They grow up too fast!

Auntie Jessica McMillan found these boots at a thrift store somewhere and sent them to us in the mail. They are part of the girls' "dress up box" because they love taking them off and putting them on. They wear them with most anything. Abby in particular likes them, but every once in a while, Annabelle tries them on too.
These boots are made for walkin'!

Serioulsy!? What a flirt!

The other favorite play thing are our phones. When you have a device glued to the inside of your pockets and hands, it's hard for the girls not to notice it. They mimic our phone use with various remote controls around the house.

Here Abby does a double phone approach.

Hello? Oy vey. Soon, it will be 3000 texts a month like some of my friends' teenage daughters....

Weighing In

It's hard when having twins not to compare the girls. I try not to compare them and am conscious especially of the types of comparisons being made (you are smarter than, prettier than, etc.... are big no-no's for me). I do it as a mother to check development (hmmm...she is doing this, and the other one is doing this...), outsiders mostly compare their looks (she has curly hair and she has straight hair).

But after looking at some old pictures of the girls, it amazes me how much smaller Abigail when compared with Annabelle, early on in her life.

3 Months - Annabelle on the left, Abigail on the right.

Both of the girls used a shield with me while breastfeeding because their latch wasn't strong enough to get the good stuff out. And while Annabelle figured things out at about two months and stopped using the shield (her own doing..she would spit it out), Abigail used a shield while breastfeeding until about 6 months. Her latch was so painful for me that it caused swelling and blisters which would then prevent me from being able to later feed Annabelle. And if I tried to feed her without the shield, she would fuss and cry, and particularly get overwhelmed at the strong flow of milk and begin to cough and choke.

Four Months - Abigail on the left and Annabelle on the right.

Luckily, Abigail's tenacious personality caused her to never give up on eating even when eating was a chore for her and me. We started slow: first I would start one feeding a day without the shield to give her practice. If she became fussy, I would switch to the shield so she could get her milk. Eventually, we worked up to one feeding a day without the shield (me building up calluses), then two feedings and so on. Finally, after 6 months we went au natural with Abigail too. After this time, Abigail really began to put on the weight.

Five Months - Annabelle on the left and Abigail on the right. Of course, Annabelle has always had that rounder face, while Abigail has a more elongated face, but here you can really see the "chub" on their arms and how skinny little Abby was.

Of course, seeing them both everyday, I never saw that much of a difference, but Charles and I were always conscious of it. And we always asked the doctor if we were doing everything right. The doctor assured us, that because Abby was born smaller, she would be on a different trajectory than other kids. As long as she was making adequate growth for her (which she was), we should continue doing what we were doing. Although we were confirmed that we were doing everything we could, looking at the pictures once again reminds me of that worry and struggle. 

Now, at 20 months, it's official! At the latest doctor's appointment, the girls weigh the same!

Annabelle was 23 lbs 4 oz, and 32" tall.

Abigail was 23 lbs, 4 oz, and 32 1/2" tall.

I am so pleased to find them continuing to flourish and grow, physically, emotionally, developmentally, and intellectually. This is a very fun age.

The Wizard of Oz

I first mentioned the Wizard of Oz in my Bath time posts. Here is the story of how it became a part of the routine.

One day I was sitting in the big, fluffy chair with the girls in my lap. They were about four months old. I don't know why, but I think when you spend too much time with kids, you start to have a running soundtrack in your brain of kid-like voices. And when those kid-like voices begin to merge together with your thoughts, they turn into songs, or begin to merge with the music lyrics in your brain.

So, for whatever reason, I began to sing the really high part of the song "Munchkinland Sequence" from the Wizard of Oz:

       
         The house began to twitch

         The kitchen took a switch

         Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da.....DA!!! 

         da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da....The wicked witch!

But, as it turned out, I didn't know all the lyrics. But the girls began to crack up at me! I kept singing this part over and over, trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to be singing. And all the while the girls were giggling, and laughing. So I decided to use my trusty I-phone, and download the darn song directly so that the girls could listen to it first hand. While they listened to it over and over, and laughed, I listened to it over and over so that I could learn the words. It was the mutual benefit society.

Thus began the love-affair with the Munchkinland Sequence song. Pretty much from four months up until 9 months or so, we would play it at least once a day, if not more. It would usually calm them down if they were hitting a wall at the end of the day, or it would distract them if they were becoming bored or frustrated. It would give them something to do if we were driving in the car, and it would be a source of exercise when we were at home (dancing to all the parts).

