My Pride and Joy

I try not to talk too much about the girls on here (ok, who am I kidding?), but there is some adorable cuteness I just have to share.

First, Josie demonstrates her modeling poses. She started doing these poses on her own one day so we gave them a name. She now does them on command. Blue Steel is my favorite.

Next, we've got some video from Maddie's ballet recital in May. My little ballerina was so proud of herself. I love watching her little feet run and jump in double-time.

Sometimes I'm just so overcome with emotion and love for them. Unfortunately, it's usually once I'm away from them for a few minutes. That sounds awful, but I need to be able to stand back and look at them and appreciate them and take all their lovable cuteness in and then return to them to fully appreciate who they are.

For instance, right now they're fast asleep but, after watching these videos, it's all I can do not to sneak into their room right now and cuddle up with them and cover their little chubby cheeks with kisses. You know how movies always show the parents staring at their kids in bed at night? It always seemed a little spooky to me until now. Now I appreciate the beauty that comes when they're asleep and holding onto their baby dolls and breathing sweet little breaths and I close my eyes and smell them and take in their scent -- each one has her own and I'm positive I could identify them with my eyes closed -- and see them as they were when they were babies; only now they have longer arms and legs and slightly less pudgy bellies, but they still sleep breathing through their slightly parted lips, making little pouty motions as they dream. I pull their blankets over them, knowing full well that they'll be kicked off before I even leave the room.