ONE YEAR

Got to go visit Dr. B today for Evelyn and Rosemary's one year appointment. We are getting ready for a trip to Newport Beach on Saturday and I'm feeling swamped. I've done several other "birthday posts" so I was planning on quickly posting their stats and being done. But after reading the post I wrote when they turned 9 months old I decided I needed to find the time to write down a lot more than that. I can't believe how different they are now and how many of the little things I've already begun to forget. They are heavier, taller, have tons more hair, and are doing SO much more.

Rosie and Evie are now speed crawlers, cruise on the furniture, practice balancing, and are into everything. Anything that can be emptied must be emptied. They love opening all the doors and cupboards in the bathrooms and kitchen, pulling out the muffin tins, unrolling the toilet paper, and sorting through the contents of the diaper bag. When they wake up in the morning, they stand up and talk to each other and throw everything in their cribs onto the floor. They still love trips to the park and the zoo. They love playing outside and in their sandbox and baby pool. They love being read to and love looking at books on their own. They love rolling in and burrowing in blankets and pillows on the floor. They love Mickey Mouse Club and are mesmerized by the opening song but quickly lose interest after that.

Rose and Eve become more engaged and interested in each other every day. They are always turning to see what their sister is up to and taking off in hot pursuit if one escapes around the corner. Rosie and Evie love playing patty cake and can both clap and wave. They both say mama and dada and understand so much. Both love their softies and holding them as they fall asleep. They go to bed between 7-8 and wake up between 5-6:30, have a morning bottle and then go back to sleep/talk to eachother/play until 7:30am. Two naps around 9:30am and 2:30 pm. They are eating three meals a day and having between 16-20oz of whole milk (so long formula! Hooray!).

Here are the stats and a few individual details. My Eve and Rose get bigger, smarter, and sweeter every day.

Rosemary Nell
Weight: 21lbs 4oz; 50th percentile
Height: 30 1/4 inches; 80th percentile
Head: 18 1/2 inches; 95th percentile

When Rosie is ready for bed, she will crawl after you and kneel at your feet and bounce up and down whining. She knows the sound of her bottle being prepared and it's just about enough to drive her crazy.
Rosie is a sweaty betty. When she wakes up from sleep her hair is always in sweaty little curls. Major bed head. We started calling her Georgie because of the curls that stick out behind her ears that make her look a little like George Washington. :)
Rosie now has 8 teeth! 4 on top and 4 on bottom and she loves to bite on to the edge of the couch, on shoes, toys, and anything she can get her little paws on.
She loves to help fold laundry. She always finds clothes left on the floor or in a laundry basket and takes them out and talks to herself as she holds and shakes each piece.
Rosie also loves shoes. When I get ready in the morning she loves playing in my closet and taking all my shoes off the shoe rack.
Rosie doesn't seem as interested in walking. When we try to set her up to walk behind a push toy, she always gets down on her knees and walks in a kneeling position.
Rosie has started playing a new game where she tries to shove stuff into her daddy's mouth. Her softie, her hand, his tie. He pretends to be gobbling it up and she loves it.
Rosie has become more picky with her eating and will lately refuse certain foods. She also loves dropping food over the side or leaning over and hand feeding Clover.
When Rosie was almost 11 months old, she learned how to pucker her lips and make kiss sounds. Cutest thing ever. We need to work on that trick again.

Evelyn Irene
Weight: 21 lbs 13 oz; 60th percentile
Height: 29 1/4 inches; 50th percentile
Head: 19 1/4 inches; OFF THE CHARTS :)

Evie finally got some teeth! We waited and waited and wondered if they would ever come and finally at 11 1/2 months old, she got her first tooth and the second one about a week later. She is having fun trying them out and taking big bites of crackers rather than gumming everything.
It is so fun to carry Evie because she holds tightly on to your shoulder or shirt like a little bear cub on a tree.
Evie loves to drink water out her sippy cup. She tips her head way back, guzzles a few swallows and then slams the cup back down on the tray.
Evie has become quite the screecher. She loves to hear the sound of her own voice and see how loud she can be.
Evie is always so thrilled to see us in the morning. She is always standing up holding onto the railing in her crib bouncing up and down, screeching and smiling.
The only food Evie won't eat is banana. She hates it. I've even tried to trick her by putting pieces of banana on her tray with pieces of mozzarella cheese bread that look identical. She'll take her little fingers and pick up each piece to check, eating the bread and leaving the slimy banana behind.
Poor Evie and her giant head. Because she is so top heavy, she falls and tips and bonks her head constantly. She keeps getting little bruises on her forehead and it's so sad!
Evie loves to torment her sister. She is constantly crawling directly behind Rosie, reaching for the back of her shirt, and trying to climb on her back. She finds these stunts hilarious. She sure does love her sister but we are trying to teach her to be a little more gentle.
We both think Evie will walk first. She has the perfect little thunder thighs to keep her steady. :)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU GIRLS.

