Double Trouble

With most circumstances, I've learned to deal with life like any first time mom, not considering the doubling of the work. However, sometimes I think that this has to be way harder, more exhausting, frustrating, but also more rewarding, sweet and funny than having a singleton. Here are some wonderful and/or horrendous things I am learning about raising “Double Trouble”.

Bathing. Sometimes when Tony works in the evenings, I have to give a bath on my own. No big deal, right? Well, it’s not a big deal until it’s time to get them out. Two opposite of potty-trained kids running around naked… Tonight, Olive squatted and pooped on Little Golden Book while I was dressing Georgia. She then pointed at it and laughed until I cleaned it up.

Poop. I changed 8 poopie diapers today, not counting the book. I thought that number might decrease more by this time. Nope. They are still the poopingest kids around.

Food. It is extremely difficult to grocery shop for a toddler, but two makes it twice as difficult. Yesterday they scarfed down an apple like I had been hiding their favorite food their whole life. I went out and bought a bag of apples. Nope, they just wanted that one.

Personality. They are dripping with it! From morning to night, they are talking, laughing, tickling, dancing, making faces, fixing each other's hair, collecting tiny objects, talking on the phone, being stubborn, etc forever. Someone asked once if moms prefer a boring but content child or a charismatic but sometimes difficult child. I said boring 100%. Now, I don't know if I could handle a content and quiet child. I'm so used to the constant drama that I worry if they get very quiet. It's exhausting, but so fun.

Television. I allow way more TV than I expected myself to. That is because I get to hold my girls close and cuddle while they watch Sesame Street. I cherish that time because, as stated above, they don't slow down any other way. Our wakeful hours together are limited, so I want to hug and kiss and tickle and hold all those hours. I would let them watch Disney Jr. for days if I got to snuggle them all the while.

The attention. I knew that twins got a lot of looks and comments. But so do red heads. I did some math and found that blue-eyed, red-headed identical twins make up an approximate .00353357% of the world’s population. So, my girls are probably the only set that many people will ever see. That’s kind of like spotting a bald eagle or a celebrity in their natural habitat. I’m afraid it may be difficult to keep them humble with all the “Oohs” and “Ahhhs” they get.

Fighting. I did expect this, but it’s different than I what I was anticipating. Olive likes to share. She doesn’t mind much when Georgia takes something from her. She expects the same response when she takes something from Georgia. On the other hand, Georgia doesn’t like to give up ANYTHING. If Olive takes something, she screams her lungs out until I give her something else (of equal or lesser value). They even fight over my lap, which is flattering but frustrating.

Despite the fighting, they have each other. I never was and never will be their NUMBER 1. Sometimes they will be in different rooms, and suddenly take off towards each other, laughing and jabbering. They wake up talking to each other, probably continuing the conversation they fell asleep having. Olive will drink from her cup, see Georgia’s hand reaching out and pass it over for her to get a drink. Usually mommies are the first friend, first protector, first love, first touch, first voice, first smell. But they have had one another from the womb. Heck, they started out as the same human being! I go to work, Daddy goes to work, but they are always together. They have spent maybe 6 hours apart since birth. They have a connection that I will always be in awe of and never quite understand.

Sheesh. I’m going to be learning to mother these special little honey pots until they… well, probably forever. And I thank God for the chance. There is nothing like it, and I am truly blessed.