AlwaysanEm

Preschool!

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 13:42:00 +0000

Preschool is here! The twins started their first day of preschool today. Ella Jane was beyond ecstatic. Franklin was in it for the show and tell. He brought his monster truck and she brought her pony.

I tried to capture a photo on the front stoop, however it was more like a Calvin and Hobbs comic. She smiled away, and he gave me a goofy face. I tried folks! We've been preparing them for this since day one. Or at least trying to help them learn to be independent, brave, and kind. I'm so proud of these two and can't wait to see what great things they accomplish this year!

Caroline 9 month Update

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 13:38:00 +0000

How did our littlest one get to be 9 months old?

She is currently:
- crawling
- can sit up independently from laying down
- eating finger foods
- eating three solid meals a day (4 bottles a day)
- taking 2 naps a day (about 1.5-2 hours each)
- saying Dada and Ella
- dancing with her head

She loves:
- our beagle Gibson
- puffs
- her brother and sister (the twins)
- being outside

She is sleeping and eating well. Nine months is one of my favorite ages because their personality is truly coming out. You get the verbal recognition when you walk in the door, the laughter, smiles, and they are a bit easier to understand.

Her hair is as big as her personality (almost).

Love you Caroline Rose aka Pippa!
Mama

Caroline 4 month update

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 13:03:00 +0000

Little C is busy and you can just see her learning so much over these past few weeks! She can now grasp objects with both her hands, pull toys to her mouth, and rolls over every time you put her on her belly. Literally!

Her sleeping got a little funky after her 4 month vaccinations but hopefully we are back on track. We had to change the nipple size on her bottles, and then she consistently started eating more. She likes to eat quickly apparently!

Eating Schedule:
7am - 6 oz
10:30am - 6 oz
2pm - 6 oz
5:30pm - 7 oz
down to sleep at 7:30pm
dreamfeed 9:15pm - 7 oz

She is sleeping in a fleece sleep sack (arms closed) or her love to dream sack, no longer swaddled and likes the gumdrop paci still.

She is talking more, has a funny little giggle, and playing the blanket game. She enjoys walks in the umbrella stroller and hangs out quite a bit outside since its been so nice out! She is staying awake 2 hours at a time between naps!

Love our little firecracker.

Number Three

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 16:08:00 +0000

It's been a LONG time. I feel awful for not updating this thing on behalf of our third child. Bless her, I haven't recorded many details or her birth story.

For starters, we had a sweet, precious baby girl on November 5th at 9:18pm.

She came into the world quickly - minus two days before or start and stop laboring at home. After many walks and bouncing on the ball, my water broke that Thursday evening and she was born within three hours of being at the hospital. I had no epidural till right before I started pushing - which I pretty much demanded it. I didn't want to push that baby out with out it.

She's a joy. From the start she was super alert, awake, and ate like a champ. She had a head of red hair and a strong 7lb body which seemed much larger then the twins. Everything about her seemed just a bit further along. Granted she almost made it to 40 weeks, born just 3 days before being full term.

She now is almost 4 months old. She eats every 3.5 hours, and sleeps in her crib very well. She is a smiley, easy going, laid back child. It's like she almost knew that in order to make it all work she needed to be able to just go with the flow!

She loves being sung to, kicking her legs at toys on the playmat, and sitting in her highchair watching the family eat dinner.

She is a real blessing to our family and we are enjoying having a sweet baby around again to love on.

We love you to the moon and back Caroline Rose!

Just a little update

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 16:56:00 +0000

Just a little update! Or a big one!

We are pregnant with number three, 18 weeks along and going strong. We've decided not to find out what it is this time around and go for the grand finale!

The babies, are not so much babies anymore and are in big kid beds. F got his bunk beds and E is in her full bed that matches her great, great, grandmother's bedroom set that I've been working on.

The kids are loving swimming in our neighborhood pool, went to VBS at West End for the first time, and just are all around so much fun to be with. We still have the occasional tantrum but are in a much better place!

I'm feeling great, and so thankful for that! F and E each say they are growing a baby too. F has named the baby honey lemon, and E has named the baby Caroline. F wants a brother, E wants a sister. So this baby will be the tie breaker!

We got to vacation down in Destin, Fl this year for a week. We had the most perfect weather, and sat and played on the beach every single day.

We continue to host our bible studies on Tuesday evenings, and are having loads of fun having our dear friends over once a week and gaining such encouragement!