Birthday Extravaganza

We had a lovely birthday weekend. Saturday ended up being a little more stressful than I had hoped. I thought I had everything pretty much taken care of for our birthday bbq...a million green and pink poms poms made to hang, all the food bought, birthday outfits picked out. I thought all we would really need to do Saturday is straighten up, frost the cake, and buy some balloons. Well, said cake ended up being a total mess and taking me like three hours to frost. A bunch of very late rsvp-ers caused slight panic and a run to buy folding chairs. My husbands sudden interest in a perfectly groomed lawn called for clippers and an edger. So instead of loving on our birthday girls all day-- I ended up crossing my fingers for extra long naps so everything could get done. They did have a candle in their morning oatmeal and happy birthday sung to them about dozen times.

When it was all said and done, the party ended up being wonderful. We had about 50 people because when I did my invites I wasn't counting everyone's kids and thought most people would probably be out of town. I was afraid it was going to be an absolute zoo but it really wasn't. People sat inside and out. Kids ran wild, played in the sandbox, and obsessed over Clover. I was much more relaxed than I had been the entire day and had a wonderful evening with my babies. The girls wowed the crowd by both snarfing down an entire cupcake and loved crawling on the grass with their friends. They got some lovely presents from people that didn't heed the request not to bring any. The cake wasn't very pretty but tasted delicious. Ben was a master at the grill and we had plenty of food. I was a little sad not to have any family around but we see them in a few short days.

It was lovely to sit outside and chat with neighbors and friends and just soak up some summer. Happy Birthday Rosie and Evie!! A perfect party for two perfect girls.

Picnic for Two

One of my favorite things in the world is a good picnic. Whether a backyard BBQ, roasting marshmallows up the canyon, or laying on a blanket in the park eating subs...there is something about eating outdoors that I absolutely love.

So when a girl in my ward offered to help people build mini picnic tables for their kids, I jumped right on it. I know my girls will be avid picnicers too. I'm not sure the gal really knew what she was getting into because I literally have zero wood working skills (and neither did the other moms who came)-- but we all helped each other and it worked out in the end. Everyone else was building a larger sized table for school aged kids but we found a separate plan for a toddler size table which I decided to do instead.

The building was a little tedious but not very hard and I really enjoyed painting it later. I did most the priming and painting late in the evenings after the girls were in bed. Ben was out of town on business all week and it was really nice to sit on the porch and listen to a little Brandi Carlile and Missy Higgins and do some painting. Therapeutic even.

Put the final coat on last night just in time for their birthday.

Baby Love

There are just a couple more days until my baby girls turn 1 years old. I'm trying to soak in every last "baby" moment this week. I know nothing big is going to suddenly change on Saturday...but my heart has been aching knowing that this first year is over. It was hard for me when my girls started growing out of their newborn clothes. I continued to squeeze them into those precious tiny outfits for too long because I just couldn't accept that 0- 3 month size. That was a rough transition but since then it hasn't bothered me so much. Now that same anxious, weepy feeling has crept back in is as they approach this big milestone.

Rosie and Evie were home napping with daddy last Sunday during Relief Society so I was able to sit with a friend who has twin girls that just turned 6 months. I couldn't believe how tiny her girls felt in my arms. How relatively soft and floppy they still were...still a little wobbly sitting up. It just blows my mind how much my girls have changed and grown up in the last six months and how much faster the second half of this year was than the first. They spent the first six months not doing much at all and all of a sudden they are around the corner and up the stairs before you finish wiping off the counter. They are standing at the cupboard or at their toy box throwing everything out behind them. They are making all kinds of sounds that mimic words and shaking their heads in protest to foods they don't like. They are becoming possessive of toys and having to learn to share. All of a sudden they are mini little people. Not babies so much--but becoming toddlers.

I just want to hold them as tiny little infants for one more day... when they just lay still and stare up at you for as long as you want and never try to break free. Teeny tiny faces and fingers. As much as I wish I could have that, I am SOOO loving this stage. I would settle to just freeze the clock right now for a few months and not let anything else change--to push back that big 1 for a little while longer.

With babies, you are constantly aware of the passing of time. They are ticking time pieces right in front of you. Changing and growing and doing new things every single day (or at least at this age anyway). It is incredible to be a parent and watch all those firsts and know that is exactly what they are. You see babies all the time doing baby things but it is so different to watch and know when something is brand new. Knowing when they are touching grass for the first time, picking up a rattle by themselves for the first time, making a new funny face or sound they have never made before. It is amazing. There is a joy in parenting that passes between moms and dads at the dinner table every day with clapping and cheers or sometimes silently with excited smiles when you look at each other and both know what you're witnessing...and the whole world around you may see the exact same thing but have no idea how special it is.

