Josie and Margo are 1!

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A few weeks ago I wrote a post that included a letter to Theo on his 3rd Birthday.  I said that I was going to write letters for all of my children on their Birthday’s, and so here we are, 13 days after my twin girls 1st Birthday.

I’m rather proud of myself for only being 13 days late- ha!

This past year has been a WHIRLWIND. My greatest accomplishment to date is keeping 3 children, under the age of 3, ALIVE, and (mostly) HAPPY…but mainly ALIVE… for an entire year!

Also, since I know everyone wants to know, we still don’t know if they are identical or fraternal (updated: we did a DNA test! Read the results here.)

Feel free to send my hubby messages and convince him that we should spend $150 on a DNA test, hah!  Since they had separate sacs and placentas in the womb, there is a higher probability that they are fraternal.

However, they look so much alike!  My guess is that they are identical, mirror image twins.  Identical mirror image twins are identical but have features such as birthmarks and hair whorls on opposite sides of their body.  Josie and Margo have cataracts in opposite eyes, and their teeth have come in at the same time, but… opposite sides.

Theo asks me several times a day “Mommy, is that Margo?  Am I playing with Josephine? Who is that baby?”

A letter to my twin girls,

You, little ladies, have added so much joy and laughter to our lives this past year.  It’s no secret that you two are your brother’s absolute favorite people in the world.

You love to play with him, and all of his toys.  I would never have thought that my 1-year-old baby girls would be obsessed with a Thomas the train table, but it’s where brother spends most of his time, so it’s where you want to be.

I never imagined that my twins would be so similar, and yet so distinctly different.

You master skills within days of each other, and your teeth even come in at the same time (you currently have 6).

You are always within inches of each other and fight over toys constantly.  The first one to wake up will stand up in her crib and jump up and down shouting until the other one wakes up.

Then you will stand or sit there and talk and giggle with each other until we get you up.  It is so sweet.

Related: What Are Mirror Image Twins?

My spunky little Josephine Jelly Bean,

You came out a fighter at a tiny 3 pounds, 9 ounces.

When I was in labor with you 8 weeks prematurely, I thought for sure you would need oxygen for several weeks.

You surprised all of us, and were breathing on your own from the moment you were born!

You are by far my most adventurous and daring child.  Even when you first came home and were the tiniest little preemie, you were curious.  You tried desperately to pick your head up and look around during tummy time.

When I would lie with you on my chest you would just stare into my face, as if trying to memorize it.

You are also a very serious baby.  You don’t like to cuddle; you would prefer to launch yourself out of the arms of whoever is holding you and run wild.

I’m confident that the happiest day of your young life will be the day you learn to walk!  It’s a challenge to get you to smile… not because you aren’t happy, but because you just don’t have time for smiling.

We jokingly call you our little grumpy baby because your face is so serious all the time!

My sweetest little Margo Go Go,

Born at 4 pounds, 6 ounces, you also never needed oxygen.

You were a strong little fighter from the start, like your sister, but not as ferocious of a fighter.  A more passive baby, you are calm, sociable, playful, and sweet!  You are my little mommy’s girl.

If I walk into the room while somebody else is holding you, it’s all over, despite how content you were before I entered the room.

You are my happiest baby, by far, always content to play on your own or cuddle and laugh in someone’s arms.  You love to babble at people that you know and give big, darling smiles.

Singing songs with mommy is one of your favorite activities, and you tolerate your brother’s hugs and kisses for much longer than your sister.  You are a messier eater than your sister, and I will be curious to see if this trait continues!

1st Birthday Photo Shoot

We didn’t have a Birthday Party for our girls for a few reasons.

1. My family growing up never really did Birthday parties.  My mom always said that since we came into the world into our immediate family, that’s how she wanted to celebrate our Birthday’s.

As we got older, we had small parties with a few close friends if it’s what we wanted, but the day of our birth was always reserved for our family.  I’m not saying that’s what I’ll always do, and I’ve had parties for Theo.  Josie and Margo’s birth changed our family dynamic so much, that I didn’t want to share the day with anyone else!

2. I threw a party for Theo two weeks prior, and I did not have it in me to plan another party!  We celebrated the girl’s birthday with balloons, small gifts, and pancakes for dinner.

We had a smash cake photo session for them the weekend after their birthday.  I always get so excited about photo shoots, because who doesn’t love having pictures taken of their kids? (PS. the answer to that is husbands.

Husbands do not like photo sessions AT ALL.)

Anyways.  I plan perfect freaking outfits, and then my kids do not cooperate in the slightest.

One day I will do a post on how to have an awful photo shoot.

It will begin with your toddler taking a head dive into a sidewalk and then dripping blood and crying during the entire session.

It will end with you getting home and realizing that your babies are both cutting teeth and have spiked fevers.

This is what happened during our Christmas photo shoot, so my darling hubby was beyond thrilled when I told him we were doing another one in February.

Luckily, we had an amazing photographer, who managed to capture amazing images, despite my children not smiling and constantly putting their hands in their mouths. Ugh.  I asked her to send me some of the awful pictures as well, because who doesn’t love a good dose of reality?

Details

Our photographer, Laurel, was amazing.  She wasn’t phased at all by the fact that my kids were grumpy and crying.  She had sooo much patience and even let us rinse the babies off in her kitchen sink.

She had the pictures edited and on a CD mailed to me within SIX DAYS.  She has a studio in her home that is gorgeous with perfect lighting.  I can’t wait to book her again, as soon as I recover from the heck my kids put me through during this one.

The tutus and flower crowns were from Ellie Boos Bows.  She was so accommodating and sweet.  I described to her what I wanted, and she created exactly what I had envisioned.

Cakes were from Sweets-n-Treats by Sarah.  I wanted a cake with less sugar than a typical cake, and she suggested a cake that has less frosting.  She helped me choose the perfect design that was simple, chic, and elegant all at the same time.

Grumpy babies!

Her little tooth!

In an attempt to get the babies to smile we were singing the itsy bitsy spider.  Then Theo wouldn’t STOP doing the hand motions.

GAH! THEO! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A WINNER!

I could use this picture for my post “What To Do When Your Kids All Freak Out During a Photo Shoot.”

Aren’t these cakes beautiful?!

I wonder if my husband will have a heart attack if I mention getting spring photos done…

Do you have any spectacularly failed photo shoot moments?  Please tell me about them so I know we aren’t the only ones…