Twin Teens

Our firstborn son's identical twins girls turned 13 a couple of days ago.  I can hardly believe that these two sweet young ladies, the oldest of our 22 grandchildren, are teenagers.  They're taller than I am now, but I can still vividly remember them as precious newborns.  My husband and I were so excited to become grandparents, and what a bonus it was that we got to start with twins: neither of us ever had to wait impatiently for our turn to hold the baby, because we could each have one!  (Twins might be a doubly exhausting way to experience first-time parenthood; but it's the most glorious situation imaginable for first-time grandparents.)

These beloved granddaughters are simply wonderful girls, and I'm not saying that as a biased and doting Grammy.  It's objectively true, and anyone who knows them would agree.  They are mature in the best possible ways, but also innocent in the best possibly ways.  This mixture of maturity and innocence it a beautiful thing to behold.

The twins have always been doll lovers, and they've never seen a living, breathing baby they didn't want to hold. (Their mom and dad have given them five siblings, the youngest of whom is 6 months old, and they are the best mother’s helpers you could ask for.)  They are voracious readers, always with a stack of the books they are currently devouring resting on the table closest to where they're sitting.  (And they are big fans of their Grammy’s books. #luckiestwriterever)

Both of them play musical instruments and sing in the choir at their church, where they attend the TLM Mass in modest dresses with their heads veiled.  Their devotion to their Catholic Faith is inspiring.  They love to sew and craft and draw and write stories.  They don’t have phones.  They’re not on social media. They have lots of  friends, whom they’ve met through church and homeschool co-ops.  They are wonderfully un-worldly.

I love these two precious granddaughters to the moon and back.  They made me a grandmother and changed my life forever, in the best possible way.

Happy Birthday, girls!  I can't wait to see you later this month! XOXO

(P.S.: That second photo was taken in 2021, when I was still taller than they were!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BELOVED TWIN GRANDDAUGHTERS!

Three years ago today, a pair of angelic little girls--identical twins--came into the world and made me a Grammy.

Words cannot express the way I feel about these two extraordinary little sweethearts.  If I could sit and snuggle with them 24/7, I would be more than happy to spend my days that way.  They're so funny and spirited--and like sponges, they absorb every detail they hear and see.  It is astounding to me how much they know and remember.

Those girls have got to be the most affectionate people God ever put on His green earth, and when my husband and I are with them, they make us feel so incredibly loved, appreciated, and cherished.  When we're visiting at their house, the minute they see us at the kitchen table when they wake up in the morning, they are as excited as if it's Christmas morning and Santa has just come and left them a pile of Melissa and Doug toys.  They fly at us with smiles and giggles.  One hops into Papa's lap, and the other hops into Grammy's. They're the best huggers and kissers in the world.  I'm telling you, if my husband and I ever need an ego boost, a visit with them is sure to do the trick.

It's hard to believe how fast they're growing up!  It seems like yesterday that they looked like this.  And now they're THREE!

My wonderful late father-in-law, who adored his grandchildren with every fiber of his being, used to love the saying, "If I'd known how much fun it was to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first."  You know what?  As much as I loved raising my sweet boys, their Papa might have been onto something there.

God bless my angels!  Grammy thanks you for bringing so much joy into my life, just in the three short years I've known you.  Think of how much joy there is yet to come!

Theme Thursday: Double

My better half and I have some great advice for all of you parents out there whose children are going and growing up on you (wait--how did that happen?), leaving your nicely feathered nest (the nerve!), getting married (a joy, to be sure), and having children of their own (the gold at the end of the rainbow, I tell you).  Here it is: when you have your first grandchild...have twins!  Why have a single when a double is so much more fun for everyone?  (And by everyone, I mean the grandparents...because we've seen what taking care of infant twins round the clock looks like, and believe me, it's not for the faint of heart.  It's the best possible way to break into the grandparenthood club, but not quite as easy for a set of first-time parents.)

