I hope everyone’s Christmas was joyous! Tonight I am sharing something I wrote about a year ago, when I still had two babies, instead of two little children running around. Next week I hope to start the new year with the first of my Sisterhood of Stories posts!

Two Babies

“Two babies!” my mom often exclaims, staring at my offspring as though still surprised by their double existence.

Yes, Grammy. Two babies.

And so, two babies finished their breakfast and went for a bath this morning. They stood side-by-side at the edge of the tub as I turned on the faucet. They watched wide-eyed, fully clothed, but fairly bouncing with anticipation.

One little baby smelled badly, and so was undressed first, cleaned off, and set loose, a naked baby crawling on the bathroom floor while mommy adjusted the water temperature, turned off the faucet, and stuck her foot in a puddle of, uh-oh, what must be baby pee on the floor.

One little baby went in the tub while her brother was stripped of his clothes and diaper, and, uh-oh, sprayed a puddle on the floor.

Two little babies were in the tub, splashing gleefully, happy babies, while mommy cleaned up the floor and took off her socks. Two little babies played with yellow duckies, and four little patties itched to pull the stopper from the drain.

One mommy got tired of playing drain stopper police and soaped up two little heads, washed off two little bodies, and rinsed out hair, some lighter and some darker, some longer and some shorter. One little baby cried when the water ran in his eyes.

Two little babies were pulled, dripping, from the tub and sat on towels. One little baby cried some more.

Two little babies were wiggling away while mommy dried their fat little tummies and soft skin, head to toe. Two little babies were hoisted, still naked, into mommy’s arms and given a chance to peer at themselves in the mirror, before being carried to the nursery.

Two little babies were diapered and dressed, one in pink and one in maroon, and set free to explore the diaper box and the blanket basket.

One little baby was caught and cried when mommy tried to put her to sleep. A whiff of something reached mommy’s nose.

Two little babies had apparently messed their diapers right after getting dressed, and one mommy changed them both again. One little baby needed clean clothes as well as a clean diaper.

Then, one at a time, mommy nursed and rocked two babies to sleep.

Two little babies were tucked into their respective beds, one little boy sucking his sister’s purple nuk, and one little girl with her brother’s green pacifier. Two babies slept peacefully, curled up under soft blankets like two little kittens.

And one mommy sat down to sip her coffee and twitch her tale.