Having Fun

The girls are doing so many new things everyday it is hard to keep up. We have started eating foods now and they love it! So far we have had apples, bananas, carrots, and sweet potatoes. I am proud to say I have made all of their food so far myself! We will see how long that lasts. Gabriella and Isabella both keep Eric and I laughing all of the time. They are both still trying to crawl and even though they do not have it down pat yet they can definitely get where they want to go. They continue to notice each other more and more each day. They are always grabbing each others cloths, ears, and hands. Isabella loves to suck on Gabriella's hands it is adorable. Today they were taking a nap and I peeked in their room and Gabriella was snoozing and Isabella was trying her best to peek through the cribs and look at her sister. It was so cute! So I moved Isabella into the same crib as her and she went to sleep too! The girls are almost able to sit up by themselves. Gabriella can actually sit by herself for a minute or two but Isabella is not there yet. They have both gotten very interested in real adult food and try their best to get it if you are holding them and eating. They are just too cute and we are very very blessed!!!

Growing up Fast

These are some beautiful pictures that were taken of the girls at their 3 month photo shoot, which was almost 2 months ago!!

Isabella RubyRae
Gabriella MillieMae

Isabella on the left, Gabriella on the right

FYI photographs by Hardin Fine Art Photography and hats by Mandi Callhan.

Isabella

Gabriella

The girls are growing up so fast it is crazy! I just went back to work from Spring Break and it was like leaving the girls are over again. We had a big Spring Break. Not only did the girls start eating cereal and bannans they started sleeping in their cribs!! The first 4 or 5 nights of the cribs was pretty rough. The girls had been sleeping in cacoons in our bedroom until that point. The cacoons are amazing and I highly recommend them to anyone having a baby anytime soon. Currently the girls are still waking up 2 times at night ever since we switched to the cribs but I am determined we will get though this. They are both trying to crawl and Gabriella is actually starting to move forward quite a bit. During Spring Break my cousins came up from Florida and got to meet the girls plus the girls got to meet their cousins Eisley and Caden. We had a blast! I wish they would all move up to Georgia. Gabriella and Isabella are really starting to get their own personalities and it is so cute. They really pay attention to you know and when I am feeding them they will reach up and touch my face it just melts my heart. They are also pulling hair and pinching. When you put them in the floor together they will turn in all directions and Isabella usually ends up trying to get a hold of some body part of Gabby's and put it in her mouth it is hysterical. They have both started to notice Odell now too and they will just smile and laugh at him. Isabella trys to grab his nose and lips when he walks by. Watching the girls eat is great. Isabella is all about some bannanas and has her mouth open waiting. Gabiella does not really open her mouth and spits everything back out at you while at the same time trying to steal the spoon away from you and chew on it.

Holy Moly

O.k. I know I should be shot. I have not updated the blog for a whole month. Let's just say free time does not come easy with twin girls and a full time high school teaching job! I am always so behind on grading I do not know if I will ever catch up. The girls are growing like weeds. When we went to the doctor about 2.5 weeks ago Gabriella was almost 13 lbs and Isabella was almost 12 lbs. They have so much personalty now it is crazy. They both give huge belly laughs that could make you smile for days. They are both rolling over like crazy and pushing themselves backwards. They are two of the strongest babies and both love to stand up. They have totally stolen their Daddy's heart with the big smiles and laughs. It is just what the doctor ordered after a long stressful day at work. The girls will be 5 months old on April 1st I cannot believe it, it has flown by so fast. I feel like I miss so much everyday by being at work it just breaks my heart. Things have changed a bit. The girls are staying with a new sitter now and it is going great. However, I do have to take the girls to her house everyday which can be quite challenging at times. I am still keeping my crazy schedule in the mornings trying to pump and get as much done as I can. So far we are still just breastfeeding and I have been able to keep up my supply. It is getting very thin though. We usually only have around 6 ounces of extra milk each week. But I only have to make it about another 5 weeks and then they will be getting some solid foods too! That is going to be so much fun when Eric and I get to feed them for the first time I cannot wait!!! I promise I will put some new pictures of the girls up soon. As soon as I have time to download them!!

Thin spots

Last week our preacher spoke about a Celtic point of few that referenced the place where Heaven meets earth. The Celtic refer to this as a thin spot. He went on to explain that to him he realized that he was caught in a thin spot that very morning when he was cooking breakfast and had noticed the red birds flying outside his window. As I listened on I found myself reflecting on life and how it has been for me the last few months. Now I have always been one to take time out and appreciate the little things, whether it be a sun set or the glow of a full moon. However, I had never viewed it this way before. As I sat there I thought of the many thin spots my daughters had brought me to lately. The look in there eye when the recognize there dad, the sound of their voices as the coo and laugh, and the precious bond you experience as Jessica feeds them are enough to fall to my knees and praise god for the gift he has given us. I am captivated by my daughters and pray that I can give them the joy that they have given to me.

