Looking back and trying not to forget this past year....

The twins turn ONE tomorrow!!  I cannot believe it....just one year ago I was a gigantically pregnant and swollen carrying two active babies in my womb, and now they are two beautiful people, walking all over, climbing, and full of personality.  How did that happen so quickly?
Not surprisingly, twins are busy.  Some days are busier than others- the early days consisted of: diapers, feed, diapers, feed, etc. and the more recent days consist of: digging them out of the bathroom or other restricted areas, lifting them off whatever it is they have climbed, diapers, more diapers, and digging random objects out of their mouths, including each others' limbs. Some days are more difficult than others - two teething babies!!! They have 24 teeth between the two of them in just ONE year...poor them, poor us- that was a LOT of teething), but Josh and I are just loving these little guys and we absolutely LOVE every moment of watching them grow up together!
It has been nearly impossible to sit and document everything I would like to as it happens, so I am going to do my best to recall some things that I do not want to forget; the good, the bad, and the ugly...

Big Bad Ben:

Benjamin was tiny at birth, and it took some time for him to gain weight, which for a breastfeeding mom, is very discouraging and heartbreaking.  He seemed to get stressed easily, and at times seemed almost nervous, which never helped his eating nor his very "stiff" posture.  Ben was not they cuddly type, but was still extremely engaging.  It is funny looking back, because many visitors and friends seem to bond with Ben sooner because he was so focused and personable early on.  However, he did not care for Josh too much in the early months, which made things a bit more difficult when Josh would try to help me out.  I really feel that with some patient TLC, Ben is not the least bit nervous or stressed these days!  I humbly admit, in a fit of hormonal rage, I yelled said to Josh, as he was aggressively bouncing a crying Ben (something that would have calmed any of our other children), "You just don't understand Ben!"  Horrible, I know, but now Josh and I laugh about that moment!  Ben clings to his Daddy each evening when Josh gets home, and he hysterically laughs as Josh throws him in the air- and the whole time Josh is saying, "I just don't understand Ben!"
~Ben responds to Sam's crying by immediately going to him and slapping him!  It is  hilarious.
~He has managed to poop two times on the floor and....and once proceeded to eat it.  
~When he was an infant, he used to snort when he cried.
~He has a large ridge/bump on the back of one side of his head (Sam has a similar one, but much smaller), so we had to have a Neuro surgeon take a look at it, and the diagnosis...."you will just have a really great personality."
~Ben used to communicate by growl.  It was adorable.  I miss it very much.
~Ben looks like a bulldog when he crawls.  He has a wide stance for a skinny guy, hands turned in.  And, he used to always have something in his mouth while he crawled around.
~Ben loves to be chased, but his favorite game is to throw a ball (or small toy) himself and chase after it, repeat over and over.  Oh, and our hands could go numb from stacking things for him to knock down, he could do this all day long.  Another favorite of his is the Johnny-Jumper.  He swings himself  by pushing off and tucking up his legs in a hurdling fashion, and he spins himself so dizzy that his eyes literally shake back and forth- it really weirds me out, but the others think it is hilarious.
~Ben has a sweet dimple on his right cheek.
~Ben used to, and rarely still does, talk himself to sleep.  I have tried to record it numerous times, but it just doesn't capture the preciousness.
~Ben said "ma-ma" and "da-da" at 6 months
~He starting signing- "finished" and "more" (for food) at 10 months
~Ben's process of learning to walk is much like a fawn's first few steps (picture Bambi on the ice)....very stiff, wobbly, and hard falls
~He has the sweetest disposition, and Ben smiles and laughs easily.  I think he defines the word JOY!
~1st haircut at 9 months, he had a major comb over
~Ben gets restless when he is tired, and I have had to damn near wrestle the kid at times to get him to settle down enough to sleep (Henry was the same way) which was another factor in individual feedings because him flailing and thrashing around while Sam was trying to eat was, well, difficult.
~He is the only one of our children to play with his feet and put them in his mouth.
~Ben looked like a little old man at birth, but more closely resembled Mini Me....
~Ben sleeps with a full sized pillow and his blankie and has for months
~To sooth him as an infant, I would put our cheeks together and hum or vibrate his cheek with mine- it worked like a charm to calm him and stop crying....it still works although now I do it and he laughs.
~Ben LOVES to drink water and yells when he sees a glass, and continues to yell until you give him a drink

Blazing Sam:

