A year ago, I was pregnant. Very, very pregnant. And I loved it! I thought I still had another 10 weeks to go. Oh, how wrong I was!

And now?

Now our girls are <THIS CLOSE> to walking. Carrie stands up on her own, not even needing anything to pull up on.  Ellie stands up by pulling up whatever she get her hands on.

The girls are deliciously perfect, even in their imperfection.  Sure, they resist having their faces washed or noses cleaned, but whatever. They are my messy little loves and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Miss Carrie & Miss Ellie watching a documentary on foreign cultures. Or Baby Einstein... What?!

At nearly 11 months, the girls are still sleeping CHAMPS. In bed by 8 at the late end, up between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. I gotta say, it’s much easier to have twins when you can get a full night’s sleep…

Miss Ellie

All about Ellie

Miss Ellie is just a snuggling, cuddling bundle of love. When I think of her, I think of a peaceful summer morning, when all is quiet and still and the dew is just starting to evaporate under the warming sun.  She reminds me of the quiet, radiant expectation of the day to come. When she wants to be held, she crawls right over, trying to get in my lap and get her cuddles.  She is a good little eater, trying everything I give her. She is a little bit more apprehensive about strangers, but she warms up when she’s given some time to absorb the new people.  She is a FAST crawler – getting across the room with her quick, staccato crawl in no-time flat. Ellie loves to look at books, examine small tags on toys and hunt down fuzzies on the ground. No doubt her vision is excellent – she finds the smallest of fuzzies on the floor!

It also appears her red hair is here to stay for the time being.  We’ve even noticed a few curls coming in, which is fun since I’ve spent most of my life trying to add curl and volume to my hair.

Miss Carrie's signature smile/laugh!

All about Carrie

Miss Carrie is a vibrant sparkler.  She and her sister are from the same warm summer day in my mind, but Carrie is definitely the mid-afternoon.  Hot sunshine, kids playing and splashing in the water, boats racing around the lake with water skiers in tow and the sound of screen doors clapping as children dart in and out of the house.  She is a sharp little cookie – she notices things and is constantly pursuing something – my cell phone, her sister’s pacifier, the remote control, etc, etc. Carrie loves people.  I put her in the front of the stroller because I can tell how much she loves engaging everyone. She is a little more selective in what she will eat – girlfriend LOVES her carbs (um, like her mom much??) and chugs liquids like it’s going out of style (that is totally her daddy).

Carrie is finally getting some hair in and it’s coming in a medium brown, but it is mostly growing in the back… with any luck it will even out before high school!

It’s hard to not compare the girls since they are the same exact age. I find myself wondering at how different they are, even though they are twins.  Ellie has this beautiful swirling colic in the back of her head, like an angel swirled Ellie’s hair around their finger delicately.  Carrie’s colic is almost like the same angel laughed joyfully, spreading Carrie’s hair straight out from the center.

The girls play so well together, imitating each other and us. Tonight Carrie was raising her hands over her head and laughing and Ellie mirrored her.  They have also made a game out of stealing each other’s pacifiers, wrestling one another to the ground to get the pacifier, even if they each already have a pacifier to begin with.

One month left of their first year.  It’s incredible to think of what a journey this has been. I wish there was a way to save these moments permanently.  I am sure I will come back to these days often in my memories.