3 more reasons to miss Maryland

Gabe and I left for MD on Friday afternoon and returned home yesterday. I had been looking forward to the trip (which was rescheduled several times) since the triplets were born two months ago. Now it has come and gone. And I miss my Maryland family more than ever.

The babies are beautiful and perfect and more darling than you can even imagine. I relished every minute I held them for the short time I was there. I loved being able to help feed, change, and bathe them. Em and KC's home is now a baby wonderland. There's something very sweet about being surrounded by cozy blankets, piles of burp rags, cribs, swings, bottles, and best of all, babies.

It's amazing how quickly the time passes when there are three babies around. Well, four, including Gabe - if you can call him a baby next to his 6 pound cousins. He looks like King Kong! We had a good laugh when Mom accidentally grabbed one of Gabe's diapers (size 4) and was so confused as she struggled to put it on one of the triplets.

The weather was lovely over the weekend so Gabe and I were privileged to accompany the family and Mom and the babies' first walk. I loved our daily walks through their gorgeous neighborhood. Maryland has a second-home-feeling to me. And right now I feel a little second-homesick.

I guess I feel a little melancholy as I write this post. I only wish these times with my sister weren't so few and far between. We just want to live next door to one another. Is that really too much for twin sisters to ask? This morning I had a little post-trip-with-Em breakdown. (This generally happens at the airport. Luckily KC dropped me off this time so I was able to keep it together on the plane ride!) I was feeling suddenly alone and crying. Julia must have figured I was upset because she hadn't put her clothes on like I had asked several times. She came running to her sobbing Mommy with her clothes in hand, and said, "You happy now, Mommy?! You happy?" That cheered me up enough to call Em and regain my composure. Thanks, sweet Julia.

Anyway, the trip was wonderful and I long for the next visit I will make to see Em, KC, Alex, Bennett, and Ruby. I miss you too, Mom. Keep up the incredible work, all of you. What an amazing, precious, exhausting, miraculous adventure you are living. Thanks for sharing a few days of it with Gabe and me. We love you.

Oh, I guess I want to write a little about my traveling companion on his first flights. He was actually quite pleasant. It wasn't easy for him to sit still for four hours on the way there and five on the way back, but he only fussed a little. On the way there I sat between two very nice people on the front row. The woman on my left couldn't get over "how cute!" Gabe is and the older man on my right was a more quiet admirer. At first he just played with Gabe's hands but before too long he had him in his arms. I smiled as this stranger made Gabe smile, giggle, and even - get this - fall asleep! I was struggling to calm my overtired little guy with no hope of him falling asleep. Jim, the nice Asian NASA employee to my left, gestured for Gabe and commenced to pat his back until he was sound asleep. And there he slept for an hour. I begged my new friends to make the return trip with us. No luck. But the flight on the way home was half empty so Gabe and I spread out on our own row. This time I was able to get him to take two catnaps. (Gabe is a crib sleeper. It's a lot to ask of him to sleep anywhere else. So I was very proud of him.) And that was that. I was relieved and exhausted when we landed, even though Gabe was such a good boy. I loved this special time with my buddy. As much fun as we had with just the two of us, we were overjoyed to run into the arms of Jonny and Julia. We missed our Js like crazy.