Twins

My brother and his wife, who live and work in Perth, have just had twin girls. Premmies actually; they had to be delivered via emergency C-section before their due date. The older twin, who's actually tinier, is still in hospital as she is underweight.

Here's a pic of them : (picture by Michele Smit)

Every now and then, the 'I want a baby' feeling overcomes me. Of course, Mike is quick enough to douse any urge before it gets out of control! He often reminds me that our younger kid, being already 12, allows us to enjoy family holidays together (without carrying a nappy bag along) or allows us to actually get away without the kids. In fact, the kids are old enough to help us carry luggage! More importantly, he doesn't fancy being a 50 year old bringing his kid to Primary 1.

Okay, okay, I get it (or maybe I don't). Probably only mummies will understand what I'm talking about. A nice little bundle to cuddle..... someone you can watch crawling about and doing funny things around the house. Nowadays, even just holding your teen's hand in public will get you that 'what the heck are you doing' glare back from them! Teens and babies just aren't the same!

But wait....I've never had a good memory and I've probably forgotten all those months I'd spent with my head in the toilet bowl throwing up or the pain of the stitches whilst walking and carrying your baby right after your C-section delivery. (It is said that a C-section delivery is one of the worst operations a woman can go through because you do not have enough recuperative time. You have to look after your baby almost immediately after the operation. How true!).

How about sleepless nights carrying a colicky baby or waking up almost as soon as you have fallen asleep to change feed or change the baby. Wow! Memories come flooding back.......the sore boobies or the sterilisation of milk bottles. The packets and packets of disposable nappies. The crying nights preceding the appearance of the milk teeth. The doctor visits. The immunisation shots and the fevers which follow. Okay, guess Mike's right after all. What am I yearning for? As it is, I'm already short of sleep and that's just from sitting beside my kids whilst they cope with their copious amounts of homework. Wait, the ultimate....to go through the PSLE with another kid? Hmmmm......

Right. No more babies for me. Remind me again, Mike, won't ya? He's probably right. We really do not mind having a third child, provided he or she comes already old enough to help with the dishes. I've always wanted a third kid but for the moment, to get over the maternal itch, I'll just borrow local babies to coo over for a few hours (then happily return to their owners) or get ourselves some budget airline tickets to visit the twins! Meanwhile, my biological clock goes a tickin'......will probably 'prevent the urge to have another one' until I run out of batteries. Sigh.