The sum of our parts is greater than us

The hardest thing about having twin infants and a toddler is also the most obvious.
It's 3>2.
We're outnumbered.
And unless your a Spartan, it's never good to be outnumbered. Come to think of it, it didn't even work out for them either.
The twins aren't nearly as fussy as they once were. That three month stage is like reaching the top of your last hill in a half marathon: You know it's going to be easier but you also know you have a long way to go before the end.
But Saturday the girls were awake most of the day. They napped for 10 minutes, and then their eyes would pop open again, and they would flash us a big smile. When your infant smiles, two thoughts go through your head:
1) Awwwww
2) Oh, shit
Number two goes through your mind more than you think because a smile almost always means, "Hi Daddy, I'm ready for some attention! Talk to me! Play with me! Pick me up! And do it now before I cry!"
And if it's 5 a.m., you aren't quite ready to do those things.
Twice Saturday we put them in their cribs and savored the sweet, sweet feeling of closing the bedroom door and knowing that you finally have some time to yourself, only to hear, 10 minutes later, the soul-crushing cry of an infant awake and wanting your attention.
If we had one infant and one toddler, this wouldn't be a problem. One of us could take Allie or Andie, whoever got to the egg first, and the other could stop Jayden from climbing into the pack and play, or on the fifth stair from the couch and jumping five feet onto the cushion (this is just a small sampling of the antics).
But with twins, we're handcuffed even if both of us are there. If Kate is by herself, or if I'm there alone, it can be total chaos. The babies, because they're babies, want to held, and unfortunately that's not always possible.
So, usually, the fussier one gets picked up.
That's not necessarily a good thing to teach a young female. Guys (me included) usually smile at memories of old girlfriends, unless the girlfriend was a demanding pain in the ass. Then we either shake our heads or just laugh.
They're learning though. The fussy one used to be Andie, only Allie finally figured out why her sister was getting held all the time and has started to demand it a bit. Are we raising two future Paris Hiltons (without the money)? I worry a bit that we are.
I have learned the art of holding two at once - and that's what I did Saturday, when I watched the girls while Kate went to Wal-Mart - but that limits your options if you want to do anything else at all. Like, say, get a drink of water, answer the phone or pee.
I haven't decided if this will get harder once they start moving on their own.
People say we have our hands full.
People say we're going to have to move from man-to-man and learn how to play zone.
I hate it when cliches are right.