We have arrived.  365 days later and these girls are no longer ‘babies’.  Last year on the day we welcomed them into this world it was a stifling 80 degrees.. and 5 days later when we brought them home from the hospital it was 29 degrees.  Well.. Wednesday I was in flip-flops.. and two days later, on their first birthday, it barely reached 24 degrees.

We’ve officially come full circle.  *tear

One Year Stats.  We were scheduled to go for their one year well-check yesterday, but with the freak ice storm we were ‘snowed’ in and decided to reschedule.  We don’t go for a visit with Dr. Butler until later this week, but I know they are some growing string beans! We transitioned to Size 3 diapers (finally) and they are now wearing 9 mo & 6-12mo size clothes.  The 6 month clothing are good for size, but too short in length.  We weighed the girls at home on our scale and then brought out the measuring tape for an estimate of where we are size wise at 12 months.

Jolie:
18 pounds
28 inches

Parker:
18 pounds 8 ounces
28 3/4 inches

Miss Jolie, who has always been about a pound lighter than her sister, finally has caught up within a half a pound!

I’ve been so excited to write this post.. I can’t put my finger on just why exactly.  Parker and Jolie literally changed so much just in this last month.  Looking at the pictures I took of them on Thanksgiving Day.. I hardly recognize them.  They changed overnight!  How is that possible.  I was taken off guard as I looked through the pictures on the camera immediately after taking them.  I did a double take and handed the camera to Jordan.. “Who’s kids are those?“

One word: PERSONALITY.  Both of them are off the charts precious and funny and full of personality.  This last month has probably been the most fun and the most difficult at the same time.  Last month I talked about the start of tantrums and this month we’ve taken it up a notch.  Stomping of feet (Parker), yelling/screaming/screeching (Parker), throwing herself backwards (Parker), rolling around on the floor (Parker).. so pretty much, Parker throws a fit.  Jolie gets upset when you say ‘no’ or take something from her, but nothing like the response we get from Miss Parker.  As sweet as that little can be, if she is hungry or tired, she is letting you know about it.

The girls have really taken a liking to one other this month- looking for each other, loving on each other, and chasing/running around the house and down the halls.  Lots of hugs and kisses! Too stinkin’ precious for their own good! Parker is really into sharing/helping with every thing.  She likes to share food, help pick up toys/books/papers, put clothes in piles (and then move that pile from one place to another until she makes a circle around the room), throw away trash.. the list goes on.  She is totally going to be momma’s little helper.  I will never forget the day Jolie was crying and Parker brought her puppy to try and cheer her up.  I couldn’t get over how sweet that was!

Teething continued and it seemed to last ALL month long!  I felt like the girls ran fever for three weeks straight. Runny nose, fever, and two 3rd degree clingers- it was a tough couple of weeks.  I didn’t hardly know what to do for them.  I felt terrible that they felt so terrible.  Breaks my heart to see my usual cheerful and silly babies seem so miserable.  Parker and Jolie officially have 6 teeth.  The two on the bottom and the same three across the top.  Jolie’s have really come in- you can see them when she smiles.  Parker is getting there.  They seemed to come in a little slower than Jolie’s.

Eat

In anticipation for their first birthday we started to transition to whole foods and away from the purees and spoon feeding for every meal.  Early in their 11th month both of them decided that they hated oatmeal and some of their favorite purees (sweet potatoes and butternut squash).  After refusing to eat everything I offered them on the spoon I decided we were going to move to more finger foods at dinner.  The first week to 10 days were hard.  I know this was coupled with not feeling well and teething, but they refused anything and everything I offered them except yogurt and Cheerios.  ‘Dinner’ was full on meltdown: crocodile tears, and whaling in their high chairs for 20 minutes. 

I was stressed.

