The Twins 12 Month Checkup!

We took Anna & Maggie for their checkup today (after a bit of rescheduling). Things went well, except for the fact that when we arrived for our 1:30 appoinment at 1:15 (we like to get there early in case they're running ahead), the doors were CLOSED!!! The people were still at lunch! We were more than a little irked by it, but we didn't have to wait any longer than five minutes, so it wasn't that big of a deal. We signed in and only sat in the waiting room for a few minutes, too. This was the fastest moving appointment we've ever had. We usually have their appointments in the morning, but having this one in the afternoon was a lot better. We didn't have to get up early and rush to get breakfast or get dressed. And, we were the first patients to be seen since we were the first appointment after lunch! I think we've found a new time to go to the doctor!

First up--the weigh in and measuring:
Anna Banana--27 inches long, 18 pounds 10 ounces (that's my little eater), and a 19 inch head circumference!
Maggie Wags--27 1/2 inches long, 17 pounds 6 ounces (she's a little more picky about her food), and an 18 inch head circumference!

The doctor was really pleased with them. She asked if they were off the bottle yet, to which we replied, "YES"! They're not too crazy about the cup, but they're doing pretty well with them. And...they had to have their year immmunizations--yuck! They just cried and cried when they got their shots; I absolutely don't blame them one bit!! They got stuck three times in their little fat legs. And, our doctor likes to do blood work at 12 months, so they each had to have their finger pricked. They had calmed down from the leg shots, then they got made mad again with the finger prick! They did really well, though; they are my little troopers!!! I'm just glad that they're healthy and growing well. I can't believe that a year has gone by already! Where does the time go?

THE B-I-G 31!

Warren hit the big 3-1 yesterday! I tried to post this last night, but for some reason, it didn't get on the site. So, I'm trying again! (This picture is kinda rough, especially Reese--her attire and her nasty face! But, this is the most recent picture I have of Warren and his girls and I wanted this one on the post about his birthday!)

We had a great day yesterday; I hope Warren feels the same way. We were busy, busy, busy!!! Our day (or my day) started at 8:30. I was hoping that Reese would sleep a little longer, but she woke up and found me in the laundry room, wrapping Warren's present (a new green polo). After the present wrapping, I had a big helper in the kitchen while making breakfast. It took some doing (we don't usually have big breakfasts around here--it's usually either cereal or a pop tart). We managed to fix panacakes, scrambled eggs, and hash browns. Once breakfast was ready, we surprised Warren with breakfast in bed and a very excited "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" Reese was so excited about waking her daddy up for his birthday breakfast.

Once breakfast was over, we all got ready to run some errands in town. I was having some digital pictures developed, so we went to pick them up, then we went to WalMart (our second home) to get some things for the girls to take to the beach--YIPEEE!!! Then, we had lunch at Wendy's!! We love the chicken nugget kids meals!!!

When we got back home, we all took much needed naps!!! Later that night, we went out to supper, on his birthday! What a sweetie!!! We went to a local chinese restaurant. It was a real experience. We put the babies in highchairs for the first time. We usually leave them in their car seats, but they're about to outgrow them! Reese was so excited about something; she kept going to other peoples' tables, seeing what they were eating and just talking to them. This one man asked her her name and how old she was, and he even told her how old he was! Too sweet! He even commented how Reese "didn't like to talk much." Understatement of the year!!!! And....Anna managed to tip over my bowl of wonton soup! It was hot and hurt her hand for just a second--she was A-OK once we pulled out the graham crackers!!!! :) The soup landed all in my lap on my pants, so I looked pretty shabby on our way out of the restaurant! But, all in all, we had a great time!! I just hope Warren did.

We came home from suppper and had birthday cake that Reese and I had made for him the night before. I have a picture, but that'll be posted later--maybe! It didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. More to come!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WARREN! ALL YOUR GIRLS LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!!!