Upon becoming obsessed with the song I realized a few things:

1)The lyric writing of the song is absolutely brilliant - the use of intra-syllabication rhyming in the verse "Which is not a healthy siiiiii-CHU-ation for the wicked witch!" is something I have not seen very often. It is very clever!

2) The play on words is very fun - lots of which, witch stuff going on.

3) The lyrics are actually quite morbid - "It landed on the wicked witch in the middle of a ditch, which is not a healthy situation for, the wicked witch!" And "We thank you very sweetly. For doing it so neatly. You killed her so completely, that we thank you very sweetly!"

4) I learned a new word! AVER - I never knew what that morbid munchin was saying when he said, "As coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her..." So I looked it up. It means to affirm, with absolute confidence.

5) Each little munchkin that comes along has a different action or voice, and I ended up using the girls to act out all the parts. Abigail was always so little, that I would have her get up and dance during the Lullabye League. And Annabelle, my little chunky monkey, would be the Lollipop Guild. My friend Stephanie gave me a hard time about this, so I ended up switching the roles after a while (ha!). Of course, it's a moot point now that they are walking around. The girls both weigh the same!

6) Beyond all that, the different munchkin voices are a total crack-up to imitate throughout the song. I am particularly good at the coroner. And I am not so bad at the mayor either.

Many people in my family (Kay-teeeee!, Aunt Jeanette!) who also appreciate the Wizard of Oz got in on the action during various family dinners, and at Christmas time. And last Thanksgiving, the girls actually got to watch the Wizard of Oz for the first time on DVD, and hear and see the Munchkinland Sequence for themselves. They were pretty young, but they were still mesmerized!

Anyway, we are all sick of it now, but it was fun while it lasted!

Pa, Grandma, GGM, GGP

There were a few really great pictures from our visit with Great Grandma (GGM) and Great Grandpa (GGP)  King this summer when they came up to visit. We went to the park and watched the ducks for a bit. Then we went next door and swam in the dough-boy pool. Then we hung out with GGM and GGP for a while at the house. It was pretty hot weather, thus the shorts and t-shirts. It was so great to see you both! Love you!

Grandma (ma maw) is holding Abigail, and Grandpa (pa) is holding Annabelle.

GGM (great grandma) and GGP (great grandpa) get in on the action.

Annabelle gets the bird's eye view on Pa's shoulders.

The girls' Christmas list

Thanks all our friends (Steph!) and family (grandma!) who are super excited about spoiling our girls for the holidays. You guys are too much!! I was hesitant to post a Christmas list for them at first. I didn't want the girls to be glutton with things. 


I had read a lot of traditions people have about gift giving in trying to form our own traditions. I really liked the idea that Santa would buy each child one big gift, and the parents would buy each child two small gifts. This helped me manage, in my mind my dreaded chore of shopping, and made gift giving less about how many presents are under the tree and more about making sure the gifts I do purchase are thoughtful.


However I realized that gifts from friends and family would always come too and since it brings those people an equal amount of joy to give something as it does to girls to open something, I feel excited that the girls will be lucky enough to have such wonderful family and friends!! What a wonderful Thanksgiving revelation!


Charles and I haven't practiced gift giving much in our 18+ years together: adults can buy what they want for themselves, and truthfully, buying gifts is not a talent either of us possess. So buying for kids was a new challenge for us.


This research and thinking was spurred further by last year's experience when I was rushing through Target a few days before Christmas and sweating bullets, stressing about what to buy. I vowed I would NEVER do that again!! 


This year I saved up money! I have a list! I am so thankful I could do these things. Hopefully, this Christmas will be more relaxing for me, and equally as fun for the girls. So why not share this experience with others!!! 


Without further ado, here's the list I've collected over the last few months. It's not exclusive... This is just what I've been observing. Have fun! 


