Catching up on March

I went straight into twins-are-one-birthday-overload and didn't get a chance to update on the fun stuff we did in March!

Ella is trying SO hard to reach her arm as far as it can go into Sydney's crib to grab something that's not hers

Do you see it?  That creepy baby sleeping straight as a board as close to Ella as she can get... meanwhile Ella said Bye, Felicia!

We had a playdate with our two favorite E's when Kristen came into town

 

Evelyn says "get this crazy girl away from me"

PJ play date!  Ella, Emmett, Evelyn, and Sydney

I noticed one day that Ella's right eye has been doing some creepy things.  It wanders off and doesn't look straight onto what she's focusing on.  Fortunately, Uncle Gary is our resident eye doctor, and happily took a peek.  The good news: he wasn't able to replicate the problem, and thinks that she's good.  He also looked at a picture of her and explained how we can see the light reflecting in a photo to confirm that she's doing alright.  He thinks it's an optical illusion with the bridge of her nose.  The bad news: I'm not convinced.  Haha, crazy mom right here.  I totally get what he's saying, but it's so obvious to me.  So anyway, we'll just carry on with our normal lives, and I'll continue to be creeped out and silently worried that my baby is going blind.  Kidding.

Ella and Momma <3

these two crazies are playing on the floor while we wait

Daniel and I have felt pretty bogged down and tired.  The girls aren't sleeping like angels.  In fact, they've begun waking each other up at night.  WHAT!?  WHYYYYY!?  This has never happened before!!  It's exhausting.  That means that it takes two people to get up at night, we have to divide and conquer.  Then, it's a puzzle to try to strategically place both babies back into their cribs.  And often, we just leave one in our bed because the puzzle is just impossible.  Ladies, get your shiz together.  Stop it.

So anyway, we decided to hit up the local Walmart for groceries on a crazy Friday night.  Our girls did GREAT and loved being in the cart.  Our strategy to ignore everyone's comments about the fascination with our twins is to never make eye contact.  You just gotta put your head down and soldier on.  They'll still make comments, but you just continue shopping.  Because hey, we have a short amount of time until this bomb defuses.

sweet girls being great shoppers

When we got the groceries loaded into the house, it was time for a bottle + bed.  So we gave them bottles, drove around in our cool minivan until they drank said bottles and passed out, and went on a much-needed date to our neighborhood Mexican restaurant.

sleeping babies + Mexican food = happy parents

When things get tough, and you're tired beyond measure, you've just got to do what it takes to remember that you were married before you were parents.

look at this sweet, smiling, happy girl Elle!

play hard

Momma is working hard cleaning up the porch, and I turned around to see these excited girls!

haha

thanks for sharing, Sydney.

my little ducklings

we nap hard on saturdays

x2

Sydney discovered the stove, and Ella loves playing with spoons

Daycare kept complaining that the girls were slipping in the little bear shoes I was sending them in.  So Grandma Georgia set up a shopping day to get the girls measured and fitted for new kicks from Saxon's.  Our day started with brunch at the Cheesecake Factory


first brunch course: puffs

these nosy ladies much preferred checking out everyone else instead of eating

After brunch, we went to Saxon's and the lady measured their feet and said "nope, we don't carry shoes that small".  Seriously!?  Sometimes having tiny babies is complicated.  Such as finding shoes for itty bitty feet.  After some hemming and hawing, we ended up at Carter's and bought them a pair of adorable shoes.  Their small feet are going to be a challenge!

shopping is exhausting

we picked up a package for Jeff while they were out of town, and the girls loved every bit of playing with that box

haha, Syd.



cute new shoes!

It was Aunt Kelly's birthday, so we put on our cupcake PJs and clapped and blew kisses to send to her!

E & S

look at that kissing action!

The girls are NOT allowed to stand in the tub.  I feel like I have to say "sit on your hiney" 100 times.  They think it's a game, because they will start to stand, look at you, and just grin.  Anyways, I snapped this picture and had to laugh at Sydney's huge outie!


tiny girl, big belly button!

The porch.  Ahh, the porch!
I've wanted a screened-in porch since before we bought a house.  The other house we were debating on had a screened-in porch, deck, and patio.  Glorious.  I loved it.  The ultimate factor?  Too much wallpaper and not in my preferred neighborhood.  Anyway, I digress.  I've been saying for YEARS I'd like to build one.  Daniel wasn't ever on board, until this past fall when he said he'd like one too, then BAM! we start getting quotes.  Funny how that happened.  So the weekend after Ella's expensive vacation to Chippenham Hospital, construction began!  We had the deck guy do almost everything, but we decided we could paint it ourselves.  One Sunday, the girls visited Grandma Georgia for the afternoon so we could have a date to paint.  A few nights later after we put the girls to bed, we had a date night like this:

look at that handyman stud

So much more fun when you do something together!  Once it was painted, our furniture arrived, and our awesome neighbors came over to help with assembly (Jeff) and baby wrangling (Kim and Abby).  The finished product, filled with people we love!

our porch, in all it's glory on a beautiful morning!

