Amelia & Quinn Turn One!

On July 7 Amelia and Quinn celebrated their 1st Birthday. They say time flies when you are having fun and I couldn't agree more. What a year! We went from a family of two to a family of four in one day. I found myself being really reflective of what we did every day last year leading up to the day the girls were born. The Fourth of July was a Wednesday last year and we went to a couple from church's house who had triplets the year before to get their best "multiples" advice. The following day (Thursday) would be my last day of work for 12 weeks. That Friday I went in for my appointment/centering group just like I normally would. However before I left I had a little meeting with my doctor and she told me to go home and get my bags and my husband and come back. So exciting! I remember it all so well and said so many times over the last couple weeks "last year at this time we were doing this or that."

This was a picture taken before we left for the hospital...37 weeks and 1 day. Pardon my puffiness.

And these are the girls just a few minutes old (Q on the left, Amelia on the right)

And here are the girls today...playing in a swimming pool in the backyard.

We had a great little party with some family and friends. The girls got to have cake for the first time. They didn't really know what to think of it but I think they liked it! Here are some birthday party pictures.

Thought I would give everyone a quick update on each of the girls. Amelia is a little sweetheart, gives great hugs, and loves to cuddle with her bears or animals. Her latest thing to do when they are all lined up is to stand in front of them with a giddy smile on her face and contemplate which one she wants to choose. She chooses very carefully and then gives that animal a big hug....plays with it for a few minutes and then chooses another. Amelia is such a good eater, there isn't anything we have found yet that she doesn't like, but she still doesn't have any teeth! For being a little more laid back than her sister, she is definitely not timid to try to new things...such as the tunnel they got for their birthday from Grandpa and Grandma VV. She will cruise back and forth in that thing while Quinn is scared to death of it. Amelia likes to be held so we are working on that--its so hard not to always pick her up! She is really taking off with her walking too.

Quinn is a little go getter and loves to play. She wants to play with whatever Amelia is playing with and will usually just take it from her (again, something we are working on :)) She is also starting to take more steps but usually ends up deciding that she is faster with crawling. For as much of a go getter that she is, she really is a sweetie too and quite sensitive. Sometimes if we tell her "no" she will just burst out into tears and pout her lip...and that lip gets us every time...and like I said, she tries to act so brave but yet she won't go in the tunnel. Quinn is also a really good eater, maybe just a little more picky than her sister. She has 5 teeth which makes eating a little easier and her smiles are adorable and she is almost always smiling. She also likes to cuddle with her dolls and animals and will "talk" to us all day long.

Both girls continue to be great sleepers. They still do a morning and afternoon nap for about 2 hours each. They go to bed about 7:30 and will sleep until 6 am on the dot...like clockwork. 

The girls have also become quite the little teasers. They will hold something out to us like they want to give it to us, and then quick pull it back and smile. Or they will pretend to pick something up off the ground and put it in their mouth and when we look to see what it is, there is nothing. And then they smile and do it like 5 more times. 

The girls received a wagon for their birthday from Aunt Lori so we go on wagon rides at least once a day...quite often times more. Thanks Auntie Lori!!

Happy Birthday Amelia and Happy Birthday Quinn! You have blessed us more than you will ever know this past year. XOXO

Also wanted to shout out birthday wishes to my dad (July 10) and Kevin (July 12). Kevin had a special birthday--his 30th! Can't wait to see what this decade holds for us.

Many, Lord my God,

    are the wonders you have done,

    the things you planned for us.

None can compare with you;

    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,

    they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 40:5