~Sam doesn't venture from his mom and dad's arms much.  Consider yourself privileged if he has ever let you hold him
~Sam loves to push cars around the floor
~Sam is demanding
~He throws tantrums- full on body throwing, arms swinging, kicking, screaming, biting- lots of fun!
~As a young baby, Sam would mimic my humming sounds that I made at him
~When we held Sam as an infant, he balled up on us like a big lump and went to sleep
~Every movement of Sam's is with the utmost force- especially when touching or grabbing
~Sam loves to push things around the house, boxes, stools, chairs, you name it, he pushes it
~Sam drools like a water facet
~It takes Sam a good couple of hours to wake up in the morning or after a nap (and wants to be held), which gives him about 30 minutes of happy alert time before he starts getting tired again(and held)
~Sam likes to climb....and he's really good at it!
~Sam used to latch on somewhat like you picture a shark chomping at fish....Josh used to hand this chomping mouth to me for a feeding, and tell me, "Don't be scared!"
~Sam was the first to walk, can stand on his own from the floor, and seems to prefer walking to crawling most of the time.  When he started walking, his arms were straight up the entire time....he looked like an orangoutang with a big, goofy smile.
~Sam is quick to find the gate to the stairs open and escapes the safe confines of the living room for danger and adventure upstairs.  Thankfully, he's rarely quiet.  So when we can't hear him downstairs, we know, in general, what he's up to.
~Sam has a fantastic belly laugh when tickled.
~Sam began crawling out of the exersaucer a few months ago....one less thing to legally restrain him with!
~Sam loves to cross his arms and point to himself while saying in his low voice "UHH"
~Sam has an extreme fear of large dogs- when he sees them he cries & shakes, it is really sad and I have never seen anything like it
~At birth, Sam had very hairy shoulders!  It has since migrated to his upper back:)
~Sam mysteriously works his way out of his highchair belt and reaches over to steal food from Ben

Twins:

~Both babies had to have revisions to their circumcisions.  So, at the ripe old age of six months, they had surgery under general anesthesia.  They were champs with the whole deal, the anxiety was all mine!  Sam seemed to be pain free immediately after surgery and slept like a baby:) Ben, however, wide awake being carried out by the anesthesiologist, and he was in pain.  Following surgery, they were on a two week restriction from anything that held them by their crotches which included hips, hands, bouncy seats, jumpers, exersaucers, and anything else that might make my life just a bit easier by containing them for a few minutes at a time!  
~Ben and Sam both HATED their car seats for about the first 9 months of their lives.  In fact, Sam screamed the whole way home from the hospital.  Crying babies give me anxiety, and so we went to great lengths to promote love of the car, but we were unsuccessful.  Since our every outing entails at least a 30 minute drive, we just opted to stay home most of the time.
 ~Both boys LOVE the vacuum, always have, and I assume always will.
~I used to tandem nurse the babies.  It was tough at first, and required some assistance, but we all got the hang of it, and it was quite easy.  Then, they realized they had a companion at the trough, and couldn't keep their hands off each other which made feeding time difficult.  They would grab faces, poke eyes and pull hair.  I had to put a barricade of blankets or toys to keep protect them from each other.  That worked for a short time, but because Ben is so distractible, feedings now happened on an individual basis.
~The babies flew on airplanes for two different vacations.  They have been in eight different states (outside the womb)
~Ben and Sam were efficient crawlers at 7 months, and by efficient, I mean fast
~Ben and Sam knew their own names at 7 months.  I didn't do much reading about twins at all, so this surprised me.  I had no idea they would know and answer to their individual names this early!!
~Both babies were treated for reflux

Eating: This deserves it's own category

~Ben ties Henry for worst breast feeder, Sam has always shown a very aggressive love for this type of feeding.
~Both babies are BY FAR our best eaters of solid foods!!  I can't tell you what a blessing it is to have two good eaters!
~Don't be fooled by Ben's thin frame, he LOVES food, and seems to have a very mature pallet.  For example, I gave him some cheese tortellini with a little butter and shredded cheese, the way his brothers prefer it- but Ben refused to eat it, and was screaming at my plate of food.  The only difference was that mine had pesto sauce, so I slathered some pesto on his pasta, then he happily ate all of his dinner.  He has been known to eat spicy foods, all sorts of casseroles, any meat, veggie or fruit- this is nothing short of a miracle in this home.  This alone might just make him my favorite child- hee, hee!

And just incase my "diary" bored you, you can see their growth and progress in pictures....

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

January:

ONE YEAR OLD Ben & SAM!!