Happy 2nd Birthday....sniff, sniff

I know that you are suppose to celebrate birthdays; however, I am having trouble getting excited that Ty and Maddie are 2! They are not babies anymore, I count their age in years not months, and they can play for like 3 minutes without me. I think back and have no idea where the last two years have gone. Even though our journey has been bumpy, even scary at times, I want to go back and do it again. The good times have way outnumbered the bad. Just today I found a preemie outfit and couldn't believe that it was once too big for both Maddie and Ty! It is hard for me to believe that Maddie spent weeks in the NICU and Ty months. Today Maddie is amazing. She is walking, running ("Maddie is fast" according to Maddie), and jumping. She can talk in complete sentences and makes observations. Her red, red hair gets all kinds of comments and she loves the attention. Ty has been my fighter since six weeks in the womb when Chris and I were told that I would likely miscarry him. Somehow he has made the best of each bad situation he has been dealt. Ty has been my life teacher, constantly putting things in perspective for me and reminding me of what is important in life. Today he lights up a room with his smile. He buggies on his walker and cruises around the house using furniture and walls. He can sign and even put up to four signs together. We celebrate each milestone he accomplishes like we just won the lottery. I can't remember every detail about the last two years, but I do remember every family member and friend that has helped us raise our twins. I am not sure what I would have done without the support, and hopefully each of you knows how much Chris and I appreciated it. One last note, Chris always jokes that if he knew parenting was going to be this stressful then he wouldn't have signed up! I remember one day in the NICU holding Ty and Maddie and wondering when they would know how much I loved them, and now I am thinking they probably won't understand until they become a parent themselves!