It's coming!!

I finally ordered the sewing machine that I picked out for my birthday back in October, and it's on its way!  SOOO, all you fabulous seamstresses, tell me/ remind me where you get your best patterns, etc.  I'm most interested in dresses to start with.

In other domestic news, we made the Sausage and Ravioli Lasagna in this month's Southern Living last night and loved it.  I substituted turkey sausage in for pork and used reduced fat pesto to mix with the spinach, and it was great! You could probably find whole wheat ravioli if you wanted to make it even more healthy.  It was so good that Blythe wanted to sit a little closer where she could have a better view!!

All together again

Jake got home at 7 a.m. on Saturday after catching the red-eye from L.A.  Abby Jane was SOO excited to see him when she woke up and was beside herself about the sign she painted for him! Whenever Jake gets home from being gone, I somehow cannot fathom how I ever lived or parented without him for a few weeks.  Evidence that the Lord gives you what you need when you need it!

This weekend we also joined Noonday Baptist Church, where we have been attending since two weeks before Blythe and Joy were born.  It is very different from Calvary, where we were so blessed in CA, but we feel confident that this is where the Lord is calling us to plug in and serve.  We first heard about Noonday while I was "trolling for friends" (I was desperate- we had no friends!) with Abby Jane at the playground last fall and met one of our new friends, Kristin. I came home and told Jake that I practically accosted this really cute mom at the park with my enthusiasm after she struck up a conversation with me about how ridiculously pregnant I was.  But I'm glad I did, as she and her husband Clint just happened to teach the small group for our age and stage at this great church where we have found a great fit.  (As a side note, not only do Clint and Kristin have a little girl just a few months younger than Abby Jane, but they're expecting next month!  We just had a playdate this morning, and I'm thankful for the blessing of this new friendship.)

We put the little ones in their Bumbos for the first time this weekend, and they did great for a little while... then started listing to their right just a bit...

 I have been really been struck recently by how obsessed I am with my kids.  I so enjoy being their mama, and at the end of a long day, when Jake and I are each laying Blythe or Joy down for the last time in their haven of a nursery, I am just in awe of the magic of their soft, wiggly, smiley, balding, pink little selves.  I KNOW this stage is so fleeting, and that before we know it, they'll be in the amazing stage that Jane is in where they are funny, busy and asking questions and shocking us with their understanding of the world around them and how their minds work.  

Each new season that we experience is so incredibly precious in its own way, and I'm really trying to not be too busy to miss a minute of the profound blessing that they are.  I know there is more to life than my babies, and it has been important to me as a mom to not find my identity in my children alone- to be interested in more and able to converse about more than diapers and breastfeeding (as riveting as those topics can be! :) ) But at the same time, I do not take my kids for granted for one second, and I am so thankful for the privilege of being their mom every day.

It was FABULOUS!!!

Blythe, Joy, and I got back on Wednesday night from a perfect 5 days in L.A! We were so sad to leave Abby Jane behind while we were going to see Jake and all our L.A. friends, but I couldn't bring all three girls!  As it turned out, though, Ken ended up hopping on the flight out there with his Delta seniority and getting a little extra time with his youngest granddaughters while offering me the use of his muscles getting through security, etc.

It is impossible to fully describe how wonderful it was to be in our "other home" and see all those dear friends, but hopefully the snippets of a few of the pictures can give you (and for our memories) a taste!

We got to see the Strawns right after I arrived- here is precious Mihret meeting Joy!

Blythe and Joy, meet the beach.  We are a water family, and we're so glad you are starting young!

The precious Roberts family hosted us even though they had only been in their new home for a few days!  This was on a walk over at the Bluffs down the street from them.  It was beyond refreshing and delightful to be with these dear friends! That night we left the kiddos with a babysitter and went to sushi with the Roberts, Wades, and DuBachs- such precious time!

Playdate with my dear mama friends at the Country Mart, Abby Jane's and my old mothership, followed by lunch with Nicole and Les!

Small group girls on Monday night- we were so very thankful that our trip overlapped small group night!

Precious Sammy is all grown up and was so wonderful with the little babies!  He is a pleasure to be around!

On Tuesday, we said goodbye to Jake, who spent the remainder of the week in Azusa and made the Malibu rounds. We started with our library gang- it was so wonderful to see them and their children!  Unfortunately, it was too foggy and the tide was too high for us to go in Trisha's "back yard" (a.k.a. the beach), but we all had a wonderful time inside!

After lunch with Katie and Sophia at John's Garden, we ran by Jake's old office, then up to see Becca and Bailey, ending at our old courtyard with all our dear neighbors!!

Love this one of Tiffany and Luke (by the way, she's the one who does the cute headbands!)
It was so fun to let the girls get a little quality time in the courtyard where Abby Jane spent countless hours in the same way!
The Aufhammers flew back in town the afternoon of our last day and capped off our visit with a great last evening at the Roberts'!
And this is the face of my solo flight home with the twins.  The whole way.  Just like this.  I had to force them to eat here and there.  At the end of the flight, the lady in front of us turned around and said, "Oh my goodness, I didn't know there was a baby (much less two!) behind me!" God is good to make it so easy for us- and I highly recommend flying at this age!!!

