Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!

Guess how many years ago our Uncle Joe was born? THIRTY! That's a pretty big deal (just like him.) Our Uncle Joe was a little afraid of us when we were first born, but now he is a pro. He makes us laugh, gets us sweet pajamas, is very thoughtful, and knows the way to our hearts is through his work badge. Happy Birthday Uncle Joe, we hope that you have a wonderful day and even better 30th year!

We love you x2

A quick dip...

This is what happens when Mom thinks Dad is watching the girls, Dad thinks Mom is watching the girls, and the bathroom door is open. Gross.

Our mom doesn't always dress us the same.

Hand Made Valentine's

Okay, I am slightly obsessed with making crafts out of the girls handprints/footprints. Usually what happens is Karen, Derek, and I tackle the projects as a group so that it is 6 hands vs 4 hands. Since things have been a little nuts I decided to try it on my own. I was very proud of myself, I got both girls painted, pressed, bathed and into bed for a nap. And then I started cutting them out and realized I did both of their right hands and I needed one hand from each. Awesome. So after they woke up, I painted, pressed and bathed again... well this time instead of a real bath, they got a baby wipe bath!

Emma is the print on the left and Amelia is on the right.

We love lots of things...

In honor of Valentine's Day, yeah a week late, I thought we should make a post about everything we love. In no particular order:

- Our blue blankets, especially running it through our fingers.

- Our push popper, we love to say "pop pop pop!"

- Drinking from our Mickey and Clifford cups that Grandma got for us.

- Our paci's.

- Afternoon phone calls with Grandpa.

- Dogs.

- Balls, we point them out everywhere we see them.

- Our AK. Enough said!

- Jewelry, aka pretty.

- Reading books when Grandma Debi comes over to play.

- Putting our fingers up our nose.

- Watching sports with daddy, we point out the ball every time!

- Our bunny, we wake up each morning in search of it.

- When Uncle Mike zoom's us around the house.

- Taking baths... well except when Emma gets water on her face.

- Cooking on our kitchen and carrying plastic food with us everywhere.

- When Uncle Joe let's us play with his work badge.

- Putting socks on over our pj's.

- Wearing shoes that are 10 sizes too big.

- Blowing spit bubbles.

- Playing hide and seek.

- "Skiing" down Ted.

- Laughing at each other.

- FaceTime.

- Being naked, especially Amelia.

- Dancing to music, or for no reason at all. Dancing all the time!

Valentine's Day Love

So Proud.

For the last 9 months Amelia has been working with a physical therapist from Birth to Three on her gross motor skills. When she started she wasn't able to lift her head or roll over and now she walking around like a pro. On Wednesday, 2/15/12 she was officially discharged from their program because she reached all of her goals and there is no longer any concerns about her development. We couldn't be prouder of her accomplishments, we love you little girl!

Stolen Heart

So the girls have been up to lots of new things... shoplifting included. After a trip to Target, I was putting the girls in the car and found this lovely little stow away under the cart.

So we turned the cart around and brought it back into the store.

Snow inside

Since mom was ill prepared, we got to bring some snow inside to play with... which really means eat. Yum!

Who needs snow anyways?

So mom was a little behind on getting the girls winter sleds, pants, gloves, boots, etc... so we didn't get to play in the few inches that we got earlier in the season. Now that we have everything ready... there is no snow in sight. But sleds are fun to sit in and push around inside too!!

Wanna Smooch?

Sweet Emma

I'm sweet, I get it... but do I really need this bow in my hair?

Dear Amelia and Emma,

18 months, one and a half years old... When did you get so big that we can start counting in years? You are growing so fast. Your faces turning more and more little girl and less and less baby. From crawling to walking and now even running. From cooing to sounds and now actual words. You girls are growing so big.

Amelia Jane,
My little goofball. From the day you were born you have always found a way to make people laugh. The last six months have been no exception. You have a smile that makes my day brighter. You have a laugh that is so hard you need to fold in half and bury your face. To get others to smile, your favorite move is to shake your little bum back and forth, with one hand on your hip the other waving in the air and your lips pursed tightly together. You love to dance, doesn't matter where you are: in the house, driving in the car, walking in the mall. You always have time to bust a move. And, because you have gotten so good at pursing your lips together when you dance, when you are in the mood, you will give us real kisses. Who knew how much a wet, sloppy kiss could melt your heart?!

