Don't you love pictures of your kids sleeping? I feel like we took a zillion of them while in Ethiopia because we were all so tired! Any chance we got, we were sleeping. Not only were Matt and I jet lagged for most of the trip, we were exhausted from being up for 3-4 hours every night with one of the kids each night.
The babies were so tired, they even found a way to sleep in the hot car. Above is Matt with Sadie and a friend that traveled with us,
Mandy, and her son, Silas.
Each morning one child or the other would wake up earlier. It usually alternated days, which was nice because we were then able to spend special time with each baby alone. Sadie always woke up with a huge smile on her face and was ready to play and have fun.
Most of the time the babies ended up sleeping on one of the two double beds. It made it easier for us to lay with them for a few minutes while they drifted off to sleep. It was a great time to bond and cuddle with the twins.
Don't you love those lips? They are so big and kissable! There is nothing more precious than watching your children sleep. I often wonder if I will ever get over wanting to go in to my kids' bedrooms and kissing them goodnight after they are sleeping. Probably not.
Above is a picture of me with Sadie in the morning after our first night together. You can see how tired I look after sleeping barely 4 hours. I knew those crazy nights before we left, staying up late and praying through the night that we would get cleared were worth it -- they were training me for this. Thank goodness for strong Ethiopian coffee!
Here I am, day 2 of no sleeping... and looking significantly more tired. I am beginning to truly understand the concept of beauty sleep. :)
Sammy would wake up relatively happy and very, very hungry. He would eat just about anything when he woke up. Since coming home he has become quite the picky eater. His diet many consists of watery oatmeal.
While we were in Ethiopia the babies were napping twice a day. They'd nap for about an hour or so in the morning and then 2-3 hours in the afternoon. I am sure they needed all the rest from lack of sleep at night. It gave Matt and I a change to relax as well.
The trip was really good, but like I said, it was exhausting. These two sweet babies are so different than Michael and Liliana. They make messes, they have attitude, they throw toys, they touch anything and everything that they shouldn't. Add that to being in a foreign country, in a place that isn't your home and it makes for a very tiring week.
Both of the kids like to be on the move. While at the guesthouse, Samuel constantly wanted to go out in the hallway and climb up and down the stairs; stopping at each stairwell to give himself kisses in the mirror. I forgot what it was like to have kids that need Mommy and Daddy's constant attention.
I was thinking about this constant attention the other day while I groaning at the fact that the twins decided to nap for half their normal nap time. I was feeling sorry for myself for a brief moment because they were wanting to get up and I wasn't ready for them to get up. And then it dawned on me - it's not about me anyway. What an amazing gift it is for Matt and I to raise these two beautiful children.
I am so grateful for every moment I have with them. I know it sounds cliche, but it is so true. I am amazed by God's goodness to us through these two bundles of joy. Oh, how I love them.
Even when they are crying for Mommy and they both need a bottle at the same time. :) I've become quite good at feeding two babies, rocking them, and putting them to bed at the same time. And I love that they desire me so much that they'd rather share me at bedtime than lay in their crib with their bottle by themselves. I am pretty sure that they went to bed with a bottle each night at the care center. But now, they refuse a bottle in their crib. They'll only drink it from Mommy's arms. Praise Jesus.
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