Abby watching cartoons with Daddy

Rory's sweet good-morning smiles

Having dinner with the Merriss boys

Abby sleeps all over her bed at night...LOL

Sweet Rory

Rory, Abby & Toby

(The Three Musketeers)

Braxton being silly

Braxton and the girls watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks"

Look at those Curls.

Curly headed Abby

Daddy fell asleep comforting Abby. I love this picture. Michael is such a good daddy!!

My parents' new dog, Lady

Rory climbing the big slide

Down she goes

Wheeee!!

Abby swinging like a big girl

Rory loves to swing

Rory trying T-ball for the first time

Rory has learned to climb up the playhouse

Daddy with the girls in the playhouse

Look how high they are

Rory can slide by herself

Abby has matered the little slide!!! Go Abby!!

Uncle Mike teaching Braxton to play T-ball

Look at Braxton go!!

IT'S OUTTA HERE!!

We have had a few really pretty days here lately... finally! The girls love being outside and couldn't wait for Mommy and Daddy to set them free in the backyard. The first day that it was really nice outside, the girls played from about 10:00 in the morning until nap time and then headed back outside until it got too dark to be outside. The girls were worn out, but they had a blast!! I have a feeling that we are going to be spending a lot of time outside this spring and summer. I think it will be great for everyone!!

Everything is going well at the Hanna home. The girls are growing by leaps and bounds. It amazes me every day how much more they are doing and exploring. Both girls speak so clearly and can really let us know what they are thinking and feeling. Sometimes they just leave Michael and I speechless when they look at us and just say something out of the blue. It's crazy!! Both girls run and climb constantly. They are monkeys!! Both are working on learning their colors, numbers and ABC's. Rory desperately wants to learn how to write her name, so we have been working on that as well. She will ask me to write her name and then she will take the pen and try to copy the letters. She's not there yet, but she will get there. Both girls love to dance and sing. They have always loved doing both, but they are starting to really sing songs that we have taught them and to make up their own songs. They love to sing "Rock-a-Bye (Abby and Rory)," "Little Drops of Water" (a lullaby that Michael's mother and grandmother used to sing to him), "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Deep and Wide" and several other songs. The girls love to watch the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie that was released a few years ago. We have to be careful to limit the number of times a day they can watch the movie because they would watch it over and over if we allowed them to. They have fallen in love with Alvin, Simon and Theodore. It's too funny!! They can even quote many of the lines from the movie. One of the main things that they love to do is have playdates with their friends, Jon-Jon and Jakie (Jonathan and Jacob Merriss). We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends with kiddos that are close in age to our kids and that our children all get along so well with one another. The interaction between the girls is also really starting to blossom even more so than before they turned two. Yesterday, Rory informed me that she could not take a nap unless she slept with Abby. I had fought with her for about 30 minutes to lay down in her own bed and finally gave in. As soon as she laid down with Abby, they cuddled up and both went straight to sleep. I was worried they would just play if they were in the same bed, but they genuinely wanted to take a nap together. There will be times that they will just look at each other and start giggling or take off to the other room together. It's amazing!! Sometimes they don't even have to say anything to each other to know what the other is wanting or thinking. I've read books about the relationship between twins, but nothing compares to watching the relationship blossom between my girls. What a blessing!!!

We have continued to search for something to help Abby gain weight and stop vomiting at night. The girls' doctor has worked tirelessly to find an answer and a treatment option that will help little Miss Abby. Two weeks ago, the doctor discontinued the medication that Abby has been on since December because she was still vomiting every night after she went to bed. The first few days that Abby was on the new medication, she still vomited at night. Last Friday night, though, things started to change a little. Abby slept through the night without getting sick!! We were excited, but still cautious about getting too excited. We are starting to get hopeful, though, because Abby has now gone 5 nights in a row without getting sick!! I can't wait to take her to the doctor this week and find out if she has gained weight, as well.

This Thursday, Michael and I will celebrate our 4th anniversary!! We are both so happy with the life that we have built together. We are so proud of our beautiful girls. It is amazing to be able to married to my best friend!! God has blessed us so much. It just doesn't seem possible that it's already been four years since we were married. I look forward to the many, many, many years that I will be blessed to share with Michael!!