Those are the big highlights as of right now. The twins turn three next week. F loves pirates, action heros, and knights. E loves fairys, ballerinas, and taking care of her baby dolls. They are sweet kids and I feel blessed to raise them side by side with the man of my dreams!

Christmas Season Memories

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 17:06:00 +0000

a few things i want to remember this christmas season.
1. franklin calls all christmas lights and reindeer - "reindeer paws". think the song "up on the housetop reindeer pause" he thinks we are talking about paws.
2. their fav song is jingle bells. on repeat. in the van. loud.
3. ella loves to put snowflake stickers on her face. my face. everyone's face.
4. they say santa is not ready to come yet.
5. if i can't open it, change it, fix it, etc. immediately ella says "maybe daddy?" i love that in their mind daddy can fix everything! and i believe it:)
6. they can't say tinsel, so they call her pencil - which is our elf on the shelf's dog.
7. they ate far more candy then made it onto the gingerbread house. especially Frank!
8. ella loved to unwrap the hershey kisses. about her favorite thing during gingerbread houses.
7. Daddy cleaned out the playroom closets and switched things around. They love love their new secret hideout in the long closet.
8. they chase each other around - usually its F chasing E. F will gently tackle E to the ground. The other night he said "im doing it gently"
9. F knows my first name is Emily. He says "i'm frank" and "your name is Emily Mom" I kindly remind him I'm mommy:)
10. Ella pulled out her easter bunny ears and wore them around one evening, kindly referring to them as bunny hoppers since they make you hop mom!

Thankful

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:26:00 +0000

It's hard to believe it was August since I last wrote.

Lots of wonderful things have happened. We got to go on a vacation to the beach, which the kids absolutely loved! We visited Chi-town over Labor Day and celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary!

The children are getting bigger day by day. F has funny phrases that he will just bust out with like "no, no, no, I don't think so" or "ew that's gross"

Ella is so in love with babies and playing baby doll. She takes her baby's jammies on and off and likes to feed her in the booster seat we have at the dinner table. She is still constantly singing.

We've had our fair share of little odd colds and illnesses, but nothing we've had to go to the Dr. for which I am grateful!

C and I are on a clean eating diet, less carbs and more protein and elminating processed sugar. Not like I let him keep cookies around anyways! :) We've also gotten the twins rooms painted, and he did the guest room yesterday! I'm SO appreciative!

We are also hosting a bible study at our house on Tuesdays, with a meal and study after. It's been a true blessing.

Just a little catch me up!

Big Beds!

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:37:00 +0000

After both twins literally climbed out of their cribs within a day of eachother (F first (2x) and then E at naptime) I decided it was time for big boy and girl beds. I was pretty nervous, I had no idea how they would respond.

Hubby, after naps, took the fronts of their cribs. F was a little concerned, E was excited, happy, and generally like wow!

They did fantastic! We really didn't have any incidents. It's amazing how 2 year olds can self discipline. I also made sure to remove any tempting toys from the floor.

I'm so proud of them. My big kids!

Plates, Eggs, and Beep Beeps

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 19:10:00 +0000

They truly are best friends!

They decided they needed to take a bath.

Franklin and Ella are now 22 months old.

The weather has warmed up, in fact we hit 85 this past weekend. Our little family has been spending a TON of time outside. The kids each have a little tikes car they can ride around in. Most of the time they prefer to push them up and down the driveway. Thankfully they have also mastered the art of turning them around before they go into the street. They adore being outside and LOVE the new backyard.

A few moments to capture:

- The kids aren't using high chair trays anymore but instead eating off plates! They probably could have awhile ago, but it wasn't until recently that we tried it by accident bc we left their little travel placemats at home and they did great! Funny how such an "older" kid accomplishment this feels like at the moment to me.

- We hosted our first little party at our new house. We invited a bunch of kids and their moms over for an easter egg hunt and lunch. It went great. The twins had a fabulous time.

- We celebrated Aunt Lindsey and now Uncle Joe's wedding. The twins traveled great, and stayed up till 10pm EST the evening of the wedding. They looked adorable in their dress up clothes and thoroughly enjoyed running across the dance floor all night.

- Ella is such a snuggler lately. She just curls right up to me. She has also gone into a "mommy" stage and just wants momma all the time. She has tons of words and says them all frequently! She's our little pip!

