Big Steps

Beautiful Abby smiles!!!!!
"Look what a big girl I am" ~Abby

Abby is so proud of climbing on the couch all by herself

Rory "protecting" her toys

Rory "allowing" Abby to have a couple of toys from the toy baskets

My Toys

Abby found Mommy's Texas A&M cap and has no plans to return it any time soon

Back in the Toy Box again

The girls have now turned 13 months old. It just doesn't seem possible!! They are doing more and more every day and it gets a little interesting around here some days. I used to joke about when they started walking that I bet one would go in one direction and one in the other, but it's not as funny now as it used to be. That's exactly what Rory and Abby do for their mommy at least a hundred times every single day. One will go one way to get into something and the other will head in the opposite direction. People laugh when they come to our house because everything keeps migrating to higher and higher shelves. The girls are growing so tall that it's hard to keep things out of their reach! Both girls have also learned how to climb. Abby is so proud of herself because she can get up on our "big" couch all by herself! I can hear her giggling from the other room and I know what she is up to. She will climb up on the couch and roll around and laugh. It's too cute! Rory likes to climb into their toy baskets. That way, she has control over all of the toys. She will hand Abby a couple of toys and then sit on the rest of them that are in the box. Silly Rory. This last Sunday at church, the girls moved to a new class because they have completely outgrown the newborn nursery. Whenever the babies start walking really well, they move them to Nursery 2. We've held off on having them promoted as long as possible, but it was definitely time. The girls adjusted better than I think Michael & I or their old Sunday school teacher did. They both waved "bye-bye" and blew Miss Bessy kisses as they went to their new room. Our precious little angels are growing up so fast.

These are a couple of home videos showing some of the fun stuff that the girls are up to now days. Both girls are walking very well. Abby takes it a little slower than Rory, who seems to run everywhere she goes now. Abby is cautious around Rory because Rory has no problem running Abby over and keeping right on going. It's amazing how much the girls are doing now!!

Fun in the February Sun

Daddy having fun with is girls at the park!!

Rory's ready to slide some more, and Abby's not letting go of her Daddy!!

Abby going down the slide

Rory going down the slide

Abby swinging with her big floppy hat. They both started our adventure with one, but neither were too keen on the idea of wearing a hat. I guess we'll just have to get some sunscreen.

We thought they might like to swing together... We were wrong. :)

Rory's swingin' high!!

Daddy pushing both of his big girls in the swings

Abby swinging like a big girl!!!

Rory's having so much fun swinging!!

Off to the park we go

Getting ready to head out

WE LOVE OUR NEW WAGON!!!

We have had unseasonably warm weather here for the last few days. The girls have been feeling pretty good, so we decided to take a family adventure to the park. Michael put together the girls' wagon that they got from Grandad and Mimi Sue for their birthday. The girls pretty much danced around Daddy the whole time that he was working on it. When he finished it, Rory dove head-first into the exciting new wagon (literally). We walked from our house to a little park that is about a mile from our house. The girls rode in their new wagon the whole way and had the time of their little lives!! They laughed at the birds and were amazed at cars that went by. People actually stopped their cars to tell us how cute the girls were in their fun wagon. Of course, the girls ate all of the attention right up. When we got to the park, the girls got a chance to swing on a big swing set (we haven't had a chance to put up their birthday swing set in our backyard yet) and go down a big slide!! By the time that we left the park, Michael was at the top of the slide and I was at the bottom and the girls were sliding all by themselves down the slide (the slide was a small slide). Rory thought that was the most fun ever! Abby, however, really preferred the swing to the slide. By the time we got home, both girls had played their little hearts out and were tired little girls. We plan to visit the park a lot this summer!!

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P.S. ~ Thanks to some awesome advice from friends, we have won the Sippy Cup wars!! Our big girls are now drinking whole milk from a sippy cup and eating only "big people" food. It's amazing how big they are getting!!

Sippy Cup Wars

Abby eating like a big girl
Rory making her "ugly" face

Rory still making her "ugly" face

The girls are feeding themselves "big" people food. What big girls we have!!

This has been an interesting week at our house. When we took the girls in for their one year check-up, the doctor told us that it was time to start giving them whole milk instead of formula, a sippy cup instead of a bottle and "big" people food instead of baby food. She told us that we needed to have them switched completely within a month of their first birthday. At first, I thought, "no problem, we'll have that done in no time." I have realized very quickly, however, that having two strong-willed children decide that they are not ready to switch to anything new can be a bit of a blow to my best-laid plans. So, we have been trying all sorts of new techniques to get the girls used to switching over. Actually, Abby has taken very well to "big" people food. She just keeps eating as long as we keep giving it to her. Rory is very particular about her food. She will eat what she wants and the rest must then go to the floor... immediately. Today, she finished eating and had about 1/4 of her sandwich left. I thought that I would just finish it off instead of throwing it away. I waited until Rory was out of her high chair and playing. She looked up and saw me take a bite of her sandwich, walked over to me, put her hands on her hips and started yelling "NO MAMA, NO" over and over. She took the sandwich out of my hand, toddled over to her daddy and gave him a bite. Then she sat down at his feet and finished it off. She didn't really want the sandwich, but she didn't want me to have it either. She's very opinionated!! Both girls love to drink juice and water from a sippy cup, but milk is a different story. Milk is supposed to come from a bottle and that's where they will drink it from. So, after having several complete melt-d0wns (both mommy and children), we have finally reached an understanding. They will take milk from a sippy cup as long as mommy or daddy holds it for them like a bottle (before this, they were feeding themselves from a bottle). I can take the exact same sippy cup, wash it out and put juice in it and both girls will drink from the cup all by themself just fine. Somehow, I think that we are going to have many interesting battles over the next... oh say.... 17 years or so.