my whole world in my new favorite space

Once the wood has cured, we'll paint the outside and trim on the inside.  It was painted and ready just in time for the weather to turn gorgeous!  We love to leave the door open and the girls crawl in and out.  It's amazing, and every bit of what I dreamed of.  And they'll never know it, but the porch was all thanks to my incredible grandparents that left me a gift that I've been waiting a long time for the perfect thing to spend it on.  It reminds me of the fun times I enjoyed in their back porch in Florida, and my heart aches a bit because I do miss my grandfather terribly.  He was my favorite.  I wish my grandma was more lucid and was able to be around more to enjoy her great-grand babies.  They've left us a legacy like non-other, and I strive to be as loving, respectful, and kind as them.

playing on the porch!

perfect view - pretty sunset, awesome lights, and cute babies

We  even moved dinner outside!

"oh, you have some food on your tray?  that's mine, too"

 

our blonde baby Syd has some pretty curls!!

more fun times outside

I walked in to get a good-night peek of the girls, and giggled out loud that Ella was hanging on for dear life!

when one baby wakes up earlier than she needs to, she gets to help momma get ready!

Clover hineys, ruffle socks, new shoes - nothing cuter.

how did we ever get so lucky? <3 <3

Ella's tush is on the left, Sydney's tiny hiney is on the right.

so much fun in our new favorite space!

I had to document the cutest get-well card we made for our teacher, Ms. Lisa

Thanks, Pinterest... I owe you one!

It was so cute, in fact, that I made copies of it so I can send out for anyone sick in need of a pick-me-up.

My newest obsession: succulents.  Look at my new addition to the porch!

Do you remember our fabulous #sinksinthesand2015 and the amazing time Daniel and I had searching for shells?  It was one of my best memories - spending time with the love of my life, drinking coffee, and finding some awesome shells.  I had a great idea to frame our favorites and hang outside!

Love the finished product

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Daddy and his two lucky charms

<3 <3 <3

the girls were swinging outside, having a great time, when Daddy came to pick them up from daycare

Lots of fun playing on the baby-train with Daddy's CAC card

play

play

fall

this is where I set the girls down each morning (since I'm carrying them both and it's easiest to let them hold onto the rail)... and they think the mirror is funny

I did a little shopping (all alone... no stroller to push through skinny aisles, no babies to feed... just me, myself, and the mall).  I also did some shopping for the girls (completely random, but so much fun!).  Here's my loot, and I'm sticking it in their Easter basket!

perfect Saturday morning view: new crab mug and babies playing

New favorite activity: a wagon ride!  The girls get SO excited, they hold their arms out and squeal and laugh!

wagon ride on a dreary day

we took Daisy for a walk, and offered her a ride

happy momma with her arms full o' babies

E&S love their cousin Abby

Daddy is straight up hilarious

Thirty.  Thirty years ago a legend was born.  Legend?  I mean, that might be dramatic, but he's pretty awesome.

giving Daddy some birthday love!

thanks for sharing your envelopes with us for breakfast!

"Ella looks like you, Kim!"  please see exhibit A above... and you be the judge.

Daddy and his two clones.  Good thing he's passed on some pretty awesome genes :)  Happy Birthday, Daniel!

had to snap a quick picture at daycare of our ladies practicing ballet at the barre... they went from daycare to Nana and Papa's house for the night!  best birthday ever for Daniel, haha.

Daniel had a simple 30th birthday request: food, friends, booze.  So that's exactly what I planned.  All of our closest friends eating, drinking, and being merry at Capital Ale House.  We had such a great time.  We had friends come from near and far.  We laughed and had a great time.  After dinner, Daniel enjoyed some cigars on the porch with some boys, and I went to bed!

before babies, it was just us <3 <3



this was later on, so we didn't get EVERYONE, but we all had such a great time!  clearly Daniel and Bobby spooning on the couch says it all

So when us Sink's decided to do something, we do it big.  Case-in-point - not one baby, but two.  So within a week's span, we celebrated Daniel's birthday, hosted my family's Easter, celebrated Easter with Daniel's family, had our sweet girls turn one!, and threw a first birthday bash.

So event #2 - hosting Easter with my fam + SC cousins


the majority of the crew - our dining room was jam packed full... look close and you'll see Seth on the right

Daniel and two tiny diners

we're wearing tiny hair bows for the first time! how cute!

"these easter eggs are mighty tasty"

cousins <3  Sydney is kissing the air, Ella and Abby are looking sweet, and Seth is intrigued by his toes

Abby was making the girls CRACK UP!  she would tickle them with her face

showing Ella some love

"Seth, I'll share my spoon with you... right straight into your face"

big bow, big belly button

is that a baby girl?  or Seth, being tortured by his family??

The girls have recently started to crawl all over you.  Pull out a book to read?  Sydney plops in your lap, Ella hangs onto your shoulder.  Lay on the ground?  Baby jungle gym.  The funniest yet - sit down with a plate of banana pudding - and in flock the animals!

