So There Ought to Be

It has been a week of firsts with my family.  Some were better than others, some were simply fantastic.  With our twins, especially Wyatt, we have learned to see even the smallest milestones for what they are:  wondrous little victories.

We started out last Friday with our first big road trip with the babies.  As I have mentioned numerous times before, going anywhere with these babies is quite an undertaking.  With one baby, you have to pack up his or her room... with two babies, you have to pack up most of the house.  We tested the limits of our cargo space last weekend and I have to admit a begrudging acceptance of the Whaaambulance.  Two babies, three days.  Aside from our suitcase and Quinn's bag, bike and bag of toys we had the following:  two baby swings, two bouncy chairs, two Bumbos, diapers for two (half a bag), wipes, two bags of blankets (one with receiving blanket/burp cloths/towels and one with heavy quilts),  a bag of baby toys, bottles, pump, nursing pillow, formula powder, sterilizer and a rolling carry-on full of baby clothes. I had a cooler full of bottles and a frozen stash of EBM.  I took my own bottle brush, drain tray and dish soap for the bottles.  I took my own laundry detergent in case I had to wash baby clothes.  It was nuts! Luckily they had a play pen there so that saved us another bulky item.  The only things that didn't get used were the Bumbos, the dish soap (they didn't use antibacterial) and the laundry detergent (I washed everything when we got home).  Everything else was used at least once. 

Aside from the supply truck that you need with the twin road trip, there is also the set up and the implementation.  By now we have a pretty set routine around here;  where we keep the supplies, where we change and feed, where we do everything.  I have diaper stations and supplies on every floor of the house and set places that I keep things... now I had to figure that out somewhere else.  I tried to keep from descending on the in-laws like a swarm of locusts but some things could not be helped.  It is busy with twins;  there is always something that you have to be doing. Unlike at my house where I can and do leave dirty bottles in water in the sink for hours on end (to save time... I do the wash up once or twice a day), you can't do this elsewhere.  I was constantly washing and cleaning up something.  Plus I eat like a horse and drink copious amounts even when it is not hot... My five year old was running around wild as it was someplace new and hubby and I were snapping at each other as we couldn't find things.  The temperature soared, the babies didn't sleep very well and Zoe screamed a lot.  I'm sure we were the guests from hell.  Despite all of that, we did have a good time.

We also went to a family reunion where we had a great time.  I was so busy catching up and visiting that I didn't even think of getting out the camera until it was too late.  There was a group shot taken of everyone there so I look forward to seeing that.  It was very hot, but we visited with lots of good people and had a lot of good food.  Baby wrangling is a lot easier when others want to hold them.  :)

High maintanence?  Us?

We also received some handouts from Infant and Child Development to help Wyatt strengthen his muscles and develop.  They aren't as much exercises as positions to place him in to play.  Most are ways that we hold him to begin with, so that was a bit validating.  Each has a list of things to encourage, a list of what this particular position helps to do and play ideas for when you are doing each one. We've started consciously adding them into our day as much as possible.

Sizing up the O-pponent (before exercising with the O-Ball)

Our other firsts this week belong to Wyatt who can now roll over AND giggle.  I missed the very first roll as I found him on his tummy, but eventually I saw him do it.  Zoe is an old pro and lands in perfect position with her head up (not bad for two weeks practice),

Rolling Zoe

but Wyatt is still trying to steady his noggin. One day...

Keep on Rollin' Wyatt!

The first giggle totally caught me by surprise last night.  Sean was bathing Zoe and I was playing with Wyatt in the crib.  Since he is so flexible and we are encouraging him to grab his feet, I had his legs and was playing with his feet.  I tapped his nose with his big toes and he smiled.  I put one of his feet on either side of his face;  the smile got wider and there it was, the cutest "ahuh huh hee hee".  I squeaked and ran to tell Sean, tears in my eyes.  I guess I freaked him out as I couldn't get him to do it again, but I look forward to many more giggles with my little man.

Every new first with a baby is magical.  Every new first with twins is doubly so as you get to see it repeated at a later time and in a slightly different way.  We have the added little extra of seeing it repeated in Wyatt's way.  I have always wanted a house filled with laughter and I believe we are well on our way of achieving that little victory as well.  After all, these are the things that matter most;  the little milestones that not only bring us closer to our goals, but also to each other in our journey.  Although each new little thing means my babies are growing up, our discovery of new things together brings us together with much wonderment and joy.  If that is not magic, I don't know what is.

"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. And now when every new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be." -- James Matthew Barrie



Added to the 'Define Normal' Blog Hop! Find out more @ Just Bring the Chocolate