the twin miracles turn ONE!

from tiny little embryos to these amazing little TODDLERS! i can't believe a year flew by us so fast!

it was one seriously draining but amazing year for us all. i can't believe it wasn't too long ago that we were praying so incredibly hard for these little miracles. we went through so much heartache to get to this point. i wish i could say it was all just a memory, but it still all feels so raw and fresh - the roller coaster of emotions runs through my veins just as they did the moments they happened. but oh man were they all worth it!

those first few days were so hard. their stay in the NICU, albeit not as long as some, were so scary. i remember every little detail of those days that lead to our preemie life. but those days prepared us and taught us so much more about being parents and a family than i ever thought i'd need to know. it made bringing them home for the first time all the more sweeter and more precious.

and then we were all home. our little family of 4. those first few weeks and months were so hard. we were so sleep deprived, so tired, so exhausted but always felt so incredibly blessed. we had waited for these little miracles for so long. we tried our best to savor every moment we could as they whooshed by us.

and in the blink of an eye, the twins were halfway to their first birthday. and for whatever reason, things just went at warp speed from there! their little personalities developed and boy did the fun really start!

lincoln showed us how rambunctious and energetic he was. and our little reagan projected a more quiet and cautious demeanor. but no matter their opposite personalities, they never ceased to amaze us of their unconditional love. if i had a bad day, they knew just when i needed them to be good and just when i needed a longer cuddle than usual.

in march, we finally took the twins to meet dr. o'brien and our favorite nurse, debbie rice, at shady grove fertility. it was an extremely emotional visit!

later that month, we took the twins on their first plane ride to meet my side of the family in houston, texas. it was so amazing and they did so well. i only wish we all lived closer to have more time together.

it wasn't long after our return that we had our first Easter together and it came time for the twins' baptism. we didn't want to wait as long as we did, but with all the chaos of having twins we really had no other time!

and the next 3 months were just a blur! lincoln just grew and grew so fast. in no time he was babbling and crawling all over the place. he was and always is so curious about every little thing around him. reagan, as cautious as always, took her time with everything. she did everything just around the same time as lincoln, but she's decided that she'll keep doing her milestones again when she feels like it - such is the princess life i suppose! haha!

our first mother's day and father's day came along and wow were they emotional! i never thought being a mom could be so incredibly wonderful.

then things just flew by even faster and here we are, their first birthday. we had a party for them a couple of days prior and it was just a whirlwind of awesomeness. i can't wait to get the photos back from our photographer to show y'all how amazing everything turned out!

to my little babybears, miracles, sunshines, loves of my life... daddy and i love you more than words could ever express. you are my everything and i would go anywhere and do anything to bring you the best and most that i possibly can. you have taught me so much more about love and life than you will ever know. i hope you will one day read these entries and realize and understand the things your daddy i do for you and know just how much we love you two. happy 1st of many birthdays my loves!