Family Reunion Pics

Warren's family, the Mannings, had their family reunion yesterday in Cleveland, MS--near the campus of Delta State University (our alma mater!). I loved going back to Cleveland and seeing campus. Some big changes have been made there since I graduated in '99. I almost got a little teary driving around--I know, I'm a big geek.

Anyway, there was a nice gathering of folks at the reunion. Not that I can remember anyone's names or where they're from, but it was nice to just visit with family. Warren's folks were there, of course, and Reese, Anna & Maggie really enjoy being around them, too, so basically is was a win-win situation with our going.

I love this second picture--I think the man's name is Mike Manning, but I'm not sure. And I surely have no idea how we are related to him. But anyway, I just love how Anna is reaching out to touch his moustache and figure out what it's all about! Too cute!!

We had a really nice time, and all the girls handled the long one day road trip very well. It takes three hours to get from here to Cleveland. Everyone did so well! I'm so proud!!!

Of course, I have more pictrures from the reunion, but those might have to wait. Hopefully I can get them on the site sometime today. We need to go to town and look for Warren something for his birthday--it's tomorrow! 

BIRTHDAY WISHES....

going out today to Reese, Anna & Maggie's DamDam! (Warren's mom) We were able to see her and BopBop yesterday at the Manning family reunion in Cleveland (more on that later). This picture of DamDam & Maggie was taken yesterday at the reunion; neither Anna nor Reese made it in the shot. I think Anna was either with her daddy or her BopBop, and Reese was playing with some of the other kiddies there. So anyway, we hope your birthday is great, DamDam, and we can't wait to all be together again in a few weeks at the beach!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! 

New Birthday Outfit #2

Here are my stylin' sweeties in another new outfit they got for their birthday from my mom, stepdad and grandmom! I say again--too cute!! :)


 

Just A Little Note...

to tell you all of the latest in "Manning Land." :)

**Reese continues to grow in leaps and bounds. I never really think about it or notice it too much since I'm with her everyday, but whenever someone else mentions something about how she's grown, it hits me like a ton of bricks. We went to see Warren a work a few days ago, and a girl who works with him, Ashli, who cheered with me on our high school cheerleading squad, metnioned something about how she thought Reese had grown. Warren had taken Reese by work a couple of weeks ago, and Ashli said that it looked like Reese had done some growing in the last week. It is entirely possible--anything is with that girl! :) She is a doll!

**Maggie is going to be running really soon! She is doing so great at standing up from a sitting position. I can look at her one minute and she'll be sitting down--then the next second, I'll look over at her and she's standing up! And...when she does stand, she starts walking, and with every stand, she takes more and more steps. She becomes more and more confident everytime! She is in the process of cutting what I call the big, back bottom teeth. (I apologize to any dentists out there--I know that those teeth have "real names," but when they hurt my baby, they're just big and ugly!) These teeth are really giving her a run for her money, and making her really fussy, which ends up making her daddy and me fussy, too. But hey, we all have bad days, right? She has had some low grade fever the last day, and I know it's those nasty ol' teeth. I hope she cuts them soon! Reese never really had much problem when cutting her teeth--or if she did, she didn't show any signs of it!

**Anna Banana is not gonna be running anywhere anytime soon! She is such a laid back little soul--she just takes things as they come. Good thing, since Reese & Maggie seem to be VERY much alike in many ways. We think that the good ol' Anna Bean is going to be our calm in the storm!! Anna is doing very well at standing by herself, though. She has managed to take a few steps, but nothing like Mags. I will say though that this little gal knows what to do when food is placed in front of her! It's so funny that she was the smaller of the two when they were born, but at EVERY doctor visit since then, she's has always been heavier than her sister! :) That's my girl!!!! Be prepared for beach shots on the blog in a few weeks!!!! :)

**And, I'm getting very excited about two upcoming events for us:
One, we're heading to Orange Beach with Warren's parents, his sister & her family, and hopefully his little brother in a couple of weeks. Reese is so excited about going, too. We weren't able to go last year since we were awaiting Anna & Maggie's arrival. We have even started X'ing off days on the calendar to show Reese just exactly when we'll be going. It's so wonderful to such pure excitement on her face! Brings joy to my heart. At last count, I think it's like 15 days until we are having some fun in the sun! Just not sure I'm ready to get out on the beach in a swimsuit in front of people, but hey, the only people I know will be family anyway. I'll never see those folks on the beach again, right?