Eric

Cute Girls

The girls are growing up so fast it is crazy! They are about 3 1/2 months old now and they are really starting to have the cutest personalities. Gabriella is so sweet when she eats she will rub her head the whole time and she also does this crazy thing with her mouth that looks like she has dentures or she is gumming some food. It is so funny to watch and she smacks so loud when she does it. Both girls are getting very active now. They are rolling over and trying to push off with their legs. I cannot imagine how crazy it will be when they are both mobile. Isabella has started squealing really loud too it is hilarious. She embarrassed Eric in church this past Sunday because she was so loud. School has been crazy this week. Two days in a row I have leaked and I cannot figure out why. One of the days was close to the end of the day and I had not pumped because I went with the girls to get their pictures made. So that day was understandable because they were just full. However, this morning right after first block they started to leak and they have never leaked this early in the day. Plus I feed the girls this morning so they should not be that full.

Almost Friday

The girls are laughing by their selves now! It is the cutest things ever. Usually you can just tickle their little chins and they will let out a little chuckle! Things have been going good. They seem to be over their snotty noses finally! I just hope they do not catch any thing else. Eric and I have both been sick and their cousin Macie has been throwing up. So everyone keep your fingers crossed that they don't get it!! Also yesterday the girls got to stay with their "aunt" Laurie. She drove all the way from Atlanta to keep them at the last minute and I think Laurie enjoyed herself but also realizes what a handful they are. They are the sweetest little things ever. I think they are both starting to get their little personalities. Isabella is an attention hog and loves to be held and cuddle all of the time. Gabriella seems to be more laid back and could not be more like her Dad. When you wake her up in the morning it takes her forever to actually wake up. It is so cute she will just lay there and stretch and then look at you like "really do I have to wake up"! Isabella reminds me more and more of her cousin Lexi everyday. Her little face is starting to get rounder and she has a wrinkly forehead just like Lexi. I cannot wait to see what this weekend has in store for us.

Total Choas

The girls hanging out with Mom.

Gabriella is on the left, Isabella on the right.

I have started back to work and it has been so hard leaving the girls every morning. Luckily we have an absolute God Send who comes to the house to keep the girls every day. She does so good with them and I feel so calm every morning when I leave them. The first week when I went back to work both of the girls decided to quit sleeping all night so I was so tired during the day. They continue this habit on and off but some nights they will sleep all night, you just never know. I have started getting up around 4 or 4:30 AM every morning. Mainly because I need to pump before the girls get up and this allows me plenty of time usually. That is unless they have just woke up and ate at 3 or if they wake up when I start to pump which has happened a couple of mornings. My classes at school right now are so good which is another blessing but the day is still crazy. I teach classes straight until 12:26, then we have lunch. Which is when I lock myself in my classroom and try to pump and eat all in 30 minutes. This has proved to be quite interesting. One day last week I was in such a hurry I forgot to hook the bottles up to the pump and was pumping milk straight out into my lap!! I had to just sit back and laugh at myself. Once lunch is over I teach the kids until 1:40 or so and then I have planning for the rest of the day. I usually lock myself in my room again around 2:45 or so and pump once more before I go home. Once I get home nine times out of ten the girls are ready to eat as soon as I walk in the door. So we eat and sometimes take a little cat nap if they will let me. Then we cook dinner and play until it is time to go to bed. When I finally have them in the bed then I start grading papers and doing school work. I try to not stay up later than 11:30 or so that way I am getting about 5 hours of sleep every night (if they sleep all night)! It is quite the schedule but whenever Gabriella or Isabella give you one of their million dollar smiles it is worth every minute. They are officially three months old now!!! They can both roll over and they have the cutest smiles in the world. Just last week Isabella grabbed my face for the first time when she was eating it was so cute. They have also started to laugh and stare at each other while they breastfeed which is the cutest thing in the world. Some times they will even hold hands! I just wish I could be at home with them all day! I feel like I miss so much while I am here with all of these high school kids. I am counting down though we only have 121 more days until summer!!! Yea!

P.S. The picture of Eric is him reading the girls their nightly bible story. They are so cute when he does this. They just sit back and listen to every word. It just melts your heart!