So I'm sitting here half-watching the Superbowl while my twins try out big boy beds for the very first night. We've had the beds for days and have been talking about doing it, but one of my boys was sick, so we put it off until tonight. They look so tiny with their little heads popping out from under their brand-new covers. They have been in there for over an hour and have not yet gotten out, which I know from my older guys is a good sign. Still, I feel very nervous: I know the novelty and fear will wear off and the antics will begin any night now. But I also feel a bit anxious because I can't believe we are ready to take this big step. Life has been so hectic of late, I didn't properly work through the milestone in my mind. My babies are actually ready for beds. All of a sudden I have two adorable little cribs sitting empty upstairs. They even switched rooms, from their tiny built-just-for-two room to a slightly less tiny traditional bedroom. How did this happen? When did my babies cross over to boyhood? What's next, preschool? The potty? E-Trade ads?

I know from firsthand experience that I will be back here seeking advice about how to keep them in their beds, or complaining after they wake me up face-to-face at some ungodly hour several days/nights in a row. But tonight, I feel melancholy, yet proud. Ah, parenting.