"We can't see!"

"Our mommy refuses to cut our bangs, but now we can't see anything!  Someone please help us!"

Diana

Lilly

One Year Photos and so much more!

Click here to view Lilly and Diana's One Year Photos

The Story Behind our One Year Photoshoot
I haven't blogged about it because I am still recovering from the beating that the girls gave me that day.    Our shoot was at noon the day after their birthday and I was beyond exhausted by the time the clock struck 12:00pm from the morning of dealing with naps (or lack thereof for one), trying to shower and get myself ready, get the girls' clothes ready, get Matt's clothes ready, gather toys, food, diapers, pack them all in the car, quickly make and feed lunch, wrestle them to the ground as I attempted to change diapers, clothe them, and take them away from their toys to put them in the car.  I was moving like a rabbit on speed!  However, by the time we got downtown to the location, the girls were in pretty good moods.  I took a deep sigh of relief and had remained hopeful that we could still conquer what I had termed, The Most Important Photoshoot of the Year.  It was our last shoot, and at our newborn, 3 month, 6 month, and 9 month shoots we have been able to get that one perfect picture of my two little gals together.  It was not a question - we MUST get that same money shot at their one year shoot!

For whatever reason the second we set Lilly and Diana down on the ground to start the shoot, Lilly went into a raging protest.  She just wasn't having it.  Diana on the other hand was hamming it up, flashing those gorgeous pearly whites, and giving any child model a run for her money.  After 45 minutes of trying to get Lilly to cooperate, I decided enough was enough and pulled out the big guns....cupcakes!  Yes, I had brought cupcakes to the shoot because I wanted some photos of the girls in a 2nd outfit and knew there was no way to accomplish that without sinking their teeth into something yummy.  Plus, I thought a smile covered in icing would be cute!  So, after the wardrobe change we presented the cupcakes.   Lilly still wasn't having it, and Diana's mood, while not quite as jovial as before, was still camera-worthy.  While the photographer and I were working with Lilly, Matt had taken off somewhere with Diana.  All of a sudden, I could see the happiness return in Lilly's eyes.  "YES!!" I thought, "We might get that money shot afterall!!"  I quickly yelled to Matt to bring Diana back over and GASP...Matt had put Diana's FIRST outfit back on!!!  So there went any hope of getting two coordinated happy girls in one photo.  This deserves a frown face.  :(  Or maybe two.  :(  :(

I must give our photographer credit because she still managed to capture some great shots, exceeded our time limit of one hour, and DID get our money shot - the one of L & D's little tushes and leg rolls pushing the wagon.  And actually, by way of photos, you would never be able to tell what a hellacious hour and a half that was!  Sign of a great photographer (thanks again to Mimi and Bapa for the gift that keeps on giving!)


Trip to Jasper
We headed to Jasper this past weekend for my friend Tiffany's wedding shower and Addie's 2nd birthday party.  Thanks to Andy, Audrey, Thomas and Lila for hosting us at their new house!  We knew that a newborn, two 1 year olds, and a 2 year old under the same roof at Phil & Krista's would be a catastrophic event, to say the least.

Enjoy the pictures!

Dora, I mean Addie, playing with Lilly and Haley. 

There were 3 new additions to the party!  Here is Lexi Schnarr. 

Here is a startled Alyssa Atkins (stupid flash!)

And the newest addition, Ellie!

Lilly enjoying some time with her cousin, Griff!

A rare moment of me in front of the camera with my two gals. 

Poor Ellie is about to become Lilly's newest toy.  Notice Krista on guard!  

Me with my Lady Di.

Steph and Lil. 

Lilly was lucky enough to be on stage with Uncle Phil while Addie opened all her gifts. 

Purposely not allowing girls to nap in morning in hopes of sleeping in car = success!  Here, Diana is all snug in her Dora blanket. 

A snoozing Lilly.

Elsewhere in the World of L & D:

I have yet to capture either of the girls walking, but here is a pic of Diana standing.   And no, neither L or D are walking completely yet (but oh so close!)

Lilly sure knows how to show her thanks!  This is a present from Griffin and she obviously is missing the fun factor.  Diana on the other-hand loves it! 

If you ever watch me during the day, you will wonder how I manage to leave the house without forgetting a kid or my head.  I really am striving for more organization in my life.  Here is an example of my mental instability...putting the formula in the fridge and the milk on the counter, to spoil of course. 

Ever seen whole milk after sitting out for a while?  I hadn't until today!  Gross..... 

Diana talking to her goldfish! 

