One Whole Year

In 365 days, we went from here...

to here...

I'm amazed and astonished at how quickly this year has flown by. Just one year ago today at 6:27 and 6:28 am, these precious girls went from kicks and nudges in my belly to the most beautiful babies we had ever laid eyes on. It feels like last month we just brought them home from the hospital, and were quickly somehow learning to function on 3 hours of sleep a night. Bleary eyed, exhausted, and so in awe of these amazing miracles, we never could have guessed how deeply we would fall in love with them over the next year. Somehow, they continue to give us so many reasons to love them more and more {as well as test our patience more and more ;) } Instead of a long, overly dramatic mommy post, I thought I'd do a "Top Ten" as a reflection of the last year. So we will call this the "Top Ten Things Kyle and I have learned about Parenting in 1 Year."

10. When I asked Kyle last night what the biggest lesson he learned about being a parent has been, his answer was "Don't get too high on the highs or too low on the lows." I would have to agree. When the girls are eating, sleeping, behaving well, be thankful for the moment, but always anticipate that it will probably change...and soon! 

9. Never be afraid/ashamed to ask questions. I think we as moms feel like we should know it all. When in reality, we have all been new parents at some point, and how are we supposed to have all, if any, of the answers?

8. Don't compare your baby to other babies. They will do everything in their own time...eventually. 

7. Being a stay at home mom is hard. I'm pretty sure being a working mom would be hard. Being a mom is hard. Period.

6. If you're not a parent right now, stop judging the moms in Wal-Mart/Target/Chic-Fil-A whose kids are screaming at the top of their lungs. It's not their fault, and they are not a bad mom because their kids are acting like animals. Because really, that's what kids are. Unpredictable, wild animals. Judge them when they beat them publicly for acting this way. 

5. It's amazing how much I can still love the girls after a nightmarish night of screaming and teething. Their smiles somehow make it impossible to stay mad at them. And, yes, mad is exactly what I am after getting little to no sleep.

4. It's OK if some nights Kyle and I count the minutes until bedtime. 

3. "Calm down." Probably the two words Kyle has said to me more than any others this year. But you know what? More often than not, he is right. When it's tempting to spin off into a crazy mom fit, take a deep breath, and realize it's not doing anyone a bit of good for you to freak out. 

2. A lot of days, I think I have no strength/energy left in me. And then I make it through 5 more hours of feeding/changing/playing with the girls, do 3 loads of laundry, bathe both of them, and clean the kitchen. Basically, "tired" is no longer a word that holds any power in my life. 

1. And finally, it's an amazing thing when you realize your baby has a smile that is meant only for you. And while I'm still waiting for the girls to speak a full sentence telling me how much they appreciate everything we do for them, they really don't need to. Their sweet faces say it all.

Happiest First Birthday to our baby girls. No matter how many more birthdays we celebrate, you will always be the tiny 4 and 5 pound angels that stared up at at me at 3 am during those first few precious weeks of your lives. 

More pics of our birthday weekend to come!

xoxo