ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!!!!!

Dear Daughters,

You are one!!! I can hardly believe it! And boy, am I in trouble. I took down the fence because I was tired of you both screaming every time I went into the kitchen or the bathroom.  It’s opened up a whole new world of ways for you two to get into mischief. You’ve discovered how to open cupboards. And you love it.  Dad keeps adding more and more locks.  I kind of feel bad about that, but my poor head can only take so many pot lids clanging on the floor.  Another exciting discovery in the kitchen has been the curtains.  It’s so fun to watch you both play in them and with the sliding glass door.  

We celebrated your birthday by eating chocolate cake at Grandma and Grandpa Jones’ house.  Your aunt Andrea made you some cute t-shirts and party hats to wear.  I think you liked eating the hats almost as much as you liked the cake.   

E,

You still love to share. Sometimes you will feed Cheerios to your sister or me. It's the sweetest thing ever.

You are picking up on sign language.  I’ve only taught you two signs and the one that you use all the time is “MORE!” As in, “I want more Cheerios” or “Feed me more of that soup” or “More graham crackers, please!”

You and your sister always want to eat whatever the grownups are eating.  The other night, I was eating some yummy lasagna, but it was really hot. I gave you girls graham crackers instead.  After a while, I realized that whenever I would blow on my lasagna to cool it down, you were blowing on your graham cracker.  Too cute!

Should I be worried that you're licking the monkey's tongue?

L,

You are walking all over the place now. I knew it wouldn't take you long to catch up with your sister. One of your new things is to open your mouth super wide as you are walking around to show your excitement. It's the best.

I went in your room after you woke up from your nap one day. You were so excited and called me “Mama!” Who knew you could fill my heart with just one little word? My elation was soon replaced by confusion as I tried to figure out what had happened to your crib. You sucked the paint right off of it and exposed the wood underneath! I guess you had been awake longer than I realized. I'm now working on protecting your crib.

You now have one little curl on the top of your head.  I’m in love with it.  I can’t wait until you get more hair.  If your hair is anything like mine, though, it will still take a while to come in.

  

You are such a fun girl. And adventurous, too. You love finding new places to explore.

I have a confession to make. On a regular basis, I find myself saying, "This would be so much easier if I only had one baby." Well, this month I got a little glimpse of what it would be like to have just one. Dad took E on a trip with him for a weekend, while L stayed home with me. And I was right. It was easier. I got more sleep, going to the store was a breeze, and I could give my undivided attention to my sweet little girl. But, I'm still so glad that you came to me as twins. I love seeing you play together. I can't get enough of your giggles. The greatest part about it, though, has been the fact that I've needed help. That's not something that I would have previously thought I'd be so grateful for. Ever since I was put on bed rest, I've been blown away by how blessed our family has been. It still hasn't stopped. I'm continually being served in so many ways, big and small. So, thank you for giving me the opportunity to allow people to serve our family. I hope you always remember how loved you are.

I love you both so much!! It's been one incredible year.

Love,
Mom

P.S. Thanks to your incredible aunt Andrea for lots of these amazing photos! (all the good ones)