Wooden puzzles (Animals, shapes, colors) 
Push/pull toys (baby vacuums, brooms, popcorn thingy, etc.)
Hammer board (remember these?) 
Books (anything with repetition, great pictures and/or a simple story) 
Shape sorters 
Art accessories to go with a paint/chalk/paper easel (sized for two year olds)
Bath toys
Rubber boots (1 pair, size 5) 
Long sleeve shirts (not onsie style) size 18-24 months 
Athletic shoes (non canvas, size 4) 
Plain white socks (size 18-24 mo) 
Jackets: rain or cold weather type (18-24 mo)


I really love this website because you can search by age level (age 2) and the toys are mostly educational, wooden, well made and/or not electronic (who wants to keep buying batteries for toys?) :-) www.growingtreetoys.com


Some of their favorite things are: Sesame Street characters, Thomas the Train and any other train items, balls, moons, stars and any kind of animal. 


They have tons of stuffed animals and baby dolls already. And they have a full kitchen with a lot of fake food and cooking utensils. And we are going to get them a tricycle/bicycle type stuff on their birthday when we can use them outdoors.


P.S. If you do buy something, can you let me know so Santa doesn't end up buying the same thing? Love you all!

Halloween Weekend!

We took the girls trick or treating at the mall on Saturday day at around noon. This was their first real experience trick or treating. Last year, they wore costumes, but we just carried them around and they weren't really cognizant of any of the action.

This year, they were like a deer in headlights! They were soaking it all in. Abby, ever the entrepreneur, quickly figured out that people were putting some cool stuff in her bag. She would quickly take it out and hold it in her hands so her bag looked empty for the next person.

The people were loving the chicken costume!!! Thanks Jess and Sue!

The girls observing the trick or treat process.

Nightmare Before Christmas characters appeared in our mall, just in time for Halloween! Annabelle had a permanent "I'm not so sure about this" pout, while Abby just stared and stared at these characters.

The funnest part for the girls was the fountain. This is their favorite fountain in the summer time anyway. In fact they have actually gotten to dip in this fountain (one really hot day we decided to cool them down before our walk home). But on Halloween, someone put soap in the fountain so it was all bubbles. A toddler's dream!

On Halloween night, they got to see how all the lights and scary decorations look in the dark. I had been leading up to Halloween with them all month, having them wear their Halloween clothes, making witch squeals whenever they pointed to the witches on their shirts, and saying "oooo-oooo" whenever we saw Jack-O-Lanterns in real life or in books. I tried to make the sounds funny/silly instead of scary so that they wouldn't be too spooked come Halloween night.

I read them a few Halloween type books including Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin (which is too story based for the girls, so we mostly looked at the pictures), a parody of Goodnight Moon, called Goodnight Goon (which is hilarious, but a bit over their heads), and a book called "That Didn't Frighten Me." They looooooooved this book and requested it every night. I was worried it would be too scary as it goes through various mythical creatures that appear outside a child's window every night. But they thought it was hilarious! It is especially great for toddlers because it uses repetition on every page, making it rhythmic and fun. So we went with it. Now they call the book "Me!" and request it still.

Halloween night! Girls are ready! Abigail is the chicken and Annabelle is the Giraffe.

Walking the street in their costumes.

I love the pictures from behind for some reason.

Knock, knock! This is one of our neighbors who we pass often on our walks downtown. They have three boys, two cats, and a dog. A full house!

I had to get one of them and the black cat...

Poor kitty! Abigail makes contact with her tail!

A new neighbor we've never met. Little baby Indian says "How!"

Annabelle checking out her spider ring once we get home.

Abigail sorting her loot and trying to suck the chocolate out of the package.

Go Giants! The funnest part for kids at this age is just sorting the candy, taking it out and putting it in the baskets again. All around great Halloween!

After we got home, the girls helped us pass out candy to the trick or treaters. They were GREAT helpers! And make sure to give some to each kid that came to our door, even taking some out of their own baskets. That generosity may not last till next year, when they figure out what candy really is!

To see the full Halloween album, click here!

Halloween Preview

Charles and I were going to put pillow cases over their heads and call them ghosts, but my friend Jessica and her mom found some adorable Halloween costumes out thrift-shopping-it. She sent them to us in the mail and as soon as we opened the box, the girls wanted to try them on.

Annabelle immediately reached for the soft and cuddly one (although they are both soft). She loves to cuddle with her blanket, whereas Abigail much prefers to cuddle with people! Enjoy!

Mi Amor

Sistas

You wanna piece uh me?

Who are they? Part iii

I found this old post written in the drafts. Clearly it is old! But I thought it still needed to be posted....


