air and seeing new things but I’m sure I could find a free county park nearby that could do the same thing.
…Seeing raw emotion in the face of a child. When my kids are happy they are the happiest and cutest things on the planet. Emmett’s face lights up, his big blue eyes get even bigger and bluer, and he giggles with glee! There’s no stopping a happy Emmett, he can conquer the world! Olivia’s dimples get so deep when she smiles big and her flat lipped smile reminds me much of the Simonz smile. Her giggle just melts your heart and it is so innocent. But when my kids are grumpy they are inconsolable with big alligator tears dripping down their faces as if the worst imaginable thing just happened to them. Olivia gets beet red and clenches every last muscle when she is upset and Brother has the poutiest sad face. And if you scream or yell out of frustration you then get to experience the two of them having straight FEAR on their faces! Wide eyes, silent, and still!
…Watching their personalities develop. Although they are twins, they are the most opposite that you could imagine. Olivia is perfectly content playing by herself, sitting up, watching the world happen around her – just taking it all in and analyzing. Emmett needs to be the center of attention, getting into trouble. Now that he’s able to crawl he’s into everything! Emmett will eat anything you put in front of him and is chewing like a champ – Olivia is still fighting the vegetables and avoids textured food. I hate to compare the two against each other and who is doing what but it’s impossible not to. Olivia really enjoys quality time being held when she is plaid with or making eye contact in some way. Emmett just wants you to be rough with him and give him a challenge. I’m so glad they are so different!
…Going through clothes. Before they can even wear the outfit a second time they’ve already outgrown the darn thing. I have 4 bins full of outgrown baby clothes and they are only 9 months?!? I probably went a little nuts purchasing cute outfits on clearance but I cannot believe how many barely worn outfits they have. I just see dollar signs when I think of how great they will be to consign! And then I get to go buy clothes again for their bigger size. Luckily we didn’t get too many matchy-matchy twins things because Emmett would outgrow it well before Olivia can even begin to wear!
…Knowing how cool it is to have twins. They get so excited to see each other and play with each other. Every morning when they wake up they are so excited to see each other, as if the 10 hours sleeping was 10 years of being apart! They play in the bathtub together, they play with toys together, they wrestle, they talk to each other in the car, they giggle at each other when they are eating. It is so much fun to watch them and listen to them interact with each other. Twins are hard but it is really cool to see the bond that they already have. I hope brother and sister always love each other and that brother always takes care of her like he does now.
…Debating if I would want to do this all over again, or if 2 is just the right amount of kids. I think it would be fun to do this journey again and have the possibility of twins again. And then shortly after that thought I think that God gave me 2 hands for a reason, for only 2 babies!
The babies are getting to be so much fun. It is so rewarding to wake up and see their smiling faces, have them recognize their mommy, and crawl and reach up to me. Every night is a challenge because they are so tired from such a wonderful and fun day at daycare (or Disney) but I forget all about that when I see two precious little babies sleeping soundly in their cribs, and their happy morning faces when mommy is the first thing they see when they get up, and their twin is the second thing they see. How wonderful it is to be a Burchell baby and a Burchell mommy!