After offering them dinner this way and having food thrown in my face for almost two weeks, Jolie and Parker finally decided they would try what was on their tray.  After that, its kind of been an open book of tasting.  They will taste everything I put in front of them, which is fine by me!  Up until this point I had never offered them meats of any kind.  Reading cookbooks instructing me to puree chicken or lamb grossed me out so I decided to hold off until they had more teeth to be able to chew the meat.  We were at a birthday party a couple weekends ago and Parker straight took a chicken nugget off my plate and ate the entire thing.  Ok.  So you like Mickey Mouse shaped chicken nuggets.  I’m okay with that!

New foods this month:  ham, turkey, chicken, hamburger, mandarin oranges, pears, grilled cheese, rice cakes, string cheese, green beans, broccoli, ice cream, yogurt smoothies.

In the second week of November we started to think about weaning them from breast milk and transitioning to whole milk.  We were slung into doing this because the first weekend in November Parker decided she was through nursing.  She screamed her head off in starvation at my feet for three days, but wouldn’t nurse longer than 3-5 minutes.  Finally, I offered her a bottle and she sucked it right down.  Well, okay then.  She’s done with me.  And Im okay with that.  At that point I decided it was time for Jolie to be done as well- pumping one side after nursing while trying to bottle feed a busy 11 month old wasn’t going to work for me.  My body only knows nursing two at a time, therefore produces enough for two babies to be satisfied on one breast.  SO- for the last three weeks I’ve been pumping and giving the girls bottles for every feeding.  I also think her refusal of the breast had to do a lot with a growth spurt.  She wanted to milk immediately and didn’t want to ‘work’ at it at all. I feel ya, girl.  When I’m hungry, I’m hungry.. and you are just like me!  These babies have always been fickle eaters, hardly finishing a bottle when momma is at work and not big at all on table food.  Now, both of them are bottomless pits!  Parker will suck down her 7 ounces and hop up to see what else there is to nibble on.

Around the same time I started pumping, we began slowly transitioning to whole milk. We started slowly by mixing 2 ounces of organic whole milk and 5 ounces of breast milk into each feeding. After a week we upped the whole milk amount to 1/2 and 1/2, and now we are at just 2 ounces of breast milk and 5 ounce of whole milk.  The idea was that by their birthday, they would be ready for straight milk.  They’ve done great with the whole milk, hardly acting like they notice a change in their bottles. Weaning them this was has also helped me wean myself.  I went from pumping four times a day to three, and currently I’m pumping just once in the morning and once before bed.  I’ve noticed a significant drop in my supply and no engorgement or pain like I was afraid of.  This whole weaning thing has come a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.  

         

Sleep

Last month we talked about transitioning to just one nap a day.  The first two days were awesome!  The girls took one three and a half hour nap and were complete angels the remainder of the day.  After day number two- it was a complete nightmare.  We decided after about a week of misery: babies falling asleep in the middle of the kitchen floor and developing a hatred of bathtime..
which they typically LOVE bath, we opted to go back to two naps.  The girls definitely were not ready to move from two to one nap a day because their sleep habits have been amazing ever since.  2 1/2 to 3 hours in the morning around 9am and then again for about an hour and a half in the afternoon.

At night we are still doing pretty well.  Jolie sleeps well through the night most of the time while Parker is just now starting to sleep through the night again.  Early 11 months Parker started waking up again multiple times a night.  Hoping we can get back to both of them sleeping through the night again, soon!

During all this transition of feeding, napping, and breastfeeding I was so thankful for my fellow twin mommas Meredith and Sheena.  Random panic texts and emails.. crying ‘help’!  I am so blessed to be able to lean on them for help with my babies as their kiddos are just a little older than Parker and Jolie. I get lots of emails from other new mommas and almost every single one apologizes for asking so many questions.. I am right in that same boat with you!  Don’t apologize.  I am so flattered to be a resource of information for each and every one of you:)  Just know that I’m doing some emailing for advice myself, too!

