Monday Night

Sophie and Jacqueline are officially 3 months on Wednesday. As cousin Cindy says.....they are growing too fast...they need to stay babies forever. However if that happened, Shannon would never get out of the house like she did tonight

Shannon and I had planned she would start going out without Jacqueline and Sophie when they were 3 months. We confirmed over the weekend that she was comfortable leaving me in charge and I was ready. Not like I wasn't ready and comfortable being alone with the twins. I just wanted to be in the proper mindset tonight, especially since it was bath night. I definitely did not want to be agitating over work or anything else.

After a hurried dinner of chicken sauteed in spaghetti sauce and olive oil with a side of Pasta Roni Natures Way (not bad) and nuked peas, Shannon went to her Mothers of Multiples meeting. So how do you occupy 2 little girls for about 2 hours? Easy....take them and the dog for a nice, long walk. We strolled the neighborhood stopping to chat with Allison (mother of Ella, her 18 month adopted daughter), Jon Cates (looking suspicious talking on his cell in the middle of Shawnee), and Pastor Laurie & Louise Parrish in the Calvary UMC parking lot. We also waved to our new neighbor Bart on Shawnee. It is always nice to chat with friends, especially old friends like Louise that we don't see very often any more.

We returned home about 7:40 PM...just in time for baths. Now, sometimes with twins you just have to let one cry. As Shannon can attest, when you're alone and only have 1 set of hands an upset baby is just going to have to deal with it for a few minutes. Baths are one of those times. Both Jacqueline and Sophie love the bath itself. Not a tear is shed. I'm sure they'll giggle and laugh when they learn how. It's the one not in the water that hollers. Once the first (Sophie tonight) was diapered and dressed, she started crying constantly while the other (Jacqueline) is bathed. Both cried simultaneously (the stereo effect) while diapers and pajamas were donned. So I could keep track of them, both were on the bed while the other was being dressed. Although it seemed much longer, one Dad bathed and changed two baby girls in 20 minutes.

Like good girls, all crying stopped as soon as bottles were popped into their mouths. I remembered my useful trick for bottle feeding two at the same time that I developed during 3 weeks of midnight feedings. Sophie took her bottle slow and steady over 25 minutes. Sophie has become very serious and studious lately. She is very stingy with smiles and does not like her concentration to be interrupted. Her vocal skills are becoming impressive too. Jacqueline played with the nipple of her bottle for about 10 minutes. As Aunt Amy noted, Jacqueline has become a huge flirt that loves to play. She drank 1/2 the bottle in about 5 minutes, played for another 5 minutes, then finished the rest. I was impressed they finished at about the same time.

By 8:30 PM, both were in their cribs fast asleep with full belly's. Then my work started....cleaning up the bath stuff, wiping off the kitchen counters, washing nipples, putting away cars seats & strollers, giving Raven her evening treat, disposing dirty diapers....whew the list can go forever.

I was on my last chore (outside moving a bird feeder blown over by Hurricane Hanna) when Shannon came home around 9:15 PM. I wanted to be sitting in the comfy chair with my feet up so I could brag how easy it was. Oh Well. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again.

I will admit I did forget one minor detail tonight. I forgot to put their little mittens on so they don't scratch their faces in the middle of the night.