The first time they were separated was in the delivery room, two minutes apart. Bridget was the first one out. She probably was the one that started the early labor because she had grown tired of having her brother laying on top of her. Despite the enormous size of my belly, I'm sure I also had a few organs and vital parts of my own body in her way. Stephen would probably have enjoyed a few more weeks of utero - but as in many things, he got pulled into (or out of) the situation.
We kept them close to each other as they lay in one of the cribs, thinking that they would comfort each other. We used wedge pillows between them to keep them propped on their side, because the burrito wrapping of the receiving blankets made them roll like crazy. We also had to keep their apnea monitors untangled - or try to, at least. During the day, they hung out in separate basinets (that I made, BTW), bouncy seats or in the car seats - yet they were always side by side. When they got old enough to sit in the swings, they were side by side again. Same as hanging on separate activity blankets, or boppy pillows. One thing we did for early self-identification was place baby (plexiglass) mirrors near them. I think early on they may have thought there was more than each other...
They've been at the same day care, the same Pre-K, the same Kindergarten, and the same classrooms. They've shared the same schedule, and for the most part, the same after school activities.
When we moved into our current house, we let them pick their wall colors. Steve brought them to Home Depot on the first run and let them pick any color they wanted. They came home with 20 swatches. I took them back for another try with a limit to their choices: four walls, two colors each.
We gave them the biggest room to try to give them some individual space. We took the smaller room, with access to the greenhouse (one of my favorite spots in the house, even though it should be condemned). The smallest room became a guest room. Honestly, it is the room where we dump a lot of crap and then have to dig it out if guests stay. It's also the place where our cat finds sanctuary from the dog. There's one spot on the bed that has such a huge layer of her hair, I'm wondering if I'll be able to wash it out....
Bridget will take our current bedroom (although I still claim rights to access the greenhouse). Stephen will take the guest room. Steve and I will take the large bedroom. We may or may not include a work space there; that will depend on how much room we have after we arrange all the furniture.
Aside from sharing the room, the kids are still sleeping on toddler beds. Their feet are hanging off the end. Tomorrow night, they both sleep on grown up beds. I wonder if they will last through the night in their own rooms.
We can't afford to paint now. So Steve and I will enjoy our new bedroom with the color scheme of "Cinderella Blue", "Sleeping Beauty Pink", "Alien Green", and "Midnight Black." We have no matching bedroom sets - we're totally attic chic. But we do have a nice, eclectic collection of art. I sometimes drool at the well matched and tastefully decorated homes. In our reality, they are nice places to visit - but we are comfortable in our loving home.
I can already hear the conversation they are going to have with future roommates......
"You think you had it bad - my parents made me sleep in a baby bed until I was 8 years old."
Those who know our kids are probably wondering what took us so long. They seem so balanced.
(day after post, I remembered this photo taken when they were three years old. One night, for no reason, Stephen climbed into his sister's bed for a little snuggle. I wonder if that will happen their first night in separate rooms....
#85 of 90in90 for #LUBlogTribe
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