And we have a WALKER!!!

Sweet little Hailey took her first steps today!! It was so fabulous that I almost cried!

First she took two steps, then fell over a bit. Then she stood up and took two more steps. Then a minute later she took three steps! I was cheering and clapping for her, so she knew that what she was doing was good. I saw this "eureka" in her eyes where it all clicked and she realized that she wanted to walk. I loved it! I could just tell she was proud of herself!

Brother Drew has some catching up to do!

Update on July 6th:
I am adding a video we recently took of Hailey walking... you can see her in action!

Sign language

I have been teaching sign language to the kids for a few months now. It is a fantastic way for them to communicate, since they aren't yet talking. There is a lot of great research showing how healthy and good this is for the development of kids and their brains. So, here we are in these videos, (in matching red jammies, no less!) showing off our talents!

Andrew is doing his newest sign, "All done," which is what they say when they are done eating or finished with something. Hailey does the "milk" sign, which is the first one they learned a few months ago. They do that one a lot!

Playing, playing, playing

The kids are in a fun stage where they just love to play. The real treat is when they can play daddy's piano - as Drew is now starting to do any chance he gets! Also, they are now very entertained by the fountain on our back deck - which usually leads to much joy and soaked clothing!

Here are a few videos - Drew playing piano, both playing in the fountain, and Hailey on the swing.

Rock Climbers!

The other morning, I (Dad) was eating breakfast, reading the newspaper, and something caught my eye. Our kids, despite not being able to walk yet, were miraculously climbing the rock fireplace! I grabbed my camera to just capture the moment and to prove to Guinness that we may just have the world's youngest rock climbers! :)

Don't you love Photoshop?

Hailey's homemade pants

I decided to become a knitter a few months ago... and have been making a few creations since then. My most adventurous activity was to make these pants for Hailey, which I finished a while ago. They are just starting to fit her... and they are fun funky bellbottoms! I love 'em!

Doctors, teeth, and swings!

We had our 1-year checkup for the kids this week. Here are the most recent stats:

Hailey: 19 pounds, 6 ounces; 28.5 inches tall
Andrew: 21 pounds, 2 ounces; 30.25 inches tall
They are both in the 'average' range for their size and weight, which is great - all caught up! The doc says they are doing great!

In related news, here is the update on teeth:
Andrew - one lower tooth almost all of the way in; both top front teeth are poking through!
Hailey - has her first tooth on the bottom coming in

Lastly, we have one new favorite activity here: swinging in the bucket swings! The kids LOVE it! Hailey is our little daredevil, and laughs the whole time she is on the swing.

Ready for Husky football!

My good friend Kristen Hunter also has boy-girl twins. Luckily for me, her kids are 3 years older than mine, which means we are the grateful recipients of many great twin hand-me-downs! She gave us bags of goodies last week, including these adorable Husky cheerleading outfits for the kids. They are a tad big now, but will fit perfectly this fall, when Husky football is in full swing. Look for us on the 50-yard line!

Birthday Videos

Here are a few funny videos of the cupcake episode! The first one is the Happy Birthday song, followed by what they did immediately after they were given the cupcakes. Then you can see Hailey chowing down on her yummy dessert. So fun!

THE FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!

We had a fabulous 1st birthday celebration today! We had lots of great friends and family over to enjoy the fun - which included having H and A eat cupcakes! It was a hoot! Little Hailey devoured her cupcake, and subsequently had a fantastic sugar high. No nap for that little girl! Andrew didn't quite eat as much, but certainly enjoyed all of his new toys and clothes.

We are so grateful for all that has happened this last year. Our children have been more of a blessing than we ever could have imagined. We love having twins, and we are so grateful that they are healthy, especially after their early start in life. We are also grateful to all of YOU for your love and support!



"Hey sis, they'd better give us good food after putting these ridiculous hats on us."

"Wow - my fingers have never tasted THIS good!"

"Hey mom, I will wear this goofy hat any ol' time you want to give me pure sugar!"

"This does NOT look like mashed veggies."


"Hmm. Sure wish I had teeth, so I could really eat this thing!"



Congratulations to the FOUR of us for making it through YEAR ONE!