I realize you can't order just exactly what you want, but twins truly are the very best way to start out, especially when Papa and Grammy have been missing having babies around the house as much as my husband and I had been by the time Bonny Babe and Cutie Pie arrived on the scene just over two years ago.  We both admit that it would have been well nigh impossible to wait our turns if there'd only been one little bundle of joy to hold and cuddle, one little soft head to sniff.  We might have behaved like a pair of nap-deprived toddlers, yelling, "Mine, mine, mine!"  But we each had a baby to hold, a baby who looked so much like her identical counterpart that it was as if we were seeing double.

Now, these two look-alikes have a seven-month-old baby sister, Little Gal, and our cup runneth over.  As we look forward to the wedding of our #3 son in December, we can't help but think of all the other angels that will be added to our String of Pearls in the coming years (no pressure, kids).

But no doubt about it: we were doubly blessed, right out of the gate.

Now head on over to Cari's and you'll really be seeing double.

Move Over, Gerber Baby

Back at Christmastime, when all the relatives got an eyeful of my now eight-and-a-half-month-old identical twin granddaughters for the first time, many of them made the comment, "They look like Gerber babies!" It's true. Like that iconic image on all those baby food labels (the famous drawing of that adorable, wide-eyed baby, created way back in 1928), my granddaughters have big, blue eyes with long, dark lashes. They have round, rosy cheeks, button noses, and the most perfectly-shaped little Cupid's bow lips. But here's the one difference between the Gerber baby and the Pearl babies: the Pearl babies are infinitely more beautiful! (Said Grammy objectively, as a completely unbiased and innocent bystander. Hey, I just calls 'em as I see 'em.) Well, if I'm being honest, there's one more difference: the Gerber baby has more hair than my little darlings. They are still a tad on the bald side--but otherwise, in a cuteness contest with the Gerber baby, they would win hands down.

It's late, so I'm going to keep this brief tonight. Here in AL, where we're on Central time, it's about 9:15 p.m. I used to think that was much too early to turn in for the night; but I've decided that when you live in a household with twin babies, you get so tired by the end of the day that 9:15 is actually way past your bedtime!

I'll just wrap this post up with a close-up of one of my precious little girls, as proof of my above claims. This photo, taken this morning, happens to be of Bonny Babe, the "older" twin. (It's a bit blurry, because she was happily bopping up and down in her walker chair.)

Isn't she something else? Shouldn't this face be on baby food jars? Move over Gerber baby: there's a new kid in town! (Make that kids. New kids. Two of them.)

Hush hush, now; it's sleepy time. Good night!

Same Hats, Bigger Heads

I took this photo of my twin granddaughters five and a half months ago, when Papa and I were visiting them and their mommy (at their Nonna and Grandpa's house out in the Midwest), not long before their daddy, our oldest son, got back for good from his year-long deployment in Afghanistan. They're wearing some pretty, colorful cotton sunbonnets stitched up for them by one of their mommy's friends. Just a few months earlier when we put these same hats on them to take them for a stroller walk, they were comically big on the girls' tiny, newborn infant heads. Here, at three months old, they fit just about perfectly.

Now check out the photo I took of my little cuties on our walk yesterday, once again wearing those very same sunbonnets. The girls live a lot closer to the Equator down here in their new home state, "Alabama the Beautiful" (that's the slogan on the AL license plates), than they did at their old home in Upstate NY, so we thought their fair heads should have a little protection from the sun. Those bonnets don't fit quite as well as they used to, as you might have noticed! The babies' adorable noggins (and all of their other adorable parts, too) have grown quite a bit since the above photo was taken! But even in outgrown headgear, they're quite a pair of dolls, aren't they?

Their mommy did, however, send Daddy out to buy some bigger sunbonnets, and I must say that the new ones are pretty ding-dang stylish. I was hoping to stroll the girls all over the neighborhood today, sporting their new haberdashery; but it rained cats and dogs incessantly, and it still hasn't let up. The poor things were bare-headed and housebound all day long. Oh well, I should have plenty of opportunities to see them in those new hats during the week ahead, before I head back home to New England next Saturday.

But I'll miss these little sunbonnets. They've become a symbol for me of how fast time flies...and how quickly my grandbabies are growing up!