- Franklin can say I love you now. He is getting better at using two words together and tries so hard when he is frusturated not to have a meltdown. Instead he will close his eyes, put his chin down and take a few moments. You can almost see on his face, the "Mom I'm trying so hard, I'm a big boy"

They continue to amaze us, keep us on our toes, and add so much joy to our home. We celebrated a friend's second birthday the other weekend, and to my surprise I sat back in a lawn chair and was able to just watch all the kids playing. It was wonderful, amazing, and such a great moment as a Momma. My kids are getting older, independent and I love seeing who they are growing into!

Thank you Lord for what you have done!

We Moved

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 14:23:00 +0000

We moved last Friday. From the very first house I ever bought, where we lived as newlyweds, and brought our babies home. It was tiring, sad, emotional, exciting, and crazy.

It's odd not to just put myself on auto pilot and drive back to our old house. But now that we've had what I call semi regular nights in our new house, it's feeling more like home. Cooking dinner, bathing the children, playing, laundry, etc. These are the things that make our new house feel like a home. Doing our normal family things.

The kids are loving every single thing about the new house that we hoped they would. They love their giant huge playroom, where they can roam freely with all their toys in one place, their table, and kitchen. They love the freedom.

They love the new front yard and backyard and flatness all over, no longer struggling to climb up the mini mountain of a backyard that was our old house. They love their little cars or beep beeps as they call them running around the drive way. They've had almost zero transition, effortlessly going to sleep and sleeping through the night in the evenings and taking fabulous naps.

It's been wonderful. I'm sure I've had more of a transition then them:)

Needless to say, I loved being able to start up and burn a fire last night in our house. It was wonderful to sit by it, chat, and talk about how this was our new home and all the great memories we will make there.

February 2014

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 20:19:00 +0000

A few notes from this month

Ella is talking a TON. And I mean a TON. She tries to say everything. And now she says "love you" which sounds more like "nah nom" It's the sweetest thing ever because she answer your I love you back.

Of course with Ella talking more Franklin has decided to talk less. He leaves the end of words of so please sounds like peas. It's pretty cute. Occasionally we still catch him talking in his own secret language that he did when he was little the gibber jabber. It's so innocent sounding. He'll make himself laugh.

We have probably a 5x6 area right now of the living room sequestered with boxes. The twins and Gibson the beagle are unsure of what is going on. Gibson has curled up by either my side or hubby's each night bc I think he is worried during the middle night we will just pack up and leave him. It's sort of sad.

The twins are busy. They don't go down till nap till around 1:30pm - sometimes even later. They go to bed between 8 and 8:30pm. We recently found out Ella naps much better if she has her baby - baby Clara in bed with her:) Pretty darn cute.

Other then that we are packing our lives up into boxes one day at a time. So excited to get into our new house - sometimes it still doesn't feel real. I look through the photos over and over, how could that beautiful home really be mine?! Dream house.

God's good. Over and out.

2013

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 13:25:00 +0000

It's been quite a long time since I've blogged! Forgive me. Between two toddlers, balancing work, volunteering, etc. and then lots of holiday travel we just have been busy!

2013 has been an awesome year for our family.

We took our first vacation to the beach - just the four of us and found an amazing new SPOT! Folly Beach was fantastic, and we hope to spend many vacations in and near the Charleston area exploring.

Christopher accepted a new job! He is loving learning new things, and being part of a new team. God has blessed us with this opportunity!

Emily was able to reduce her hours and is home on Fridays with the kids! I love, love, love this. Who knew that one day a week off could produce such a drastic change. I feel so blessed to be able to do this.

We've been searching for a new house, watching the market, and setting goals for our growing family.

We traveled to Chicago, out of Nashville with my mom - Emily's first time really traveling alone with the twins and it went so well! Dad joined us later that week, and we had a fantastic Christmas eve Betz celebration.

We flew back to Nashville and headed to L'burg to celebrate with the Miller family. Another great family Christmas.

We've decided next year we will be staying home at Christmas, as we need a break and want to start some family traditions for our own little family. We'd like to wake up in our home on Christmas day, for the sake of the twins and create a little magic:)

We had lots of firsts with the twins - walking, words, running, sitting at a table on big kid chairs, using silverware, laughing, marching, and dancing. Every moment's been so magical. I've absolutely loved the 18 month age and while we have had our first tantrums we are all learning and growing so much together.

Thank you Lord for a very fruitful, healthy, and great 2013. We are looking forward to 2014!

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 11:51:00 +0000

We are preparing for Halloween at our house.

