38: Double Trouble

On this day a year ago, Jordan and I were sitting through a nine hour course on “What to expect when you’re expecting” at Chester County Hospital. Meanwhile, back in Villanova, Jessi and Pete had their bags packed and ready to go into labor at any moment. Back in our garage sat an overpriced double-decker stroller. I thought to myself, “Why is this class nine hours and what the heck are we going to do with a double decker stroller?” The truth is, none of us had any clue what we were in for.

A year later, Charlie and Leila, the “Boogie Cousins” (as Casey lovingly named them), have taken over the world. Well, at least they’ve taken over our world.

This weekend, we had the privilege of watching Leila while Jessi and Pete attended a wedding out of town. My floor is now covered in scrambled eggs, blueberries, and baby toys. My lower back is sore from walks around the house, the rooftop of the Great American Pub, and the patio at World of Beers. My obliques are sore from the shuttle runs to keep one terror away from the outlet while the other made a break for the door. My biceps are sore from carrying these 20+ pound medicine balls in each arm. My chest is sore from pushing that damn double decker stroller up the hill of Fayette Ave in Conshohocken (by the way, this stroller was worth every penny). Most of all, my jaw is sore from smiling at these sweet and adorable little nuggets all weekend.

Charlie started out the weekend little bit afraid of her cousin, but as the hours rolled on, the bond grew stronger and stronger. It’s been fun to see these little girls grow up side by side, and it will be even more fun as they get older.

When one babbles, the other babbles. When one cries, the other cries. When one giggles, the other giggles. I thought their emotional ups and downs would wait until middle school, but it looks like they’ve started early. The drama will eventually and inevitably evolve from “you took my penguin” to “you flirted with my crush,” but we can’t imagine the memories…and the trouble…these two will create together.

When we were sitting in the “what to expect when you’re expecting” class, we had no clue what to expect. But the joy that “Double Trouble” have brought us and the rest of our family has blown away our wildest expectations.