Ellie & Kate's Birthday Party

Saturday October 15 was Kate and Ellie's 2nd birthday party.  We had so many great friends and family members come to celebrate with us.  It was a beautiful day and the girls had a blast.  I had fun making some of the decorations for the party.  Todd and I tried to make a '2' out of pictures from the girls' first two years of life.  It is not perfect, but I think you can tell it is a 2 :)  All the kids played in the yard and jumped in the new bounce house.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the party.  A big thank you to Valerie Wall for taking great pictures of the party!

Right before the party.  Ellie was being shy.

Their cute cakes that matched their birthday shirts.

Checking out grandpa's mustache.

Tiny Prints

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Our Silly Kate

I realize this is quite delayed, but here is my post about our energetic, silly, smiley Kate.  Since the day she was born Kate has always been one to make silly faces.  As a baby she was the more laid back twin.  She could be put down awake and soothe herself to sleep, was happy to sit back in a bouncy seat, and was overall a more content baby than Ellie.  Since she turned 2 the tables have turned!  She is a wild woman these days.  She is a pro at pushing people's buttons.  She loves to get Ellie worked up by 'stealing' toys from her and running.  She has no interest in the toy, but loves to be chased and upsetting her sister.  She is a sneaky little monkey.  Kate is always peering over her shoulder with a smirk as she does something mischievous.  Although she is a bit of a stinker, she is also incredibly sweet and loveable.  Kate gives the most kisses and loves to be held and snuggled.  I can count on her to make me laugh each and every day!

Likes
-jumping.  When she was a baby she loved the jumperoo and she still loves jumping and bouncing around the house today, especially in our new bounce house.)
-blankies
-being chased (she loves to share snacks with the dogs and then gets them to chase her around for the rest)
-bath time
-bugs
-sweets (cookies and ice cream)
-playing with her babies
-saying no to everything
-dancing whenever she hears music
-making messes and getting dirty
-climbing
-being outside
-grilled cheese and peanut butter sandwiches

Things she is not a fan of:
-having her hair washed or teeth brushed
-most veggies except for peas and beans
-when Jack touches her toys
-riding in her carseat or stroller
-

Kate didn't talk quite as much as Ellie until recently.  Her vocabulary has really taken off and she is talking and singing so much more now. (And we can tell what she is saying now :) )
Here are some of her cute phrases:
-"my turn next" she says this anytime she sees me doing something, cooking, putting make-up on, etc
-lips (mommy's chapstick or lipgloss)
-bite or 'seep' anytime anyone is eating or drinking in front of her
-'mo more' -meaning one more, she has to have two of anything you give her
-"hold you" when she wants mommy to pick her up
-sings head, shoulders, knees and toes
-sings the ABCs

Less than an hour old.  First time in Mommy's arms.

Kate is our little dare devil.  She is funny, smart, and very active.  She makes the silliest faces, gives the best kisses, and is our little 'cheerio'.  (that is the nick name Todd gave her in the hospital when she was born and it has stuck!)  We love you so much Kate, Happy 2nd birthday baby girl!!

Our Sweet Ellie

I am still having a hard time believing that my girls are 2!  I thought I would write a little about each of them individually, starting with my first born, Elizabeth Jane. 
Likes/Loves:
-Peppa Pig.  This is a British cartoon about a Family of pigs.  I am not sure why she loves it so much, but it is a welcomed change after Yo Gabba Gabba for so long.  These pigs are a very polite and loving family.  Plus it is pretty funny to hear Ellie occasionally say things with a British accent! :)
-beans.  One of her favorite foods is beans.  Pinto and black beans are what she likes best.  She actually likes them more than dessert!
-being girly.  Ellie loves feeling pretty.  She loves new clothes, shiny shoes, bows, necklaces, bracelets, especially mommy's purse and lip gloss.
-being a little mommy.  She loves her baby dolls and doing things just like mommy.  She is a great helper and wants to help me unload the dish washer and put clothes in the drier.

Things that are Not her favorite:
-being pestered by Kate
-when the dogs steal her snacks
-all veggies except for peas and beans
-peanut butter sandwiches

When we went for Ellie and Kate's 2 year old check-up our pediatrician was impressed with Ellie's verbal skills and said she was closer to the articulation of a 3 year old.  She does a really good job of listening to me and speaks in little sentences all the time.  Here are a few of the cute things she is saying:

-Watch the Peppa pig show please.  (I hear this one all the time, she brings me the remote when she asks.)
-Mommy/Daddy, where are you? (when one of us goes upstairs)
-Kate is "Tate" and cat is "titty tat"
-ready, steady, go! (this was learned from peppa)
-mmmm, licious (when she thinks something is delicious)
-she can count to 10 but skips 5
-she sings her version of the ABCs

And here are a few pictures from the day my sweet baby girls were born.

The first time in mommy's arms.

Snuggled up with Kate at 1 day old.

Dressed to leave the hospital.  Swimming in the newborn size clothes.



And here are just a few of my favorites from the past 2 years.

All dressed up for her first birthday party.

delicious oreo

chewing a straw like daddy

Just up from a nap

tasty toes

sleeping beauty

my serious girl

carrying her 'baby' in the sling

2 years old

 Ellie is usually very shy and serious.  She takes some time to warm up to new people and places.  She loves to sit on Mommy or Daddy's lap and snuggle or read books.  Ellie is sweet and gentle most of the time, but can still throw a mean temper tantrum.  We love her so much and smile everyday at something she says or does.  Happy second birthday Ellie!

Our Two, Two Year Olds

Ellie and Kate turned 2 today!  I just wanted to do a quick post today and I will add more soon.  Yesterday the girls went for their Two-Year well visit at the doctor. 
Here are their Stats:

Ellie
35in  tall (80%)
28lb  (75%)

Kate
34.5in tall (70%)
26lb (55%)

Our pediatrician told us about an interesting wive's tale.  She said that if you double your child's height at the age of 2 you get their projected adult height.  That would make Ellie 5'10" and Kate 5'9".  It is just a wive's tale, but I thought it was interesting.  We will just have to wait and see :)

So that was yesterday and today we decided to take the family to the grapevine aquarium.  This was our first outing where we decided to go without a stroller.  It was a little crazy, but luckily it was not crowded and I think Kate and Ellie had fun.  They ask that you not use your flash because the fish don't like it so I didn't get many photos, but here are a few.

On our way to Grapevine, don't they look thrilled?

This is the face I get when I ask Kate to smile.

Neither one of them was quite sure about walking 'on the fish', it seemed safer to crawl??

After lunch, a woredrobe change and a pretty long nap, we opened birthday cards from Grammie & Grandpa, Grandma & Grandpa, and the great-grandparents.

They were happy to find some surprise stickers in their cards! :)

So that is it for today.  I will most likely be adding a few more birthday posts after their party when I get some more free time.