Thank you, Jake, for the best Christmas gift ever!! I'm so glad you're flying home tonight!

Baby it's cold outside!

The snow started coming down around noon today and made a little winter wonderland by late afternoon!  Sandy was all set to come down to give me a hand this afternoon while Jake's out of town, so we got to really enjoy the snow since I wasn't juggling all three alone!  Here is Mimi catching snowflakes with Abby Jane...
I look at this picture and think... that looks like trouble on wheels!
All the girls 

Bright Eyes Blythe

My Joy, literally
Snow tastes great
Mimi with the twins

I talked with my precious friend Lesley this afternoon to see how to pack for California, and she said she had on shorts and flip flops today.  Landing in sunny L.A. is going to be such a crazy leap after all this wild winter weather! I guess we should pray that our travels on Saturday morning aren't impacted by the icy roads tonight...

Little Reunion

On Tuesday, these dear friends both drove over an hour to meet up at my mom's.  Beth and Laura (and their families) are dear, dear Auburn friends, and there are six kids between the three of us.  Though Beth and Abby Jane have spent a good amount of time together, none of us had met any of the other kiddos there!  

Lyndsay works just 3 minutes from my mom's house, so she was able to stop by to see everyone- here she is giving Blythe some love...

Here's Blythe smiling at Beth- I told y'all Blythe is my busy one!

Laura's precious mama, Miss Jennifer, was kind enough to come up with Laura and help watch the older kiddos, Grayson and Abby Jane, who are only one week apart in age!  Grayson and Abby Jane had a great time together- I can't wait for them to play again.  Here is Miss Jennifer with Laura's sweet newest addition, Piper (5 months).
Four young ladies 5 months and younger (clockwise from top): Piper (5 months), Bella Grace (3 months), Joy, then Blythe (2 months)!
The whole little gang... Grayson with Piper, Joy, Abby Jane with Blythe, and Bella Grace (who was the first one on the sofa to get a little nap... thus the slight separation!)

We had such a delightful time having our little ones together that we promised to not make it so long until next time!

It's been two months!

Blythe and Joy turned two months last week! (Can you tell these are my favorite dresses at this age? Had to get one more picture in them before Christmas was officially declared over!)
I think they were taking turns smiling (already ganging up on us!)  Their smiles are my favorite thing about this age- they are so precious and spontaneous! 
At their two month check up today, Joy was 12 lb 1 oz (75%) and 23 inches (75%)!!!

Blythe was also 23 inches (75%) and 10 lb 8 oz (50%)!  She has almost doubled her weight since birth!

I decided it's time for some fun facts about the twins for our records! (p.s. these cute little faces are from my Miss Penny, and I love them!)

Overall personality...

Joy: still laid-back, happy to be alive, just kind of hangs out in her swing or wherever she is

Blythe: a little busier, looking all around her when awake, a little less laid back, but still a pretty low-key kid 

Their sleep...

They're learning to only have a diaper change when they wake in the night and not get fed.  They kind of take turns being the one who wakes up and needs some TLC, and usually it's not both of them at the same time.

*Update- last night, both girls slept through the night without a single peep for the first time!

Their eating...

Is going well- we're thankful for such chunky little twins! To answer what most folks ask- yes, they eat at the same time, and the session averages about 10 minutes- they're speedy!

Their cries...

Blythe: cry is muted and doesn't hit that ear-piercing volume you hear sometimes in newborns, but her face usually looks more ANGRY than sad

Joy: cry is louder, but her face just looks sad, not mad

Their appearance...

Blythe: darker hair, darker gray-blue eyes

Joy: lighter hair, true blue eyes

On tummy time...

Joy is a little better than Blythe at holding up her head, but they're both still just learning.

Funny diaper anecdotes...

-When you're changing Blythe's diaper, you may just think she's staring off into space in the mirror by the changing table... until you realize she's staring you down in the reflection!

-One morning, Jake asked me who changed Joy's diaper last in the night before.  When I told him it was me, he informed me that I HAD NOT FASTENED HER DIAPER!! Talk about being on autopilot!  I had just put it on her and snapped up her PJs without velcro-ing the diaper on the sides!  Thankfully it was only a wet diaper, and true disaster was somehow diverted!!

It's 2010!!

Here's a question: will you say "twenty-ten" or "two thousand ten"? 

We spent a wonderful New Years Eve with my sister Jodi's family up in Chattanooga! Abby Jane had a great time with Katie and Ian (on their new Christmas trampoline)

and their vast quantity of toys,

and the twins got some extra attention from all members of the family! 

 Katie is practicing up for the new little one joining their family in April.  

Thanks for a great time, Gregorys!

On New Year's Day, we watched the first half of that crazy Auburn game at the Lees' home with some sweet Gross family friends who have wonderful taste in schools and New Year's Day decor, MUCH to Abby Jane's delight!

Jake flew out to L.A. this morning for his two weeks on campus at APU.  My Christmas present from Jake is to be flown out to join him on Saturday with the twins for several days of seeing him and sweet friends!  More on that to come!