Happy Campers

Here is a picture of the twins, lounging on the rug in their new townhouse. This was one of the times the little campers were their happy selves, during a day filled with maybe a little TOO much excitement and disruption. The movers came this morning not long after this picture was taken, and now there are boxes, boxes...everywhere! Both of the girls seemed to need their mommy a lot today, and at the same time, of course. So it's been a bit crazy around here. But tonight, Mommy, Daddy, and Grammy don't have to sleep on air mattresses on the floor--we have beds! So I think the big people are going to be happy campers when we turn in for the night.

Among the many sacrifices that military families make, they have to move a lot more than most of us do. My son and his wife are busy tearing through boxes and setting up this house, knowing that it's possible they'll be moving to a new duty station when he finishes the six-month Army school he came here to attend. They hope he'll be able to stay on at this post for an added two years, but they have no guarantees. All I can say is God bless them both, and God bless all those who serve us as they do.

And while I'm at it, let me add: God bless mothers--and fathers--of multiples! I didn't know how easy I had it having only one baby at a time!

I'm just so proud of my son and his wife for the way they handle everything that's thrown at them, from deployment separations to cross-country moves to the exhausting demands of twin baby girls--and they do it with grace and humor. No wonder these little girls have smiles that would light up a room!

Sister Act

Literally moments before I snapped these two pictures this morning, the twins were face-to-face on the carpet, propped up in a crawling position, looking right at each other--and they began to smile and laugh and "talk" to each other (make that screech with excitement at each other). It would remind you in a way of that hilarious YouTube video that went viral not that long ago--the one of the twins in diapers having a long "conversation," going back and forth in a language that only the two of them could understand. Unfortunately, I didn't have either my iPhone or my camera handy, and my wee granddaughters' conversation was a brief one; so I missed capturing this adorable sister act on film for posterity. But Papa and I were thrilled to be there to witness it. Apparently this is the first time they have really done this. Up until this point, they've been mostly sort of ignoring each other and going their own ways; but this morning they suddenly discovered that they each have a sister friend! How exciting!

The twins seem to like their new townhouse in AL--especially since there isn't any furniture in it yet (the moving van is on the way), and they can roll all around on the carpet to their hearts' content without bumping into anything. And let me tell you, these two are a couple of rolling machines these days! They haven't perfected the art of crawling yet; but they hardly need to, since they've become so adept at rolling.

This house is actually more baby- and toddler-friendly than the one they left in NY, so we think they're going to be very happy in their new home sweet home (Alabama). The bottom line, though, is that they could probably be happy almost anywhere: after all, no matter where life takes them, they'll both always have a built-in playmate. And friends will come and go, but sisters are forever.

(Oh, and by the way: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!)

Road Trip: Third Leg

Well, we did another four-hour leg of our road trip today, and we've arrived safely at my sister-in-law's house in North Carolina. (She--along with her wonderful family--is the latest Pearl on the long family string who just happens to be right on our route as we travel south towards my oldest son's new duty station in Alabama.)

Just after we passed over the border into NC, we pulled off at a visitor's information center so that my son and his wife could feed the twins. This was no average highway rest area; it was more like your grandma's cozy living room, furnished with a comfy couch and a pair of club chairs, an Oriental rug, an electric fireplace, a T.V.--and to top it off, there was a jumbled collection of country decorations, paintings, and antiques scattered about. (The rest area doubled as a gift shop, actually; all those cute, homespun objects d'art were for sale. I almost bought some rooster-themed gifts for my VA sister-in-law, whose house we just left this morning, but then realized I'd have no room in my suitcase for them when I fly back home in a couple of weeks.)This adorable rest area just screamed "Southern hospitality." I'd never seen anything like it, and I've been on a lot of cross-country road trips in my day. It was the most welcoming visitors/welcome center you could possible imagine--right down to the two grandmotherly old ladies (with the cutest Southern accents) behind the desk who oohed and aahed over the twins and made all of us feel right at home. If they'd offered us homemade apple pie, that would have completed the whole "this is just too good to be true" experience.

