The New Normal

Before the twins came, we received quite a lot of comments, advice, and forewarnings from friends at various stages of parenthood about what we could expect. One comment in particular seemed to be the most common. If I had a nickel for every time someone said, “Get ready, everything is going to change,” we could probably pay both of the girls’ college tuition by now. I knew that they were right; that our world was about to be rocked. But, like most life changes, what that change actually looked like was a mystery.

Now, here we are on the other side. We are parents; life is different. I think that most new parents will tell you that this adjustment is a big one and it can be quite challenging as you learn that everything, and I mean pretty much everything, is affected by this paradigm shift. However, little by little, you learn to find and embrace your new “normal”. You learn how to have a social life again, though spending time with friends now either involves a lot of patience or a babysitter. You learn just how romantic a trip to the grocery store can be sans children. You begin to understand how much that feeling of control you have in life really is just an illusion. You also learn how overwhelmingly fulfilling it is to watch that little life that has been entrusted to you learn something new, or smile at you in recognition of who you are.

It is important to point out, however, that children are also responsible for some of the adaptation. As parents, we all have different priorities and aspirations for our families. Lucky for us, our babies are masters of adjustment. Treating those nasty trans-Pacific flights as boot camp, we have thrown the twins headfirst into the world of travel. In order to continue with their training, we decided to pack them up (along with their convoy of gear) and meet my parents in Hong Kong for the weekend. The little squirts handled the trip like a couple of well-seasoned travelers as we toted them all over the city and attempted to show my parents some of our favorite sights and flavors in Hong Kong. No, the twins didn’t particularly care about a new stamp in their passports, but their parents certainly enjoyed putting another check mark in the “success” column of the “life with babies” chart. So, here is to more life experiences and learning a bit more about the new normal.

Hong Kong 2008

Hong Kong 2011