A year of the twins

This past year being a mommy to twins has been amazing! I just had to share some of my favorite pictures from this past year. Enjoy!

 

       

 

 

 The end of year one, and ready to take on year two! Becoming a mother has been an amazing journey, thanks for sharing it with me.

Reflections on the past year...

Well I can't believe I survived the first year with the twins! It seems like only yesterday I laid my eyes on my babies for the first time, and I will never forget that feeling. I can remember toward the end of my pregnancy imagining what it was going to be like to be able to hold them for the first time, and I don't know if they were faceless in these daydreams or if I had created a face for them. But I was comfortable with these two babies that consumed my thoughts and daydreams during my pregnancy. After carrying them for nine months I felt I knew them pretty well and there would be no surprise. However the night they were born, I remember being so nervous and eager and exhausted! And when my doctor lifted Kathryn over the sheet for me to see her (I had a c-section) I remember thinking "Wow! She looks nothing like the baby I imagined." I was overcome with emotion seeing MY baby girl for the first time, not the imagined baby from my daydreams, it all felt so surreal. She wasn't at all what I imagined she would be, and yet she was the most amazing little creature I had ever laid my eyes on, absolutely perfect!

As for Elijah, I was unable to see him right away as the poor little guy was actually born not breathing and needed a little help (thank goodness I didn't know this at the time). But after they got him breathing and wrapped him up in a blanket they brought both my babies to me as they stitched me back up and again I was amazed! He also looked nothing like the little boy I imagined, but he was beautiful and simply perfect! The feeling is so indescribable!

So over this past year I have had some realizations and reflections about being a mommy.

• Sometimes I need to ask for help, and that's ok. I really struggle with this and still do, mainly because I WANT to do everything. I want to be able to manage the twins, and the bills, and work, and the house, and time with my hubby, and time with friends, and time just for me. But this is an impossible task.
• Being a parent is hard work! Being a good parent is even harder!! It is definitely the hardest job out there, but the most rewarding and fulfilling.
• I love my children, but sometimes I need a break! 
• Guilt is an emotion that will plague me for the rest of my life, it is something I must learn to co-exist with.
• My children are my biggest and best accomplishment. 
• I am selfish when it comes to the twins time. I want them to spend it all with me and nobody else. I've never liked sharing lol. 
• The twins need to spend time away from me and with other people. Like it or not, I must share.
• My body will never be the same, and I am ok with that...most of the time.
• Someday I will catch back up on all the sleep I have been missing this past year and in the next few years to come. For now I am a walking zombie and have learned to function in this state quite well.
• My house will always be a mess for the next 5-6 years, then I will have two extra sets of hands to help!

There are so many more I could sit and write them all night long, but here are just a few.

Playing catch up ~ The twins turn 1

So I have several things I wanted to post on here, but boy I have been so busy the past few months, so I am playing a little catch up.

So as you know the twins turned one May 9th. Although I don't celebrate birthdays I really wanted to be with my family and do something special with them on the day that we truly became a family. So we decided to go to the Indianapolis Zoo. I tried to plan as best as I could by mapping out directions and packing the night before all the things we would need for the day. The morning of, we went to my parents house and my mom took a picture of the four of us before we embarked on our trip.

We left a little later than I had hoped, however I thought we would still have plenty of time when we arrived. The drive went pretty well, we timed it so the twins would go down in the car for their morning nap, and they pretty much slept the entire way there. When we arrived at the zoo I was pretty bummed to learn that despite my planning I had failed to take into account the one hour time difference in Indianapolis. So after leaving late, and with a one hour time difference, by the time we arrived it seemed half the day was gone and the park, unfortunately, closed a little early that day. We grabbed our map though, and decided to make the best of it.

We decided the very first thing we would do was go through the ocean exhibits and then make our way to the dolphin show. When we entered the building the first exhibit we came to was the stingray exhibit. We took the twins out of the stroller and put them up to the glass. A stingray swam right in front of them. Kathryn squealed and turned her head away, she did not like it! Elijah was pretty interested and watched them. From then on any of the animals we came across Kathryn would squeal and turn away, while Elijah would seem really interested. We had a great time, the dolphin show was awesome as was the underwater viewing area. We ate at a place there. We had ice cream, the twins napped in their stroller and we saw all kinds of animals. Best of all we enjoyed the day as a family. No noise, no parties, nobody else but the four of us, and despite the late start it was perfect! Before we left we stopped at the gift shop and I bought the twins a board book about Zoo animals and a shirt that said "My first visit to the Indianapolis Zoo." When we got back we went to grandma and papa's house. It was such a great day and while I didn't get a lot of pictures, some of the pictures I did get were pretty good. It was such a wonderful day and I can't wait to take the twins back to the zoo when they get a little older to appreciate it.

I think they had a good time, those faces say it all, what do you think?