And two--CAMPMEETING is coming up!!!! My grandparents' church, Tabernacle United Methodist Church, in Ethelsville, AL, has been holding campmeeting for like 177 years (or maybe 178)! This place is my absolute favorite place to be, aside from our home. It is basically a church revival; there are three church services a day, and it really is like a family reunion for us. My grandfather (who would be 92 years old this August), it was his family that "started" our going to campmeeting. When my gran passed away seven years ago, I think he had only missed one campmeeting, and I think that that was due to his being in the service. We go to the campground for an entire week. We "move" into wood cabins--we have running water, electricity, but no phones (except for cell phones), no TV (now that we're older--when we were little we'd bring one, but not anymore), and no computer--AND no air conditioning! (That's the only big drawback to the experience). Some tents do have window air units, but my gran was a campmeeting "naturalist," so we don't have one in our cabin! There are sawdust floors, which is really fun to walk on--depending on who you talk to. I wish I had a picture on this computer, but I don't. But rest assured, once this year's event is over, check the blog! And the family reunion part, well let's just say my gran had a big one! He was one of eight--eight children! He had an older brother, two younger sisters, a younger brother, two younger half-sisters, and a younger half-brother! WOW!!!! He LOVED children; he would tell stories about how he would take his half-brother on trips with him and having to change his diapers. I don't think there has ever been person who loved babies more!

Well, this has been more than a little note, so I'll sign off for now! More to come.....

Some Fun Pics with PawPaw

Since we weren't able to see PawPaw on Father's Day, we made a trip into town Monday afternoon to visit him at work! Anna & Maggie had fallen asleep, so I wasn't able to get a shot of my dad with his grand-girls. Maybe next time.

Check out Reese's pig tails. She always asks me to put a pony tail in her hair, but she never leaves it in for longer than 5 minutes. But, when Erin was visiting us last week, she took it upon herself to put Reese's hair in pig tails....and she managed to leave them for a while. Guess she liked it better having her cousin do her hair! :)
Notice the pig tail on the left in this second picture. See the small, short piece of hair that is sticking out from the rest? Well, one day last week, Reese decided to become her own hair stylist. I had trimmed her bangs earlier that morning, and my dumb self left the scissors on our high counter, thinking that she knows she's not supposed to reach for anything without help AND that she's not to climb in the barstools without permission. **I know, I know--she's three; did I really think she'd leave things alone. I stepped outside just for a minute, and when I came back inside, there was Reese sitting at the bar with the BIGGEST smile on her face. She told me that she had cut her hair. I couldn't get mad at her; she was so proud of herself.
She managed to cut a large strip about 2 1/2-3 inches long off of that side of her head! I thought that most of it was still stuck to the scissors--until I brushed my fingers through her hair. There was more that had managed to get tangled in the rest! :) In a panic, I called my mom and told her (she laughed), but when I told her how much and that if I took her to someone to have it evened out that it would end up touching the tops of her ears!! This will definitely teach me a lesson! :) 

Stylin' in Their New Clothes

Maggie and Anna modeling one of the many new outfits they got for their birthday. These outfits came from my grandmother, mom and step-dad! Thanks so much y'all! We love the clothes and all of you, too! ;) Aren't they just two cutie pies?!!!

**using the fridge as a backdrop probably wasn't the best of ideas--didn't think about the flash leaving a reflection**

A Wonderful Birthday!

