Happy Birthday Elsie and Eli

Time is a funny thing. I remember those ten days that we spend shuffling back and forth from the hospital, trying to make it to as many feedings as possible. I thought we'd never get them home. Ten days seems like nothing now, but to a mom waiting in anticipation to bring those sweet babies home, ten days seems like an eternity! I remember sitting in those hospital recliners in the NICU, napping, nursing, and cooing with my babies. Those days seemed to last forever. And they were wonderful. Not as wonderful as bringing them home though.

And now three years has gone by, seemingly faster than those first ten. How is it possible? Those sweet fragile things are now the most rough and tumble pair I know! And that big sister squeezing them tight? How did she grow in to this loving older child? I remember her walking through the grocery store with me and the twins, people would often walk by and comment on our babies, or as Emily would say, "her babies." But as time went on, if we were in the store and Em thought somebody wasn't paying enough attention to"her babies" she would say a little too loudly, "Hey Mom. Don't you think its great that God gave us two babies? That makes us really special." Then the moment she made eye contact with anybody she would say, "Did you see our babies? We have two! And they're really beautiful!"

These two have been different from the start. Today, Elsie is our comedian. She loves to make those around her laugh. She loves silly faces and sounds. Once she's found out how to make somebody smile, the game is on! Elsie is a very happy girl. She wakes up that way in the morning and goes to sleep that way in the evening. She will go to anybody who looks like "fun" and fears nothing. She's also independent. Emily has had to learn that sometimes Elsie just wants to do things her way, with no help. I see much of myself in her in this way. Elsie is great with a pencil and pen. She loves to write, draw and color. She draws small squiggles on the page and likes to point to them and tell me what they say. When she's "reading" me her writing, her words are just jibber-jabber while her hands are moving all around. Its as if she thinks talking fast will make her sound important. Of course, all with a huge grin on her face.

Eli is our compassionate snuggler. He often will ask to come sit on our laps and snuggle with us. He especially likes to snuggle with Daddy and watch cartoons. He's reserved... certainly not a risk-taker. He refuses to jump on the trampoline or in bounce houses. Its as if he possesses some sort of knowledge about danger that the rest of us can't understand. He's safe, but certainly not reserved. He runs around outdoors like a typical boy... enjoying being potty trained and urinated on a tree if it happens that he should have to go potty while we're in the backyard. That's a highlight of his day. Eli will come up with phrases that he hears and use them in the most perfect context. The other day he was trying to catch the end of a jump rope while Elsie ran with the other end in her hand. Out of nowhere he shouts out, "I don't think I'll ever be able to catch that fast girl!" Which of course wasn't the case. When shortly after he did catch her, he jumped up and down and yelled, "I am the champion!" Hysterical.

Somebody told me once that the older one gets, each passing year is a smaller percentage of total life. How true that is. I can't imagine what it will feel like to have our three out of the house in college and starting their own careers. I can't imagine how quickly the time will pass when they will grow up. How precious life is with them. Three years ago I had no idea how sweet and blessed our lives would become. I couldn't have imagined how these sweet babies would grow to change the way I see the world. How amazing it is to be their mom.