The Developmental Stage I've Been Longing For.... (Or Not?)

As most of you know, I've dreamed of having twins since the time I first conceived over 21 years ago. With every pregnancy I was always disappointed when the ultrasound results came back with only a solo embryo in my uterus. So, you can imagine my elation 3 years ago, when, as my Mexican doctor was rubbing the ultrasound wand (that's what I'm calling it) over the slippery gel on my belly, he paused and said, "Creo que hay dos," which, being translated, means, "I think there are two." Fifteen agonizing minutes later, he finally pointed to the screen to show me two tiny black and white hearts beating simultaneously.

Having twins has been everything I thought it would be, and more. The first year was grueling though, and I often had to remind myself that "this, too, shall pass". As most of you know, the baby phase isn't my favorite, and having two babies at the same time was physically the most difficult thing I've ever done. I remember fantasizing about how easy my life was going to be once they turned three, which is one of my favorite ages.

I can't believe how fast the time has gone. The twins will celebrate their third birthday in a little over two months. They can talk (if you can call twin-talk talking), so the screaming and back-biting (literally) have decreased somewhat. They can turn on the TV and push play, so even if I'm nursing Baby Hippo, they can entertain themselves for a while without assistance. And if I bribe them with gummy Vitamin C, they will even run to their cribs on their own and hop in.

Yes, my life is easier, and I never thought I'd say this, but there are some things I miss about the twins not being babies anymore. Just today, I gave away one of their high chairs. Having two high chairs lined up together for more than two years...

(Just so you know, I did NOT balance that cake with burning flames between their two high chairs. I just snapped the shot, which is actually no better than having balanced it myself. At least THEY seemed to realize the precariousness of their situation.)

...always gave me such a good, twinny feeling inside. Seeing just one, which Baby Hippo now uses, makes me a little nostalgic.

And if the twins growing up wasn't enough, Baby Hippo will soon be rolling over (don't ask me why he hasn't yet) and when that happens, he will leave our bed and inherit the 4-year-old boy's crib which has been converted to a toddler bed, soon to have the side rail reattached. Which leaves another question unanswered. Where do we put the 4-year-old boy? Do we start scouring the internet for futon bunk beds and buy one to put in the 10-year-old boy's bedroom for them to share? Or do I give him the 10-year-old boy's bedroom altogether, let the 10-year-old boy have the 14-year-old boy's room, and move the 14-year-old boy to the now moved-out 18-year-old boy's room?

Sometimes I think it's easy when kids start to grow up, but sometimes it just adds more confusion to my life.

Even so, I still love it that the twins can now push play.

Thanks for listening!

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)