Sydney cannot possibly open her mouth any wider

Sydney just plopped into my lap, ready to be fed... Ella doesn't typically open her mouth wide, until banana pudding shows up

The next morning, we woke up and the Easter Bunny came!  Kidding.  The Easter Bunny is creepy and their (filled) baskets were sitting on the TV stand all week.  We aren't secretive, at all :)

Even though their baskets are identical...

Ella is proud of the new sippy cup she stole from Sydney

Of course I had to take a zillion pictures.  I mean after all, it's their SECOND Easter.

P.S. mind-blowing that they had two Easter's before they turned one.

The evolution of getting a picture...

please don't crawl off the chair head first

way too much fun up here!

"Are you taking the girls to church for Easter??"
.... eye roll.  No.  That's got bad idea written all over it.

love these two cute bunnies

As I was decorating for their first birthday, I came across their PREEMIE sized first Easter shirts.  Although our girls are tiny in comparison to others, these shirts were really, really tiny!

We headed over to Grandma Georgia's to celebrate with the very loud, very crowded, so-much-fun Staley clan.  The weather was rainy and crappy, so Grandma Georgia moved the Easter egg hunt indoors.  Ella and Sydney were completely content hanging out chewing on eggs.

Daniel and I with our two sweet baby bunnies

We recently discovered the girls are surprisingly good at climbing stairs.  And each night we help them climb up them to head to bed.  It's so, so, so cute. 

Yay!  Clapping because we made it to the top!

it's Birthday Eve for these two cupcakes.. can't get enough of Daddy!

My Birthday Eve social media post...
One year ago, Daniel and I anxiously waited for the next day to come. We didn't know what our girls looked like or if they'd be identical (farthest thing from it), what they sounded like (one is raspy and one is sweet), how we would manage life with twins, or better yet, how happy they would make us. Tonight we laughed as Sydney stole Ella's bottle and they crawled around filling our house with laughter. I can't believe our hearts haven't yet burst wide open. It still blows my mind that our lives are plural and we have TWO babies. Oh, and we've kept them alive for 364 days. That, my friends, is quite an accomplishment. Tomorrow, it'll be a ‪#‎doublesinks‬ social media overload. ‪#‎doublesinksareone‬ ‪#‎everyoneisalive‬

playing nicely...

...until Sydney wanted the egg, and not-so-nicely wrestled Ella for it (excuse my finger, it was too hilarious and I had to snap the pic real quick)

We had a sunny Spring day, and we decided to play in our new pool despite the chilly weather! 

This cute, contained situation only lasted for a few short minutes, until they wanted to climb out.  See below exhibit

Momma-pro-tip: how to get a selfie when you have multiple children:

Momma selfie with Ella

Momma selfie with Sydney

The girls did some rough-housing with Daddy.  He would throw them all over our bed and into the pillows, and they laughed SO hard.  It was hilarious.  Now, we "drop" them on their backs into their cribs when it's time to go to sleep, and the last images we have of them for the day are HUGE grins and giggles.

We get sheets of paper each day from daycare that gives you all the info you could possibly need - when did they eat, how much, when did they nap and for how long, when did they get their diaper changed and what bodily fluid was inside.  Anyway, for some unknown reason I've saved all the sheets.  Well, after not looking at them ever again, I decided we could easily just get rid of them.  And that meant, we had to play with all 600 sheets FIRST.  We had soooo much fun.  And as far as I know, everyone walked away unscathed, without paper cuts.

Sydney is our climber.  Minutes before this, she climbed on the stroller-walker-thingy.  ON IT.  Girlfriend, you're giving me gray hair, stop it!

When all the girls in the house wear comfy vests on a chilly day, you document it..

"On Wednesdays we wear pink"

As our one year birthday came and went, we got the green light from the pediatrician to transition the girls off bottles and formula onto sippy cups and whole milk!  I certainly won't miss labeling all those bottles for daycare, prepping the night before, and occasionally forgetting said bottles at home in the refrigerator :)  So of course, for blogging purposes, I had to document one of the last bottle-labeling session.  Happy to end that chapter!

It's picture day at school!  Of course I'm super cheap, and knew I very likely wouldn't buy any of the pictures unless they contained some serious magic, so we snapped a few pictures of our own.

Ella feels so good about having her picture taken so early in the morning.

If I don't wrap up this blog post, I'll never be able to update ya'll on April happenings.  We had SO much fun in March.  The girls are AWESOME.  We laugh every day.  We enjoyed celebrating spring days, birthdays, and Easter.  They've developed in so many new ways, and we love watching all their new "tricks".  I love their latest trick is climbing all over you.  Like I mentioned before, when I pull out a book an start reading it, Sydney crawls right on over and plops herself in my lap, and Ella tries to climb up the side of me.  My lap and arms don't have much room, but it's such a great feeling.  They dance a little bit when music comes on, and it's soooo cute.  They swing their little torso's back and forth to "Old MacDonald" or Scout singing "Me...and my pal, Sydney...".  I mean, let's talk about adorable.  I love these little people, and cannot get enough of how happy they make us <3