1st Birthday

After those first long 3 months of the girls' lives in the NICU, we weren't sure what was ahead of us. Yet the following 9 months flew by and already we are celebrating the girls' first birthday on Friday May 1. I am so thankful and feel truly blessed that we have 2 beautiful healthy girls!

Of course, we made it quite the celebration. Aunt Brandy and Uncle Zach flew and drove from Arizona to spend this milestone event with us. They were joined by all the Grandparents, aunts, cousins, neighbors, cowokers, and friends for an open house barbeque. Thankfully, it stopped snowing and the sun shone for the first time this week so that everyone wasn't huddled in the house.

Maggie kicked off the celebration by cutting a tooth on Thursday (ah, no wonder she has been so whiny!) Friday afternoon we did lunch with the Grandparents, Aunt Brandy, Uncle Zach, and Great Aunt Gayle (GAGO) followed by present opening. The afternoon was filled with preparations and playing with babies. However, by the time the party was in full swing, little Maggie was so worn out that Laura lulled her to sleep and she slept amid the converstaions. Thus, the girls didn't get to eat cake until most of their guests had left. But, Great Grandma Evelyn kept the tradition and made each girls their own little angle food cake with caramel frosting. Of course, the rest of us enjoyed the full size version. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the birthday cakes - and as most kids do - licked the frosting off first! They did eat some of the cake too - and Evie only threw it on the floor twice (after the frosting was gone).

We had several great picture takers, so over the next few days, we'll hopefully get thos pictures posted.

We are so happy to be able to finally share our joy of our girls with our friends. Thanks to God for an amazing first year and looking forward to so many more to come.

The Fairness Post

I've been meaning to post for several weeks now, I just can't seem to sit down and do it. Or if I do sit down at the computer, I am trying to clean the 30 emails out of my inbox. But enough excuses...

I have to document that the girls have switched places as far as being the "easy child". Evie was more difficult for several months this year as she tended to cry more and needed a little more work to get to sleep. However, she has turned into quite a doll for the past 6 weeks or so. She is the happy child that loves to roll and commando crawl around the floor. She will entertain herself with her feet, or the dog crate, or the carpet, and be content. She has also been the best eater. She opens her mouth wide just like a baby bird to eat her cereal and veggies (yet screetches when you try to wash her face). She is so cute when she talks to her toys and grunts 'uh uh' when she sees something she wants and starts to scoot for it. Yet, she does tend to blow out her diapers and outfits more than her sister! But what an enjoyable child she has been.

Not to say that Maggie isn't enjoyable, as she will laugh at something or nothing and takes wonderfully long naps! But it needs to be documented, that she has turned into the whiner. It may have to do with Maggie not being quite as mobile as her sister. She can roll around the floor...but just has not gotten that forward motion. She lays there swimming her arms and expects to get somewhere. She just won't put her hands down and push. She loves to sit, and was much better at that than Evie for quite a while. She even quickly figured out that she could lean all the way over to pick up a toy and sit back up. Maggie also likes to stand (with help of course). Thus, her latest thing as of the last week in April is that she loves to walk. She really has that one foot after another thing working and even keeps her heals down. She will pull herself up holding on to your fingers and wants you to lead her around the house. But she wants constant attention - she whines and cries when her parents leave the room, and just isn't happy sitting by herself or playing in the exersaucer anymore. She also has new requirements for going to sleep at night. Laying on mommy or daddy's chest worked for a few nights, but then she figured that one out.

I must say though, that babies at 6 months + bring lots of fun to their parent's lives.