Two Little Smiles!

I finally got a picture of both girls smiling at the same time!!!

Photo Update

 

 As a family tradition, we always take a picture in front of the Christmas tree. Up until now, we've always had just us and the cats. This year we have girls! We did this right before bedtime so its amazing they're not screaming. We couldn't get either girl to look at the camera but I still think it came out ok. We are a family of 4 now!

In other news, the girls recently discovered their hands. This is what they look like most of the time now-

We generally have to pry their hands out of their mouths so we can quick stick the bottle in. Like an awful mother, I didn't take ANY pictures of Christmas day. So I'm waiting for some relatives to send me some so that I can post them. What a bad mommy! Honestly though, it was such a whirlwind, I just didn't even have time to grab the camera. Look for lots of pictures next year- we're staying home!

 

Our friend Nadia made these ornaments for the girls. Aren't they gorgeous? I had been looking for Baby's First Christmas ornaments and couldn't find any I liked but then Nadia surprised me with these. I love them!

Daddy tricks

I made these for Steve's side of the family for Christmas. They are hot chocolate on a stick. I made the chocolate blocks and even made the marshmallows from scratch. It was so much fun! I can't wait til the girls are big enough to cook and bake with me.

Weight updates

Went to the doctor today for some quick shots. Amelia weighs 13 pounds 10.5 ounces and Claire weighs 11 pounds 15 ounces. My little girls are growing so big! Amelia slept in 6 month jammies last night because she keeps popping the snaps on the 3 month ones. Sigh. My babies are growing up right before my eyes. They are probably a little young for me to start talking about how I wish they could stay babies forever but I do.

Amelia is losing all her hair. It is seriously coming out in clumps. Claire is shedding a little bit but not like Amelia. Claire still has a nice head full of hair. I can't believe that she's not even 4 months old and she has enough hair to wear bows. Not the headband kind, real bows. She wore one several times over the weekend. She's so pretty!

Christmas was here

Ok, let's act like Claire doesn't look like she just saw a giant spider. I think this is a pretty cute picture actually. Both girls will now smile "on command" (ie if you are doing something smile-worthy AND they feel like it) but I can never get them to do it at the same time. Steve's grandma gave the girls these "baby's first Christmas" outfits.

Christmas was... okay. Not great. There was far too much running around and familial obligations for it to really be enjoyable. Everyone insists on seeing the babies but no one wants to come to us. Now, to anyone reading this, that isn't directed at you, it just is what it is. Traveling 4 hours each way with two infants who don't like their car seats is no one's idea of fun. So next year, people are invited to come to us but we are staying home. It was also bad because the girls didn't sleep in their own beds for 2 nights which I don't like. They actually did really well one night- they both slept until 3 am.  But I still like for them to sleep at home in their own beds. By the time we finally made it home, the poor little angels were absolutely exhausted. Amelia cried so hard in the car the last half hour, I thought she was going to pass out. We had to pull over twice to calm her down so we could make it home.

I managed to get a cold while we were gone and I think I've passed it to Steve. On Sunday, we were all supposed to go to my grandmother's house but since I was sick I couldn't go. Steve took the girls, which I thought was brave because our WHOLE extended family was there. I think they had a good time. The girls got TONS of presents- I don't know where we're going to put them all. We so much appreciate everyone who thought of them and us. It was just an overwhelming whirlwind of a weekend.

The Cutest Family

 

 These are my friends Andy and Rheanna and their little boy Brandt. They also have a doggy, Dixie, but she's not in the picture! Poor Dixie. Andy and Rheanna just celebrated their second anniversary of being a family of 3 and they are about to celebrate their 3rd Christmas with Brandt in their lives. They are the BEST parents (seriously, I want them to adopt me!)  but there was a time when they weren't sure whether or when they would ever be parents. And then they got a call. The Call. A baby was on the way! 

Brandt came to their family through the miracle of adoption. That little cherub had a birth family that loved him so much that they knew they couldn't take care of him in the way that he needed. They loved him enough to let him go. And how could it have worked out better? A baby who needed a family and a family who needed a baby. They only found out a week before Brandt was born that he was on the way and I don't know that Andy and Rheanna have stopped smiling since. They are super-close to Brandt's birthmom. She is even planning to visit them this summer and I know they call and skype a lot. I have been touched so many times when I have heard Rheanna talk about Brandt's birthmom. I think it would be easy to feel so jealous of your child's love and not want him to love anyone but you. But they don't see it that way. I could go on and on but that's not why I'm writing this-