Lilly loving her snack-time! 

Grocery shopping!

Happy 1st Birthday PARTY!!

My apologies for leaving everyone hanging for 4 days while I re-charge my brain after Lilly and Diana's big birthday bash.  It wasn't so much the bash itself that has left me utterly lethargic, it was the week's worth of celebrations, doctor appointments, one year photo shoot, late nights and utilizing any spare moment to party plan, which used to be my full-time job so one would think it should come easy.  One would also think I was planning a wedding!  However, nothing involving two 1 year olds is easy, and it is especially not easy while simultaneously fighting a sinus infection.  As a result, I decided to treat myself to a massage tomorrow on my "me" day, which in my opinion is totally justified since the cost of the massage is equal to the cost of our week's worth of formula, which we no longer need.  Now about that mani/pedi I also plan to receive....

Back to the girls 1st birthday party, I had three scenarios in my head of how the day would pan out:  1) semi-awful 2) awful or 3) totally awful.  My reason for not including "fantastic" as a selection was because Matt and I have been down this road before...the road where our recluse daughters suddenly get attacked by a mob of people and have a total high level panic attack (two words:  Christmas. Eve.)  My fear could not have become any more real when both Lilly and Diana decided to skip their 1st nap, meaning that they would be dead to the world at about noon, right when they needed to put on their game face.  I believe my exact words to Matt at 11am were, "Cancel the party!!"

It was at that time, in the privacy of my bedroom, I pleaded with my mom and dad to lay a gentle hand on their grand-daughters and see that they make it through the party, while saving their daughter from having a nervous breakdown!  I think it was my dad who told me to throw his little grand-daughters a bone and asked, "How are two 1 year olds supposed to persevere when they don't even have the support of their own mother?  Shame on you."  Per usual, my dad's imaginary advice/scolding was right!  Under the circumstances of 40 adults and 15 kids all crowding into every square inch of our home, I am very happy to announce that the girls were FANTASTIC!   (Our version of "fantastic" is probably different than others, so for anyone who witnessed multiple L & D meltdowns, those were minor in comparison!)  They enjoyed playing with their cousins and friends and when that failed there were plenty of adults to lend a helping hand.  Right about 1:30pm they were starting to look the part of children needing a nap, so that meant...CAKE TIME!  Everyone crowded around to sing "Happy Birthday" and the girls rather carefully devoured their yummy strawberry cakes - baked and decorated by none other than ME!

Once the cakes were destroyed, we transported Lilly and Diana back to the family room where I witnessed the exact SECOND their sugar high kicked in.  And I was so thankful for it!  They lasted long enough for me to open all their fabulous gifts, and by the end of the gift-opening, the party was beginning to thin out and at 3pm we finally let the girls take a well-deserved nap!

Hats off to Lil & Di for a job well done!

Also, thank you to everyone who celebrated with us and for all the wonderful gifts!  Every single person who walked in the door has been there for us in some capacity this year, and I wanted this party to be a small token of our appreciation.  There are so many others out there as well who have helped us through the year, so if you are reading, our deepest thanks to you as well!

And now for pics...THANKS TO STEPH FOR SNAPPING SOME GREAT PHOTOS!

The birthday girls showing off their rufflebutts!  I should have put their names somewhere, but just know that Di has yellow flower and Lil has blue.

Diana showing off her birthday attire - her 'modeling' shirt, leggings, and sparkly birthday shoes!

Time for cake!  A HUGE thanks to Mindy and Wags for getting these adorable birthday hats and THEN getting them embroidered with their first initial! (D on left; L on right)

Diana happily devouring her cake.

Lilly is a bit more hesitant, but give it time!

She finally discovers all its deliciousness!

I think Di is eyeing Lil to see if she's got her beat.

Jumping in to snap a quick family photo!

Can you say, "Sugar coma?!"

Lil looking hip in her new sunglasses!

Happy 1st Birthday Party, Lil Bean and Lady Di!

GUESTS

FRILLS

Happy 1st Birthday!!

We did it!  We survived the 1st year!  It may not always have been pretty, but to heck with pretty...if it was pretty then there wouldn't be reason to celebrate, and I can assure you I definitely felt like celebrating today!

