Peanut and Moose

    Wow! 5 months have flown by!  And here I thought I’d find time at least once a month to keep up the old blog!  HA!  That’s so funny!  Every mom ever is having a knowing chuckle right now.  The past five months have been a sleep deprived yet joy filled, glorious blur!  I am so utterly in love with these twins and they’ve become such a staple of my everyday life, I can hardly believe there was a time I thought I’d never have one child, let alone two!  There is so much I want to share and write about here; since the wee babes were born I’ve struggled with a chronic low milk supply, shuttled poor Peanut to many a hospital appointment for her hydronephrosis (which is not nearly as dire as the name sounds), watched them each grow and learn, reaching new milestones, cheered my husband on while he finished his flight paramedic training, and decided to go back to school myself and get my bachelors, just to name a few.  I’m sure I’ll elaborate on much of those in future blog posts but for now I just want to talk about these amazing babies!

      

       Every day I wake up excited to see those two little faces.  Most mornings I’m awoken by Peanut chattering away in the crib.  It always starts as a soft cooing then escalates to little squawks and squeaks.  She seems to thoroughly enjoy being the family alarm clock.  She always greets us with a big smile when she sees us coming to the crib.  She is wide eyed and has been since they pulled her from me.  Cody likes to say she hasn’t blinked since then and will beat anyone in a staring contest.  Peanut takes it all in, all the time, and when it becomes too much for her, she’ll let you know.  She knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to let you know you’re doing it wrong… but when it’s right she’s there with a big smile.  Peanut longs to be held and snuggled but it must be JUST so.  She’s a mover and is constantly wiggling and twisting her body; she kicks her leg while drinking her bottle, or waves her arm if we're holding it for her.  She’ll find a way to snuggle her brother in the crib, swaddle be damned!  She loves her brother and her daddy.  Daddy can coax a smile from her just by walking in the room.  Peanut knows when to take the back seat though.  Sometimes her brother needs a little extra time in mommy’s arms and she’ll quietly play with her dangly toys till he’s ready to join her.

      Moose also greets us with a big smile in the morning, but sometimes it takes him a little while to find it.  He likes to take a few minutes to stretch and grumble before laying a gummy smile on mommy and daddy.  Moose has been much larger than Peanut since they were born as he took up all the food in the womb, but he makes up for it by how much he loves her!  He loves to look at her, and he loves to listen when she talks and babbles.  He even has a special smile and coo only for her.  Moose is one laid back dude.  It doesn’t take much to make him happy; a little snooze, a little nosh and he’s set.  He’ll take cuddles if you got ‘em but he’s happy to sit back and observe what’s going on.  Moose has an adorably crooked smile that reaches his ears!  He startles easily but thinks it’s hilarious.  He doesn’t cry often but when he does it’s the most heartbreaking cry I’ve ever heard.  Sometimes the only way to sooth him is with a song, and the way he stops and looks at me as I sing to him hits me right in the feels every time!  His nickname suits him because of his size but it’s actually short for “moose knuckle” which his daddy dubbed him when he started wearing big fluffy cloth diapers. 

      I cannot get over these babies and their budding personalities! I find myself amazed at how different they are even though they’re twins.  They are amazing!  The other day I was setting up OneDrive to transfer photos from my phone to our new computer and nostalgia pulled me in as usual.  I was gazing at all the photos from the hospital the day they were born and I couldn’t believe how much they’ve changed!  Not just in size but in their little faces.  Gone is the shriveled old man/alien look of new babydom and in its place are two lively faces full of wonder and curiosity.  I felt the sting of time that passes too quickly.  I weepily told Cody as he peered over my shoulder at the photos, that my babies weren’t so little anymore.  His sage response: “Yeah, but they’re still babies.”

Babies that change and grow so fast!  I’d better enjoy every moment while it lasts since each one can be so fleeting.  It’s what I tell myself on rough nights when they don’t sleep well.  As I shush, bounce, rock, sing and do everything in my power to coax sleep from these tiny people, I think “one day I’ll remember this moment and miss it.”  I’ll look at my kids sleeping in their beds and long for the time they fit in the crook of my arm, reminded how it felt to be someone’s entire world.  Every day I take a moment or two to feel thankful and recognize how fortunate we are that our life took this path.  Words could never describe it.  I am truly grateful.