I’ve been thinking about how I would go about writing these ‘one year’ letters to my girls for several months now.  Jordan wrote their letter at 6 months, and I definitely wanted to include him again for their one year recap, but I also wanted to write one to Parker and Jolie.  Part of me doesnt even know where to start with these letters to my girls..and the other part is worrying about how I’m going to make it through to finish without bawling like a baby.
    

Jolie Grace,
What a little girl you have become. This past year has flown by and I have loved every minute of it. You have become such a spunky, beautiful little girl. Every time I come home from the fire station I feel like you have grown even more. You always have a smile on your face and love to be silly. Your laugh reaches deep into my heart and touches it in an unforgettable way. I love our days together at home. You love to sit on my lap and play from there. Even though you are so crazy during the day, you can sure snuggle at night. You love to lift your head off of my chest and lean forward to give me “sugars.”  Let me tell you, ” I am pudding in your hands when you do that.” I love watching you and your sister give each other “sugars.” You are such a helper when dad is unloading the dryer.  You are so sweet and such a beautiful little girl. I am thankful to be your father and am so excited for this next year with you. 

I love you sweet pea!
Dad 

________________________________________________________________________________

Jolie Polie,

You aren’t so little any more, boo!  I can’t believe how much you’ve grown and changed these last 12 months.  And the happiest baby award goes to.. serious, Jolie- tears don’t last long in your book.  You always know how to make me and your daddy smile- yours is crazy contagious!  And it isn’t just your smile.   You can get to giggling and have the entire room in laughing tears before its over.

While your serious sister flipped a switch to silly, you’ve gone from Miss Independent to quite the snuggle bunny yourself.  You love to listen to momma or BB read you stories and will sit intently studying the colors and images in the book.. while sister girl is tearing through the pages to the end.    You can play happily by yourself as well as in the lap of momma or dad.  Most of the time you are fighting for space with Parker- she has become territorial over her momma, but you are sweet and share so easily.  My once high maintenance baby girl is so easy going- I love it!   Your favorite thing to play with seems to be the big cardboard box we got from Costco.  You and puppy can play for a solid hour in that box.  When you aren’t sitting in it, you are pushing it across the living room.  Anything that will move- you will push it.  I’m thinking we  need to invest in a little shopping cart or baby stroller, or something along those lines for Christmas.  You would love it!

You are such a little goofball and I seriously adore you.  If ever I have a ‘bad’ day, coming home to your smiling face erases all my worries away.  That sounds so cheesy, but it is 100% true.  I can’t explain it.   Nothing like that has ever happened to me before.. until I became a momma to you, sweetness.  You are my rockstar sleeper, and how thankful I am for that.  You and puppy snooze away for 12-13 hours straight and I can’t help but be a little jealous of ya, girl!

I am so excited for all the changes that have occurred just in the last month.  You went from super picky to the best eater ever!  I get so proud watching you select the food on your tray to eat- hold it perfectly between your pointer and your thumb and eat one little chunk of food at a time.  Unlike your sister that shovels it in, hardly tasting any of it, I’m sure.  You help momma and dad get you dressed {which is SO helpful}, and are so smart when it comes to picking things up after ‘teaching’ you for a short time.  We are learning about our eyes, ears, nose, and mouth and it won’t be long before you can point them out.  Ugh.  Growing so quick!

You’ve grown and changed, but you are still my tiny little Jolie Polie.  I am so honored, blessed, thankful to be your momma.  Happy birthday, sweet girl.

I love you!

Momma

If you follow me on IG {@masseya} you saw my post last night after Parker and Jo went to sleep.  My cup truly overflows with blessings.. no words can describe the love exploding from my heart over my sweet family.  This year has been such an undescribable experience for Jordan and I.  Every month better than the last, so I can only imagine what the next year to come will bring.  It can only get better.    

12 months.  Happy birthday to 2 of the 3 loves of my life.

Oh.. and a high-five-fist-pump-blow-it-up to my incredible hubby.  365 days.  We did it.

Love you, Lou.