But the real reason for celebrating is obviously not because of all the hard, long, exhausting, challenging, sleep-deprived days that I put in over the past year (no, that's not reason at all...this day is not about me!)  It's because my sweet daughters hit their 1st big milestone!!  Those little girls who were born so tiny, at 6lbs 2oz for Lil and 5lbs 10oz for Di, now weigh 22lbs 10oz (75%) and 21lbs 7oz (50%).  When I look at them, I sometimes want to eat their cheeks off they are so darn cute.  And they are fun...not always, that would be too easy...but mostly.  Every single day for the past year they have shined a light on my life.  It was a year that could have been filled with so much darkness, but it wasn't, thanks to the two smiling faces I get to see every single day.  

On February 8, 2010, at 9:29pm Lillian Jane was born, and just a few seconds later Diana Madelyn popped her head up and screamed, "Don't forget about me!", as she was born at 9:30pm.  There is no other way to describe it than to say those were the two best and proudest moments of my entire life.  I didn't even need to look at them before I fell instantly in love with them.  I heard their cries for quite some time before I was able to meet them, and when I first laid eyes on each of them, well now that's the part that is indescribable.  They were simply perfect.

Lilly after birth:



Diana after birth:





Twelve months later, I still look at them and am as much in love with them today as I was the second I met them.  Despite the challenges and the frustrations of raising twins, they are my babies, and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have them in my life.  It has been the happiest, most fulfilling, challenging, exhausting, rewarding year of my entire life.  And I would do it all over again if I had to.  Well, now that might be a stretch, but I am sure if I HAD to I would!  Actually, well, hmmm...Cheers to year # 2!! :)

At one year's old, Lilly, you are a funny one.  You give this look where you raise your eyebrows as if to say, "I am up to NO good and am loving it!"  You just learned how to say "Uh oh" and you now say it nonstop and usually drop something on purpose just so you can say it.  You aren't walking quite yet but you are so darn close that I think it could happen today.  You are pleased easily and when you get worked up it's generally because you are tired or hungry.  You are definitely what I would consider the "leader of the pact"...for now!

 This is Lil's signature look!

Diana, you are still as spunky as ever.  You talk a ton and sometimes I swear you are having a full-on conversation with me.  Your new favorite word is "ASSSS" (but since you have a lisp, it sounds more like, "ASHHHH!", thankfully.)  After your hospital stay, you seem a bit more anxious about your surroundings and have a look of curiosity 90% of the time.  You are always keeping your dad and I on our toes!  When I look at you, I see a fighter and someone who has already overcome so much at such a young age.  You too are going to walk any day now.  I think the both of you are purposely holding out on me because you know how much I am anticipating those 1st steps!!

 Is there anything sweeter than a happy Diana?!

So how did the girls spend their big birthday?  Well, for starters I decided to make them banana pancakes which I burned then perfected and the girls devoured them all too quickly.  For lunch Matt and I took them to Paradise Bakery where they inhaled a grilled cheese and part of a cookie.  I assume that we were trying to make up in food for what was about to come next....VACCINATIONS!  Yes, just call me the devil.  I booked their one year pediatrician appointment on the day of their birthday, and worse than that...during their naptime!  Seriously, I suck.  However, we narrowly survived that appointment and walked away with as little grace as we had left.  The girls were steaming mad and they were exhausted and now they had ouchies on their arms and legs!  I on the otherhand was skipping out the door as we finally got the okay to switch from formula ($$$$) to whole milk ($) , and the girls can eat peanut butter and eggs and we can turn their carseats forward!  Now do you see why I didn't want to postpone that appointment a second longer?!

Our new mode of transportation!  Lil and Di waiting patiently at the pediatrician's office.

Once we got home and a decent nap was taken, it was time for presents!  They actually took a bit more interest in their birthday presents than they did in their Christmas presents just a few months ago.  After playing with those for a while, it was back out the door for my 2nd biggest mistake of the day.  The girls have their one year photo shoot tomorrow and the procrastinator that I am decided to wait to try on the adorable outfits I bought them.  Of course they were too big, as in way too big, so I needed to exchange them and I had to do it tonight!  I proposed to Matt that we head up to the mall and while I make the exchange, he take the girls to the play area - their favorite.  That lasted all of 5 minutes when I got a call from Matt FUMING MAD (Matt never gets mad) proclaiming that a kid with a cold sore "sort of spit on Lilly".  I still am not sure as to what this kid really did, but Matt packed the girls back in the wagon and was done with THAT!  He then made me go back to the play area to scope out the kid to see if he really did have a cold sore, but I didn't have the heart or courage to face this kid with his mother looming not too far away to get a closer look.  I mean, this was a place we frequent and I wasn't about to risk being banned! To avoid any further traumatic experiences, we ventured to TGI Fridays for a peaceful dinner where the girls had no interest in their hamburger and threw every single piece on the floor while squealing a mighty squeal.

