Two Peas in a Pod Two Pods

Several months ago, my sister, Bethany, and I were talking on the phone. We chatted away happily...neither one of us knowing that the other was holding tight to a little secret.

I noticed that Bethany kept bringing the conversation back to pregnancy and babies, but I just dismissed it. I mean, after all, at that time we had been pregnant for a collective 45 months (and that's just in the last 4 1/2 years), so pregnancy and little ones are pretty common topics around here.

But then she brought it back up again. And I was officially suspicious.

So I asked, "Are you trying to tell me something? Are you expecting?"

"Are you expecting?!?" she replied. (What kind of question-answer is that anyway?)

Now what you need to know is that we hadn't yet announced to our families that we were, in fact, expecting. The baby we were waiting to welcome wasn't growing in my belly, but he was already such a part of our family nonetheless.

But not wanting to jump in on what I felt was about to be a wonderful announcement from my little sister, I very truthfully said "No, I am not pregnant." Hee-hee.

Bethany finally spilled the beans on their newest blessing, but then she added, "It's a little bittersweet, though, because I've never done this without you." Our youngest little ones (Isabel and Emma) are less than three months apart in age, and our boys (Jack and Brayden) were born just six weeks apart. Needless to say, I crumbled under the emotional pressure, and I blurted out that although I wasn't pregnant, I was expecting. Bethany's placenta-brain took over, and she needed step-by-step guidance on exactly what was going on in our family, but we were thrilled to be able to once again share the struggles and joys of bringing new little ones into our families.

Why am I telling you all of this?

I'm sharing this for a couple of reasons actually. First of all, as I've mentioned before, I'm no longer doing the scrapbooking thing (sad!), so I want to make sure I put this somewhere to remember it all (that part's for me). But also, I've got some super-cute pictures of the boys from when I kept Bethany's children last week, and I must share them (also for me...but for our families, too).

Jack and Brayden have spent lots of time together, starting way back when they were just two peas in two pods.


But before long, they were side by side, enjoying infanthood together (shown here with their mini-mom).


As you can see, they've loved each other (or at least gnawing on each other) from a young age...


And before long, they were up and running and playing together outside...


But it wasn't until Brayden and Jack got together last week that I saw true boyhood behavior at full throttle! They spent virtually the entire two hours they were together running laps, chasing one another around the house, and then tackling each other for a big wrestling match on the floor.


Among all the tickling and laughter, they did finally stop for a check on the big kids outside and for a quick hug on the steps (yes, I posed the hug, and no, I don't need to hear any comments about the fact that Jack was still in his jammies for post-lunch shots!)



And judging by the looks of these photos from our playday and our Starkville trip, I may have a little photography apprentice on my hands soon. Bethany, please note the beautiful 10 degree angle of these shots. :-)



These boys love each other so much they just can't stand it!!


And just so the little girls don't feel left out, here's a sweet shot I ran across of them when they were itty-bitties.


It's hard to believe this little crew's about to be seven-strong!