Two Things

I've got two things to report.

A.  Marlo loves Evie.  I may not always know where Evie is in the house, but Marlo does.

B.  Hugo has been excellent after school for two days in a row.  Woo hoo!  He told me today, that he wants "to be the best listener ever!"

Okay, okay... I've got three things to share.

C.  I don't want to forget the sight of our girls crawling about the house.  I feel like they'll be walking soon, so there is this need to take lots of pics, of the end of their crawling days, inside me. 

Sabine Smiles

This smiling face above is what I've been waiting to see from our sweet Sabine.  She is such a calm, cuddly, pretty, and sweet baby girl.  With that said, she sometimes takes a back seat to her sister Marlo's vivacious self.  Early on, Marlo was the smaller of our two new babies, which translated to the fact that she was needy and demanding and misunderstood, and a baby which I worried over.  At the same time, Sabine watched and waited and slept on cue.  Thankfully, Marlo woke up from her misunderstood stupor one fine day, and has been happy, loud, and inquisitive ever since.  People naturally gravitate toward Marlo.  Sabine, being that she is naturally quiet and has more of a dead pan expression, quietly waits again.

Ever since the girls began their tummy time and I realized that Sabine was having such a struggle to lift her head, I've felt very protective of her.  I hold Sabine, I let others help me by holding Marlo.  Sabine doesn't mind that Marlo gets most of the attention from those outside our family.  Here in our home, I believe that I've been giving more of my attention to Sabine.  I hope, hope, hope that Marlo doesn't feel it, or that it wont hurt our relationship in the future.  I feel secure in my relationship with Hugo, but twin baby girls are constant work and maintenance.  Whew!  On the other hand, Sabine one day will notice that I, so far at least, photograph Marlo more than her.  Marlo is just an easier subject.  My sister Millie agrees.  Life for a twin Momma is a tricky one.

Sabine has made progress in her emotional growth and motor skills all of a sudden.  It has been magical to see her beginning to catch up with her twin in these areas.

*Last Friday Sabine clapped her hands while eating her dinner for the first time.

*Saturday night was the first bath in which Sabine did not scream in months and months.

*Yesterday, she climbed the main staircase for the first time.

*Today she stretched out her arms, to be held by Mary, while we waited in line to pick up our sons. 

Sabine used to be the best sleeper, by far, when compared with Cranky Marlo.  Now they seem to have switched rolls.  My girlfriend Ruth Ann said they would.  I didn't believe her, but she was right.

The girls are just different.  I have to remind myself more often of this fact.

Below I've included many photos of Sweet Sabine which look very similar to one another, I know.  I can't help myself though.  These are the expression I see the most on her face.  Maybe she will yet change in this area, maybe she wont.  In the case she does change or surely as she grows and ages, I will want to remember these baby faces of hers.  The calm before the storm possibly??  She sure is a stubborn one.

This Time Last Year

 

As Halloween quickly approaches, I am reminded of how much my life has changed from one year ago.
October of 2009 found me:

Hugely pregnant, with the girls in my belly.
Hurrying to make the nursery ready for their early arrival.
Excited and frightened at the prospect of being a mother of twins. 
Stressed over the date when my mother should fly in.
Trying to banishing the thought of the looming c-section from my mind.
In awe with gratefulness over Hugo's excitement about being a big brother soon.
Surprised at Cesar's protectiveness of me.

I remember well sitting in a friends kitchen on Halloween night stuffing my face with treats as Hugo trick-or-treated with his friends through the neighborhood in the rain.  I chose to stay in doors, afraid I might slip upon wet leaves on the pavement.  I had brought my mother-in-law with us, she was "babysitting" me to make sure I didn't do anything crazy while Cesar finished up work on 30 Rock.  He had wanted me to stay that final week up at the Ronald McDonald house, in case the babies came before the scheduled section.  When I refused, Carolina arrived to help us out.

So, I remember clearly, sitting on a chair with a nice plate of food balancing on my belly as I ate, ate, and ate and talked, talked, and talked, and I laughed.  I was silly happy with my big belly, yummy food, good friends, a happy Hugo and the knowledge that I would finally see my girls in only three days time.  It seemed like a fuzzy, feel good movie had swallowed me up and I was playing the starring role.  It just didn't seem real.

October of 2010 has found me:

Carrying a girl on each hip in and out of preschool and all over the house.
Hurrying to clean before the tidal wave of three children hits.
Excited and frightened at the reality of being a mother of three.
Desiring my mother to fly in.
Grateful that no hospital visits occurred this past year.
In awe with gratefulness over Hugo's continued excitement and sweetness at being a big brother.
(Just this morning, Hugo was asking me "where is my brother?" Me: "Umm... ")
Still surprised by my husband.

Rachel and Sabine

We said good-bye to Rachel this afternoon in a hurried, kick her out the door fast, sort of way.  I was sad realizing that I hadn't taken photos of her with my girls.  I kept thinking we had more time.  With both girls teething simultaneously, that's six teeth per girl mind you, 12 teeth all together, the house has been pre-tty noisy.  Again, it bears repeating, that's a total of 12 teeth at once folks!  Rachel dubbed their screaming selves The Chorus and she's right on.  I don't know what is happening with my blogger but I can't figure out how to type without being in this text box and it's driving me nuts.  Can't "return" at all.  Anyhoo, Rachel's stay allowed her to witness Sabine up on her knees rocking and nudging her legs forward in her first few crawling steps.  Sabine has also preformed the amazing baby trick of transitioning from a crawling pose into a sitting pose.  Amazing!  We clap our hands and get all excited for her and she looks at us like, "What?  Didn't you know I could do this?"  Sabine and Rachel developed a thing for one another.  It was very cute to behold.  And Marlo, not to be out done by her younger sister, lunged out of my arms and into Rachel's.  So cute.  We made one last hurried pass upstairs to make sure she wasn't forgetting to pack anything as we ran out the door.   We couldn't resist peeking in at the girls sleeping peacefully in their cribs.  I asked Rachel to place her hand on Sabine's back so that I might take a picture to remember their first bit of friendship.  I love it.

6 Month Well Baby

We had what I thought was a Well Baby check-up today but were surprised when it turned out to only be a nurse visit.  I was very disappointed.  The nurse was all set to give each of our girls three shots and then we were to get the boot out the door.  I had questions!  I had an entire list of things I needed to talk about!  This past month has been chock full of doctor visits with the developmental peds doc, Early Intervention ladies and the plastic surgeon for Sabine.  When I balked at the appointment being only a nurse visit, I was told that our doctor was booked for the day, that I should make an appointment for the following week.  Hmmm.  I asked if she could call me because I didn't want to make the copay for a second visit which in my mind, should have all taken place today.  They told me that I had a credit which would cover today's visit so I'd only need to pay the copay when I next come in.  This did not sit well with me.  I need to call the insurance company and find out what the office has billed for doctor visits and what they've billed as nurse visits.  Who wants a nurse visit with 6 month olds?  I need the doc to okay the ultrasound for Sabine's hip asap so the developmental peds will have the results before our next appointment in July.  Does our doc even have a copy of developmental peds findings on the girls?  Does she know that they've recommended Sabine to have the ultrasound?  Plus, the girls have crusty eyes, Tylenol has been recalled, Sabine needs to have her birthmark sliced and diced in 4 - 6 months...  I had a list of questions I tell you.  While the nurse slipped away to ready the girls shots, I striped them of their dresses and weighed them myself. 

Marlo - 13 lb. 2 oz.
Sabine - 12 lb. 7 oz.
The gap is closing.