The Birthday Party

We had Olivia and Eugene's birthday party on April 8th at our house. It went really well other than the weather wasn't as nice as we had hoped. We had about 28 adults and 16 kids so it was a fairly packed house. The twins did great and didn't seem overwhelmed at all by the number of people there.

It was a busy day and of course I didn't feel like I had much of an opportunity to visit with everyone - but isn't that what always happens when you're the host? They both seemed to love their birthday cake and I got some good shots of them both with icing all over their faces (see below). Olivia actually ended up getting it in her ears!

On a side note and I guess good timing on this one, I ended up getting the stomach flu as the last of our guests were leaving. Unfortunately for some of our guests (ten of our guests to be exact), they would be getting the same virus over the next few days. I'm sure they didn't expect to be getting the stomach flu as their party favor! :)

Now on to the pictures...

The Spread

The Gifts

The Elmo Cake

Olivia playing with her friend, Reagan (they were born 8 days apart!)

My best friend, Heather, with her twin girls, Carly and Sydney

More of our friends and family

Gene enjoying the pizza

Olivia and Eugene's Grandpa and Great Grandma (Gene's Dad and Grandmother)

And last but not least... the Birthday Girl

And the Birthday Boy

I thought I'd end with a video clip of just how much Eugene loved his first Birthday cake! (just click the play button)

Our First Year

Well, since my husband has been slacking a bit with the posts, I thought I would take over for a while. Unfortunately for me, however, I have some large shoes to fill. I definitely don't have the story telling ability that he does!

As you all know, Olivia and Eugene turned one year old about two weeks ago and I thought that this milestone deserved a little more attention on the blog (along with a few pictures since many of you have not seen them in a long time)! I'm still having a hard time believing that they are actually a year old. Time certainly flies by when you're having fun... or are too busy to notice that the days turn into months.

And now to sum up our first year with the twins... where to begin? I guess I can start off by saying that, without a doubt, this has been most amazing year of my life! I have never been pushed to, at least what felt like, my physical and mental limits (especially in those early months) but I've also never felt such love.

I never could've known, before Olivia and Eugene arrived, just how much I would love these two incredible, little individuals. As much as people try to tell you what it's like when you become a parent, you never truly understand it until you become one yourself.

Don't get me wrong, though, this first year hasn't been all roses and happy days. There have been plenty of tears and frustration. Tempers have been lost on occasion (not by me, of course) and wits have reached their ends.

I've also learned more about myself and my abilities in this year than I ever could've imagined. I've learned that:

• 30 minutes of solid sleep can refill your "tanks" enough to make it thru at least several hours of diaper changes and feedings.
• 4-5 hours of sleep actually feels like 8 hours used to feel prior to the twins arrival.
• I can accomplish more in their 2 hour nap than I used to accomplish in an entire day.
• Having two babies and two parents shows you the true meaning of team work.
• A bouncy seat will get you thru just about anything - eating dinner, folding laundry, etc.
• I could bounce a bouncy seat while doing just about anything - blow drying my hair, wrapping presents - you name it!
• Having two babies actually feels like the work of three because even though your workload is doubled - you're tapping into the same supply of patience and energy. Just because you've run out of both on the first kid doesn't mean you get to refill for the second one (this last lesson actually comes from a fellow twin Daddy).

But on a serious note, the biggest thing I've learned is what a true blessing my twins are to me and to each other. I love that they have each other and I love watching them bond more and more everyday. I'm so proud to be their Mommy and can not imagine life without them!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Eugene and Olivia's first birthday. Happy birthday kids!

On Saturday we had a birthday party for them. After all of the pizza and cake and presents, we had a champagne toast. Tracy thanked our family and friends for all of their support.

"I can't believe we survived their first year," she said.

"Be careful what you say," I told her. "Their birthday is on Tuesday. Everything could fall apart by then."

We really couldn't have done it without the support of all of our friends and family. Thanks everyone!