How did Christmas get here?

It simultaneously seems like an eternity and half a second since I had my C-section and brought these beautiful boys into the world.
We're so used to having twins that it would seem abnormal to have just one baby.
On the other hand, we're not so used to having them that we can do it without exhaustion and fights, mishaps and adjustments.
I suppose every parent has to deal with issues; on the other hand, I'm so thankful for these sweet babies. I'm so thankful I have three children, and they're all smart and beautiful and normal. I have healthy children, healthy babies, and I couldn't be more grateful.
Two of my close friends had babies this year and one had a baby who tragically died 90 minutes later. All three of these lives are, were, precious, and I celebrated with two while mourning with another. All three of these women are strong and wonderful mothers I'm thankful to have in my life.
Being a mom so changes who you are as a person. Christmas, for instance, is no longer about the gifts I receive (in fact, Ro and I skipped each other to give our children a better holiday this year) but about the joy on my boys' faces. For the first time, Mitchell had siblings at Christmas. He's been begging for them for years, and he was so excited he started wrapping up his own toys to give to his brothers. He went shopping with me to pick their presents, and he dragged every other adult in the world with him to the store to buy his brothers presents. I've never seen him so excited, and it's not even about gifts for him.
Tonight, Mitchell is with his dad, and the four of us are doing Christmas alone, without any family. Ro grilled steak for supper, and the babies were actually able to eat some. We gave them a bath, put them in their Christmas pajamas and gave them their bottles. They went to sleep peacefully, awaiting their first visit from Santa. Ro even made cookies for Santa.

It's weird with no extended family, but we are thankful for our own little brood, proud of our home we've built. This year, the best present I received was the success of my family, my marriage. Looking forward to so many Christmases to come.