We have been truly blessed on this trip, and we're down to just two more four-hour legs before we reach our final destination. The babies have been a couple of troopers, despite being cooped up in their car seats for long stretches; we've been able to have some great visiting time with family; and the weather has been cooperative. Life is good! But keep those prayers coming, if you don't mind.

(By the way, today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. More on that tomorrow.)

Road Trip: Second Leg

The twins, playing on a blanket in their  great-aunt's basement--with
their two best guys, Daddy and Papa.

Well, yesterday we left PA in the morning and drove another four hours before arriving safely in Charlottesville, VA--the second stop on our road trip south with our oldest son, his wife, and his eight-month-old twin girls. Being in the car for two days in a row was getting pretty old by that point, and the babies were more than ready to get out of their car seats by the time we reached our destination; so it's nice that today, we're planning to hang out here and give them a break before we hit the old dusty trail again tomorrow.

I can't imagine a more perfect place to give the twins a nice, long respite than right where we are now, at my husband's sister's house. Her entire basement is set up as a "mother-in-law apartment," complete with a huge bedroom, two baths, a living room/T.V. watching area, and a fully functional kitchen. My son and his little family are very comfortably settled in down there, where there is plenty of floor space for the babies' pack 'n play cribs--and for playing (as you can see in the above picture).

We had a wonderful dinner last night at the home of sons #3 and 4, who live in a condo a stone's throw from their aunt. The two bachelors made marinated roasted chicken breasts and salad, their cousin brought asparagus, and all my husband and I had to contribute was the bread. The food was delightful, and the boys had their dining area set up so that all eight adults could sit down and enjoy the meal together. There was wine, there was laughter; it was entertaining at its finest. (It was really quite impressive. Like they'd taken a page right out of Martha Stewart's Living.) We're going to see our two VA sons again at lunchtime, and then they're headed out of town tonight for their Army Reserve drill weekend.

Tomorrow morning, we're on the road again...we just can't wait to get on the road again...

Actually, that's not true. I think the babies could wait here indefinitely. But at least we only have to do another four-hour leg and then at the next stop, we'll be staying with family once again (at another one of my husband's sister's homes, in NC). At that house, there are still little people around, and lots of toys--and a young second cousin who loves nothing better than to play mommy and dote on babies. How lucky we are that there is such a long string of Pearls across this country--and no matter where you go, it seems, there are always warm Pearl arms ready to welcome weary travelers into their homes!

The trip's been going great so far, but keep us in your prayers!

Road Trip: First Leg

Here are the twins, all settled in for the night and playing on the floor of our "penthouse suite," at a Residence Inn near Harrisburg, PA. We got the first six-hour leg of our road trip behind us today, and it was a huge success. We only had to stop once to feed and change the babies, and once for gas--and other than that, our angelic little granddaughters slept the whole way.

It was just a tad sad for our son and his wife to say good-bye this morning to the first house that their family ever called home; but it's also kind of exciting for them to be off on a new adventure and heading to a brand new home down South (where you can go on nice, long stroller walks, even in February!).

Tomorrow, we only have to do a four-hour leg until we reach the next stop on our trip itinerary: Charlottesville, VA. We're going to be visiting with two of the babies' uncles, one great-aunt, and a couple of second cousins. I'll keep you posted on our progress. Wish us luck!

Pleasing Plumpness, and Cuteness in General

I hope you're not tired of hearing about my twin granddaughters, because I'm sure not tired of talking about them. These two baby girls have the cutest faces and bodies. Put all of their different parts together, and they comprise perfect tiny humans who are without a doubt the embodiment of the phrases "pleasingly plump" and "living dolls."

For a good example of this pleasing plumpness, I give you Cutie Pie's chubbly little leg. Look at those folds of pink baby fat: is that the most adorable, chunky little thigh you've ever seen, or what? As much as I love them, however, I don't wish for thighs like those myself--no offense, girls--because somehow that plumpness is not quite as pleasing on an old grandma of fifty-three. But on my granddaughters, these chubby little legs are irresistably cute.

