Somebody kidnapped my babies!!

And in their place left me with these two toddlers:


Seriously?!?!? Where did my baby boys go to? I don't recall them growing up before my very eyes, but I guess the camera doesn't lie, does it? There is no denying that they aren't babies anymore and not just based on this picture, but on lots of things that have snuck up on me:

1. Josh is officially crawling....wounded soldier crawling, but crawling nonetheless. And man can that kid move only using one good arm and dragging his legs behind him. And what does he craw to the fastest??? The wires of course!
2. Brody is standing better and better when hanging on to something. While he has no interest in crawling, his favorite activity is spinning around on his butt.
3. Table food, here they come! They will eat any and everything you give them - no joke! I was eating olives the other day and Brody whined and whined until I gave him a piece, thinking he would spit it out immediately, but nope, he just whined for more!
4. They both have so many teeth! They are actually trying to chew things, including my feet.
5. Josh is clapping, and not only clapping, but with the accuracy of a Simon champion of the '80. We clap once, he claps once. We clap five times, he claps five times. No getting anything past this smarty-pants.
6. Brody is drinking not only from a sippy cup, but a straw sippy cup. And, they don't mind the taste of cows milk which has been slowly incorporated in their diet. But of course not, it's food, isn't it?
7. They have outgrown all their "age equivalent" clothing and have moved on to 18 & 24 month sizes...preemies, what preemies??

But alas, no mama...not even close, of course if you count "maba" close. Which I don't. Heck, if Matt didn't even count "a da" as close how on earth can I count maba? The quest still continues...maybe, someday, I'll get my wish. To be called the name that I am sure will drive me nuts for the rest of my life. But for now, lay it on me kids....mama me up, mama it to me, it's all about the mamas (wha!wha!) baby!

As for me, I'm getting quite weepy at the prospect that I no longer have two little preemies to care for, but two growing, independent on my hands. Really, where did the time go?? And to think, about a year ago I was on bedrest in the hospital on the precipice of some fantastic voyage that I hadn't the faintest idea what was in store for me. All the sleepless nights, all the hospital visits, all the hospital stays, all the spitty clothes, all the blow out diapers, all the thoughts of how on earth was I going to take care of not one, but two infants! I won't lie, I've thought about running away a few times (ha! The way I run, where was I going to go, to the end of the neighborhood before I was done!), but it was all worth it. All the smiles, hugs, giggles, raspberries, and all the new things they are learning by the second. It was worth EVERY minute I spent on bedrest, in the NICU, and nebulizing two very angry boys. They are a joy to behold and cannot wait to see what the future lies in store for us...

Maybe, just maybe, a "mama" :) Pretty, puh-lease!!