This year Elizabeth will be batgirl and Franklin is her trusty side kick Robin. Momma is Catwoman and Daddy is Lt. Gordon.

Our first Halloween event is this upcoming Friday night at church - Trunk or Treat!

We can't wait to participate, and I just know the kids will have fun walking around everywhere and seeing the costumes.

Franklin's getting 3 new teeth in - his last molar and an additional set of eye teeth. He's been a little whiny lately. I also attribute this too us taking away the pacis. We are offically on a full week of them being gone. And while they yammer on for about 20 minutes - Ella specifically does - after that they conk out for the night. It was something that had to be done, and we had pushed it far enough off that we just had to DO IT.

Also, in other news I'm starting a new schedule. It will become effective next Friday. I think it will really help me to be my most productive at work, and also at home. An additional day to tend to the family's needs is much needed and appreciated!

We carved pumpkins last weekend while my mom was in town. They had a great time getting ooey and gooey. Franklin in particular enjoyed scooping the pumpkin out and helping Dad!

The Beach, New Starts, and Fall

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 19:55:00 +0000

We went to the beach for a week in the beginning of September. Exploring a new piece of heaven off the coast of South Carolina. Neither the Mr. or I had been there before, but needless to say it was beautiful and just what our family of four needed.

You two instantly loved the beach. There was no one there so you had the freedom to roam and run wherever you wanted. You both loved playing in the tide at the shore's edge and each day dad and i promptly dug you a hole to play in. One of you would end up sitting in that hole by your little self playing in the tiny bit of water.

We played outside each day. You loved it. Your tiny faces sun kissed and sprinkled with ocean water. Franklin promptly collected shells and Ella ran after the birds. So many great first memories. AH!

Now fall is slowly rolling in. Each of you are in such a precious place. Ella sings and hums, Franklin smiles and becomes bashful. We play tag, hide and seek, and you two exchange one of a kind smiles for each other after being seperated during nap time. You now have access to the kitchen and are minding so nicely. You both have grown more patient and follow instructions. It's so exciting and beautiful as a Momma to watch this.

Dad started his new job. This means more family walks in the evening. So nice!

I love you both more and more - could that even be possible! Thank you for filling my heart with joy and my days with laughter.

Change is Gonna Come

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:43:00 +0000

A fitting title for our lives right now. We are changing, growing, transitioning into what we are calling the next phase of life! Ella and Franklin are walking. Ella full out walking, Franklin trailing behind doing the 5-6 step shuffle. TOO CUTE to see these little bodies walking around my house.

Transitioning to one nap a day, unless we wake up grumpy in the morning, then stick to two. It's nice, we can be more flexible and spend mornings out and about.

More transitions - we've been blessed with a new job opportunity for my Mr. He will be transitioning into his new position in a few weeks. It will mean more opportunities for family time, a some great career opportunities for the family!

We are also looking forward to some time at the BEACH. For a week in fact! We've rented a house on Folly Beach - an island off Charleston, SC for an entire week - just the four of us. We are thrilled and cannot wait to watch the little's play on the beach and sit in sandy puddles playing. A little rest, relaxation, and sun is definitely in order.

Life is good. It's been a really good summer. I'm just soaking in every moment with my children. They fill my heart with such joy, beyond what I could have imagined. I'm so thankful for a great husband, kids, and all my momma friends to share this journey with. Thank you Lord :)

Time is Flying

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 13:16:00 +0000

Time is flying quickly. It's hard to believe it's already nearing the end of July.

This summer we had our first big road trip, and in our new mini van! It was a huge success.

We felt like the all American family, pulling up to a rest stop somewhere in Indiana, rolling out our picnic lunch of sandwiches and spreading our quilt out on the green lawn. The kids crawled around and enjoyed eating al fresca!

The temperatures up in IL were perfect for a summer trip - boasting of a nice 75 degrees, while rain poured back at our southern homestead. The kids did great, enjoyed seeing their grandparents, great grandparents, great aunts, uncles, and cousins. We celebrated their first birthday while we were up there, and they got loads of fantastic gifts and even some shoes!

They are growing so quickly. Mimicking words, gestures, and more. Sweet Ella has watched us hold hands at the dinner table and pray each night, and is now quickly taken to grabbing mine when I hold it out at dinner. When I open my eyes after amen, she is just pretty pleased with herself for participating in this activitiy the only way she knows how - holding our hands! It's so precious!