I'm going to pass on the chunky thighs, if that's okay; I would like to have the twins' eyelashes, however. Look at them! They are so long and lustrous! The lashes in this picture belong to Cutie Pie, but Bonny Baby has a set just like them. Incredible. I often find that boys are born with thick, gorgeous eyelashes, an attribute about which they could not care less (my husband has them, the bum!), and girls are cursed with sparse ones that need a little help from Maybelline. I don't think these lucky little girls will ever need eye make-up (and I'm sure their daddy would be just as happy if they never discovered such a thing existed).

Now take a gander at Bonny Baby's chubby little wrist, with that deep crease in it. This is another perfect example of plumpness at its most pleasing, don't you think? This little wrist and hand look like they belong to a Cabbage Patch Doll, but they are in fact part of a true living doll.

It's well nigh impossible to keep from kissing and hugging these irresistible babies--these human Cabbage Patch Dolls (with way cuter faces!)--to pieces. Papa and I are thoroughly enjoying our stay with them and their mommy and daddy. What fun it is to be surrounded by such pleasing plumpness and overwhelming cuteness!

What's This Baby Thinkin' 'Bout?

Here is a picture I snapped of my little sweetheart, Bonny Baby, the other day. I think the expression on her face is hilarious. I always try to catch her when her face is lit up with one of her amazing toothless, gummy smiles; but with the digital camera delay, I usually end up getting an interesting post-smile expression instead. In this particular shot, it looks to me like she's thinking, "Who is that crazy lady, and why is she always pointing that silver thing at me?" I suppose she'd better get used to having me take her picture, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be doing that ad nauseam or ad infinitum--one of those ad's--for the rest of my days. Sorry, but with a face like that, oh cute little granddaughter of mine, what do you expect?

Actually, in this picture, here's what it looks as if she'd like to say (if only she had the vocab for it): "What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?"

That just made me think about a funny t-shirt I saw recently on a website called NoiseBot.com--where I was doing a bit of on-line Christmas shopping--that said, "I'm what Willis was talkin' bout." Don't you love it? If you're ever looking for a funny t-shirt to give to a person with a slightly off-beat sense of humor (I seem to have a few sons who would fit that bill), this is a great website. Some of their designs are on the inappropriate side, but for the most part what they have to offer is just plain silly. For instance, there's a t-shirt that has the word "PANTS" emblazoned across the front of it in great big letters. Get it? It's a shirt...but it says "pants." Maybe you have to be a tad weird to appreciate NoiseBot.com t-shirts; but if you are, check out their website. I think you'll be amused.

Anyhoo, I was with my daughter-in-law at the twins' four month check-up awhile back, and the doctor was talking about how neat it would be to know what's going on in their little heads as they look about them at all the wonders of the world and discover new things daily. Their many expressions are just so priceless, and this one is a prime example. When I look at it, I just have to wonder: what's she thinkin' 'bout?

Jeepers Creepers

I'm late getting to my blog today, but it's not because I slept in or anything. Actually, Grammy has been up since five o'clock (Papa, too). Our son and his wife told us when we arrived at their house last night that the twins are always really happy first thing in the morning, so we told them to wake us up when the babies got up. And the early wake-up call was well worth whatever sleep we sacrificed, because they are such happy little campers at that early hour! They are both very smiley and talkative--in their own special way, that is: Bonny Baby blows lots of loud bubbles, and Cutie Pie squeals. They are positively adorable, and it's just about impossible to be near them and keep yourself from sniffing their downy little heads and kissing their chubby little cheeks.

I had my husband snap this picture of Cutie Pie peering over my shoulder. Jeepers creepers, where'd she get those peepers?! I tell you, she and her sister have just about the roundest, bluest eyes I've ever seen. And the thickest, longest eyelashes. Lucky them--I don't think they'll ever need to wear mascara.

These two little dolls definitely keep their parents hopping, and I'd like to say right now that mothers of multiples are my heroes. My daughter-in-law deserves a medal for the way she handles all the demands of not one, but two, needy five-and-a-half month old baby girls. And I'm quite proud of my oldest son, too, for the way he pitches in and splits the baby duties with her 50/50 whenever he's not at work. We're hoping that while we're here, we can lighten their load a bit. Papa and I are always more than willing to volunteer whenever we hear "Who wants to hold a baby?" (But look at the positively squeezable baby I'm holding in this picture. Who could ever turn down an opportunity like that?!)

