15 months (and some change)

The girls are 15 months!  It has been a whirlwind of a month- but we are all doing well!

Reese is still shy around new people, but is a total dare devil at home.  She still doesn't walk, but climbs on everything she can find.  She loves her new classes at the Little Gym and actually "practices" her moves at home.  She has become very afraid of loud noises (garbage trucks), but is absolutely fascinated by anything electronic.  She amazes me with how deeply she can concentrate on mastering a skill or figuring out a toy.  A little thinker for sure. Combine her analytical thinking and her tendency to climb…I'm gonna have my hands full!

Micaela struts her stuff all over the house and all but refuses to ride in a stroller or sit in a high chair.  We have actually had to tie her in her high chair during meals or she stands right up (I swear it isn't as horrible as it sounds).  Fortunately, she doesn't seem to mind at all. She loves to chatter while carrying her toy purse all over the house.  Her vocabulary is really expanding these days and it so cute to watch her learn new words and phrases.  The most recent: "Tickle, tickle, tickle"! She loves to be up high and wants me (or the mailman for that matter) to hold her up high all the time.  Refuse, and her is the view:

The girls are exactly the same weight at 21 lbs, 14.5 oz (40% percentile) and Michaela is currently exactly 1" taller at 30 1/4" and Reese at 29 1/4".  They flip flop all the time in the heigh race, but they are almost always equal in weight.

Getting the girls to pose for a cute shot is nearly impossible, but sometimes you get a candid shot or two that melt your heart and make you want to freeze time for just a little while longer.  We love you baby girls!

A "Bumpy" Start to the New Year

2014 is upon us!  Seeing as how I wrote today's date as 1/3/2012 (wrong on almost every level), I'm sure it will take me some time to get things in order.  

2013 was the most challenging, yet rewarding year on record.  It was our first full year with our baby girls and all the trials, tribulations, wonder, joy and pure magic that is involved with raising twins.  

While I would love to say that our holiday season was magical and perfect and that we have sailed into the New Year effortlessly, that would be far from the truth.  While we were so blessed to be surrounded by so much family and love this Christmas, the girls struggled.  Then on the 27th, Reese broke out in a mild rash that we later found out (at a party filled with other kids) was Hand, Foot and Mouth.  In case you are wondering, twins with Hand, Foot and Mouth disease is even less fun than it seems.  Michaela broke out into hives yesterday, which persisted into today.  A trip to the doctor resulted in the proclamation that she has one of the worst cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth South Riding Pediatrics has ever seen. Now there's a coveted title! 

So it's been a "bumpy" start to the New Year- figuratively and literally.  But, to keep perspective, this too shall pass.  

We are looking forward to the New Year.  It's always nice to take some time to reflect and evaluate.  We hope to become more organized, and to save more.  I hope to spend a little more time finding balance for myself, and maybe even blog a bit more.  We'll see how that goes.  

Ok, and since you probably already skipped past my long rant, here is a cute pic of our monkeys (before the rash).