Five

Happy Birthday Nicolas and Riley!  How can you possibly be five?!

 

I remember it like it was yesterday - the day your daddy and I found out we were having twins.  I was eleven weeks pregnant.  I had been super nauseous throughout the first trimester of my pregnancy and I was much larger than other pregnant women who were farther along than me.  But still, never in a million years did I ever think I was pregnant with twins.  It just never entered my consciousness.

Imagine my utter surprise when the OB did that first ultrasound.  The first thing out of her mouth was, "OH MY GOSH!"  (Not what you want your doctor to say.  It freaked me out.)  As I looked back at the ultrasound screen the doctor elaborated, "You have two babies in there!"

The first thing out of my mouth was "SHUT UP!"  I was shocked. 

I was so glad Daddy was right there with me.  He could see you both on the screen and he knew right away what those two dots were.  We giggled, sat in silence for a moment, and then exchanged feelings of utter disbelief.

When the appointment was over, we got into our Honda Civic, knowing full-well that it wouldn't hold three car seats.  We knew then that everything was about to drastically change.  And trust me, it did.

And now, here we are - five years later.  We've all survived!  At times, we've even thrived.  And we just can't imagine what life would be without you - BOTH of you.  You are each such an amazing (good and perfect) gift to us.

It's been a hard five years.  It's not easy raising three little boys.  You have a highly spirited older brother and one of you has a lot of tantrums (hint, hint).  You guys hit and kick and fight and run and jump and make huge messes all the time.  On top of that, you have a mom who works at a job where she spends a lot of her heart energy and often comes home tired.  And you have a dad who has worked his booty off the last three years going to law school while working to support our family.

But you know what?  You have each other and together you have weathered the storms.  You are such a great team and you both are growing up to be remarkable little boys.  I love everything about you.

Nicolas: I love your surprising sensitive side, the way you love kitties and puppies and babies.  I love your unruly, curly hair and the way it smells when you wake up sweaty from a good sleep.  I love watching you rub the satin edges of your blankie as you fall asleep.  I love your freakishly good memory and your new fascination with telling time.  I love your artwork.  I love to watch you shuffle your feet when you run.  I delight in you.

Riley: I love your big brown eyes and your soft cheeks.  I love that you still like to cuddle with me.  I love the raspy voice that you get at the end of the day after talking (and whining) incessantly.  I love that you are a great companion for running errands (even if you talk the entire time!).  I love to watch you rub your Bear-Bear with your first and second fingers as you fall asleep.  I love to cook dinner with you and then watch you try new foods.  I love your skills with balls, bats, and rackets.  I delight in you.

Happy Birthday, my sweet boys.  I love you so very much.             

(Ninjago Masters Nicolas and Riley cutting their birthday cake with a real samurai sword at their Karate birthday party - so fun!)