Dresses for the Twins

I recently finished making a pair of dresses for the twins and mailed them out yesterday. I am so excited to have little female children for whom to sew! I did make some things for my boys when they were very small: red corduroy Christmas rompers, a tiny blue and white striped seersucker suit, play shorts, Halloween costumes; but there is a very small window of opportunity to make things for boys before they outgrow homesewn attire. Let's just say that I don't think wearing Mom's homemade dungarees, with an elastic waistband and sideseam pockets, would have been too cool. (And the fact that I just called them dungarees instead of jeans is not very cool, either.) But with girls, you can always make dresses, no matter how grown up and sophisticated they--and their wardrobes--become. There are so many opportunities for dresses: First Communion, Christmas dances, and proms, to name just a few. I'm hoping to keep my sewing machine busy for years to come!

I decided to use a doll that belonged to the twins' father to model one of the dresses. Whoa! That didn't sound very good! I better back up here and explain, because trust me, neither my oldest son nor any of his younger brothers was ever into playing with dolls! When my firstborn son was just over a year old (and brother #2 was well on the way), my mother-in-law had this cloth likeness of him made to give to her first grandchild for Christmas. (Technically, it was for him; but let's be honest--we all knew it was really more for me.) She knew a woman who had a little cottage industry creating dolls to look like specific children. So Mom described her grandson: a blue-eyed boy with white blond hair that stuck straight up, Billy Idol-style; and from that description, this doll was born. That Christmas when my boy opened up his present, he briefly hugged the doll (a real "Awwww" moment for the family), but pretty much ignored it from that moment on.

That poor doll was never loved the way it should have been. As the years went by and the number of boys in our household multiplied, it was flung about and mistreated, used as a weapon, and yanked at until there was a rip under one armpit and the stuffing started to come out. For some reason, my boys thought that doll was the most hilarious-looking thing, and it brought out the bully in all of them. When it got ripped, that was the last straw. That was when the doll officially became mine, and I stored it away in a safe place where their grubby little hands couldn't harm it anymore. I waited until they were much older before I dared to bring it out of hiding. Now, this doll sits in a guest room, in a child-sized rocking chair that we've had for almost thirty years, and it is loved beyond measure--because of that baby boy with the sticky-up hair that it resembles, because it can wear real baby clothes that my boys used to wear, because of the loving grandmother who had it made...and simply because I have a huge soft spot for dolls.

And although this doll is supposed to be a boy, I think it looks really cute in a dress--but not nearly as cute as my granddaughters are going to look in them. (Fingers crossed: I hope they fit!)

Watching Football with Our Boy

Well, it's Saturday, and it's fall...and you know what that means. It means that today is college football-watching day.

Our second oldest son, the high school Algebra teacher and football coach who lives only about an hour from us (which makes him our favorite, if you ask him, since he lives closest) is here today. He's going to watch, along with his father and me, our beloved--yet heartbreaking, disappointing, and frustrating!--Fighting Irish play Navy. We're going to watch the game in our "man cave," where his high school jersey hangs on the wall, right along with those of his four brothers.

The high school varsity team our son helps to coach had an away game last night one town over from us, so my husband and I went to watch him in coach mode--oh, and to see his team play, too. I never thought I'd sit freezing my tushie off in the stands on a cold October night, watching a high school football game after all of my own boys had graduated from high school and left their playing days behind them...but we are fans of whatever our boys are doing, and these days, one of them is coaching the Bulldogs. Let's just say that we used to cheer for a high school team called the Saints, but now we're well on our way to becoming dyed-in-the-wool Bulldog fans.

