Good Bye 2010...

Every year we go downtown Akron and watch fireworks. We love fireworks. In fact, it will be a travesty if the girls don't like them. Anyway, this year we didn't go. We didn't think it was a good idea to drag the girls out. Turns out it was quite warm and we could have, but none the less. While all of the others were celebrating the new year, I was crying and wishing the new year wouldn't come. I felt like I was abandoning Charlie. He will always be in 2010. He will always be frozen in time. I sat holding my girls at the stroke of midnight Eastern time sobbing. I couldn't help myself. When I saw the clock turn 12:00 I lost control. There was nothing I could do. I sat holding my girls, rocking my girls. Knowing I would never get to rock Charlie again. We stayed awake until it was midnight Charlie's time. By then the girls were zonked out. Derek and I sat on our front steps and toasted Charlie with champagne. Derek held me while I wept. He allowed me to cry as hard as I needed.

The first day of 2011 we spent as a family. We stayed in our jammies and watched movies. Then went to have pork sandwiches with the Carmicheal family.

3 months old...

Holy moley time flies. The girls are just over 3 months old. They are raising their heads, smiling like crazy, and even doing some "talking". Emma is much more chatty, but Katie is getting there. We've started putting them in the bumbo chairs and making sure they get some tummy time in. Their hair is all growing back and getting thicker. I'm still rooting for that dark hair. Emma's eyes are crazy bright blue and Katie's look like they are going to be brown like mine. People say they are looking more and more alike. I still just see two very different little girls.

Emma
Katie

Emma

Katie

My princesses

We have been video conferencing with my mom every other day or so. She enjoys it. I kinda enjoy it too. The girls don't so much care yet.

Here are pictures from their 3 month photo shoot.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve dinner was at our house. I made brisket, twice baked potatoes, and broccoli. I must say, it was pretty tastey.

The girls made quite the haul for Christmas. The amount of stuff that was under the tree for two 3 month old babies is quite astonishing. They slept through most of it though. The "opened" their presents from both their grandparents while they were here. On Christmas day they opened their presents from Santa, great grandma Haake, aunt Cassie and uncle Scott, great aunt/uncle Deb and Bob, and our friend Kristy. They got lots of clothes from the grandparents, some bonds (mommy and daddy's request...all about saving for college), toys from santa, and handmade metal keepsakes from Kristy.

You will notice all of their Christmas outfits. I tried very hard to make sure they wore each one atleast twice. I always feel bad when they only get to wear an outfit once.

New Years was pretty uneventful. We stayed home most of the day and just hung out as a family. We did go to dinner with Uncle Ryan before he went out to party. At midnight we toasted the new year (while mommy held the girls and sobbed). We stayed up until 1 am our time because that was when Charlie rang in the New Year. Again, I sobbed. In some ways that was harder than Christmas. I guess I just wasn't ready to push out 2010. Charlie is in 2010. He doesn't get to come with us (physically) into 2011. I feel like I am leaving him behind. I don't want him to think I am forgetting him.

Our Family at Christmas Eve--if you look between us you can see Charlie's sock monkey and his angel picture. We made sure he was in the picture too.
Christmas morning

The Thursday before Christmas

New Christmas jammies

Our first Christmas party