Over the last six months you have grown and developed so much. You can say a hand full of words; ball, dog, hi, what's that, up, down, Dada and Mama. And even though you haven't said them yet, you have a huge vocabulary of words that you know and can point out to us. Apple, truck, moon, cat, Elmo, sister, Auntie, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa, etc. I have a feeling one of these days you are going to start talking and never stop. You also enjoy pointing out where your head, eyes, ears, mouth, tongue, teeth, belly button, feet, and hands are. And your favorite thing to point to is your nose, because you put your finger right up into it. Always looking for a laugh! Speaking of laughs, you have also learned how to burp on command, which makes your sister and you roar together with laughter.

Six months ago you were just starting to belly crawl, a month after that you figured out how to crawl on your hands and knees and pulled yourself to standing. A month after that, you stood for 3 seconds on your own. And now look at you, you can walk by yourself! Your dad and I are so proud at how far you've come. Even though there are a lot of bumps and bruises along the way, you don't let anything hold you back and are willing to work extra hard to figure things out. With each day you get a little more confident and a little more bolder with your moves. Amelia, you are going to grow up and do something amazing with your life, I just know it, you inspire me every day.


Emma Jane,
My little love. From the day you were born I knew you would be the cuddle bug...although I admit, there were a few months early on where you kind of turned grumpy and I questioned it... but it's true. You love to cuddle and be cuddled. You can never be too far from your blanket and paci. You sleep with your favorite stuffed animals each
night, holding them tight. And most of the time you will share with your sister, unless it's something that you really, really want. You love to bring your dad and I books, snuggle into our laps and have us read to you. You will sit and listen to us read, add in your own words, point to pictures, and even give us a giggle. I have to admit, the moments I love most are when you are right in the middle of playing, and you stop whatever it is you are doing and come give me a quick cuddle. Before I can even blink, you are off and running again. It's your way of showing that you always have time to give your momma some love.

Over the past six months you have grown and developed into such a big kid. You say all of the same words as your sister; ball, dog, hi, what's that, up, down, Dada and Mama. But you also can say "go." I love how you pronounce it as a two syllable word (Go-Wah), taking something so simple and making it my favorite word. You are always on the go. Always busy making piles and moving them from here to there and back again. Dancing in circles. Making new friends. Walking and running to where you need to be. Climbing stairs. Climbing stairs on your own...even when we don't know it. Climbing onto the couch. Climbing onto the dining room chairs, and onto the kitchen table from the kitchen chairs... You are fearless little one and you give us a heart attack each time you learn something new.

In the last six months you have become a very confident little girl. You were crawling at your 1st birthday and pulled yourself to standing not too long after that. Two months after, you stood on your own and took a step on the same day. A couple weeks after that you were cruising around like a pro. And now you run everywhere. You are always trying new things and aren't afraid to take chances... even if that means a heart attack for everyone watching. I try not to hold you back from things you are trying to figure out, because I know that you are going to keep trying until you get it right. Emma, you are going to grow up and do something amazing with your life, I just know it, you
inspire me every day.


Amelia and Emma,
Listening to the two of you wake up from a nap, giggling together. Watching you both play with your toys, read your books, share paci's and blankets together. Screaming with one another, screaming at one another. Chasing one another. Watching one another's every move. Trying to get each others attention, even when the lights are out and it's time for bed. Crying when the other cries. Watching how the two of you play and communicate together is something that I love to watch. As each day passes, you have more and more fun together and I know one day soon you will be great partners in crime.

You have given us eighteen months of fun and laughs and sleepless nights and tears and milestones and more love than we could have ever imagined. We have adored every single second since the moment that you were both born and can't wait to see what the next six months brings.

We love you little girls, and even though you’re not so little anymore, you’ll always be our babies.
Love, Mom

18 Month Stats

The girls had their 18 month check up last week and we are so happy to hear how much they've grown.

Amelia Jane
21.5 lbs
31.25 inches
12% for weight and 35% for height.

Emma Jane
22 lbs
32 inches
18% for weight and 61% for height.

Reaching double digits is something we are very excited about because a year ago they weren't even on the charts. We have come a long way, our little girls are getting so big!

World Travelers

Thanks for taking us to the Eiffel Tower Auntie!!

Hope you are having a great trip, we miss you :)