Picture Perfect

Da'Gorgeouses woke up last night at 4 am. I don't know what caused them to wake up but they were both standing up in their cribs crying uncontrollably. I walked in, tried to calm them and laid them both back down, went out to get them something to drink and before I was able to get back DrillSgt had gotten up and was in the process of changing LongRifle. That of course only made Pistol scream even louder. When I arrived back in her room and tried to pick her up to change her diaper all she could do was scream louder and louder, "No! Bed, mimi-time, teta, bed, mimi-time!" Poor kid, all she wanted to do was get back to sleep. So we changed their diapers, tucked them all in, turned on their CD, and that was it, back to sleep they went.

You know how some days you see your life through some sort of different perspective, as if you're peeking at yourself in a specific moment in time from outside of yourself, kind of like a mental snapshot?? Does that even make sense? Anyway, I know that our days are full of them but some days they are so much clearer than others, today was one of those days...

When Da'Gorgeouses woke up, they were happy, singing, co-operative, ready to be changed and get on with our day. One was busy getting her diaper while I changed the other, then they switched places and I was having a conversation about papá working and sissy and the taggie, then they were telling each other "come on sissy, eat". Suddenly it was as if everything was taking place in slow motion and I was watching myself in a movie or a dream, it just seemed so perfect. So I sezied the opportunity to make it last just a little bit longer and as we walked down the hallway I started to sing and dance, and somehow it just all made sense. There we were stomping, and clapping and wiggling to mamá's crazy made up song and the smiles on Da'Gorgeouses faces were as wide as I've ever seen them, and they were looking straight at me with their eyes sparkling and shining and my mind snapped a picture and captured that oh-so-very-perfect-moment. Pistol holding her face in mid-wiggle and saying "how cute" and LongRifle running toward me to give me a great big hug. A moment that 2 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago I could only pray for. God listened and in His time answered my prayers...many, many prayers. Here I was with my two beautiful daughters right in front of me, laughing and dancing and singing and hugging.

Fast forward to tonight. DrillSgt and I were rocking Da'Gorgeouses to sleep, he was holding Pistol, I had LongRifle. Pistol was super tired tonight as she had only napped about 15 minutes this afternoon. As he began to rock her, her eyes slowly began to close, she fought it, but only for a minute. Soon DrillSgt's eyes closed also, and again that snapshot from above. I saw him holding her, my strong, hard-working husband and best friend, the best choice for the father of my children. There they were, eyes closed, ever so peaceful the both of them. Then I looked down, saw myself holding LongRifle, her face smiling up at me, eyes looking into mine, body squirming...her way of telling me she was ready for bed. How more picture perfect could we end our day?

DrillSgt just walked in and summarized a segment of the news. It was about preemies born at 24 weeks and how they have the best chance of surviving if they are 1) NOT multiples, 2) girls and 3) born at a good birth weight. Well, Da'Gorgeouses were 1) 23 weeks and 5 days, 2) TWINS, 3) girls and 4) 1.4 & 1.5 lbs. Just another friendly reminder that Miracles DO happen!! Aren't I just one of the most blessed people on the face of this earth?!!