The boys turn 1!!!!!

Holy moly, I can't believe it...they're already one! The boys' birthday was on Wednesday and Eric and I tried to make it special, even though the "real" party isn't until next Saturday.

When the boys woke up and after every nap, we sang "Happy Birthday" to them. They had a grilled cheese sandwhich with grapes and manderine oranges for lunch (their favorite foods). They got to go swing at the park AND go the pool in the afternoon. Eric and I (okay, let's be honest, it was all ME) reminisced the entire day of what happen the day the boys were born. At 5:16 and 5:17 pm (the times they were born), we sang "Happy Birthday" to them again.

Mom, Kaylyn and Mamaw came over for dinner and we had pizza. Then we all sang "Happy Birthday" again (I think this might have been the last time!) to the boys and watched them smash their own cupcakes and smear it all over their face.

I think Eric and I were way more excited it was the boys birthday than they were. I can't quite figure out why it's so special to us...it is because we made it through the first year? Is it because they're no longer babies and we have toddlers? I don't really know. But I do know this: we couldn't love these precious little boys if we tried! Our lives have been so blessed by these little ones. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know their fun and unique personalities.

Here's everyone enjoying the pizza. Think we should start thinking about getting a bigger table?:)
Brandt feeding his grandma
Me and my firstborn

Carter inspecting the cupcake

Beginning to dig into it

Brandt after his cupcake destruction. By this point in the evening, the boys were getting pretty tired. Let's just say that the combination of tiredness and chocolate in the eyes didn't make for a happy Brandt.

And then, right after this picture was taken, my camera died! I didn't get a picture of Carter all messy. Oh well, there's always next weekend!

Getting ready for a bath

The boys get so excited when they climb up the stairs and hear the water running in the bathroom for their bath. They crawl straight to the tub and stand at it until we put them in.


Here are the boys when we're getting ready for a bath

Books

In the past month, these boys have fallen in love with their books. For the longest time, I've tried to read to them, but they haven't had any interest. It wasn't until THE alphabet book. The boys love to sit with me and go through the book and hear the sound of each alphabet letter.

In addition to reading their alphabet book, they love to eat their board books. One book has already been destroyed. Poor book...it was even the cool kind with buttons that make noise. The only thing left is the buttons for the book!

Here's Brandt with his pile of books

Carter reading the alphabet book

Random pics

Eating blackberries for the first time

Having fun with the dishwasher

Two boys playing nicely
The boys love opening and closing their toy chest

One way to know when your child is too big for a bouncy chair is when they are able to flip out of it and crawl away with it on their back:)

Our new painting

My mom completed another painting for us. We LOVE it! She is uber talented. When Eric and I went to Europe a few years ago, we had a great time in The Netherlands and loved the countryside. We love how Mom captured it for us. Thanks, Mom! We LOVE YOU!

The boys at 11 months old

The last post before the boys turn the big 1-2 months old! I still can't believe this year has gone by so quickly.
This month has continued to test our ability to persevere with discipline. Mainly with Brandt. Boy, can he be sweet when he wants to and be a pill with a capital P when he wants to! The main thing we've been working on with Brandt is to not slap his high chair tray. Some find this cute, but when he does it incessantly and slaps food onto the freshly mopped floor, it needs to stop. Eric and I both feel we've made no headway with our "no's" with Brandt, so if anyone has a recommendation on how to get him to stop, we are all ears!

More accomplishments this month:

• Carter (who has always been the more vocal twin) says "dada" now. It is so cute! I felt a feeling of defeat, though, when he said it because he'd been saying "ma" for a few weeks and I was working on getting him to say "mama" when out of the blue "dada" came out.
• Brandt has been saying "gaga." We joke and say his favorite singer is Lady Gaga and Carter's is Abba (Carter has been saying abba for quite awhile.
• We've been givng the boys milk with dinner to get them used to it before the big switch at the end of this month. Can't wait for no more formula!!!!!!!!
• Both boys have mastered the stairs.
• They eat whatever food we eat. Even if it's spicy they like it!
• Brandt has started this new thing where if you put food in his mouth, he spits it out. If you put it on his tray he'll eat it, but not if you feed him.
• The boys love their books. They have one with buttons you push to say a word and they love it! They also like their alphabet book being read to them and like to hear the sounds of each letter.
• Carter is now standing on his own and "cruising" along furniture.
• Brandt has stood on his own, but as soon as he knows he's doing it all by himself, he sits down.

This month already going by so fast. In just a couple weeks, they'll be 1!!

Round 'em up! Head 'em out!

Lately, we've been getting the boys to crawl up the stairs when it's their nap time now that Carter has learned how. It makes taking the boys upstairs longer, but it tires them out and they really seem to have fun doing it.


It feels like we are herding children!

I beat you, Carter!

Playing with Daddy through the stairs

Brandt's first hair cut!

Brandt has been needing a haircut for awhile and I finally mustered up the courage to cut it yesterday. He looks like a little boy now! My mom has been calling him "Marine Man" because his hair is "high and tight."

Here's little man before

And here is after! I put some gel in it today and spiked it like his daddy's. He looked so cute!

Corn on the cob

I've been wanting to have the boys try eating corn on the cob for awhile now. I just keep forgetting to get it when I'm at the grocery store. It seems like it would be something fun for them to gnaw on.

Well, let me tell you the boys tried it the other night and LOVED it. At first they looked at the corn and had no idea what it was or what to do with it. Then their pre-toddler senses kicked in and they bit into the corn and started gnawing away.

Carter saying, "Hmmm...what is this? Let me just take a little bite."

"Mmmm...this is kinda tasty!"

I think he likes it!
Look at the look Brandt is giving! "What is this, Mommy?"
"Hmmm...maybe I'll give it a try."

"Yum!"

"Mmmm...yummy!"