And the state- Minnesota. Every time I look at a map of the US without the names of states written in, I'm always left with one hole, one block that I can't put a name to. That would be Minnesota. The blank state. The lost state. The empty home of twins who have failed to advance to the next level.
Today, I found myself spontaneously crying over our lost twin. I don't know. It is just so unfair that he isn't with us. Alex is about 7 pounds now. Had they been born this normal baby size, Nicholas surely would have survived. There's no point in thinking that way. But, you do. You can't help it.
I also realize that, with no family around to help, raising twins would have made me totally crazy. I don't know how people do it. Alex, with his need to be constantly strapped to my body, can be overwhelming. I get by most of the day with just one hand, a hand that should be tending to his brother. And though AO and I have made progress with breast feeding, he still eats mostly by bottled, pumped milk. I can't imagine doing that with two, all by myself, all day long. Nonetheless, I am terribly sad that I don't have that kind of day right now.