Christmas

My mom made me and my sisters dresses for Christmas and Easter every year while growing up. I have always known that I wanted to keep this tradition going if I ever had girls. This Christmas seemed like the appropriate time to get started with Addison and Caroline.   It was so fun picking out the pattern, fabric and see the dresses come together piece by piece.  I successfully read the pattern and only had to call my mom a few times throughout the process.  The dresses are not perfect but pretty good considering they are only the 2nd and 3rd dress I had ever made.  I just love them and they were even cuter when Addison and Caroline were wearing them.  I look forward to making many more dresses for them.

Here they are!  I decided to make the same dress but get 2 different fabrics to use as the main fabric and contrast but flip-flop for the second dress.

The back

Our little family :)  I also made the headbands.  I was surprised with how long Addison kept hers on but Caroline would immediately takes her off.  Oh well.

Goofy Caroline

Nolan decked out in his Christmas outfit

Time with Grandpa

Sonja

Linnea who is due with her 3rd kid May 2nd.  I think she is 21 weeks in this picture.

Goofy Gwen

This was such a perfect picturesque white Christmas this year.  This is what Christmas morning looked like.

Opening presents from Santa!

Celebrating the 1st Year

Ainsley was over a couple days before their birthday party to give them their present.  Caroline was more interested in sitting on the present and Addison was interested in the paper.  Next year they will like opening gifts.  Thanks for the tunnel!

Friends

So pretty!  Ainsley also drools a bit :)

Here are the girls at their party.  This pretty much sums up their mood the whole time.  They were a bit crabby.  We ended up having to push back the party by a week because Scott got sick the day it was supposed to be.  We also had to change the time because of the Christmas program so by the time we were opening presents and having cake they were hungry and tired.  Not great timing.  Oh well.

Their cakes were in the shape of a C and A.  I believe this is the beginning of a tradition!

Caroline cried the whole time and just had to be put to bed.

Addison on the other hand loved her cake and finished it all!

We gave Addison and Caroline these dolls and I picked them because they were the same size as when Addison and Caroline were born.  In fact, the dolls are wearing their preemie clothes!  Gwen loved them.  Here she is with her twins :)

One comment we have received a lot is how much Addison and Caroline look like dolls.  Well what do you think?  Here they are the week after they were born in the same clothes as the dolls.

Since we know how much they like pushing each other around in doll strollers we had to get them those too!  Here Caroline is giving Addison a ride.  I should note that this was after their nap so they were in a way better mood!

Caroline's turn for a ride!

Nothing says birthday like CAKE!

We had our regular Wednesday Activities at church the night of their birthday so that is where we celebrated. I was only planning on giving them cake if that happened to be the dessert that night and lucky for Addison and Caroline it was!  Here are the classic 1st birthday cake pictures in order....

Caroline on the left and Addison on the right

Addison went straight for the whole piece!

Addison

Caroline is still unsure as to what it in front of her

Addison fully enjoying her cake

Yummy!

Caroline

Addison

Caroline....notice her licking her hand?  She definitely enjoyed her cake as well

We had their 1 year Dr appointment this past Friday.  As I suspected, we will not be turning their car seats around any time soon.  They are both very healthy and happy little girls.

Addison

Weight: 15 pounds, 9 ounces (below 5th percentile)

Height: 27 inches (below 5th percentile)

Head Circumference: 43.5 cm (between 5th and 10th percentile)

Caroline

Weight: 16 pounds, 10 ounces (below 5th percentile)

Height: 27.5 inches (5th percentile)

Head Circumference: 44.5 cm (25th percentile)

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is Addison and Caroline's 1st birthday! I cannot believe it!!! How does this year go by so quickly? This year has been such a joy and blessing.  Sure there are some not so fun moments but there are more moments full of laughter and awe of these little ladies that Scott and I are just in love with.  It has been amazing to see that even though they are growing up in the same environment that they still have their own personalities.  I would often say to my friends in college "I can't believe we are in college" and I occasionally think "I can't believe I am married and am a mother."  Well, today it has been "I can't believe I am the mother of 2 toddlers."  I love these 2 little ladies more and more and can't wait for loads of birthdays to come.

This past month Caroline has started to say "hi", she stands on her own for a decent time now but no first steps just yet.  She likes to cruise around furniture, walk with a push toy and climb up stairs.  She now has a total of 3 teeth, enjoys puting shapes in their appropriates holes and play peek-a-boo by pulling things over her face.  Occasionally, I will catch her blowing bubbles with her spit and she recently has been eating food 2 things or hand fulls at a time.

Addison also has 3 teeth and like to put shapes into their corresponding holes.  She too cruises, walks with a push toy and climbs stairs.  Addison also stands on her own but for shorter periods of time.  She has been loving climbing into or on top of things (some pictures below) and will often point to something and say a little something about it.  It would be interesting to understand what she is saying about these items.  She had a short lived teeth grinding issue that I am very happy it seems to be over with.

Here is what they have been up to lately....

Walking with their singing lion toy

Sometimes the lion gets a bit ahead of them :)  Fortunately, they have not face planted and go down to their knees.

They are both curious about this new tree that we brought inside

Playing on the glider chair together

We have recently discovered that they love to spend time in their diapers



Here is Addison in this cradle at my grandparents house last year on Christmas Eve

Here she is in this same crib a week ago

Addison wanted to sit in the blocks instead of play with them

Here they are in their winter coats

Their new play area...the tupperware cabinet.  Somehow Caroline managed to crawl in and out of that little space

Svenska Flicka (Addison)

Annoying younger sister Caroline taking out Addison's pacifier

Another thing Addison wanted to climb into

2 birthday girls the morning of their 1st birthday as happy as can be!

Playing nicely together