Christmas

We had a very special Christmas this year with Kristen and Sarah. Christmas is wonderful every year but we had a lot to celebrate this year! On Christmas Eve we just spent the day at home playing with the girls and that evening we all went to church. On Christmas morning we opened the girls gifts and that evening my mom and brother joined us for dinner. The girls got toys, books and a lot of clothes, which come in very handy since they grow so incredibly fast.

Kristen and Sarah have been the greatest gifts to us and I feel so fortunate to have them. I never imagined I could love someone the way I love these girls. I actually thought I knew what to expect when they were born but it wasn't anything like I thought.....it was better than I ever imagined. It's such an overwhelming love and the moment you look at them your entire world changes. Joe and these girls are everything to me and I feel like my life has really just started.

Good Times

On Saturday we spent the early part of the day at my Mom's house and the girls got to spend some time with my brothers. My brother, Casey, and his wife will soon have their own baby (in May) so he was getting in a little practice. :)

Uncle Jimmy and Kristen

Joe making Kristen laugh

Uncle Casey with Sarah

Uncle Jimmy with Sarah

That evening we went to visit Joe's Dad and brothers to celebrate Christmas. They do a gift exchange every year and I ended up with a Brighton necklace and Joe got a Seal-A-Meal (vacuum seals your leftovers). The girls got some PJ's and "Baby's First" Christmas ornaments. The girls were very good, particularly since we kept them up way past their bed time.

Joe holding a sleeping Kristen

Sarah about to open her presents from Grandma & Grandpa

Grandpa Joe with Sarah

Uncle Clinton

On Sunday we had Christmas at my Mom's since it was the only time we would all be together. She just moved in a couple of months ago so we had a nice dinner in her new formal dining room. She has some beautiful new furniture and a lot of space that we all enjoyed. My Mom and sister-in-law, Tricia, cooked everything and it was very, very good. The girls got some good gifts as well. They got a crab rattle that also teaches the primary colors. They got a lot of clothes as well!

Ho Ho Ho

Uncle Casey and the girls

family photo after a very long day....one baby was very tired of pictures

4 months

The girls celebrated their 4 month birthday this past Saturday. I cannot believe how quickly the time has past and how big they have become. They smile all of the time and they baby talk a lot. The cutest thing is when they smile at one another and try to communicate in their own language. They have definitely figured out they have a twin sister! They love looking at people, the Christmas tree lights and their mobiles in the swing and crib. Kristen has even started laughing occasionally while Sarah is obsessed with sucking on her hand. They have brought me so much happiness that I cannot express it in words. I tell Joe all of the time that I think my heart might just burst because I love them so much. Having twins is not sharing your love between two babies....it's double the love and it's amazing.

Today I took the girls to their 4 month well check with Dr. T. They both did pretty good considering they got 4 vaccination shots. Kristen screamed so loud and hard that she was temporarily out of control....I felt so sorry for her and for all of the people in the doctor's office who had to listen to it. Sarah cried hard but seemed to get over it quickly. Dr. T said they are both doing well and are meeting all of their developmental milestones so we couldn't ask for more. During the visit you always have to undress them so they can get weighed and the doctor wants them in nothing but a diaper. Sarah went first and after the nurse did her thing I had to put Sarah back in her car seat while Kristen had her turn. I couldn't dress them because Dr. T still hadn't come in yet. Apparently Sarah was sitting on the car seat strap since I hadn't strapped her in because when Dr. T came in and I got her out again there was an indention in her back that said "Graco"....oops. I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not but the girls started sleeping through the night about a month ago. It was November 18....I'll never forget the day because they slept all night and didn't wake up until 6:30am. Ever since they've slept through the night every night. They go to bed around 7:30 and wake up around 5:30 the next morning. It was like a switch had flipped when they turned 3 months. Here's their stats as of today:

Kristen

weight - 15 lbs 2 oz (80th percentile)

head cir. - 41 cm (50th percentile)

height - 27 in (greater than the 95th percentile)

She was off the charts with her height. She is definitely going to be tall like her Daddy!

