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March 7, 2010

A Day of "Firsts" and "Long-overdues"

A 547-mile round trip in 10 hours and 45 minutes.

The girls turned 14 months old on Friday, and I left them for the first time yesterday. I didn’t exactly plan to be tethered to them 24/7 for over a year…and I have of course gotten out and about when the girls are napping and after they go to bed…but for a number of reasons I hadn’t been able to otherwise break away for a little while.

My absence meant that, for the first time since they left the hospital, someone other than Mommy changed their diapers…and that “someone” was Daddy! YES…Daddy changed his first diapers EVER!!! He also fed the girls for the first time! Hey, it only took 14 months and me leaving the state, but I’ll take it!!!

So why now, why 547 miles, and WHY in only 10 hours and 45 minutes??? My BFF Alison is having her first baby, and I helped host her baby shower in Birmingham. I got to buy tiny baby booties. I got to see my beautiful friend aglow, and be reminded that a woman’s body is a miraculous machine. And I got to finally taste my first “Raspberry Cham-Cham”, the delicious concoction of Chambord and champagne that Alison served at my baby shower (but I couldn’t enjoy because I was pregnant!). The whirlwind trip made for quite a long day, but it was so worth it.

For the first time yesterday, I put gas in our SUV (which we’ve had since July 2008). Hubby may not be the Diaper King, but he sure takes care of our vehicles, our yard, and the trash.

For the first time in way too long, I enjoyed the thrill of the open road, alone. (No, I wasn’t on a motorcycle, I was in our mid-size SUV…but I did pop the sun roof a couple of times.) I used this opportunity to jam to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ sometimes indecent lyrics, at intermittently inappropriate volumes. (Yes, I even did some tempered head-banging once or twice.)

And best of all, I got to experience my first homecoming to the girls. It was the perfect end to a very historic day.

5 comments:

Nicole said...

Good for you, Mandy! That is great that you were able to get away for a bit and enjoy that precious time with your friend. I think our men need time like that with the kids so they can fully appreciate us. What I want to know though, is as awesome as being away was, how far down the road did you get before you were missing your little ones like crazy?

Anonymous said...

Isn't it just the BEST feeling when you get home to them!? I just recently went back to work and miss my girls like crazy everyday and count the minutes until I get home to them! :)

amy said...

Hey Mandy! Thanks for your comment on HDYDI! I tend to dress my girls differently or coordinated rather than matching. My best friend is a twin and she gets mad at me when the girls are dressed alike. ha! :) Plus... when they're not dressed alike, I'm saving money on clothes because they can share- ha! :)

SO glad you had time away!! It can be good for the soul. I adore the title of your blog- that's exactly what this raising twins thing is- full of triumphs and trials. Precious kiddos!

Sadia said...

Wow, those are quite the firsts!! My husband was a master diaper changer and gavage feeder before I ever got to see my girls. (C-section/fever + NICU don't mix.)

I'm glad you got some time away. It's trite, but it's probably good for you daughters to see Mommy take some Mommy time, so that they know it's okay to take care of themselves from time to time too.

I tried to find an e-mail address for you to respond to your comment on Double the Fun, but couldn't find anything. Feel free to contact me at sadia47 at g mail dot com if you'd like me to be able to get back to you individually.

It's nice to meet you! Enjoy your little ones!

Marcia (123 blog) said...

I can't believe it! D was also changing nappies long before I was, in the NICU :)

a colleague recently said that her husband changed about 5 nappies total in her son's nappy-wearing life (he was 3 when he potty-trained) and I said, "D changes 5 nappies in a MORNING" HAHAHHA :)