Our boy decided to stay over last night, and it's so much fun to have him here in the morning! It feels like the good old days, when the house was filled with the deep, laughter-laced voices of our five lads. As I write this, I can hear him and his dad energetically discussing football in general and Notre Dame football in particular. I've heard snippets of the conversation, like "fumble returns" (which I think is a reference to a truly disastrous play from last week's game, when ND's second-string quarterback fumbled a snap on the one yard line, and USC recovered it and ran it back for a touchdown). I'm trying to put the Southern Cal game out of my head, and I'm really hoping today's game won't be a similar mood killer. Even though Navy is 2-5 and not all that good this year, and Notre Dame is 4-3 and chock full of talent, my husband worries that it's not going to be a lucky day for the Irish. Hopefully, he'll be proved wrong; but it's best to brace yourself for the worst these days if you're a diehard Notre Dame fan. If I believed in curses, I would say the Irish were cursed.

But check out this picture of my twin granddaughters (taken a few months ago). They look like little Notre Dame cheerleaders. How can you see this and not get pumped up for today's game? It makes me want to shout "Go Irish!"

Proof of Life

Here is a sonogram picture taken of my twin granddaughters exactly a month before they were born. I'm sure you've figured this out already, but it's a view from the top of their heads; you can see Twin B's hand near her face and the outline of Twin A's adorable rounded cheeks and button nose. Whenever I look at all of the sonogram pictures my daughter-in-law sent us throughout her pregnancy, I am blown away by this awe-inspiring technology. Through these images, my husband and I were able to watch the twins grow from the very beginning, when they looked like two tiny lima beans anchored to a wall by threads; then in almost no time at all, they were plump little beings with short arms and legs; and soon, we could make out their hands waving at us, and we could clearly see the outlines of their feet and their darling profiles. The idea of two separate human beings growing together in one womb is a miracle almost beyond comprehension; the fact that we can be witnesses to that miracle through sonogram images such as these is yet another miracle. I can't imagine how anyone can see a sonogram picture and not be passionately pro-life. Now look at this picture of the babies, taken a couple of weeks ago. That's Twin B (my "Cutie Pie") on the left and Twin A (my "Bonny Baby") on the right. They're positioned exactly as they were in the above sonogram picture, and photographed from the same angle. And they haven't changed much! The outlines of their heads--and their cute little cheeks and noses--look just like Twin A's in the sonogram picture! And I don't know about you, but when I look at this photo, I definitely feel like I'm seeing double. They are identically adorable.

Everything, every bit of genetic material, that these two needed to become the beautiful baby girls they are today was present from the very beginning, even when to the naked eye they had the appearance of tiny beans. They just needed nutrition and time so that they could grow and develop and get ready to make their entrance into the world. They were, from their earliest stages, two individual humans--two souls made in the image and likeness of God. Okay, that's my plug for the sanctity of life, from the moment of conception on. These days, one needn't say much; he can just let sonogram pictures do the talking. Proof of life is there, in black and white.

On the Road with the Twins

In case you're wondering why I didn't blog yesterday, it's because we were on the road--doing the first leg of our trip east with our twin granddaughters and their mommy--and I had no internet access. We got about five hours of driving behind us before we stopped at around dinnertime and stayed overnight with our daughter-in-law's aunt and uncle, who live in a bucolic town in Illinois called Woodstock. Woodstock has the most idyllic and picturesque town square: its brick-paved streets, lined with quaint shops and restaurants, surround a lush, green park that has a large bandstand in the middle of it. It is just so beautiful! But the town's real claim to fame is that the 1992 movie "Groundhog Day"--hands down one of the greatest, funniest movies of all time, in my opinion--was filmed on location there, and the bandstand on the green was used for "Gobbler's Knob," where Punxsutawney Phil made his appearance. Our daughter-in-law's uncle was kind enough to drive my husband and me downtown after dinner and then walk with us around the square (in the dark, in the rain), pointing out all the buildings and sites in town that had been used in the movie. He made a special side trip to show us the bed and breakfast with the white picket fence and arbor out front. We even got to see the very spot on the sidewalk (now commemorated with a metal plaque) where Bill Murray's character Phil kept stepping off into the giant puddle, while Ned Ryerson--"Needlenose Ned," "Ned the Head"--jibed, "Watch out for that first step--it's a doozie!"

