Monday, December 14, 2015

Eight.

November 30th: eight crazy months have passed since we delivered two beautiful baby girls.  Man, they just light up our whole entire world.

Breaking news:  they can sit up!  All by themselves!  Hallelujah!  I have to say, I think things have gotten loads easier.  They sit nicely and play together.  I can pick them both up and set them down (vs. laying them down) simultaneously!  So the daycare routine is easier to handle.  They also sit in the bathtub and play, which is fun!  Bathtime is no longer a survive-and-keep-babies-from-drowning situation.

More breaking news:  Da-da.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  That's right, our sweet daddy's girl, Sydney, is saying da-da!  We had just enjoyed a "Thanksgiving lunch" with them at daycare and were changing their diapers, when plain as day, Sydney said it.  And did it a few more times.  And she hasn't stopped since.  We are still waiting for Ella to hop on the da-da train, and also for both of them to recognize the lady that grew them.

The girls are so happy and so fun.  They seem to learn and develop more and more each day.  They are eating baby food (breakfast and lunch at daycare because I hate feeding baby food.  Hate it.).  Ella is having a rough time sleeping, so I'm crossing my fingers she snaps out of that phase.  Soon.  Although, Ella wins a gold star for HOLDING HER BOTTLE ON HER OWN.  That's right people, praise baby J, because we can prop her up in a boppy and she does it all by herself.  Daniel and I yearned for the day they would hold their own bottles.  Things are infinitely easier when you can sit next to Ella and feed Sydney.  You just have no idea.  Sydney on the other hand has zero interest in holding her own bottle, or eating for that matter.  We still struggle to get her to eat.

So the theme for the 8th month is: easier.  Things are getting easier.  They aren't yet mobile, sitting on their own, I can transport them solo easier, and Ella is a freaking champ for holding her own bottle.

Roll that beautiful baby footage:


Remember last month when we had too much confidence in their sitting ability and Sydney took a dive off her box?  Well check out these beauties.

Ella's Buddha belly... I can't even.


there isn't stopping anything from going into their mouths

Beautiful Ella Grace


the way she sits is so pretty - straight back, feet together

you don't get a happier baby than this one right here



she just loves her daddy so much

<3



Sunday, December 13, 2015

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.






Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Thankful

I'm so very thankful each and every day for the fabulous life I live - a cozy home filled with memories, two beautiful baby girls, a large and close family, food on our table, and the very best husband in the world.  But even more so on Thanksgiving - a day dedicated to being thankful.

Last year I pulled on my amazing and stretchy maternity leggings and basically sat in a chair and worked hard all day on getting in my required number of calories in order to bake big babies.  This year, we woke up to two of the most beautiful smiles you've ever seen (after a VERY long night of two crying babies), fed them bottles, set them in front of the parade, and perused the ads.  After a morning nap, we got them ready and headed off to see our big, loud, awesome families.

It was an awesome day.  We are so very lucky, and try hard not to take it for granted.

This is how I found Daniel on Thanksgiving morning - asleep on the couch with Miss Syd.  The girls were so fussy that night, that we ended up having to separate them (because they kept waking each other up).  Ella was in bed with me, and Sydney was with Daniel.

sweet girls watching the parade


after the girls went down for a nap, we were able to enjoy the ads + coffee :)

time for Thanksgiving Day pictures in our pretty outfits!



a leaf!

:) :) :)

At Grandma Stella's, Ella & Sydney played in a pile of ads for a long time!  They just loved it - I know what we're getting them for Christmas..

typical Sydney, wanting something that Ella has

happy girl - always smiling and moving

let's pick out something together..

 We headed over to my sister's, and enjoyed a lovely dinner with my side of the family.
Great Granma with her 4 Great-Grands.

cousins

Abby was trying to make Ella feel better when she started crying


I looked up and my dad was infatuated with one of the baby toys

happy daddy with his two little turkeys, watching Star Wars

Sydney.... oh, Sydney

I'm most thankful for my very full lap, full arms, and even fuller heart.