Sarah

weight - 14 lbs 6 oz (60th percentile)

head cir. - 40 cm (25th percentile)

height - 24 in (50th percentile)

The girls sleeping Saturday morning

Kristen is getting stronger every day!

If I would have been a little faster....I would have captured Sarah smiling!

The Rest of the Weekend

We had another long but very nice day on Sunday. The girls slept in until 7:30 (I'm doing the happy dance just thinking about it) and we were able to sit outside in the morning and just take it easy. We were planning to go to the late church service so we thought we had all of this time to get ready. Of course time caught up with us and we found ourselves barely able to get out of the door. We really like our church. We've been going there for almost a year and a half and we've been able to meet so many wonderful people. I volunteer in the church "Starbucks" and I have learned how to make all of the fancy coffee drinks. I had to quit at the end of July when I got put on bed rest but I plan to start up again soon. Before we went into church the weather was overcast but nice. We were all wearing short sleeves and by the time we left it had turned very cold. We had plans to meet Dan & Alissa for lunch so we had to run home and get warmer clothes for the girls. Of course that made us late to lunch....we're getting very good at being late. It was very nice seeing Dan & Alissa.....we sure miss them. Alissa is pregnant and looking very cute. They are having a girl so it will be nice having our kids so close in age. I told Kristen & Sarah that they already have friends. Hopefully one day we will all be taking our kids to Disney World together.

Cowboy Santa

Joe and I took the girls to Gruene yesterday to see the Cowboy Santa. Joe's Dad joined us and we all had a lot of fun. The day started out with lunch at Adobe Verde, which was very good. We then spent some time at Gruene Hall in the courtyard just taking a break and talking and then more of the same at the Grapevine winery. The girls also got their picture made with the Cowboy Santa. The girls did pretty good with Santa but they wouldn't let you take pictures there with your own camera so I don't have any to share. We left as it was getting dark so we decided to visit the Zilker Tree on our way back home. The girls were asleep when we got there and it was a nice hike from where we parked to the tree so we were bound and determined that they would see the tree. We woke them up when we got there and the lights immediately caught their attention. We spun them around the tree and they seemed to really enjoy it. Curious is the best way to describe it and I'm sure next year it may have more of a wow factor. We couldn't do the Trail of Lights since it was only open to registered runners. We want to take them back in the next week or so to see the Trail of Lights. I think if the Zilker Tree got them excited then the Trail of Lights will be a lot of fun for them. Every second has been so wonderful with these girls that I thank God every day that I was so fortunate to have them both.

Joe's Dad with the girls in Gruene

Having lunch in Adobe Verde

the view under the Zilker Tree

Infant CPR

My Mom and I took an infant CPR class earlier in the week. We learned adult, child and infant CPR as well as how to handle an infant when they are choking. They also showed us how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Apparently most malls, airports and movie theatres now have AED devices for emergency situations. It was very informative and I'm very glad we went. It's something you pray you will never need to use but it's good to know. Joe still needs to take the class but he'll probably take the next one in January. I encourage everyone to take a class like this....you'll be glad you did.

Santa

Today we were originally going to Gruene but we decided to delay it until next weekend due to the yucky weather. Instead we took the girls to the mall for a picture with Santa and we all had so much fun. While at the mall we bought their first Christmas ornaments. Our visit to the mall also included the Baby Paparazzi. Baby Paparazzi is the term I've coined for what happens to us when we go out in public. For some reason twins become the most popular baby or child in the entire building and everyone wants to look at them. Today we got surrounded by at least four different groups of people in our short visit. On a previous visit to the mall a woman approached Joe while I wasn't around and asked if she could take a picture of them with her camera phone....why in the world would she ask that??? That was a little creepy. Other than that one strange incident most people are genuinely curious and just want to look.