Abigail started rolling over on her four month birthday. That tiny little body of hers is so light that she just flipped like a feather in the wind, from back to front. Then the next month, she started rolling over from front to back and hasn't looked back since. Just yesterday, Charles was sitting on the couch with Annabelle and Abigail was on the floor. He looked out the window and then back down again and Abigail was under the rocking chair across the room. She just rolled, rolled, rolled her way across the room. And now she flips onto her stomach, then puts her feet flat on the floor and her head planted into the ground and scrapes her face across the floor while she pushes. It's a walk/scoot! She is a mover!

July 2010 - At Stephanie's House. Annabelle, Jax Knecht and Abigail.
Jax is three months older than the girls and already a fun playmate. 

Annabelle on the other hand, just rolled over for the first time on her sixth month birthday. What she lacks in movement, she has in strength. However, she has been sitting up on her own.  She has done the tripod sit (where you put your hand in between your open legs to balance yourself) since five months. And she can stand against the couch or table and hold herself up standing. She much prefers to view the environment from these vantage points rather than moving around to get the things she needs. If her toy drops, she will just wail, and wail until someone gets it for her.

What happens when Dad dresses the girls...

This is what happens when Dad dresses the girls.

Abby - loving her piggy tails and always with a finger in her mouth.

Bellie - OMG the fat rolls are killing me!

Well actually, this is what happens when Dad does their hair. And let's the girls pick out their own outfits. The leg warmers are all them. They just figured out how to put them on themselves.

Yeah...You can take my picture.

Awww.... so coy.

YAY!

Just one! (for the Starks)

Are we done yet?

Halloween Family Dinner 2010

This was the last family dinner we hosted last year in October. It was pouring rain. We all squished into our little house and ate a fall harvest made from Charles homemade sausages, homemade pumpkin soup, homemade cheese bread, salad, (grilled cheese for the kids), and homemade molasses cake for dessert.

That evening, the Giants were playing (and gosh don't ask me which game it was...it was either the playoffs or the World Series...regardless they won that game!). Grandma and Grandpa were prepared and brought the girls the appropriate Giants gear to wear. To this day, Charles says that the girls' team spirit is what caused them to win the game.

My "little girl" Jordan and her sister Savannah came, along with Charles' niece and nephew, and Charles' brother and their family. My aunt and uncle were there too.

Savannah and Annabelle

Jordan and Abigail

Grandma and Bellie

Who might this be?

Abigail with her game on! (ice cream cups from a playoff game).

Annabelle with her game on (second ice cream cup).

GO GIANTS!

Sunday Dinners

Back in the day, it was common for families to meet at someone's house every Sunday. Mom's didn't work outside the home much, and people didn't work on Sundays at all. There was no formal invitation; family just knew that Sunday dinner was at "Aunt Tuties," or "Grandmas."

Charles' mom, Annabelle, was one of those moms and grandmas. She was truly an old-fashioned woman. She never learned to drive. She was a stay-at-home mom. She woke up each morning at dawn to tend to her flower garden, which was filled with irises, a fig tree, and many other beautiful plants. Then she would proceed to make breakfast. It was always something of substance: eggs, hash browns, pancakes, muffins, sausages, biscuits and gravy, bacon, or toast. She would feed her boys and while they ate, she would pack them homemade lunches (or they would come home for a homemade lunch). The dishes were always washing in the dishwasher that she had to roll over to the sink. Laundry was always being folded or put away and even after she had her stroke, she could still fold laundry one-handed, better than I could with two (Charles' exact words!). The house was always kept clean, but it was never pretentious; it felt lived in. She crocheted, knitted and sewed from patterns. She made homemade potpourri, and she knew how to can vegetables and fruit from the garden. Dinner was always ready when the boys came home.

Christmas 2002, a year before she passed, Charles and I went to visit her in the home where she was cared for to tell her the great news: Charles and I were finally engaged! Charles is tickling her to get her to smile.

And on Sunday, Annabelle had a standing invitation for any and all to come by and eat dinner or just hang out. Oftentimes, I would be there, just as an observer, watching and seeing how much they all enjoyed each other's company. How they tried to outdo each other with their stories. How they easily engaged in a game of cards, while telling jokes on the side. How they laughed and made fun of "the old man" and defended and spoiled "the old woman." It was definitely one of those images I will never forget.

In the spirit of these Sunday Dinners that Annabelle, and many before her have hosted, and in wanting the sense of closeness, familiarity, and family for our daughters, we started a tradition of a Sunday Dinner.

