Monday, January 18, 2010

Rhythm











On New Year’s Eve our last visitor left and Justin and I reviewed what a truly incredible year 2009 was. We celebrated the New Year with east coasters and settled into bed just before Las Vegas counted down to 2010. After a fun filled long weekend we began a routine.

I forgot how much I missed routine until it arrived. Friends had warned me how hard going back to work would be but my new found appreciation for change enabled the transition to ease in nicely. Justin and I are lucky enough to have jobs with flexibility, so he cut back his hours, I changed mine, and we began. I work from home on Mondays and Fridays (and go in on the weekend if necessary), Justin stays home with the girls on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and our beloved doula Nancy picks up Wednesdays.

The first week was a lot better than expected. Justin managed to get both the girls and dogs out for a long walk (a skill that requires both patience and talent). I set up a weekly play date with a friend Rachel whose twins are ten days older then the girls (you might notice a few extra babies in the play gym picture), and Nancy, well Nancy is as she has been from the day the girls were born, amazing. While I miss the girls when I am at work, I have the utmost confidence in our team. And the girls are doing great.

Addy is finally on the weight charts at 10.9 pounds. She is in the 15th percentile and is long and lean like her father. Morgan is almost off the charts at 14.9 pounds, is now wearing size 3 diapers and blue jeans, and is losing her hair like her mother (a phase we both hope will end soon). Both girls sleep mostly through the night and are growing and changing each day. Stroller rides have become a regular part of the routine (thank you Phil for the rain cover—it comes in very handy in the northwest),tummy time is no longer a chore, and the jumparoo is a big hit (thank you to the Gross family for this kind donation).

Justin and I set a new years resolution to get the girls out in the world. So in the last two weeks Morgan has been to Fred Meyer twice (so bright and colorful), Addy went out for Indian food and to Cosco (she slept well that night), both girls have wanded through security at the courthouse (Justin had to drop off papers no exciting story here), and the ladies seem to enjoy waiting with Justin at Boomers drive in. We have started unofficial swimming lessons in the bathtub and Baby and Me classes start next week.

While they are only four months old, life without Morgan and Addy seems blurry. Each day they learn something new, sleep a bit less, and smile a bit more. I wonder what impact they will have on the world. Addy’s obsession with her arms in the air makes me think she might be a conductor or a volleyball player. Morgan’s constant talking makes me wonder if she will be a debater or a singer. But the truth is I can wait to find out. I love each new phase, each morning smile, and the evening rocking before bed. Justin and I have had so many laughs and tender moments with the DuPre girls, there are too many too list. While I still long for a few more hours of sleep, the trade off is more then worth it. I look forward to having you meet them, see then again, and/or watch them grow. But for now I am proud to report the six of us have really established beautiful rhythm.