Saturday's birthday party for the twins was a great success! It was small, just family, but hey, who do they know to invite, right? :) My mom, sister, nieces, sister in law and father in law and mother in law were here for the party, and it was really nice. The babies got CLOTHES--much needed ones. I think they got like 10 outfits in all. All of them are so darling!! I cannot wait to see the girls in all their new outfits. They wore one to church yesrerday, but I didn't get a picture of them--horrors! I'm falling down on my job! :) Anyway, rest assured, when they wear their other outfits, be on the lookout for some new shots! And, for any of our party guests who may read our blog, thank you so very much for the gifts for our special girls, but most of all, thank you for caring about them and loving them the way you do! What a true blessing family really is! :)

Their First Birthday Cake

This is the "big people's" cake. I thought it turned out really well! And....it was DELICIOUS!!!! 

Before Cakes

Two sweet little cakes for two sweet little girls!!

****sidenote--in all of the pictures of the babies, Anna is sitting in the really blue high chair with animals on it and Maggie is in the navy plaid chair**** 

The Cakes Were A Hit!!

I hope that you can see by this collage that their little individual cakes were huge successes! I wanted to post some of the pictures individually, but as you can tell, I took just a few! :) Seemed easier to put them together in a collage. They were SO funny eating their cakes. And when I say they ate their cakes, I mean it. When Reese turned one, she had her own small cake, but there was a lot of hers left over. Not so with the two little girls--they devoured theirs! :) 

Modeling her Dora swimsuit from BranBran, Erin & Lauren! Isn't she too cute!!! :) 

What A Help Big Sister Was

Reese helped the babies open their presents. I think it made her feel a little more involved. She really didn't get that it wasn't her birthday. When we went to pick up the cake Saturday morning, she asked me if it was hers. It broke my heart that she wanted it to be her party so badly. But, I told her that her birthday was coming in January, and that we'd celebrate with a party just for her! And, just so she wouldn't feel too left out, her Daddy and I got her a happy, too--a Dora umbrella. The handle on it is a little "doll" of Dora. Too cute!!!


My grandparents (my mom's folks) always made sure that whenever it was a birthday for me, my brother or sister, that the one who wasn't having the birthday got some present, too. Course, that only lasted while we were little fellas--when we didn't quite get it! Too bad, it was a great thing! :) (just kiddin'--I'm all grown up and know that even when it wasn't my birthday that my mom and dad and grandparents loved me to pieces! :)




And....BranBran (my sister) didn't want Reese to feel left out either, so she and her girls brought her a happy, too. A new Dora swimsuit with matching hula skit! Too funny! 

They're Gonna Be Pros....

...at unwrapping gifts! Christmas is going to be a BLAST this year at our house! Not that it isn't already with Reese running around, but these two are quickly following in her footsteps at becoming real professionals when it comes to opening presents!!!! :)


 

Talkin' on Their Phones

Anna & Maggie got their own phones for their birthday! They looked so cute while "talking" on them. My sister-in-law, Angela, said it looked like they were text messaging already! Music to our ears. ;) Yet another thing for Warren to look forward to about having three daughters!

 

HAPPY LATE FATHER'S DAY!

I just wanted to send out father's day greetings to all the dads out there! Sorry it's late, we had a very busy day yesterday, which was how our entire weekend was! Reese, Anna & Maggie gave their daddy a sweet card and a new polo and a great new tool box. Now, I know some people wouldn't think a tool box would be a great gift, but I thought it was! It's a black and red Black & Decker one. It has these removeable compartments on the top that hold nails, nuts, bolts, etc., so you can just snap those off and take a hammer or whatever to your project's location without having to bring the whole box! This tool box is much bigger than the one he has, so I hope he enjoys using it on all the projects we'll be doing around the house now that we're homeowners! :) Well, I hope all the dads out there had a special day with their famililes. We spent ours together--nothing better than that!!!

PS Would love to have posted a picture of Warren and his girls, but he doesn't like being the subject of photos very much. He should get over that, considering I take pictures almost everyday or at least once a week! ;)

Gettin' Ready...

