Half birthday

We made it.  We blinked, and we somehow survived half a year with beautiful twin baby girls.  We are still awake (minimal coffee needed) and so happy.  The girls are getting more and more fun each day.  They roll over like crazy - front to back, and back to front, and sometimes a few times in a row!  We often times find them off their floor-blanket, and I know they won't be immobile for long.  They like to roll on top of each other, and we are constantly getting them off each other, saving them from choking or poking each other's eyes.  We find ourselves saying "be careful with her head/face" or "don't do that to your sister" more than we'd like at only 6 months old, haha.  There are so many contagious smiles and giggles.  When I go in each morning and wake them up, they wake up with lots of happy smiles!  Sometimes in the middle of the night, they will stare up at you and grin - and how can you even be mad?  Tired, but not mad.  They are still great sleepers; we put them in their cribs around 8 (and after a few minutes of insanely amazing smiles and giggles), they talk for a while and fall right to sleep.  On the weekends, they'll usually "sleep-in" until 7:30 or 8, praise Jesus.  We are getting ready to work on feeding them baby food, and even some regular people food.  They love to grab toys, pull the toys towards them, and either play with it or stick it in their mouths.  They have discovered each other's pacifiers, and that they somehow taste better than their own.

Our ladies are still tiny and fierce.  Ella is a whopping 13 lbs 10 oz (9% on the growth chart), and Sydney is a solid 2 lbs lighter at 11 lbs 10 oz (not on the growth chart..).  Their head circumference is still <3%, but they are completely average for height, surprisingly.

Beautiful, amazing, and fabulous 6-month old ladies

It's difficult to get two babies to look at the camera and smile at once.  We normally have several "out-takes" before we get a good photo!  And often, someone is behind the camera, singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider :)  Here are some cute out-takes.

haha, what's so interesting on your box, Sydney?

I bet you can't guess where Daniel is standing...?

Ella Grace: you are beautiful, and your smile + dimple is the sweetest.  When you get really excited, you will have a huge grin on your face, but can't make eye contact!  You just grin and look down.  It's the cutest.  You are quick to get upset, but very quick to calm down, just need some snuggles.  You love to snuggle and lay your head on our shoulders or against our cheek.  You would rather take a nap with one of us, than all by yourself on the ground, and most every time, I don't mind stopping what I'm doing to cuddle <3  Your belly-laugh is so contagious.  You love it when your Daddy picks you up from daycare, being tickled on your ribs by your feet, and sleeping with your elephant "night-night".

Sydney Ann.  You're our crazy girl.  You never stop moving or talking.  Your always waving your arms all around, oftentimes hitting your sister in the face, which is unfortunate when you have a toy in your hand.  You love to talk and talk and talk - and in the middle of the night, you love to have very loud conversations.  Can't we just talk about what's on your mind in the morning??  You'll fall asleep anywhere, with your hands behind your head like you're full-on relaxing.  When you get upset, it's really hard to calm you down.  And you're so sad, with your huge alligator tears.  Your laugh is hilarious - it almost sounds like you can't breathe and isn't a traditional baby-laugh, but it's contagious nonetheless.  You love it when your Daddy picks you up from daycare, figuring things out, and reach and touching anything in reach (including hair, noses, and toys).

Now it's time to play with our letters

oh yeah, that tastes good

Sydney just LOVES her daddy!

We never knew how quickly half a year could go by, or how happy we could be!  Two seasons of pure joy, can't wait to see what the second half of our first year brings :)