Communication

They say communication is key to any relationship. While I agree that it is important, they don't say what kind of communication. I have recently come to discover that Paul and I have a language all our own. I guess it comes with having twins. I have heard that twins develop their own language, but I never realized that the parents of twins can do the same thing.

I discovered this new phenomenon when Paul's dad came to visit and I was trying to communicate with him like I do with Paul, and he was just not getting it. Before you think that we are freaks, we really aren't. This little nonverbal short hand came when the babies are asleep and we are trying desperately to keep it that way! Examples of this are: I will be nursing Matthew, and Paul will be walking/bouncing Andrew in an attempt to get him to sleep. I will put up my hand, will point to Matthew, then point upstairs, then point to Andrew (translation: Hey Paul, Matthew is asleep, so I am going to put him in his crib, then come down and nurse Andrew). We have all sorts of these little hand gestures that we do, like acting like I am drinking from a cup means, will you bring me some water.

I never realized it was different from regular communication until Paul's dad was visiting, and it was the scenario from above and I was trying to gesture for him to turn off the light, but he did not get it, so I had to verbalize what I wanted. Which woke the babies up. You see, we developed this little shorthand because the boys wake up whenever they hear my voice. Anyone else can talk, and they will stay asleep, but if I so much as whisper anything, they wake up and become alert.

So, Paul and I are a little different (that really shouldn't be a big surprise!), but the fact that we do communicate is good. It works for us and I guess that is all that matters. Disclaimer: we do talk verbally to each other too- just not when the boys are asleep/trying to get to sleep while we are in the same room with them.