Happy Birthday Babies!

My babies are a year old today!  I can't even believe it.  Part of me wants to cry my eyes out as I hold up each little newborn outfit that they wore just a short time ago, and another part of me is jumping for joy and breathing a big, fat sigh of relief.  Being a mom of twins is unbelievably wonderful, rewarding, fun, exhausting, frustrating, and challenging all at the same time.

To honor my sweet girls today I'm going to finish out this post with updates about each one of them:

Olivia

• has become qutie content in life, which makes me very happy because I felt like she cried for 9 months straight.
• loves her big purple blankie and sucks on it while she sleeps.
• is still nursing 3 times a day.
• loves toast, yogurt, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
• melts my heart with her smile and giggles.
• plays quietly and independently as long as I stay in the same room.
• likes to stay up late on Monday nights to watch Dancing With the Stars.
• does not like sand, grass, dirt, or any other outdoor element.  Yet.
• has super-fine baby soft red hair that matches her brother's.
• just started sleeping through the night, and takes 1 nap a day.
• is very petite, and can still fit some 3-6 month clothes!
• drinks a whole cup of Ovaltine milk through a straw after dinner.
• hates laying down for diaper or outfit changes.
• has only 2 bottom teeth.
• is still in her infant car seat.
• loves to say "hi," in her teeny-tiny voice.
• sits all by herself in the way back of the van, and falls asleep during most car rides.
• is the ultimate Momma's Girl.
• can stand independently for 5-10 seconds before falling on her tush and laughing.
• does not like very many foods, and cries when she doesn't have toast on her tray.
• is funny, happy, healthy, and the most adorable little peanut I've ever seen.

Katelyn

• loves to play rough with her big brother.
• likes hot dogs, chicken nuggets, pasta, cheese, and pretty much anything else we feed her.
• still drinks bottles of formula, and doesn't really like milk yet.
• likes her binkie a lot but isn't quite as addicted to it as her brother is. Yet.
• sleeps with lots of little pink blankies in her bed.
• loves when we hold her hands and help her walk, and giggles the whole time.
• has the biggest, blue-est eyes I've ever seen.
• can be a bully, and likes to pull the hair of her siblings.
• has 8 baby teeth and 1 molar.
• always has a cough.
• is also down to 1 nap, although she gets very cranky waiting for it...
• has thick blond hair that curls when it gets warm or muggy.
• rubs her face into my shoulder when she gets tired.
• finally figured out how to sit up on her own after 11 months.
• loves to make a mess by emptying containers and pulling things off tables that she can reach.
• sits in a big-girl carseat in the middle row of the van with her brother.
• likes "Katie Stevens" from American Idol, and claps when she's done singing.
• crawls right into Daddy's lap when he gets home every day.
• likes to stand at the gate and shake it while yelling very loudly, as if she's saying "LET ME IN!"
• makes a bee-line for the dog food should the gate be left open accidentally.
• wears mostly 18-month size clothes.
• has a big ole belly giggle, and loves when we tickle her!
• is positively perfect in every way, and lights up my life with each smile, laugh, and snuggle.