The Guy

During the first three months after the twins were born, I was tired. Really tired. I was running on no sleep without the hope or possibility of getting any "catch-up sleep". It was during this time that I would have hallucinations. For instance, I would believe that the twins were multiplying, and I would start looking for the 3rd and 4th baby to feed. I would give loving cuddles to cushions thinking I had a baby in my arms.

One day, I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up to a baby crying. I was exhausted. I opened my eyes and there stood a man at the change table dealing with a baby (not the one crying). I thought "Yay! Dan can deal with the other baby and I can go back to sleep!". But Dan didn't come rushing into the room like I thought he would. In my annoyance, I engaged the stranger at the change table. Here's how it went:

Me: Where's Dan?
Stranger: Who?
Me: Dan
Stranger: Dan?
Me: You know, the guy I hang around with!

The stranger became very angry with me, and then I realised that he was Dan. I was devastated because now I had to get up and deal with the baby. Dan was really ticked off. He said "Is that how you think of me? Am I just the 'guy you hand around with'?". Apparently, people in "loving" relationships don't refer to their spouses as "the guy I hang around with". My defence is that I was exhausted, didn't recognize him, and oh my God get over it!You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many times he has brought this conversation up in the last 3 1/2 years.

Bethie out did me this week.

Dan went out of town to visit his family for a couple of days. The twins were not too happy about this. They pleaded with him to stay. When that didn't work, their anger took over. They were absolutely ticked off that he had left.

On the first night that Dan was gone, I was giving Bethie a cuddle. I said "Who loves you, Bethie?". She replied "Mummy!". I said, "Who else?". After a long pause, she said "The boy who went to visit his Mummy, Daddy, and brother".

Poor ol' Dan got demoted in affections again.