Andy and Rheanna are looking to adopt again! They are open to any child. They have so much love to share and they want to be parents again. I'm having a hard time believing anyone wants to go back to the newborn stage (ask me when they're sleeping through the night...) but they do. Brandt is ready to be a big brother and Dixie is ready to have someone else to lick. Anyway, you never know how these things happen. It could be a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend whose cousin is pregnant and doesn't know what to do. All I ask is- if you know someone who is considering adoption for their child, mention Andy and Rheanna to them. It would mean the world to them and who knows what could happen? As a mom myself, I wish every child could have parents that loved them so much and I wish every child was wanted. They have an adoption profile here along with more pictures! Seriously, they do more fun stuff in a week than we do all year. This was way longer than I intended but they are good friends and good people and wonderful parents. Maybe they'll get a Christmas Miracle.

Merry Christmas!

The girls are as excited as you would expect from a pair of 3-month-olds. Aren't they pretty? This picture was taken by Amy Burch who did some pictures of the girls a while back. I am having so much trouble deciding what to order from her. They absolutely look like baby models. This picture was our Christmas card this year.

My Amelia

My little Amelia, yes that happy smiling girl, has turned into such a big fit-pitcher! And it gets worse when Mama tries to hold her and help her calm down. So today I am breaking one of my rules and letting her sleep in the swing. I couldn't take the yelling anymore. I think she misses her daddy. Yes, that must be it.

No One Ever Thinks About the Poop

Both yesterday and today, I have woken up to poopy diapers. Tomorrow I'm hoping to wake up and find that the Cleaning/Christmas Shopping Fairy came during the night. I won't hold my breath- I save that for the poop. People who see us out and about always say "Oh! I always wanted twins!" but I think they have failed to take this aspect into consideration... I ca't be mad at them though because look (!) how cute!!!

 

This is the best smile I could catch on Claire. That girl takes after her Uncle David and starts making goofy faces when she sees the camera. Amelia, on the other hand, is a total ham-

And here the girls are trying on their Christmas dresses at my parents' house-

Claire wasn't too sure about being dressed up.  FYI- my mom made these dresses! Is she talented or what?

In other news, our closing date on our house got pushed back to Jan. 7th. Not happy. The reason we're buying a house is because we need to live there! Sigh... I guess we'll manage.

We have a house!

We're not going to have to live under a bridge! Closing on Dec. 30!

 

I guess I should go back and explain that we decided not to get that other house. It had too many problems. But this house is brand new and gorgeous and perfect! And it has lots of lovely trees in the back yard. Yay!

Claire Bear

Claire Bear has started smiling at us! Pictures to come.

So Happy

Lately I have come to realize how incredibly happy I am. I have an awesome husband who is truly a wonderful, joyful father. He cooks, he cleans, he plays with our baby girls and most of all, he loves us. A lot. Steve is gone for three weeks to some brutal training. He can't see us or call or email or text or anything. All he could talk about before he left is how much he was going to miss us. I would never have said it was possible but I love him more now that we have our daughters. There is just something about watching a grown man make silly faces to a baby and talk to her in a high-pitched voice.

I have two beautiful daughters who are such joys to us. Amelia is growing so big and smiling at us when we make faces at her. She likes to snuggle with her Mama and she wrinkles her tiny forehead in a way that makes my heart melt. I am so lucky to be her Mama. And my little Claire! She has the biggest eyes and if I let her, she would lay on my chest and stare into my eyes all day and night. When she looks at me like that, I know that she knows that she is mine and I am hers. She has recently started smiling too. I could not ask for two more wonderful little people and I truly enjoy every day that I get to watch them grow and love them.

I feel so lucky that I am able to stay at home with our girls. They are 12 weeks old now which is about the longest maternity leave that anyone gets. I can't imagine packing my girls off to daycare every morning. I think we would have to get up by 4am to make it there by 8:00. Instead we get to spend lazy mornings laying in bed, singing songs and cuddling. I wish every mom could stay home with her babies if she wanted to. I would make the choice again and again. We have definitely had to go without some things since I stopped working but nothing important.

In addition to all this, we have a nice home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have food in our pantry and clothes in our closets. We have families that love us and care for our girls so much that they beg us to let them babysit. Just for a little while. The other day, Amelia was crying and I was making her bottle and telling her "Its not that bad! You have a mama and a daddy that love you and a nice sister. You are about to have food in your tummy and there is more anytime you want it." And I got kind of choked up thinking, I can't imagine looking at my crying child and knowing I don't have any food for her. It is truly a tragedy that when we have so much, there are children that go to bed hungry at night. Its one of those things that I've always known but I guess you feel it differently when you have children of your own. Lots of things to think about...