After a good night's sleep and giving the babies their first bottles of the morning, we left Woodstock and got back on the old dusty trail. With the twins napping pretty much the whole way, we made it to South Bend right in time for their next feeding. We decided to stop in at the University of Notre Dame and feed the girls their bottles in the lobby of the Eck Center, which is right next to the Hammes Bookstore. While their mommy and I took care of the babies, their Papa ran over to the bookstore to get them some pink Notre Dame-themed bibs. It was a short rest stop, but a good one--and then it was time to hit the road again.We drove for about four-and-a-half more hours, with one bottle stop somewhere in the middle, until we got just outside of Cleveland, and that's where we are now--in a really comfy two-story suite at a Residence Inn. The babies have been real troopers (and their mom, who's been riding squished in between two carseats on the hump in the middle of the back seat, has been one, too); but it won't be long now before the trip will be over, they'll be in their own little house in Upstate NY, and they'll have their daddy back home with them where he belongs. We have only about six more hours of actual driving time before we reach our destination tomorrow. The twins were getting a bit tired of their car seats by the end of today's leg, but hopefully after a nice long break here in the Cleve (I'm putting that in for all you "30 Rock" fans), they'll be ready to get back in the saddle tomorrow morning.

I'll post updates on our trip as soon as I have internet access again, and I'm not sure exactly when that will be. Until then, wish us luck and keep us in your prayers.

Ready for Their Close-Ups

Sometimes, I just like to zoom in on my granddaughters' faces to get extreme close-ups of their facial features--because I think they have the most perfect little blue eyes, upturned button noses, and rosebud lips.

The above shot is of Cutie Pie, who appears to be deep in thought, contemplating the mysteries of the universe. (Or maybe she's just extremely interested in the hanging toy on her little bouncy seat that is out of range in this picture!)

Now here's one of Bonny Babe, determined to win a staring contest with her Grammy (or with her Grammy's camera, perhaps). Jeepers creepers, where'd she get those peepers?

I wanted to make this quick today, because we need to bundle these two up, pack up the car with a mountain of baby paraphernalia, and get on the road in a few hours. But I just thought I'd share these pictures of my little sweethearts with you.

(Are you smiling more than you were before you saw this post? I thought so.)

Easy Riders

Do you feel like you're seeing double? I know, isn't it crazy? It's pretty obvious when you look at pictures like this one that my twin granddaughters are identical. My husband and I flew out to the Midwest over the weekend to help out with them so that my daughter-in-law, who was a bridesmaid in her younger brother's wedding, could relax a little bit and enjoy his wedding and reception. We hadn't seen the girls, who are three months old now, since their Baptism, when they were just over a month old--and boy, have they changed! They are identical in their adorableness (is that a word? If it isn't, it should be): both of them are pink and chubby and round-cheeked, with big blue eyes that take in everything going on around them and perfect little rosebud mouths that periodically produce the most incredible smiles. Needless to say, we had a wonderful weekend because we got to spend so much time feeding and holding and cuddling these little darlings.

In a few weeks' time, the girls are going to get to know those car seats of theirs very well, because they are going to have to make a 20-some-odd hour trip east to go back to their house in Upstate NY, in order to be there to greet their daddy when he comes home from Afghanistan. Luckily, though, aside from being very easy on the eyes, these babies are a couple of easy riders, that's for sure. Once you strap them into their car seats and put them either in the car or the double stroller, they usually cork right off and sleep like lambs the minute you get in motion. Their mommy has had to endure a lot over the past year--including an entire pregnancy, months of bedrest, the birth of twins, and caring for two infants for four months, all without her husband by her side--so if anyone deserves an easy ride east, it's her. Let's pray for that!

Smile, and the World Smiles with You!

I don't want to waste too much of the precious time I have here visiting with my daughter-in-law and my little granddaughters worrying about keeping up with my blog. But the babies are sleeping right now (although due to wake up again soon), so I thought I'd sneak away and quickly post this adorable picture. Because, newsflash...the twins are smiling now!

(I bet you're smiling now, too, after looking at Bonny Babe's happy little face.)

I didn't catch one of Cutie Pie's smiles on film yet, but she looks pretty much exactly like this; so just multiply this face times two, and you'll have an idea of the cuteness by which I am currently surrounded!