In everything give thanks!

Last night was the first time that I was alone with both babies.  I would love to report that I handled it in Super Mom fashion, but the truth is, it was a comedy of errors. At one point, when I was changing Luke's diaper, I saw a 2 foot tall tornado speed past me, and when I looked down, the dirty diaper was gone.  After chasing Essie The Diaper Thief and finally catching her, I realized that she was covered in the diaper's content.  Did I mention that she had already had a bath?  I was mortified, but as I scrubbed her down, she continued to smear the - well, no point in mincing words- POOP all over her hands and arms.  I wanted to scream.  Which I did, but not until later when she tried to steal Luke's pacifier and shove her fingers down his throat.  I ended up in tears, and finally, as a last resort to keep all of us alive until Christopher got home, I climbed in bed with both babies, and nursed them both until finally Luke fell asleep, and I could lay him down and rock Essie. I felt so defeated and ill-equipped to mother two babies.  I honestly felt like panicking and a little bit like quitting.  But the thing about my job is, there is no "quitting" option - there isn't even a "clock out" option, but this morning, after a good night of sleep and a slightly refreshed perspective, I didn't want to do either.  When I got out of bed, I wrote in huge letters in our kitchen: "In everything, give thanks- including discipline, diaper changes, and dirty dishes." (the alliteration was unintentional and slightly annoying to me, but... whatever. the point is pretty clear.)  That became my theme today. I know that someone was praying on my behalf today, because somehow, my attitude was different, my patience had increased and I was able to prioritize a whole lot more effectively. It was still a little tough, but doable.  My mom and one of my sisters stopped by, and we were able to laugh about my night last night over a cup of coffee, and I started to feel a whole lot less like a failure, and more like a normal, young momma of two babies.

I found myself truly giving thanks today - for a toddler who is aware and assertive enough to throw a fit- a few, actually! For an infant who has a body that works the way that it's supposed to, and has the dirty diapers to prove it.  For a toddler who loves to sing songs and associates and asks for specific songs for specific activities (ie: zipping her sleeper: "zippity do-da," turning on the light: "this little light of mine," seeing a candle: "happy birthday'...) and for a baby who smiles in his sleep.  We are so blessed to have two precious babies who add more life to our every day routines than I can ever tell you.  We are totally captivated by both of them, and, even though there will be more nights like last night, I won't be quitting my job.  Honestly, I can't think of any other profession that pays better than this one.