First Duets

The last few days have been rough around here, y'all. No matter how sweet the baby (and of course I happen to think mine are the sweetest EVER!), you're just going to have some rough days. Days when you look at the clock and count down the hours until you'll have help, because they just keep crying and crying. Days when you glance in their mouths while they're wide open (because they're crying, of course) and you see all kinds of painful, puffy gums where all kinds of new teeth are coming in. Days when it takes you two hours to eat breakfast because they just keep finding new reasons to need you urgently. (Of course Chris jokes that it takes me an hour to eat breakfast on a good day, so maybe this isn't saying much! ha!) Days when you sit them down to eat their meal, and Evie keeps making a noise that scares Tamsie, causing her to cry so hard that she's unable to chew and swallow her food properly. Days when the only way you can get them to eat is to read them a book, holding it with one hand while chopping up their chicken nuggets and putting the bites on their trays with the other hand. You get the idea!

That said, today has been WONDERFUL from the very beginning! They have been sweet and cuddly and, most importantly, HAPPY! We've had fun. We've rocked in the rocking chair, all three of us. We've played games upstairs. We've chatted and read and sung until my voice is scratchy. They've eaten well, napped well, played well, and generally gotten along together pretty well -- and when they haven't, they've at least been easy to distract! I woke up praying that this day would be better, and I am happy to report that it definitely has been! :)

Here are some pictures of what we've been up to. I should also note that the reason most of these are at home is that when we're out (like when we were at a Super Bowl party the other night), just keeping up with them and trying to carry on conversations takes all the brain power we have, rendering it pretty close to impossible to take pictures! So that is why the backgrounds in the pictures you see are more or less the same these days. 

T and E's baby dedication is coming up soon at church, so I went searching my computer for pictures of them for the slideshow. I'm supposed to include one newborn picture of each, among others. I wound up bringing the computer upstairs with me while the girls were playing, and I had a moment of overwhelming gratitude at the contrast between this picture of Evangelyn in front of me on the screen...

... and this active, busy little Tamsie in the same room as me....

... and this sweet 15-and-a-half-month-old Evie, giggling and running around in her play yard.

I will never find the words to express my gratitude for their health and healing. They are the loves of my life!!!

They love playing the piano together. By the way, I promise Evie's head is not oddly shaped. (You know there was a time when I was fearful it would be!) I think she must have been moving when this picture was taken or something, because it does look a little wacky here! (The oddness of their outfits, however, is all their daddy's doing.)

This is dark, but if I try to lighten it, it just looks freaky. Here's Tamsie wearing her Dad's FSU hat at dinner the other night....

... while Evie was chomping down on her Sophie teething ring and showing off her stylin' cowlick. 

In the van the other day, waiting on their Dad to make a quick grocery run. Evangelyn was ready to get out of the sun!

And Tamsie was just ready to get home. This was one of the tearfest days I was talking about.

OK, Evie's head is not oddly shaped. She may have a bit of a mullet, but that's acceptable at this age, I think.

Melissa was holding Evie while she was waiting on her turn to get outfitted in pajamas last night. Evie loves cuddling up with her Aunt Mo! 

She also loves this little piano toy that used to be mine.

So does T-Dawg.

T was toting around this bunny and telling me all about it. I tried to get a decent picture, but this was the best I could do. At least this one shows off her pretty blue eyes! :)

Another duet. I'm hoping there will be many more in their future, and that they grow to love music as much as their mama does!