The last of 2016

Before we moved to St. Louis the kids an I got into watching Food Network shows. After watching a season of Cupcake Wars and that the winner was in St. Louis, the kids said, "PLEASE when we move to St. Louis can we go there?!?!?"

We never really got around to driving everyone downtown for a cupcake....nor did I really want to budget in a ridiculous cost for a baked product. (#cheapomom)

So when Brooks and I were thinking of something fun for us to do as a family to celebrate paying off our debt it was a no brainer that we could go to Jilly's.

(please notice Kellyn's striped tights. She has Aleeya's natural sense of "style")

The cupcake was the size of Everly's head!!!! They each got their own.

I was in charge of testing everyone's.

They were good. But we all agreed they weren't THAT good. I mean, it was a large cupcake. No one's socks were "blown off" (as Emerson would say) by them.

But it was still fun.....and out of character for us in a very celebratory manner.

The babies enjoyed having the older kids home all day too. I never really saw them except to change their bums. (Aleeya is STILL the only kid that I can get to do that.....oh, and Everly.....which is kinda a recurring problem)

I went to look for Wynn to put her to bed three days in a row and I found her asleep and snuggling Aleeya in her bed. So sweet. I can't even get her to fall asleep on me.

New Year's Eve (instead of New Year's Day this year) had the big football games.....and more particularly, the CLEMSON one.

I don't have any  Clemson attire for the babies...... I know, I should be fired from SC...... but the babies DID put on their South Carolina flag shirts one to celebrate.

Made by the lovely Sylvia who actually was visiting from SC that day.

(Wynn in the white bow)

And they wouldn't be true southerners if it wasn't monogrammed! 

Cute little hiney initials.

There was a LOT of food ready for the game. Iris and Aleeya made the bacon/wienies.

And Everly was in charge of guarding all the food.

#INHERDREAMS

Eatin' and watching the game.....

And clearly not watching their plates, because Iley got her hand on a chicken wing and was NOT about to let it go.

Then Wynn got in on the action

They loved them.

#likefatherlikedaughters

It was an awesome game. After I was pooped and was ready to go to bed. The younger kids went to bed but the older boys wanted to stay up and watch a movie until midnight. I told them I was done. Brooks said they could stay up and watch one as long as it was in Spanish. So they picked "Penguins" in Spanish and Brooks sat out there with them. I felt bad (and I have FOMO) so I went out to join them. Brooks said, "I stayed out here because I think one of us should at least stay up if they are." 

Sound parenting.

That is until ten minutes later Brooks was zonked out on the couch.

Looks like I was going to be the one staying up......which was fine, because that movie is hilarious.

I think I've only seen Brooks stay awake through 2 whole movies our whole married/dating life!

I don't LOVE big cities, but I will say, there ARE more sounds and fireworks/booms when it hits midnight here.

I LOVED IT!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

7 month girlies

December 23rd the twins turned 7 months. And although them seem to be in every blogpost....because they basically rock and are everyone's favorites...... I wanted to note down what they are doing now.

These two are obsessed with our two steps in our living room (it's a sunken in one....totally lame I know). You put them on the floor and like a magnetic pull they have to go to the stairs. Wynn mastered them first with iley sitting there watching over and over again. I hated it because it involved many tumbles down. Then all of a sudden one day iley did them on her first try as if she had watched Wynn enough to know how.

Wynn also showed Iley how to stand up and now NEITHER of them will sit down when try to put them down. Their legs go all stiff because they want you to hold their hands so they can stand. They can't stand up w/o anything, obviously, but they are ALWAYS crawling to the nearest wall, railing or chair to pull up on. Here is Miss Iley May.

#yummychubbythighs

And Miss Wynn. She pulled up on the door and let out an excited gasp when she saw her reflection.

All my kids have done that when they noticed themselves, but I find it odd she would be that surprised when she stares at a mirror everyday looking at her sister. haha

Wynn kissing herself.

These two rarely are apart. They are cruising everywhere but usually stay in the same room together (unless they have a sibling entertaining them). But if Wynn crawls out and iley notices , she will start making some whining noises until they are in the same room again and then stop as if nothing ever happened. 

Here they are as I'm keeping them out of the kitchen while I sweep. They are REALLY fast in grabbing things from my pile and since I'm double teamed, my hockey skills aren't up to the task in keeping them out of my pile.

And of course, EVERYTHING in their mouth.....even the gate door.

(Wynn is on the right)

I don't even have to look too hard anymore because their faces are looking a little different to me. Or shape of head verses eye shape, etc. But if I see one in a room by herself (like I just found wynn in my shoe closet this morning) it takes me a little bit to decide who it is....usually I just look at the ear to confirm. Side by side though, I can tell who is who.

the girls love sucking on and chasing Royce's Bey Blades. Iley is going to town on this one.

I don't have much patience (and my high chairs haven't arrived yet) for the whole baby cereal/baby food thing......nor have I really ever with my kids. But these two DO love their crackers....animal and graham crackers the most. They also like a big hunk of juicy fruit to suck on. Everything goes in the mouth and nothing ever gets spit out

They never really cry......unless they fall down the two stairs in the living room or off a bed. Can you blame them? They lay next to each other drinking their bottles, (I'm STILL pumping. They get about 50% pumped milk and 50% formula each day) first one done usually bats her sister's away and tries to get it, I change their bums and then they're off exploring. They go in the rooms with all the action and just plant themselves.

3 naps every day. One a hour and a half after they wake up in the morning, afternoon nap when Everly and Kellyn nap and one around 4:30 while I'm making dinner. They go to bed around 7:30 every night. During the holiday it's been nice because they wake up when they want to and not when I rip them out of bed (6:30). Now they sleep until 7:30 and play in their room with Royce until he is allowed to come out at 8. It's a pretty sweet gig to wake up to a brother waiting to play Bey Blades with you.

The girls are starting to come to me now.....not just come....sprint-crawl.  Last night after I drove the boys to Young Mens at the church, I came home and saw the babies in the hallway. I said, "Where's my Babies??!?!" like I do and they both turned around and started crawling to me in speed mode.

(fuzzy pic....Aleeya had my phone)

And they made it to me!!!!

Oh man, I just love these two so much. #highlightofmyday

And I HAVE to include the cutest thing that iley started doing just this week. 

They never really fuss when I put them down. Especially Wynn who drops on her belly with thumb inserted. Iley will usually quickly go to a sitting position and then I walk out and never hear a peep from either of them. (one sleeps in a crib the other in a port-a-crib)

Well recently Iley has started whining a little bit when I would put her down first. Then I would leave the room to go grab Wynn to put her down. As SOON as I put Wynn down, Iley would stop whinning and go right to bed. 

I thought it was a fluke.

Then it kept happening every time Iley would go down first. 

She wouldn't stop "talking"/whining until Wynn was in there too.

If I put Wynn down first and THEN brought Iley in, there was never any fussing.

With them being in different heights of beds I guess I didn't realize they noticed the other was there much, but I guess Iley has. And calms down immediately when "Big sis" (as we call her) is brought in. I don't even have to touch, calm or lay back down "Little Sis", she just immediately stops her noise, lays down and goes to bed.

I have a feeling seeing this twin-bond will be my favorite part of raising these precious babies.