It was supposed to be an 11 month post!

The nostalgia is in full force around here people! I didn't even realize the girls were 11 months old until half way through the day Saturday! Possibly, because my mind can't quite wrap around the fact that they are almost 1! What the heck!? It doesn't seem possible. I have kind of been floating through this weekend remembering little flashes of foggy, overly tired, AMAZING memories. I was rocking Zoe tonight in her room, remembering when the girls shared a room (before "no-sleep-Nora" was kindly relocated) and Lance and I would swaddle the girls like little burritos and one of us would give a bottle in the glider and one on the ottoman and we would be rocking rocking rocking, bumping into each other and muffling laughter (or delirium) until the girls fell asleep and then we put them each into their little rock n play beds in the middle of the room. Or, sitting on this couch right now blogging, I am looking across the room and remembering the countless nights that I nursed the girls in the wee hours and Lance would lay sleeping on the love seat waiting for his cue to burp and return a baby. We would then change diapers, swaddle, get them back down and high five on the way back to bed if we got it all done in under an hour or try to hold back tears of frustration and exhaustion if we were still trying to get babies back sleeping 2 hours later, knowing a new feeding was just around the corner! Or, looking at my breakfast room FULL to the brim right with toys, I can remember back to when it was all neat and tidy and just had a changing table in it because the girls were too tiny to make any kind of mess. Now they get up and hit the ground running...walking and climbing and DUMPING everything in sight.

Every corner of this house now holds a memory of them. It's like they have been here forever. It was a happy house before, but now it's broken in. It's messy and cluttered and sometimes I think the broom and vacuum should just become extra limbs because I am using them constantly. But the overall feel of this place is just different because of them, and different for the better. I'm trying to think of a word to describe it. I think it's just "warmer" around here now. It's just a family home every where you look and it makes my heart happy to the point of bursting, I'm not kidding you!

I was tired when they were tiny because I never slept and now I am a new kind of tired. The kind of tired that comes from chasing babies all day, keeping them out of the cabinets, pulling them off of boxes and playing referee all day as toys are yanked from each other and fits are thrown frequently! Cutting uncountable numbers of grapes and steaming veggies, and cooking dinner with babies pulling so hard on my pants that sometimes they pull them off! And the height of my exhaustion really comes from trying to clean up after them. Just this past week I had been out with them all morning at the park and when we got back they were kind of in melt down mode and were just acting nuts! They were throwing spinach and rice on the floor and then walking around the house with rice stuck to the bottom of their feet, spreading sticky streaks everywhere. They had opened up the video cabinet and pulled out every DVD and done the same with the blanket, Tupperware, and cutting board cabinets. Usually, I would at least attempt to clean up after them but on this particular day I truly did not have it in me and just sat with a glass of water and watched them destroy! Well, while I was rocking Nora for her nap my mom walked in and said she just laughed and then stood there wanting to help but literally not knowing where to start. The funny thing is I was sitting with Nora asleep in my arms, paralyzed in that glider because I knew what was waiting for me in the next room!  Which is really funny since I am reminiscing, because before the girls were born I thought my house was just filthy if the baseboards weren't dusted....no not even not dusted, but not scrubbed down with Windex THEN dusted. Ha!

All that to say, things are always crazy but I love it. Lance and I are used to our new routine of never stopping unless we are sleeping. I still get overwhelmed when I feel like I have lots of "life" to do because apparently life and responsibility still go on after kids. ;) It's still hard for me at times to get little tasks done like laundry or bills or manage to wash my hair on Monday & Wednesday evening for work. I have yet to master effortlessly running up to the post office or getting a meal to every new mom, but I am getting better! It is getting so much easier!

I am needed by my girls, and my husband everyday. Literally, someone always needs me these days and for that I am so thankful. I know there will be a phase in my life where no one needs me. I won't have multiple little (and big) lives depending on me. My heart is so full. All day today I have been thinking of the verse;

Psalm 113:9 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.

It was the kind of day when I had to pray myself out of bed because I was up reading until 2am (not smart) and then Zoe got up for the day at 5:30! I asked God for joy and it was one of the most joyful days we have ever had together! Have I mentioned if you pray daily for the strength that you need to make it to bedtime it WILL come & if you forget to ask God to help you through the day you will still make it but possibly minus the joy! :) 

Anyway, I have rambled on and on and totally forgot to talk about the girls 11 months. And it is time for bed so I guess the 11 month post will come later! In my mind this is around the age we will be getting our little Jane so I am hoping to be good about posting our daily schedules from now on because I know I will want to look back! 

