When You Were Babies



Joshua & Luke outside Dairy King.



Dearest Joshua and Luke,

I am not sure if it is due to the birthdays this week or exactly why this has been conversation, but you have both been asking a lot of questions about when you were babies.  I wish I could tell you it was about the little sister you have both always wanted, but that is not the case either.  So......this week we were telling you stories about when you were babies.  I remember when we first brought Joshua home, we were surprised at how little we actually knew about taking care of a baby.   I had been a teacher for ten years. We had taken care of your niece and nephews while their parents were on vacation.  We took "How To Take Care of a Baby" classes, but none of that actually prepared us for bringing you home.

Luke is right in the middle, thinking about the next move.

 One of our biggest challenges, as it was with most parents, was getting you both on a schedule. I nursed you both for almost fifteen months each, and we believed in feeding you on demand, not on a schedule set up by us.  So that made the task of figuring out some sort of schedule even more challenging.  We found our way, but it was a lot of trial and error.  You both learned to fall asleep while nursing so that made the bedtime routine very easy (as long as you were nursing).  Nurse you.  Fall asleep.  Nurse you.  Fall asleep.

VBS performance starring Joshua!

During the first few weeks of having Joshua at home, we had to drive around town to get you to fall asleep.  And that worked for a few weeks until you figured out what Daddy was doing.  Or until we pulled into the driveway and tried to get your carrier out of the car.  I remember many times that Daddy would drive you around.  Luke fell asleep easier, and I do not remember having to drive him around near as much as we did with Joshua.  Other tricks we used were singing lullabies or other soft songs.....Jesus Loves Me,  Rock A Bye Baby, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Hush Little Baby Don't Say A Word.........over and over and over again.

Luke carrying a baby on his back in the Discovery Room.

We would walk around the upstairs singing and pacing.  Singing and pacing.  While at the moment, it seemed challenging, I would not trade any of those moments for anything.  And once in a while, you will still ask me to sing a lullaby to you, and I love doing it.  I have added a few to my repertoire - a favorite being.....La La Lu, La La Lu, La La Lu Little Lukie.....(from Lady and the Tramp). 

Joshua & Luke placed dinosaur bones in the right order!

Joshua celebrated his 7th birthday this week.  Wow!  That is hard to believe!  Seven years old seems like a kid, not a little boy anymore.  Joshua got a day to do whatever he wanted.  So we started the day at the Science Center.  We watched the IMAX movie, Space Junk, and Daddy and Joshua visited the Nanoworlds exhibit.  Joshua also asked for white cupcakes with sprinkle frosting.  For dinner, we ate at Dairy King, a new favorite place of Joshua's.  I think he really likes the root beer floats there, but that was his choice.  It was a great day!  Joshua got some games to play on the Wii. And Joshua and Luke got a Wii!  He also got lots of phone calls and messages to wish him well throughout the day. 

Later this month, he will have a birthday party at the bowling alley with lots of school friends.

I love you both more today than I did yesterday.

Love,
Mama