Obviously, in modern times where everyone lives an hour away from each other and has filled-to-the brim social calendars with sports, dance, music, school, and work activities, we wanted to be realistic to how often our Sunday Dinners would occur. We figured, about once a month (excluding the holiday season) we could host a dinner for any and all.

So far, we have hosted five family dinners since the girls were born (sometimes even once a month is hard!). And a great one was hosted at my aunt Jeanette and uncle Michael's house for the girls' first birthday. They have each been a fun, casual way to spend time with family, and remind us to be thankful of those who are in our lives.

Enjoy some of the pictures from these blessed events! (see additional posts).

Cell phones...schmell phones

OK Techies. I need your help.

Our old 3G iphones are falling apart (cracked cases, etc.). We are looking into upgrading but the costs of a new Iphone 4/4S and signing a new two year contract seem outrageous. $200-400 upgrade price WITH a two year contract for $120.00 a month.

My little 3G is hanging in there, so I would keep it and just give Charles a a new phone, but the Iphone 4 is interesting to us because then Charles can use Facetime to see the girls when he is at work. This is a key feature for us, but not necessarily required.

Is it possible to get a pay as you go, Iphone? We have wireless at home, so data isn't really an issue. But I text often, and make calls about 450 min a month. I want to spend $75.00 or less for two cell phones if possible. Am I dreaming?

Bathing the Girls

In response to one of my friend's comments (Thanks Marie!), here is the story of bathing twins:

1) Bathtub on the Kitchen Counter - 0-1 month
This happened about once a week until they were about a month or two old. Charles would need to be there to help me. I would wash one, and he would get the towel warmed up in the dryer. Then, I would hand the wet one to him and start on the second one, while he got the first one dry. Then I would dry the second one. At this age, they don't get "dirty" in the sense of dirt outside. They just get burp up and milk, and poop all over themselves. Generally, you wipe those up every time with a wet wipey, but you want to make sure to get in all the crevices (the neck is usually a difficult place to get to) with the soap and water, and wash their hair and head.
    The plastic portable tubs were actually quite a pain and I don't recommend people to buy one. First, they tend to leak, especially if they are adjustable as mine was. Second, it was just one more thing to clean. And third, there is not much resale value to them at kid consignment shops (any used cosmetic/bath stuff isn't taken anymore) so it is just one more thing to go into the landfill.

2) Wet Washcloth Bath on the Changing Table - 1-3 months
One of the hardest things for me was always bath time, after Charles went to work. The girls just didn't want to be left alone while I washed one of them. When they were still small, up to about 3 months, I would just get a bucket of water and bring it into the bedroom. I would lay both girls on the changing table cross ways facing me (they were THAT small!). Then I would take a washcloth and dip it into the bucket and give them a washcloth bath. I would sing to them and massage them. They just loved it! And they loved being together.

This picture is of them laying cross-ways on the changing table at 3 months.  Guess who is crying....

3) Bathroom Pedestal Sink - 3-5 months
Eventually, they needed a proper bath so I switched to the bathroom sink. It is a pedestal sink, so the basin was just the right size for their little bodies. Obviously, only one could fit at at time so I had to have a routine. For some reason, I was religious about bathing them every night. I think the routine helped me get into a rhythm, and helped prepare them for bedtime so I kept doing it, even though it was very difficult. This was the routine:
    a) Put one girl into their crib with a toy and black and white book. Turn on the Wizard of Oz Soundtrack    on the Ipod near their crib. For some reason this music soothed them. It was like giving them company while I left the room.
    b) Take the other girl and put her on the changing table. Take off her clothes and diaper.
    c) Bring her to the bathroom where the sink would be set up with a sponge on the bottom of the sink and warm, sudsy water.
    d) Bathe her in the water. This took usually about 10 minutes, if I worked quickly.
    e) It was near the end of the bath and usually after the Munchkin-land Sequence song* was over, that the one left in their crib would begin wailing. And wailing. And wailing. It was very worrisome for me! And yet, no matter what I tried, as long as they were NOT the one being bathed, they would cry. I tried putting one girl in a bouncy seat at my feet in the bathroom, but they would cry because they weren't held, or cry because they couldn't see, and then they would cry when I had to leave the room to take the wet one to the changing table. I tried different toys, songs, distractions. I was just resolved to the fact that the crib was the safest place for a crying baby and they should just be there while I bathed the other one.
    e) So I would bring the wet one to the changing table and lay her crossways. Pick up the wailing one in the crib, and lay her crossways on the changing table. I would dry, lotion and clothe the wet one, undress the dry one, and then switch roles and start it all over again!
   f) This whole process took about 30-45 minutes depending upon my tiredness, their crankiness and any other drama that ensued in the process (poop in a clean pajama anyone?)