Franklin is an eating machine! You think you've filled his plate, then by the time you fill sissy's he already needs more food! He grabs cheese, bread, and meat by the handfuls. He's working on a double chin, and there's no cuter accessory on a 13 month old!

One Year Checkup

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:55:00 +0000

The little people did awesome at their one year checkup. They quickly recovered from shots and were nothing short of beautiful, healthy cherubs!

Both of them are about 30 inches long. Franklin just 5/8 an inch taller then Ellerbee!

After their checkup (at 2:30pm) we celebrated as a family by going downtown, walking around market square, and playing in the fountains. We had a delicious meal out and were happy little campers. Such a sweet stolen afternoon. Summer memory!

12 months

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:08:00 +0000

Blog, what blog?

The last few months - 12 months that is - have officially zoomed by! The twins are now ONE year old! We had fantastic party, celebrating by inviting their closest friends (the 4 babies all born right before them), their dads and mommas (my best girl friends), and family and we played in the water. SPLISH, SPLOSH, SPLASH! We had a baby pool, water table, and splash pad all outside. The sight was goregeous, all these cutie patotey babies splashing around.

So a recap of the first year for us. The first 8 weeks we were in strict survival mode, but thanks to family, friends, and an amazing church family not only were the twins but also mom and dad well taken care of!

The next few months (2 - 4) were getting everyone acclimated to a beautiful schedule and sleeping through the night by their 2 month birthday. THANK YOU Babywise!! We swear by it, the kids are healthy, thriving, and fantastic eaters and Mom/Dad are well rested, and have time for themselves and their relationship from about 8pm on every night.

Months 4-7 were growing, growing, growing - we had a big Christmas trip to visit two different families over two weeks, all got sick when we were returned with the horrible noro virus (6 months old), and then learned how to sit and play more independently. They learned how to hold their bottles, and in general got stronger and more personality!

Months 8 - 12 - wow these went so QUICKLY and were probably some of the best of times we've had playing. First time in swings, first time swimming, first time eating ice cream and just experiencing life a WHOLE lot more. It's so rich to experience things for a second time through the eyes of your children.

A few favorite memories of 12 months:

Each night before bed we say night night, love you - Franklin says nye nye
This is such a sweet sound to a momma's ear

Ella Jane laughs, squels and has a very determined personality

Franklin loves wheels and can sit in one place spinning them for long periods of time. He loves to tip his wagon over, the baby stroller, etc. to watch and spin those wheels

Ella's favorite place to play during the day is inside the circus tent. You can find her in there with a book!

They love to eat! They are big eaters and anytime Mom/Dad are eating they want what we have!

They love each other. They like to hold hands, sit close by, and babble back and forth.

What a blessing!

Life Lately

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:59:00 +0000

Life lately has consisted of my husband working really hard to get our backyard in shape, and me watching the twins, telling them not to steal toys away from eachother, take off eachothers sun hats, or to keep eating their meal. They are busy! They crawl after everything. If we don't watch it the minute the door opens, Ella wants to shoot through and get outside! I can hardly believe their 1st birthday is approaching...what! Where did time go!

Easter, Spring, and Playtime

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:46:00 +0000

We all came down with colds the past week. It must have something to do with the weather going from 70, to snowing, and now thankfully its back to 60. So we had a pretty low key extended Easter weekend. I was glad that by Easter Sunday everyone seemed to be better so we went to church, and then shared a meal with our great friends the Wilsons. It was a super yummy meal, and the kids did a lot of big playing with their buddy Owen!

Now that's its nice out I'm determined to get outside and walk more. Nothing like some exercise, and of course walking around the block (ours is SUPER hilly) is truly a workout with two twenty pound babies, and a stroller! But we all love listening to the birds chirping, and greeting all the neighbors as we stroll by!

Franklin and Ella Jane are changing daily now. They are both crawling. Our little Bee has a very graceful crawl, on all fours, very coordinated and is also pulling up on everything. Roo (Franklin) does this hilarious army crawl and can move super quickly now! Of course they want to get into every nook and cranny of our house, and somehow the cords are most interesting to them - along with the dog's water and food bowl! Go figure! They are playing so nice together - and I'm seeing the blessings in them being twins. How awesome! Here's a little video!

Tall Genes

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:53:00 +0000

We just had the twins 9 month check-up yesterday and they are growing. The Dr said "looks like Daddy's genes are kicking in!" A few stats:

- Franklin is 75% for height
- Ella is 90th% for height

TALL KIDS.

