Holy separation anxiety...

Ansley is experiencing this in a BIG way. She gets her self so worked up she can't breath which then upsets Kinley. She even does this when I am in her sight but not next to her. Any tips on how to deal with this? I don't want her to need to be with me. I even tried putting her back towards the door and distracting her with toys but NOPE she needs me to be RIGHT next to her.

Cabin Fever

Ok! We need some ideas. Everyone brainstorm... what do you do with two 9 month olds in the dead of winter? It can be things at the house or we can go places (I just don't know where to go!). I don't know if the girls are but I'm definitely getting cabin fever.

On your mark, get set, BRAINSTORM!

Wow,

9 months already! It’s hard to believe that their 1^st year is almost over. I can definitely say that life is much more enjoyable these days. Their 9 month stats were awesome! Kinley weighs 17 lbs 3 oz and Ansley is 17 lbs 11 oz. They are both 27 inches long. We have a pretty set schedule and their personalities are shining through more and more. I want to remember what a day in our lives looks like right now so here it goes.

7:00 Wake-up & Bottle

8:00 Solids

9:00ish Nap

12:00ish Solids & Bottle

12:30 Play time (usually when I go run errands)

2:00 Nap

4:30 Solids

5:30 Daddy comes home and we play with him!

6:30 Bath

7:00 Bottle and then bedtime!

Kinley is still our super content baby. She still chooses not to roll! She is happy however we put her and stays there until we move her again. She was the first to “talk” (on Dec. 4^th) and spends her day saying “dada”. She has begun to “talk” as soon as you lay her down for bed. She will be dead asleep in my arms but the second I lay her down she is wide awake and ready for a good heart to heart! Kinley is very ticklish. You just have to touch her belly and she can’t take it. She still doesn’t have any teeth but I think they are coming soon. She has such a great personality and whenever she smiles her eyes just light up in such a way that melts your heart. She has such a sweet spirit and I hope that continues to grow as she develops and matures.

Ansley is our little firecracker. She is most definitely a child of extremes. She is using rolling as a form of transportation these days. She has started “talking” as well (Dec. 14^th) and much to my dismay she is constantly babbling “baba”. However, we don’t think it will be long until there is a “mama”. She is trying so hard but can’t seem to figure it out. Ansley has taken quite the turn and gone from an extreme daddy’s girl to most definitely a mama’s girl. I’m not sure what changed but she doesn’t like for me to even walk out of a room. Ansley got her 1^st two teeth on Nov. 1^st and it looks like her top teeth might be coming in soon. Her personality is so charismatic and her laugh is contagious. I hope that Ansley’s strong personality is used for the betterment of herself and her peers.

Yay Kinley!!

Kinley has achieved something first! As many of you know, I have been bothered that Ansley does everything first. Kinley is usually soon after (except for with rolling!) but I worry for Kinley's self-esteem! Ok, I'm just kidding but I was really excited that Kinley was the first to start "talking". Take a look at this sweet video of Miss Kinley saying dada!

Family

I haven't posted in a while but my family is on my heart today. I feel like I have been so blessed with the family that I have. I also feel like my family has blessed many by showing others how to stay strong and united through the many struggles we have faced. My parents are a true testament to marriage. They got married 1 week after my mom turned 16 and my dad was 19. Needless to say, they went through a lot of ups & downs! We didn't always have a ton of money but I can assure you I never missed out on things that I needed and I don't remember missing out on the things I want. As we grew up there were a lot of fights, fits, and spankings!! 4 kids only spanning 6 years definitely had to be quite the feat! And while we might not have always been the best of friends I can say without a doubt we are now!

We struggled through helping Tim get passed his personal struggles, defended and loved me through my teenage years, watched and pushed Randall to make the best decision he has made-marrying Celice (There was no way we were letting him lose her!), did the best we could to be there for Jen's family while they dealt with the worst thing anyone could ever imagine, and they were there for Jason and I while we worried and struggled through the last couple months of my pregnancy and the first month of the girls' lives. While we have been hit with a lot of MAJOR obstacles in our lives we have always pushed through them and have ended up even stronger than before.

We have ALL married extremely well and I feel like my in-laws are just 3 more siblings that I get to grow with. Josh, Celice, Melaina, & Jason I hope you all feel blessed to be a part of this strong, Christian family because I know we feel blessed to have you in it!

Thank you Lord for giving me the strongest support system I will ever know. Continue to protect & guide us through this life. YOU are the reason we have become what we are. AMEN.