...to party that is! :) The twins are having their very first birthday party tomorrow. I'm trying to get the house ready for it, but not feeling really swooft today. I finished mowing our backyard yesterday (Warren did the front yard and half of the back). He had to work the last three days, so there wasn't gonna be too much time to do it before the party. Anyway, my grass cutting has wreaked havoc on the sinuses/allergies. YUCK! I have managed to wash a few dished and pick up a little. You can actually see the top of our dining table, but some small toys have managed to find their way back on the living room floor. I am always so embarrassed when people come over because my house is always in a state of disarry. I do feel better when folks tell me that it's because I have an active toddler plus two babies that are on the move who are beginning to discover everything! Once they're all out of the house, I'll be able to keep it clean, right? :)

I'm heading to town in the morning to pick up the babies' cake. I wanted to do a theme, but there wasn't much of a really cute selection for us the other day when we ordered it. So, I just asked the ladies in the bakery (who remembered us from a previous trip) to do something girly--white cake with pink flowers and pink writing. I'm sure that since they do lots of cakes probably everyday that they'll come up with something great. Be on the look out for pictures of it after the party!! I'll also be picking up a couple of gifts for them tomorrow, too. Haven't decided what yet, but I do know they won't be getting anymore stuffed animals. We look like a stuffed version of Noah's Ark around here! I think I've found it easier to buy those types of things for really little girls. Little boys have cars, trucks, tractors, etc, but baby girls are harder for me to buy for. Funny, isn't it, since I have three! :)

I'm so looking forward to tomorrow. Once we have the party, it will really feel like they're a year old. They are just so funny! First birthday parties are always special, but tomorrow's will be a real experience--for all of us--since it's the first one any of us have shared with twins! :) I cannot wait!!! And....our nieces are coming back into town for the party, too. They were here a few days ago, but they're coming back! Reese will be so excited; she LOVES being with her cousins. I have some pictures from their visit--I'll try to share 'em later!

Well, guess that's it! Have a great night! Until tomorrow....

More Year Old Pictures!!!

They are just the sweetest things! I could eat 'em up they're so sweet!

 

She Keeps Me Runnin'....or She Will Be Soon!

Maggie is doing her absolute best to take off running. She still gets a little ahead of herself and almost falls over, but she'll be chasing Reese around the house before I know it. Maybe that'll help me shed some of these post baby pounds I've been hanging on to this last year! :) Anna has started to really stand up for several seconds, so maybe she'll be taking her first steps soon. We call her our "lazy baby." We think she watches Maggie and gets her to do everything first so she'll know if it's okay to try! :) This is a quick video, but we have to catch her when we can. And...my voice is SO loud--sorry about that. I was holding the camera and the microphone ends up being very close to my face!
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My How They've Grown....

The two pictures of the babies in the white shirts were taken July 25, 2005, so I guess that would put them at about 7 weeks and 4 days old. The pictures on the right side of the collage were taken yesterday on their birthday! I just wanted to put them side by side and see how big they've gotten. It's amazing how much they've grown this year. Too cute!

**The two pictures on top are of Anna and the bottom ones are of Mags** 

WE ARE ONE YEAR OLD!!!

Well, today's the day....my sweet twins are a year old--as of 5:40 (Anna) and 5:41 pm (Maggie). I cannot believe that an entire year has gone by. It seems like just yesterday that we were in the total shock zone at having found out we were having two at once! Those nine months went by really fast, too; I think part of that is because I was so busy keeping up with big sister! :) As far as the pregnancy went, things were great--after the first 6 or 8 weeks. Those first weeks, ginger ale and oyster crackers were my best friends. I had no real morning sickness (the kind that keeps you in the bathroom), but I could defintely tell that I was pregnant, and that it was really different than carrying Reese. My doctor even asked me during one visit if I felt more pregnant--of course, there was double the everything!!!!

