hip, hip, hooray...it's a birthday!

Lots going on around here lately.

One momentous thing, in particular...

Two cuckoos turned twelve. 

 They started back to school after Christmas break on their birthday. 

And that did not make them happy. 

But their birthday festivities always seem to extend for several days, anyway, so I wasn't feeling too bad for them. 

 They are happy to be another year older. 

They both seem so content right now. 

Chris and I are so incredibly heart-swelling proud of them.

 I handled the day just fine. 

 Hardly even got emotional. 

My trick was to not think about it. 

At all. 

 Except - until a few days later.

 That's when I realized my kids have actually turned twelve years old. 

Sneaky little buggers. 

I was always a bit scared of this age.

I am very comfortable around little kids.

I like them and they like me.

But I have always been nervous to reach this point in time.

Middle school.

Young Men, Young Women.

Attitude.

But, as it turns out, I love this time.

I love having good conversations together, playing games together, learning new things together, exploring the world together, laughing together and seeing them start to really learn what makes them successful and happy.

How lucky I am.

 And all this prompted me to pull out something I haven't seen for a long time. 

An old video from the hospital when our twins were born.

It's special to me. 

Chris made it for me when these sneaky kids were just five. 

For mother's day.

If you want to watch it, I'm sharing it here.

(I can't believe I am, but I am.)

 

And, now to address a few things.

1.  I know it's alarming and frightening, but before you comment that I looked like complete hell, just realize that after a day of labor, hours of pushing, and an emergency c-section...my body thought that hell was exactly where it had been.

2.  Luckily, my heart and soul were in Heaven.

3.  And, also to address the big concern.

No, the twins did not have a different father.

You just didn't recognize Chris with his darker locks. ;)

4.  The bizarre contraptions we were feeding our little preemies with are called haberman feeders.  They are used for babies with impaired sucking ability.  We used them in the beginning as they tried to get used to eating.  Carson, especially, got so tiny by the time we left the hospital. But these helped them adjust to breastfeeding and normal bottles.

5.  I actually cried when they kicked us out of the hospital.

I didn't want to leave and be the one in charge and responsible for these two little things.

And I still kinda feel that way most of the time.

But I love them so much.

And am so glad I get the chance to mess them up a little.