** This is a video of one of the Sundays that my family came to me in the hospital so that I could still participate in church. It was so great to be able to worship even when confined in a room.

Want to see some GREAT photography?

Check out A Moment in Time Photography. Jennifer does amazing work and will make sure you get some great shots. She did a shoot of our girls at about 6 months old. They still can't sit up and they can get quite fussy but Jennifer was patient and stayed with us to make sure she got some keepers!! She is doing an awesome giveaway right now. Hurry over and join in the fun!

Some fun videos

Here are some videos of my sweet girls!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

**Sorry you have to listen to me in the background!!

Wish List Wednesday

Well I have seen a few people do this and decided to join in this week!

I really want Combi Corrocos in these colors:

Sadly they are $200 each! Maybe this can be their Christmas... They won't remember right?!

We are looking at VERY used suburbans but I wish I could have this!

What would you like to have?!?! Make your wish list and then comment on my blog so I can see it!

Cute boots!

My girls have worn their first pair of shoes! They were so cute... if I do say so myself. Well... just take a look.

My new blog layout!!

Thanks so much to Kelly Mann for my new page!! I am hoping that since I have a new cute page that I will become a much better blogger. She did such a great job and was so great to work with. I cannot wait for her to meet the girls that she has gotten to see some pictures of!

The girls are getting so big! We are still working on a ton of things. My most recent goal is getting them to sit unassisted. They kind of can but not completely (Like I wouldn't just walk away). I have a video of Ansley laughing that I need to upload but I'm trying to wait until I get a good video of Kinley. She is just so content most of the time that she just watches Ansley being crazy! Oh well, she will have her time to shine soon!

Let me leave you with some pics. These were taken by Kyle Newton. He did such a great job!

Horrible Bloggers!!

I just have to say I am an awful blogger. I truly didn't think anyone could be worse than me. Well... all my friends and family with blogs are awful!! I love to hear stories about my nieces and nephews or all my friends children but NOTHING. Come on ladies!! Get back to the blogging world. That is all!!

1/2 a year down!!

They girls are 6 months old. I cannot believe it. They are changing so quickly. At first everything was so slow! I thought they would never grow out of being newborns and then all of the sudden... CHANGES!! It is so fun to watch their little personalities develop. They love each other so much. We have been doing solids for a while now and are eating 2 "meals" a day. They have tried almost every veggie & fruit. They don't really show a preference yet. Before you know it I will have 2 ONE year olds. Weird!!

Ansley: 14 lbs 2 oz 24 1/2 in

- Size 2 diapers

- Still just rolling from back to front

- Close to sitting

- Loves the jumperoo

- Loves the activity mat

- Tries to scoot

- Found her voice

- Sleeping through the night UNSWADDLED!!!

Kinley: 13 lbs 2 oz 24 in.

- Size 2 diapers

- SOOO close to rolling

- Close to sitting

- Loves the jumperoo

- Loves the activity mat

- Found her voice

- Sleeping through the night UNSWADDLED!!!

- Snuggly

Ansley's first laugh

The best laugh is towards the end. To her credit she sounds a little like an old man b/c I was pushing on her full belly! Haha

Saying goodbye to nursing...

I decided to go to the Dr. today for a weight check on the girls. I'm constantly worried about Kinley and all of the sudden the last couple of weeks both girls have been absolutely awful (day and night). They have been waking up at 3 and are up off and on until 6. So I have been up from 3 until they take a nap at 7ish. 

Well... sure enough they haven't gained enough weight. A month ago Kinley was 8 lbs 13 oz. Today 9 lbs 8 oz. Ansley was 9 lbs 11 oz. Today 10 lbs 10 oz. They want me to start nursing them every 2 hours and then supplementing. SERIOUSLY?!?! I already didn't do anything but nurse. Needless to say I had a total meltdown in front of 3 nurses. I let them know I was just tired b/c they aren't sleeping! 

It's been 5 long months of EBF and just when I thought we finally had it figured out this happens. I just can't take it anymore. It hurts so bad to be investing all your time and energy into something that is so important to you just to be told it isn't working. I am sad to make this decision and I feel defeated but as of today at 3 we have switched to bottles. Here's to hoping all of our lives will be much more pleasant.

One for the books

I had the best mommy of twins moment last night! The girls have just started really looking at each other the past couple of weeks. Well, last night they were looking at each other and Ansley couldn't stop smiling and cooing at Kinley! It was so amazing!

So Ansley first smiled at Kinley on August 7th!