 Diana and Lilly appear to be in shock by the amount of gifts they received!

Yay!  More books for mommy to read to us!

Once at home, we thought we were safe from any further drama.  The girls were delighted again as they saw two big chocolatey cupcakes coming towards them!  It was 7:30pm, inching towards their bedtime, but we knew that the cupcakes would replace their exhaustion with enough energy to get them through a bath.  Afterall, pictures are tomorrow.  They needed a bath.  Our plan was working like magic until the UPS man rang the doorbell, and the shock brought a lazy dog to her feet barking her little tail off, which in turn scared the crap out of the girls and they screamed and screamed and screamed, they screamed so much that they couldn't take another bite of their cupcake, they screamed through the entire bath, they screamed while we put on their pajamas, they screamed while we tried to brush their teeth, and they didn't stop screaming until we held them so tight that I think we cut off their screaming capabilities.  What a great way to end a crazy day!

D & L about to get a little taste of heaven!

Di takes after her mom and immediately started devouring these heavenly sweets!

Lilly on the hand was not quite as ravenous as her sister.

Obviously...the UPS man has arrived!

 I told you they weren't happy!

At 9:29 and 9:30 tonight, I looked at the monitor and just stared at my daughters sleeping peacefully in their cribs.  In those two minutes I thought about this entire year...all the holidays and our vacation to Michigan and Diana's stay in the hospital and wishing per usual that my parents were here to help us celebrate this milestone.  Lilly and Diana have filled my world with so much joy.  And they have filled my heart with so much love.  I cannot wait to see what year # 2 has in store for us!

Happy 1st Birthday to my Beautiful Daughters!!!

Welcome to the world, Elliott Rose!

Krista and Phil welcomed a new baby girl on Friday!!  She is a beauty, just like her big sister Addie!  I was able to head down to Jasper on Friday sans hubby and kids because both Lil and Di had ear infections.  I took full advantage of this little outing and instead of heading back on Saturday as planned, I soaked up another night with my new niece, caught a movie with Courtney, and returned on Sunday totally refreshed ailing from some sort of bug I picked up.  I guess karma IS a bitch!

I had the slightest bit of guilt leaving Matt to handle both the girls by himself for 2 full days, something he has never done before.  Actually he had probably only calculated about 4 hrs. of solo parenting duty at a time.  I knew this was a big task ahead of him, but I was secretly (or not-so-secretly) enjoying the fact that my husband could NOW understand the duties of a stay-at-home-mom.  I sent him a text on Saturday night asking if he was tired, and his response was, "Tired is an understatement.  U already know this but this is a tough gig."  Mission accomplished.  I can go home now.

Back to little Ellie.  This would have been my parents 4th granddaughter...all 4 being under the age of 2!  Can you just imagine the joy my parents would have found in this?  Ellie also makes the 16th great-grandchild for my Grandma Lila (3 of them less than 8 weeks old!)  There are now 12 girls to 4 boys...my grandma's dream come true after delivering 8 boys and no girls!

Introducing Elliott Rose:

Addie meeting her little sister for the 1st time!  She kept saying, "I love you, baby Elliott."

Phil and his littlest girl.

Great-grandma Burger meeting her 10th great-grandchild.

Soaking up some time with my favorite little nieces.

Looks like Ellie was born with a full set of lungs!

Krista and her sweet little girl.

Eyes wide open...and ever so precious.

Tom & Cindy with baby Ellie.

In other news, Matt and I are geared up for what is supposed to be the 'snowstorm of the decade.'  I am feeling very grateful that Matt's flight to Florida was canceled today, and feeling very hopeful that his flight at 6:30am tomorrow morning will also be canceled, therefore I don't risk being stranded in this home with no electricity and two (almost) one year olds!  So, if we could all join together in this wish that Matt's flight does not leave Indianapolis in the next 24 hrs., that would be much appreciated.  If circumstances were different, I would be feeling bad for Matt because this is a trip he earned through work, and he had earned it last year as well but that trip was canceled due to our suffering economy.  He definitely puts in the hard work all year so deserves to be rewarded for it.   I strongly believe that his company should send both of us to somewhere like Hawaii for 10 days with paid babysitters.  That will ensure that he works just as hard in 2011 and does not hold any grudges for all these missed trips.  Or they could compensate us monetarily.  That would be fine too.  (And yes, I realize some of his co-workers and even his boss read this blog.  Duh.)

7 days until the girls are ONE!  OMG.... :)