Okay, Happy Monday!

Almost one year since I kissed those sticky, precious little faces!! :)

Look at them now!!

You are 10 months old.

(wrote this a while ago and forgot to finish and post it)

Little girls, you are TEN months old. Your tiny baby selves are almost completely gone at this point. You both still let me rock you at night and still enjoy cuddling during the day, mostly Nora, but the days of having tiny little babes are pretty much gone.

However, your new found big girl selves are pretty cute too! I can just really see those wheels turning and know that you are both just about to explode with new skills. I love to see you learn and grow, but have officially hit the phase of wanting to freeze time and make it stop. It's starting to fly by so fast and it's bittersweet.

Zoe: You are walking! Just a few days ago it became your preferred mode of transportation! You are still such a good little sleeper and eater. You are such a lover and give out kisses all day long. When I get you out of bed you look up at me, come in for a kiss, then lay your head on my shoulder. I really can't think of anything sweeter on this earth!! You love to talk and crawl around just babbling nonsense all day. Every now and then we will be talking to you or singing to you and you will imitate a word as clear as day. Then of course, we will try and try to get you to do it again and you won't. You say "mama" to me and "bada" to daddy. However, lots of days you just refer to me as "mommm". You are beginning to socialize better with others. You will smile and wave to people at the grocery store now as opposed to hiding in Nora's chest and crying. When we are in a new place, you still cling onto me for dear life and hide your head in my chest for the first half hour or so, but after that you will get down and play with other people and kids! I am so proud of you for this! Just last night we were at your cousins birthday party and you sat on the floor amidst a sea of crazy children unwrapping gifts and joined in the action, smiling and laughing with the kids. It almost made me tear up to see you getting so big and confident! Zoe Rose we love you and you add so much joy to our lives!

Nora: You are now a fast little crawler, and just started standing up on your own. You think it is the most fun game in the world to stand up and then crash onto my lap or a pillow. You continue to be a 100% spaz! The faster, or sillier, or higher the better for you. You love to squeal out in delight and love to scream (in delight). You had continued to get better with sleep, going 12 hours straight at night, until recently. You got really sick and now are back to your old ways. We are not thrilled about it little Miss! You have been standing up in your crib and just screaming "mamamama" until I finally give in and come in. I always come in to find no tears, and no issue I can see. Once you see me the screaming and "crying" is done  and you just smile and wave at me! Yes, you are a persistent one. You have definitely started with the whole separation anxiety thing. But I am counting my blessings that it didn't 100% overlap with Zoe, because that would have been tough. You love to play with your toys and love to see how things work. When we are in a new place you are SO interested in the things around you and are such an observer. You love to sit in my lap and read books or play with your ring toys. You love toys that you "get" and will do the same thing over and over and over. You continue to have such a sweet nature, but are also getting more vocal and dramatic when things don't go your way. I have accepted that neither you or your sister are laid back, but you are beyond sweet so it makes up for it! You have 6 teeth! When you smile up at me, I have to chuckle at the mouth full of big teeth I see! You sister still only has three but I think she will catch up soon. You only say "mama" consistently but the words we have heard from you are "bye" "baby" "dada" and most recently "eysh" aka eyes. You love to stick your finger right into my eyeball and say "eysh"! Nora Beth, we love your funny, hyper little self more than you will every know!

I know I need to save the sentimental stuff for your birthday. However, I can't help but start to reflect on all that has happened this past year, beginning with finding out we were pregnant with you! Having twins was not in our "plan". We were adopting a little girl, ONE, little girl from Ethiopia and that was how we were going to begin our family. But God knew better, and knew that we would in fact have THREE little girls beginning with the two of you! As I look back on this year, it has just been all about you. My "old" life of getting up every day and being a full time therapist, and then pretty much just doing whatever I wanted, with whomever I wanted, whenever I wanted, ended rather abruptly after going to a regular doctors appointment and coming home on bed rest! I never went back to work full time, my social life looks different and I have spent most of my time just learning how to be a mommy two both of you. I feel honored and so thankful that I have this new "job"! I'm glad you guys are a little more mobile these days and that we have been able to re-enter society with a little more ease, but I wouldn't trade one second of our time together and will always cherish our days together at home! We love you so much girls!!