Ella broke her first two teeth about 2 weeks ago and is looking like such a toddler. Franklin broke his two top teeth in around the same time. It's true, their baby faces are now quickly fading as their new little looks emerge along with glowing personalities.

Ella wants nothing but Franklin to play with her. She laughs, giggles, and is all smiles when he is nearby. He on the other hand is somewhat disinterested in her, but just recently he's figured out that she is there and can make him laugh. I'm storing up these memories in my mind among the countless iphotos on my phone. So glad I have the afternoons with my babies.

A Post about a Girl

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:33:00 +0000

Where to begin? Our sweet Miss Elizabeth Jane (affectionately known as Ellerbee - or Bee) in our home has just transformed into a grown up infant/toddler before our very eyes. This dear girl came out just 4.5 lbs. and has blossomed into an independent spitfire! I love every bit of it!

Her smiles lights up the room. When I walk into the house she lets out an audible Hi and was the first to say Mama! She knows how to entertain herself, and we truly believe she has an imaginary world that she plays in, complete with friends. To watch her get lost and swept up into playtime is such a joy!

Bee can make herself laugh, and laughs when we sing and dance. She is stubborn - not like her mom and dad are or anything and so very determined. She is a creature of habit and doesn't want to go to bed without that big, pink fluffy fleece blanket. She observes the world around her, and then wants to do it herself.

She is absolutely beautiful - not that we are biased. She wrinkles her nose when she giggles, and has doe-like eyes that we can just get lost in. She loves to sit up and twist around on her own. She sits up so straight, looking so grown up. Her and Brother are so different, there is no comparison and it makes us love each of them even more in their own unique way.

There are times she only wants her Mommy or Daddy, and I don't mind that one bit. To my darling independent, make my heart melt daughter - I love you to the moon and back my little Bee!

A Post About a Boy

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:15:00 +0000

To my sunshine. I've decided to devote one post to Franklin and another to Ella.

You are my tender hearted boy. All smiles, and cuddles for your Mom and Dad. You reach up to us, longing to be held, wanting to be close. You twirl at my hair, and touch your father's chin. You have the softest blue eyes, that everyone comments on.

Your hair is wild. I don't know where to begin. It stands straight up, and has this wavy body to it. Selfishly I'm hoping when its long enough they will turn into curls.

You have a round, delightful little body but lately I've noticed how long and lengthy your limbs are getting. You have a sweetheart of a smile, and contagious laughter. You love to be kissed on.

You are rolling all over the place, across the room, and even into things. You are resilient and don't really cry if you fall over from sitting, but you'll cry if Mom and Dad are out of the room for too long.

You fall asleep easily, and sleep hard. When you wake up from a nap your cheeks are blushed and you smile and laugh. You love food, and we know its getting close to dinner time when you are getting a bit needy and ready to munch.

You have such a sweet nature. I pray each day that you may always have that tender and compassionate spirit.

Thank you Franklin for being my sunshine. And for all those cuddles, of those cuddles are so good for the soul.

We are Growing

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I've been a slacker in updating the blog. But the babies are doing new things everyday now. Franklin's waving his little wrist around constantly, figuring out he can bend each little finger, and wants to constantly sign bottle now that he's figured it out.

Ella Jane is saying mama on repeat - which makes my heart melt, and getting so close to crawling. Our family came and visited for the weekend, so the three (one week apart) cousins were all together. Our dear niece is on the move, and wants to be walked, exploring every little part of the house. She's precious! What is most fun is seeing how each one of them was made so uniquely, so close in age but yet such different personalities.

Loving life!

What's Up

noreply@blogger.com (EMiller7) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:56:00 +0000

The twins turned 8 months old this past week - I'm losing track of time. They officially can sit in a grocery cart while we run around, this is a big help!

Other then that our Cutie Pie and Stud Muffin are busying themselves trying to scoot around and figure out how to crawl. This leads to frusturating moments at times for them. They are working on 5 basic signs - food, milk, mom, dad, and dog. But the most exciting thing of all is coming home to them, and getting the verbal recognition! Ella literally mimics me saying "hi" and says hi back. She is able to lift her arms up above her head and tries to wave. Franklin likewise lets out an audible hi tone! We love seeing them get so excited and trying to talk! Ella even talked to her Omi on the phone, repeating hi over and over. Way too cute.