Damn My Old Joints!

Before the girls were born, I thought I knew everything.  Well, I still do, but what I know has changed with experience.

I had heard of people getting angry at the dog for barking and waking up the baby.  Or I would visit someone with a baby, and after they put them to sleep they would tip toe out of the nursery and freak out, silently of course, if you made the smallest noise.

I thought I wasn't going to be like that.  I didn't want to train my kids to wake up at the drop of a needle.  I would be loud, and they would sleep.

Turns out I have shit for brains.

With twins it is twice as hard to get them to sleep. Sometimes after rocking and singing and cuddling, and repeating, we get them both in their crib asleep, but then one might start to cry, and it triggers the chain reaction leading us back to the starting line.

Actually, I shouldn't complain, because the girls are actually great sleepers.  I thought they were amazing at first, but it turned out to be jaundice.

Now when the are asleep and I manage to transfer them from my arms to the crib without waking them up I stand over the crib for a few minutes to make sure they don't wake themselves up with crazy arm movements.  I am also ready to pick one up if they are about to wake the other.  Then when they both seem to be sleeping, I get ready to creep out of the bedroom as quietly as I can.

I am not a young father.  I'm not a senior citizen, but I am in my late 30's.  So as I start trying to creep away, without fail my ankles will crack.  Every time that happens, the girls jump.  It isn't enough to wake them up, usually.  But every now and then it does.

Then I get murderously angry, at myself.  So now I try to walk out, quietly and stealth-fully and without bending any of my joints.