We are having so much fun watching all of the new things that the girls are learning. Rory has started making funny faces at us. Michael will say "Rory, make your ugly face" and she will scrunch her whole face up. It's too cute!! She also talks to us constantly. Sometimes we don't catch everything that she is saying, but she definitely gets her point across. When she gets frustrated, she will put her hands on her hips and say "mama" or "dada" in an exasperated tone. Rory is also doing so well with her walking/running. She doesn't stay in one place at all anymore. When she really starts going fast, she swings her arms as if that will make her go even faster. Abby is doing so much, as well. She has started talking more and more. Sometimes, she will get tired of listening to Rory talk and talk, so she will just stand up in front of Rory and start talking over her. It's too funny!! Abby will be heard!! Michael and I get so tickled at her when she gets frustrated. She will start saying every word that she knows as fast as her little mouth will allow her, then she will just start growling. Abby is also doing so well with her walking. She doesn't go quite as fast as Rory, but she gets where she wants to go with absolutely no problems. She has also started trying to do summer-saults like Braxton. Braxton is taking gymnastics this semester and so he is constantly flipping and standing on his head. Abby thinks that looks like too much fun, so she puts her head on the floor and tries to push up with her legs. She's got the idea, but she just doesn't quite have the momentum to get all the way over. When daddy and I help her, she just lays on her back after her flip and smiles and laughs. She is so pleased with herself. Both of the girls are getting so big and doing so many things. It's hard to keep up at times!!

What a Wonderful Evening!

Early morning bottle and sister snuggles!!

This evening, my wonderful husband decided to take the girls and I out on a special date. One year ago today, we brought Abigail home from the hospital. She had to remain in the NICU for 10 days after she was born. Michael and I had talked about how special today is because it is the one year anniversary of when we (Michael, myself, Rory and Abby) were all finally home together as a family!! So, he took us out to a special dinner (just the four of us) to celebrate what an amazing year it has been and to celebrate all of the fun we have to look forward to for many, many, many years to come!!! It was such a fun time together. The girls enjoyed showing off for people at the restaurant and trying all the new food. It was definitely a special evening!! We plan to celebrate this special day every year!!!

1 year pictures

Our gorgeous Aurora
Double "A" fun

Abby striking a pose

"Can I climb on this thing?" ~Rory

I Am 1

Our gorgeous Abigail

"This is Fun!! I like having my picture taken!!" ~Rory

"I'm just going to sit here until you are done making fools of yourselves." ~Abby

Twin Beauties

We Are 1

Today we had the girls' one year photographs taken. They both really outdid themselves in the cuteness department this time around. We are so proud of how great the pictures turned out and still can't believe how big our precious little angels are.

Aurora & Abigail's 1st Birthday

Aurora's special cake
Abigail's special cake

Cake/Cupcake fun!!

Aunt Ingrid and Abby

Lesa Dade and Rory (who's a very tired little girl)

Our family

Rory decided to sit on her present rather than open it... silly Rory

The bow from the girls' new swing set is bigger than Abby's head. What a fashion statement!!

Precious Rory Smiles

Rory loooooooves the princess couch that Mimi Cinda and Papa gave her and Abby

"It's my party and I'll sleep if I want to" ~Rory

Birthday cake fun

Diving in with both hands

"Are you sure that it's ok to dive into the cake?"

Rory in her pretty birthday outfit!!

Abby in her pretty outfit for her birthday!!

"What?" ~Abby

Big Birthday Smiles!!

Michael and I can hardly believe that our precious little angels are 1 year old now. What a year it has been!!!! We could have never imagined how our lives would change forever and be so fulfilled once we became parents. We live to see our girls smile and love to hear their precious laughs!!! Today, we had a huge birthday party for Abby and Rory. It was so much fun!!! We had friends and family from all over come in for the girls' party. The girls had so much fun seeing everyone all at one time. We decided to have a cupcake party for their first birthday. Everything turned out really nice (thanks, of course, to some help from mom and Shandra). Everyone seemed to have a really good time!! And, to make the day even more special, Michael and I found out that we will be having a new niece or nephew by September/October!!!! We couldn't be more excited for Jackson and Ingrid and we can't wait for their new little bundle of joy!!!!!

The girls have come so far in the last year. They have come from two little bitty babies who could hardly do anything to two independent little toddlers who are walking and talking. It amazes everyone, even their doctor, at how much they are doing. Both girls are walking pretty well all by themselves now. They are both talking more and more each day. Rory is even saying things like "Zat" (What's that), "Zit" (Who is it), "bye-bye" and "hello." She also puts words together now like: "bye-bye dada" and "no night-night." It's just so amazing to watch them learn and grow each day!! We look forward to all the exciting adventures that having two one-year old toddlers promises to bring!!!!