Vacation!!!!

I still can't believe it's really happening. Tomorrow Kelly and I will be relaxing on a beautiful beach. Alone. Well, there will most likely be other vacationers around, but we'll be sans babies. This is the first time I will have been away from the babies for more than a few hours since they were born, almost one year ago, so I have equal amounts of "yea!" and "yikes!" in my mental vocabulary right now.

We flew to my parents' house early this week. They, along with Kelly's mom (Mimi), will be keeping Lola and Locke while we're gone so they're in very good hands. We've spent this week getting acclimated and seeing family and friends. It's been nice. But the babies' temporary nursery is the office so access to the computer is limited since their naptime is usually when I post. Thus the lack of updates.

Locke and Lola's first birthday is just a few days after we return so we'll have a family party then. I still can't believe it's been a year.

A few days after their birthday, Lola is having minor hand surgery. I haven't posted about her surgery before because I haven't been allowing myself to think too much about it. It's minor surgery but it's still general anesthesia. I'm sure it will all go fine but it still makes me nervous.

Well, Grandmommy is finishing up Lola and Locke's lunch, which means it's naptime. Guess I'll post more on the birthday and surgery later.

Locke's walking feat

I wrote recently about Lola's walking and how Locke felt no pressure to follow in her footsteps (so to speak). Well, that took about a week. Now I've got two "walkers". Over the past 4 or 5 days, Locke has changed his mission in life from Entertainer of Lola to Better Walker than Lola. Lola's still got more experience behind her but he's quickly catching up.

Locke's determination is surpassed only by his cuteness as he's taking his little steps. He's very focused, stopping when he feels a little off-balanced to correct himself, and then continuing on. Now he and Lola follow each other around, walking from toy to wall to stair to toy. They're both still fairly slow and they rock back and forth on their stiff, straight legs as they carefully take their steps. I used to think they looked like the baby zombies as they'd both crawl toward their target (usually food). But now, with their Frankenstein strides, it's even more zombielike. They're the cutest little baby zombies you've ever seen.

Here they are in motion...

I guess it will be a little while until they're sure-footed enough to run off in two different directions. I probably have a little more time before I have to begin the big chase, trying to keep up with them. Right? Yeah, right. I guess my new fitness routine is just beginning.

Like Christmas Eve

I've never had problems sleeping before ... when given the chance, that is. That doesn't include those last few weeks of pregnancy or the first five months after they were born. Those days (weeks, months, etc.) were not up to me -- they were controlled exclusively by the babies' need to: a) be born, b) eat, or c) be with me. But now, other than those times when Lola wakes up in the middle of the night, I should be sleeping like, well, a baby. But I've had my first bout of self-induced insomnia. I really didn't remember what it was like, eyes wide open, thoughts swirling about, with no drifting off in sight. The only times I remember having that problem were Christmas Eves when I was young. The anxiousness, the excitement, the mystery -- I couldn't wait until morning to find out what had appeared under the tree. But it's nowhere near the holidays and that Christmas morning anticipation has long since gone, so I didn't know why this new sleeplessness was plaguing me. Until last night.

As I lay there employing every relaxation method I've ever read or been told about by my oh-so-tired-but-still-patient husband, I realized why my mind won't cooperate. Each time I tried to picture myself relaxing on a beach with the breeze and the sound of the waves lulling me to sleep, my mind drifted back to Locke and Lola, taking their excited, awkward steps toward me. Lola, smiling at me as she claps her hands to a song I'm singing. Locke, making new sounds as if he's preparing to say a first word. The proud faces of my two amazing babies learning something new every day. It's that same Christmas Eve excitement all over again. I can't wait until the next morning to see what they'll try to perfect or attempt.

I've heard it a million times, "they grow up so fast." And I always smiled and nodded in agreement. But now I understand. This is the time of development you can't imagine until you see it day by day. I'll never regret the choice I made to stay at home with Lola and Locke. I wouldn't have known what I'm missing. But I'm so glad I do now.

Cheerio!