Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girls!

A video of the girls first year (click link): Adelyn and Kailyn's First Birthday Video

Yesterday it happened. I knew it was coming. I didn't want to admit it. I wanted to stay in denial. But, it happened anyway. My baby girls turned one.

I can hardly believe an entire year has gone by. May 31, 2011 I went in for a routine NST (non stress test) and never left the hospital. I had a gut feeling that morning that something was going to happen that day. I know I was more than ready to be d.o.n.e. with being pregnant. Still, when it came down to actually hearing the words 'we need to deliver these babies TODAY' I got incredibly nervous. There were so many thoughts running through my head. I was incredibly anxious (which did not help the blood pressure issue). There was a flurry of activity with people coming in and out and getting ready for surgery. And, then, suddenly I was in an operating room, getting poked in the back and laid down. I felt the push and tug as the doctors were pulling the girls out. I heard them. They cried. I cried. Then they showed me these two babies. With hair. Lots of hair. And it was dark. It's a good thing I was the only pregnant person in the room or I would have sworn they got my babies mixed up with someone else.

That was an entire year ago already. Seriously, where did the time go? I know that is such a cliche thing to say but dang it it's true! It is so hard for my brain to wrap itself around the fact they have turned one. I'm not sure why this particular birthday is so hard for me to accept. I think it is because they have taken one of the last HUGE steps out of babydom. This is also the first time any of my kids has reached their first birthday without me being pregnant. There aren't any more first birthdays to look forward to or dream about and maybe that is hard pill for me to swallow even though I know with 100% certainty I am done birthing babies!

A year ago it was impossible for us to know what kind of little person these girls would turn into. Watching their personalities unfold this year has been one of the most exciting things to see. Watching them experience the world together has been a true joy. One year ago we were able to tell them apart based solely on their skin tone. Adelyn was beet read and Kailyn was very pale due to the acute TTTS they experienced during delivery. Now, at a year most people struggle to tell them apart. I, however, think they have incredibly distinct looks but it sounds like I'm the only one who thinks that! Watching them and seeing their personalities really makes it easy to tell them apart (most of the time).

Adelyn is my monkey. My go getter. My destructor. My cuddle bug. My ham. Kailyn is my sweet little charmer. My little smiler. My 'brains of the operation' child. My observer. Adelyn is always making noise, always has her mouth open "saying" something, tasting something, exploring something. Kailyn loves to sit back and take everything in, she loves to pal around with Elliot (she thinks he's the greatest thing EVER), she loves to give coy little smiles & act like she's playing it cool. She's a charmer. Adelyn is a huge drama queen. She has the girly shriek perfected. She has the 'throw myself on the floor, kick & scream' tantrum perfected. She's a master of mischief & never misses an opportunity to get into something she isn't supposed to. Kailyn, while being the sweet one, also manages to be her sister's biggest bully. She loves to chew on Adelyn which, in turn, makes Adelyn throw one of her huge tantrums. Kailyn also loves to cause mischief. She loves to climb in diaper boxes, check out the cupboards, open the potato/onion drawer. She's my little analyst. She observes everything - nothing gets past her. She checks everything out - first feeling it with her hands & then sometimes her mouth. She loves watching the outdoors although spending too much actual time outside requires a dose of benadryl.

The twin bus has been a crazy ride but a year after they were born I can honestly say that I love it. I would take another set of twins in a heartbeat (I used to think people were crazy for saying that.). I cannot wait to see what the next year holds for us and to see them become extraordinary little girls!