It's Baby Sink Day

It's Baby Sink Day.  Two years ago today, we said goodbye to our very much wanted and loved-beyond-measure baby.  Earlier this year when I saw that our Baby Sink Day fell on a Sunday, I knew that we had to get the girls baptized on this day.  Here's the thing, we aren't terribly religious.  It's important to our families.  Daniel and I try to be really good people and do believe in all things sentimental, so I did know that I wanted to get them baptized.

Today was amazing.  The weather was a sunny 75 degrees (it is December...).  Daniel and I think that today was special-ordered by a spectacular older sibling, or by some higher power that we'd like to think remembers that sometimes good things should happen to good people, when bad things have happened to them.  Today was also the Cantata at church.  It's a Sunday that I always try to attend - the sanctuary is filled with beautiful Christmas songs.  Today's Cantata was particularly beautiful.

Speaking of sentiments, I'll tell you about their beautiful ensemble.  Their pretty smocked gowns were given to them as a coming-home outfit from their Great Grandma Stella, Ella's namesake.  They are size newborn (itty bitty things), but were just perfect for today.  Their Great Granma Fails gave them their gorgeous bonnets, which are handkerchiefs that they will hopefully use on their wedding day(s).  My mom, their Nana, gave them beautiful bracelets with their names on them, and can grow with them as their teeny tiny wrists grow.

I had some moments today that I got a little teary, but that's to be expected, right??  Sometimes I got teary because I was sad - because let's face it, when you have a baby that's so sick they won't ever live, that just breaks your heart into a million pieces, even years later.  But then there were times I got teary because I was happy.  Like right after the girls were baptized - when they were smiling, talking, and playing with each other.  Or right before we put them to bed, their happiest time of the day.  I knew two years ago today, and the devastating days after, that we would be happy again.  I had absolutely no idea how happy we could be.  That having two beautiful baby girls would make our hearts explode, over and over, every single day.  

I wrote this post soon after we said goodbye.  

"You want to know the best part?  We are going to have lots of babies.  He is going to be an amazing dad one day, just as he is an amazing husband right now.  We will get through this - stronger than ever before.  As crappy as this situation is, it will make our marriage better, and we will never, ever take for granted the precious life we created, and the ones we will in the future.
...
But you want to know the good news?  We are going to make it.  We will make babies, and have an amazing family.  I can't wait, but for now, we do our best to get through each day and honor the precious baby we lost."

I'd like to think we've honored Baby Sink in the most amazing of ways.  And we made babies, and we have an amazing family.  We've made it.  Better, stronger, and so incredibly grateful.  And Daniel is the best dad in the entire world.  Ella and Sydney are the luckiest ladies on the planet.

Happy Baby Sink Day.

I'll add some pictures later, but for now - I'm very sleepy thanks to our tiny twins :)

...and the stars of the show:

Their beautiful ensemble - dress, bonnet, bracelet

Ella Grace

Sydney Ann

Since it's Baby Sink Day, we had to get pictures of the twins in front of the Baby Sink tree.

this year's tree addition: a gorgeous star!

they both wanted to pull at the grass so badly

a rare behind the scenes picture of a #doublesinks photo shoot

 Stop #2: the baptism itself - a cousin's baptism

The whole Sink/Overstreet clan

Ella's first

and next is Sydney

Sydney thought it was funny to have water sprinkled over her head

and finally, Seth!

<3

the pastor paraded ALL THREE down the aisle!  I give her mad props for accomplishing such a feat without dropping one!

The girls played so nicely together during the service

Ella & Sydney with Pastor Sylvia

newly baptized babies with the pastor

cousins

Seth is trying so hard to learn to sit by himself

and he enjoys Sydney's shoulder as a snack - little does he know, Ella has more meat than Syd ;)

After the service, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Kelly's house.  And ironically enough, it was our "in/out" day for the twins on Baby Sink Day.  The girls have spent the same number of days "out" and they did baking - 36 weeks + 6 days!  I think it's safe to say that the "out" days have FAR exceeded my expectations and are a zillion times better than the "in" days.  Pictured on the left: 11 1/2 lbs of pure misery.  Pictured on the right: almost 30 lbs of pure joy.