I was hoping that since we were getting double the babies that we would have one of each. That way, if we did have a boy, then we would DEFINITELY be finished with the baby having! :) But, I would not trade my three girls for anything on this earth. They are the greatest gifts I could ever have asked for.
As Warren and I were putting the babies to bed last night, I remembered that night from a year ago. I got NO SLEEP whatsoever that night. I knew that I was going to be at the hospital early the next morning for my scheduled induction. I think I just really nervous about having to be induced and then possibly having a c-section--but what it all probably boiled down to is that I was scared to death about how to handle two babies at once plus a very active three year old! I was so hopeful that I could deliver "the old fashioned way." Once they hooked me up to all the monitors, I had already begun having contractions, so I thought that odds were going my way. Well, pitocin was started around 8 am; at noon I was four centimeters--at 5 pm, I was STILL four cm. That's when my very sweet doctor said, let's go have a section and have these babies. Turns out that both girls were head down and neither was giving way to the other. Think they were fighting over who was going to be the big sister of the two! :)
Once the decision for the section was made, I kinda lost it. I just cried and cried. I did NOT want to have to go through that recovery--I mean, going through that plus taking care of two babies and a big girl--that's even overwhelming to think about now, too! :) My family was so sweet to me--Warren just held my hand and told me that that was the best way to have the babies and that everything was going to be okay. He was such a rock--as always. And, my mom was wonderful--I just loved having her with me. She always made me feel better when I was sick as a child and she still does! Guess that's one big reason God made mommies! And...my daddy--he doesn't show a lot of emotion usually, but that day, when they were getting me ready to go to the OR, he sat on my bed and told me that all was going to be okay, too, and he told me about how he thought my brother was one of the prettiest babies he'd ever seen. (My brother was delivered via emergency c-section). I don't know if I ever thanked them all then, but I certainly appreciated their love then and now and always!
These babies are just tremendous little beings! I don't know what I would do without them. They are pure joy in my life. Well, I know I have left out a lot of info on that first day of their lives, but speaking of my two little joys, they are fussing and getting sleepy and getting ready to go night-night. So, I think I need to sign off for now, but I do have several more pictures to share, so be on the look out. And.....we're having their birthday party on Saturday, so we'll be sure to have tons more to share!!! :) Good night!

***PS Anna is in the top picture and Maggie's on the bottom*** 

My Grandmother's Coming Home!!!

Great news! My grandmother is scheduled to come home from her temporary stay at a local nursing home this weekend!! She had a fall a few weeks ago and broke four ribs--one in two places--so her doctor admitted her to the hospital to get a little better and to help with the dehydration that she had. But, she had to go to a nursing home for the last few weeks to get her strength built up again before going home. She is still kinda weak and doesn't get around too well, but hey, she's 88 years old--who would get around fast at that age, right? :) Anyway, we're all just tickled that she'll be home. It's depressing to see her in the nursing home; makes me very sad to think of her there, but she'll be home soon. Just wanted to let everyone know how excited I am--now that she'll be home, I'm hoping that she'll feel up to coming to the twins birthday party next weekend!!! More info to come about that! Take care!

Pretty Maggie

For some strange reason, I didn't get as many pictures taken of Maggie today as I did of Anna. Maggie was just on the move way too much; she wasn't in the mood to sit still for a photo shoot. Anyway, here she is modeling her Strasburg dress that she got for Christmas from Brandi and her family. I hate to say it, but I kinda forgot about these darling dresses until the other day when I was straightening the babies closet and putting away clothes. These are too perfect warm weather Sundays! These pictures aren't as clear either; Maggie's dress is pink with the same detail on the front as Anna's (pics below). I LOVE Strasburg clothing, but they are kinda expensive for us. But, when Brandi lived in Dawsonville, GA, there was this GREAT outlet mall not too far from their house, and this mall had a Strasburg outlet. These dresses were on sale, too, but I'm guessing that since one is white and the other pink that they didn't have two alike. But, hey that's okay! It makes it easier for the ladies in the nursery to tell them apart if they're dressed differently. My sweet babies (and big girl, too) are just absolutely PRECIOUS!!!!