Tonight Stunk

It began stinking around 4:30pm and got stinkyer and stinkyer right on up to the girls bedtime of 7pm.  I'm not sure what happened.  I can tell you, that it began with Miss Marlo.  She was awesome all day and then, and then, I just don't know what happened.  Down hill fast I tell ya.  Midway through dinner, Sabine joined in the fussiness parade which escalated to full on freak out quite quickly.  The time now is 8:34pm and thank heavens, I can almost laugh about it all.

The hardest part about the two baby meltdown is that my arms just aren't long enough.  I'm not so coordinated to successfully have both girls on my lap with an arm around each and be able to pat them in a soothing manner at the same time.  My patting rhythm gets all thrown off and wonky and then before I know it my left hands quits while my right hand keeps on going.  Then I feel awful.  Does my subconscious mind love one girl over the other so that it messes with my hand patting rhythm?  Could this be?  Golly I hope not.  While one girl was doing her best to snuggle into my chest as she sat on my lap, the other was trying to climb me while resting her head on my shoulder, I will not name names as to which was which, for fear of future blame upon my mothering ways from the girls.  And my glider, which was such a treasure during Hugo's infancy right on up to the point where my pregnant belly would no longer allow room on my lap for his skinny person, is of no use anymore.  1 Momma + 2 Girls + a book = no room on a glider rocking chair.  So sad.

In the meantime, Hugo was pestering me with questions a mile a minute.  Usually, I pride myself on my ability to keep up with his never ending stream on questions mixed with nonsense, but tonight I was bordering on zero.  Tapped out.  So, I think I muttered something about his possibly not talking for, like forever.  No!  Really it wasn't that bad.  Maybe I asked him to not talk for at least 30 minutes.  No!  Just kidding!  It did boil down to his realizing I was a fried Momma and then he started talking about how it's really hard having two baby sisters.  How sometimes he wishes that Heavenly Father only sent us one girl.  This woke me up.  I told Hugo as simply as possible, that no matter how hard two babies can be at times, I would never, ever wish for one of our girls to not be here.  Hugo said, "Mom, when you get the wood and I play with the girls, it's really hard when one baby goes up the stairs and the other baby goes down the stairs!"  I told him that I agreed. 

Ending on a positive note, the girlies are saying Momma.  Well, babyish versions of Momma.

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.