Last night I laid in bed and thought of every detail I could remember from the day Rosie and Evie were born and I realized I never wrote it all down. I started to here but it got so ridiculously long that I think I may save it for another post...or I may just print it out and put it in their baby book (the baby book that unfortunately doesn't exist yet). argh. Things to do, things to do.

The short version is Rosemary Nell and Evelyn Irene came on June 25, 2011 at 6:43 and 6:44 am. They were big and healthy and beautiful and made me the happiest mama in the world. :)

My Rosie:



My Evie:

Father's Day

It has been reaffirmed to me again and again since having Rosie and Evie how very lucky I am to have ended up with my husband. He is such an incredible dad. He is rushes home from work every single day and jumps right into the evening routine.
The girls just gush when he walks in. When I'm overwhelmed with all that needs to be done, he always hugs me and tells me "it's a job for two." We have had a very busy year. One new job. Two new babies. Two big moves...one out of state away from all family and everyone we know. I've done a fair amount of sniveling but I've also learned a lot. It has honestly been one of the happiest and fullest years of my life and I owe that to my husband (and of course my babies). Ben's whole heart is with this family and he is the anchor. He is also the favorite--Evie's, Rosie's, and mine too.

And I couldn't post on Father's Day without a shout out to this little guy.



I'm a daddies girl at heart (which I think all daughters are). My dad is as good as it gets. The embodiment of a good time. Everyone loves my dad, including me. He is hilarious and generous and hard working. He isn't afraid of sitting with his wife and daughters and getting a pedicure.

My dad is a blast to be around but there's more. He has always been there for me when I needed him and one time in particular always sticks out in my head. When I started college at BYU I struggled trying to exist in my new college life and still be connected to the very different life I had in high school. I didn't feel like I really belonged in either place...not cool enough for my old high school friends who had moved on to a more exciting college scene and far from perfect enough to be amongst all the "saints" at BYU. I felt completely lost and didn't know who I wanted to be. I was too rotten to talk to my mom and too confused to really talk to my friends...so I talked to my dad. He never judged me or yelled at me or even told me what to do. He was just there. Through blessings and conversations by phone and by email my dad helped me feel normal again and get my feet back on the ground.
He's just a great dad. xoxox

Summer Starts

Oh I love summer. It was the last day of school yesterday for kids in the SLC school district where I used to teach. I've been talking to a lot of my old teacher friends and how excited they were for the big last day. I can't believe an entire school year has already come and gone and that summer has officially arrived. It kinda snuck up on me this year. Summer sneakily showed up without field day, or an awards assembly, or year book signing. It came without the teachers vs. 5th grade soccer game. It came without cleaning out desks, lockers, and drawers and packing everything up for next year. It came without passing out portfolios, report cards, and a millions hugs. Summer came without all the fanfare this year or the high of a school year coming to a close and the reward of a big long break ahead. I've realized the past couple days how much I miss teaching and the opportunity to really get to know and love 20-something eight year olds. Someday when my babies are grown, I hope I can go back.

To kick off summer over Memorial Day weekend Ben ran the Bolder Boulder which is a huge event here. It's a 10k race of almost 70,000 people through downtown Boulder. They have bands playing and parties all along the route, belly dancers, jugglers, and people running in costume. I was initially planning on running it too but we decided that we didn't want to pay two registration fees and for a babysitter. The girls and I came along to watch and cheer Ben on which was probably for the best. Ben ended up running the entire 6.2 miles on race day and I definitely would have held him back.We ran a 5k as a family with our ward the Saturday before and that pretty much maxed me out. We had a great time, Ben did awesome, and now we know some tricks for making it even better next year.

Last weekend I had the extreme pleasure of joining my family in VEGAS while my super star husband stayed home and watched the girls. I didn't bring my camera so I didn't get a lot of pics but it was so nice to lay by the pool, shop, eat out, and just be on vacation without worrying about naps, feedings, or bedtime. It was absolutely lovely and wonderful to recharge but I did really miss Ben and the girls. Two days was the perfect amount of time to be away.


Rosie and Evie are as darling and as busy as ever. Their new favorite place is the pantry and they are becoming experts at opening all the cupboards and drawers around the house. Time for locks! Yesterday I found Rosie in the bathroom after she unrolled and shredded the entire roll of toilet paper. While I was cleaning it up Evie snuck around me and climbed up some stairs and fell back down with a big bonk. A couple hours later Rosie tipped over and climbed completely inside a collapsible mesh hamper and got stuck. Evie tried to help by rolling on top of the hamper, collapsing it on a screaming Rose, and laughing hysterically. Nice. All of this happened over the course of an afternoon and I'm sure sounds like I was completely neglecting my children. They have gotten so fast and remind me of two mischievous little puppies. Double Trouble: The perfect partners in crime.