oh my sweet girls. the ones who made me mama, on mother’s day, none the less…i can’t believe you’re 3 whole years today! it seems like just yesterday we were watching your teeny bodies through the plastic of your isolettes…in separate rooms because of how fragile you were and the care you needed. i was terrified and unsure that i was fit to be your mama, but here we are, 3 years later and i’ve never felt so sure that God made you so perfectly for your daddy + i.

you’ve grown into these two beautiful, smart, strong + unique little girls…so full of life and discovering the world… your daddy + i, well we just couldn’t be more proud of you both.

lila {bean} marie

girlfriend.. goodness gracious how much you have changed in the last year.
you are the silliest little girl i ever did meet and your love for life is simply contagious. you have the sweetest soul and are the hardest worker i’ve seen. you have an elaborate plan for everything you do and only aim to please. you’re heart is gold but your filled with just enough orneriness to keep me on my toes. you’re some sort of magic, girly.

you hate clothes and ask on a daily basis to be nakey because it’s ‘mo fun’.
you’re all sortsa crazy. a little bit wild thrown in with a touch of drama.

i can hear you walking from a different room, pounding the floor with each step. that contagious giggle. those big ol’ tears when your feelings get hurt. you’re my worrier, my artist and my goofball. you love to paint, color and do anything that makes a big mess. you’re the biggest helper and want to be under my feet while cooking, folding laundry or doing anything that you can assist with.

you love to get muddy, to play in the creek and ‘fix’ anything and everything with your hammer…all the while wanting to wear mama’s lip gloss, princess dress and twirl with your lamb-y in song.

you’re so fiercely independent and everything is ‘no my do it’ and i’m beyond impressed with how well you can go to the bathroom, get dressed including socks + shoes, get your own water, breakfast and clean up on your own.
your bailey and your bobo are your buddies and you ask about them literally every time we leave the house.
you’ve become so shy in the last couple of months, wanting to hold my hand and needing reassurance in any new situation. you see the world in a different light and i know it’s going to lead to great things.

lila bean, you’re incredible and there are so many things i wish i could bottle up and savor forever. your sense of humor that you don’t even know is so funny, the way you call your sis ‘pepper’ and ‘pep’, the way you need to process your feelings with sheepy and are the most logical now 3 year old i’ve ever met. you’re my buddy and you simply make my days brighter.
i always hope you know just how special you really are. you march to the beat of your own drum and your individuality is really something special. i love you, sweet girl. you’re going to do something big in this world and i just can’t wait to see where you go.

we love you, lila bean.

piper lynn

oh my little ducky. 3 going on 13 and you are growing up too quickly. it’s been a big year for you and in a lot of ways, you’ve had to grow up a little more than i would have liked. this year has brought a lot of pokes and prods and through it all, you’ve handled it better than i would expect any 2 year old to handle it. through it all, you’ve learned to trust god and to be ‘bwave’ and that resilience is going to take you to very far places sweet girl.

if i could wrap everything you are…goodness girl. you’re gorgeous. and smart. sassy. stubborn. oh, so stubborn. emotional. loving. caring. radiant. difficult. bossy. determined. hard-working.
you wear your heart on your sleeve and i’ve never seen a 3 year old take care of her babies and animals like you do. sometimes i think you’re a better mommy than i am.

you love puzzles and surprises. treasure hunts and hiking. you’re the best care taker and always want to make everyone feel better. you’re the first one to rush to mills when he’s crying and will do just about anything to make him laugh. the bond you have with him is incredible and i hear ‘wila, you’re my best friend’ on repeat every day.

3 looks good on you girly and as i sit and watch you take it all in, i just want time to stop. i hope your innocence never goes away and this sass will lead you to great things… you’re so determined and watching you sleep, you’d never know the struggles you’ve overcome.
you’re something special, ducky. i can’t wait to see what 3 years old brings you…all the beautiful things you will accomplish. i can’t wait to watch you grow in preschool and all the discoveries you will make.

piper lynn, your daddy and i are SO proud of you. everything you’ve done and all you will do. we love you with all our hearts baby.

3 years ago today, it was mother’s day. we had a beautiful brunch in the hospital while i was on bedrest, praying you’d stay safely inside my belly for another 3 weeks. i knew it was the day though. in hind sight, i knew you were coming and i just couldn’t stop it.
i was scared.
even before you were born you were teaching me lessons and making me a better person. i trust Him more because of you.
at 9:29 and 9:31 you entered this world too early in an emergency. i continue to thank God for your doctors and my medical team on a daily basis. they saved your lives and i will forever be grateful to them.
you made me mama. you made this world brighter and helped me to see more beauty. you’ve taught me a different kind of love. patience. grace. and laughter.
i don’t remember life without you. you’ve made your daddy + i SO proud. so, so proud.

i hope you always know love. i hope you always choose kindness. and you remember that you’re blessed with the most beautiful gift of friendship in each other.

this mama gig is the best job and i feel SO blessed to have had the last 3 years to watch you grow first hand. i wouldn’t have traded these years for anything. i love you more than words could ever describe.

happy 3rd birthday, my sweet girls. i hope it’s everything you’ve dreamed of and more.

i can’t thank ivory lamb photography for capturing these magical mermaid pictures of our sweet girls. for always taking my ideas and running with them and creating magic and beauty.

mermaid suits

starfish clips