Just One Baby.. so this is what that is like
Papa and Grandma flew down this weekend to visit the babies. Papa hadn't see them since they were here at Thanksgiving. It was fun for them and we enjoyed the extra set of hands.
On Sunday my parents took two of the babies so we could do some shopping. My Dad was working on projects around the house and two are easier than three, so we decided to take Benjamin with us. How do you choose which one gets to go? Well we do feel an instant feeling of guilt once we we realize we are choosing one. Thus we usually think of who last went out and who has been where. As you might guess, that is a short list. We picked Benjamin because Livi was still feeling under the weather from her vaccanations and Sammy had most recently gotten out the most. So, we picked up Benjamin from the group and got him dressed up.
We proceeded to load his car seat into the car. Yes, we fit into the car. We went to a new outdoor mall and upon arrival we loaded Benjamin in his compact stroller and set off to have lunch. We sat outside and Benjamin was a perfect angel. Part of me feels like since getting out is such a new experience, they tend to spend more time taking things in and don't get restless as easy. We had lunch at an italian place and actually got to sit and talk over the meal without subconsciously thinking "I have to hurry and eat before Sammy wakes up or Benjamin fusses or Livi gets hungry". As we lightly walked along the storefronts and through the fountains in the sunshine I noticed - wow this is easy. I know that may seem unfair and certainly untrue for all parents of singletons, but for us at that moment it sure seemed freeing.
There were so many parents out with strollers shopping, just like us. Another feeling caught me off guard. The feeling of blending in. Anytime you see twins or triplets you notice them. I know I always have. I have cousins that are identical twins and they were always uniquely different and interesting. I don't mean that in any way they are more special than others, but you just see them less and therefore you tend to notice them. "A" and I almost never go unnoticed now. Our triplet stroller must arrive to destinations 3 feet and several seconds before either one of us do. The sure gear it sometimes takes just to go somewhere seems incredible, so of course we don't go unnoticed. But today we were like everyone else and so was Benjamin.
So what is so great about being like everyone else? Well it is easy, that much is true. Would any of the three of us that day have traded it all? Well, Benjamin can't yet talk but I think it is safe for me to say from all of us safely NO. We both, and possibly all, apprecaited the time but "A" and I were happy to see the other two smiling faces when we got back.