This was one of Annabelle (right) and Abby's (left) last baths in the pedestal sink.
 As you can see, they were starting to get too big! They are about 5 months old in these pics.

4) Kitchen Sink - 5 months to 1 year
After they got too big for the pedestal sink, I moved to the kitchen sink. This was easier and harder at the same time. It was easier because they were getting to the point where they could really sit up on their own without falling over, easier because the sink was bigger and I had more space, and it was easier because I had a portable crib set up in the kitchen already for when I was cooking. This allowed them to play in the same room as me, but not crawl over to the stove or eat something they found on the floor without me watching. When it came time for bath, I would put one in the portable crib, and then bathe the other in the kitchen sink. It worked like the crib scenario from the bedroom, but better because the one in the crib could see me! Eventually, I moved from the portable crib to the exer-saucer as the "container" for the other girl. They LOOOOOOVED! the exer-saucer. And I wouldn't really let them play in it during the day, so it was a real treat saved just for bath time, which worked out wonderfully.
    The hard part about bathing them in the kitchen was, it meant that I needed to have all the dishes cleaned and cleared, all the food put away, counters emptied, etc, before bath time. Nowadays, it is just part of the routine and it is done that way easily, but when they were younger, the time between feedings gave me very little time to cook, feed, clean before it was time to feed again. So this was a real press for time. And sometimes I didn't make it; dirty dishes would just be delegated to the counters until a later time.
    Using the porta-crib and exer-saucers worked until the girls started walking at 12 months, and then they  got to the point where they wouldn't hang in the portable crib anymore. Instead, they wanted to wander free. And if Mommy and Sis were by the sink, the other one would cling to my legs and cry to get up to be with the other one. We have a double kitchen sink, so I would wash one in one side while Charles played with the other one. If I was alone, I just squished them into the same side at the same time.

Annabelle, about 1 year of age, is having fun splashing the water into her sister's face. As you can see from these pics, they are getting too big for the kitchen sink and will soon be moved to the big girl tub. 

5) Big Girls Bathtub - 12 months to the present
Once the girls were completely comfortable sitting up on their own without falling over, we moved them into the regular bathtub. Charles bought bath mats that suctioned onto the bottom  (which we still use to this day), to prevent them from slipping. I started out with only about 1-2 inches of water. Just enough to get them wet, but not enough to cover their ears if they fell backwards and were laying down. This helped their confidence when slips did occur (i.e., "I can survive this."), and prevented unnecessary swallowing and choking on water. Getting to the fallen girl was a concern for me, especially, if I was holding another kid in a precarious rinsing position as it would take a moment for me to "right" them before I could get to the other one.
    But the best part about the big girl bathtub was that they could comfortably bathe together!!!! They wouldn't squish each other, and I had space to wash them, and they had space for their toys and to move around and explore around the tub. No more worrying about what one kid was doing (or why they were crying), while I was busy bathing the other!
   The bad part about the big girl bathtub is it is hard on my husband's knees and back. I am now the primary giver of baths, whereas before, we would share the responsibility. I have a little stool that I use so I don't kill my knees.

Big girl bathtub. Annabelle is probably drinking bathwater (her favorite thing to do despite my objections) and Abigail is holding up different animals and asking me to sing songs or make the sounds of the animals.

This one just makes me laugh!

Annabelle trying to lay an egg.

In conclusion, bathing is a cinch now compared to what I was doing before!!! That's my bath story!

In writing this, I realize how much they have always wanted to be together. Even to this day, when one girl wakes up earlier from their nap, they will go straight to the other girls' crib, point and say "Sis?" As if to say, "Isn't she awake yet?" I guess I internally knew this, but I never really realized it until I wrote how much it hurt them to be apart during bath time. And it probably is not just that they were apart from each other, as the one with me was always fine, but the issue was that one girl was always needing to be left alone. Being a twin means that you are NEVER alone! What an epiphany!

* See separate post on the Wizard of Oz, coming soon.