Happy 6 months!!

Happy six months to two of the most happy, smiley, lovable, strong, talkative... little girls in my life!

Watching these two girls grow in this world from 31 weeks gestation has been an unfathomable blessing.  We live and breathe for these girls.   These last six month have been hard...VERY hard (actually the last 8.5 months)...and the word exhaustion doesn't even touch how tired we are... but... when we see those smiles and hear those uncontrollable belly laughs, exhaustion is the last thing on our minds.

Last night, we just finished their last bottles of the night at 10:30.  Typically they go right to sleep in their cribs... but Johnalyn decided it was a perfect time to cry for 'no reason'... and Danika decided it was time to play.  Donny and I were (are) exhausted.  We each took a baby... (I snatch up the non-screaming one)... what happens?  We both get HUGE smiles out of them for no reason.  That is the biggest reward a parent can get.  In the midst of all of the parenting criticism, questioning, and self-doubt we, as parents, experience... the only approval we really need comes from these two delicate souls.  

I ended up taking Dani into our bedroom and laid her on our bed, and she laughed uncontrollably for probably two minutes as she keeps grabbing my nose.  Hearing my babies laugh is the BEST sound in the whole world.  We prayed for these little miracles, and looking back eight months ago, I'm more emotional now than I was in that moment. I keep thinking of the day laying in that hospital bed at 23 weeks pregnant on December 21st after an hour and a half ambulance ride, prepped for delivery, and being asked the question "Should we resuscitate once they're delivered?"   And now I look at these faces who look at me and smile...
Life is SO precious.  SO, SO precious. I need to sit back sometimes in the midst of all of the stress, busyness, and anxieties of raising these two miracles and remind myself how simple and damn near perfect our life has actually gotten.  We smile and laugh at these beautiful faces and we get two gorgeous giggling babies in return ... that makes our hearts complete... how profound and yet so simple is that??

They're six month appointment is next week, so I'll have fresh stats next week!  Until then....