Making a Break for It

When we brought the babies home from the hospital we were amazed at how tiny they were.  We awed at how tiny their heads and little toes were.  They could fit into the same swing, sling, and bouncer.  They had no idea about personal space.  After spending nine months squashed next to each other, they were perfectly happy being centimeters apart.

I think they actually needed to be close.  They drew comfort having their brother so close.  They slept together, they nursed together, they did every thing together.  As they grew, they no longer fit in the same baby gear together.  They had to take turns swinging and bouncing.  As they become more and more aware of their bodies and how to manipulate them, they’d accidentally roll over onto  each other or kick with a little more force.  We had put them into separate cribs.

They still do everything together.  Now it’s just a little separate.  They play cars together, each in their own car.  They play blocks.  One builds, the other knocks over.  They run away together.  One leads, the other follows.    They  reach milestones together.   Things like rolling over, walking, climbing out of the crib.  They nap together.  Each in his own crib.

They climb out together. Nap time takes twice as long now.  It requires lots of retucking.  I dream about barbed wire and greasing the rails.  I long for the days of immobility.  But, where I find them touches my heart.  It makes me wish that I was a twin.

I find them in the pop up playhouse.  I walk in and I they shout, “I hid”.  After a week or two of stern talking and plopping them back in their cribs, they no longer shout “I hid”.

They are sneaky together.  I walk in and I hear silence.  I look in their beds.   Silence.  For a moment, a have a mini heart attack and think I’ve lost them.  Then, I hear a giggle and find them  under the same bed with books and a flash light.

I open the door a crack and notice Nathaniel isn’t in his bed anymore.  I open the door and start to call out and then I notice him.  He’s crawled in bed with Jacob.   I don’t think they’ll ever be to big to need each other.