Happy First Birthday to Eleanor & Elijah!

Happy birthday to our twinsies!

I joked quite a bit about my humongous belly, laughing, "Heyyyyyy, maybe I'm pregnant with TWINS!" (But mostly thinking... "No really guys, maybe I'm having twins") 

The day we found out we were having twins is one of my top 2 most joy filled moments. The doctor told us there were two babies in my belly, I turned to Dan and said, "I knew it!" then started to cry while Dan just looked at the screen and laughed. We immediately texted our family and close friends, but no one believed us! As if I, would pull a prank on anyone ;) 

The day I went into labor

At 37 weeks, I had a c-section scheduled for a Monday because of two breech babes, but a trip to Target the day before and the anticipation of meeting these little faces threw me into labor on Sunday! We went out to an early dinner with Dan's parents. Throughout the meal I thought, "I feel weird." Dan and I went home and started to pack my hospital bag, but I told him that he was going to have to do it on his own, and rather quickly, as I was timing my contractions only minutes apart. The twins were born around 11:30pm, Eleanor first, then Elijah. We had the most thoughtful doctor, the kindest nurses, and the grandparents were able to meet the babies soon after. My incredible mom stayed with me in the hospital while a sick sick sick Daniel went home and slept for 17 hours. The babies were in the NICU for 5 days with minor issues, and we were home by Friday evening!

God, thank you for these beauties developing and growing before us. May they love you and honor you every year of their lives.

Eleanor Twain and Elijah Victor

Created together, together they'll grow

Ella Bella Babe

Walking! She rarely crawls anymore.

Has discovered a new babble sounding like a mix of Malay, French, and Russian. It's possible, people.

Elijah Bean

Plays catch like a pro!

Can crawl up onto the couch (to mom and dad's dismay - he can't quite crawl down!)

To celebrate we had dinner with a few friends of ours. The twins devoured their pink and superman cupcakes. Eleanor's face was stained pink all night! Thanks, Jo, for taking these pictures!

We decided to continue a tradition that my parents did with us kids. We went into their room early in the morning and video taped them as we sang Happy Birthday! Then we facetimed Grandpa & Grandma Aderton and Nonnie & Opa while the twins "opened" gifts (more like tear one piece of paper off and try to eat it). Later we had some friends visit and they brought fun, colorful balloons! I also noticed that Eleanor's skirt was a glitter bomb!

We did it! Year one of Twin Life has come and gone. I'm getting all teary! This has been the most exciting, challenging, and love filled year of our lives. 

I am incredibly thankful to all of you who have made us meals, stayed with us, let us stay with you, cleaned our home, cleaned our babies, baby sat, listened to us, encouraged us, prayed for us, supported us, cheered us on, & loved on us. You are our village. I can't wait to tell the babies the stories about all of the amazing people who helped us be our best selves and loved the twins in this first year of parenthood. My heart just bursts with gratitude and I will never ever forget it.