Admiring the decorations when they came downstairs:
In the morning, we started off the day opening presents...
This stroller was a 'hot item' between these two:
Tyce bi-passed the presents and headed straight to point out the balloons :)
Tyce and Shay having fun with the doll house:
These two kiddos have no choice but to share all their toys with one another...the bright side, they get twice the number of toys...the down side, they rarely get to enjoy a toy all to themselves.
We all went to the zoo after nap time:
Black bears:
Giving the leopard a kiss:
Checking out the tigers:
Train ride!
Our little monkeys taking notes from the experienced monkeys:
The new dinosaurs:
Elephants:
The new baby elephant:
Admiring the giraffes:
After the zoo, the kids really wanted to go for a 'horsey' (carousel) ride. I had taken them shopping at Janzen Beach a few days before their birthday and they spotted the carousel from way across the parking lot. They were begging me to go on a horsey ride but I didn't think I could take them by myself so I promised them we could go on their birthday. I was a little surprised when they reminded me of this promise every day leading up to their birthday, including several times throughout the day on their birthday :)
After feeding the kids dinner, Grandma Kathy, Papa, Uncle Nick, Aunt Rachael and cousin Gracie all came over to sing 'Happy Birthday' to the kids and enjoy some very yummy (and all organic :) pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting that Grandma Kathy made. This was Tyce and Shay's first taste of real cake (last year their cake was a banana applesauce cake, with no sugar). They still haven't had ice cream yet.
Singing 'Happy Birthday' to Shaylie:
Shay wasn't interested in blowing out her candles, so I gave her a little help:
Singing 'Happy Birthday' to Tycen:
Tyce blew out his candles all by himself:
It was pretty entertaining watching these two with their cupcakes. They weren't quite sure what they were supposed to do with them. After holding on to them for a long time, they started gently licking them like little kittens. They never did really dive in to them, much to our surprise. I guess it's a good thing they don't have a strong sweet tooth yet (like their mommy and daddy do).
After cupcakes, Tyce and Shay got to open more presents from Papa and Grandma Kathy before getting a bubble bath and going to bed. We had such a fun day filled with great memories, including those age-appropriate ones, too :) Tyce and Shay reminded Scott and I that it was their second birthday throughout the day with short-lived tantrums and over-reactions, situations we have to step back and somewhat laugh about as we enter into a new phase with our two, 2 year-old toddlers.
I find it hard to list the new discoveries Tyce and Shay have mastered in the past month. It seems they are discovering new things daily, almost too many to keep track of. I'm always so amazed how fast they are growing and changing. As I mentioned above, they are definitely entering into a new phase of discovering their own identities while also learning to deal with all the emotions that come along with that. I am so proud of them and also feel for them at times, as it can't be easy to get so frustrated over not being able to put your own shoe on correctly. I just pray we can be the best parents to them, helping to guide and support them as they attempt, fail and succeed at new challenges that come their way.
At two years of age, Tyce and Shay have never watched television...something Scott and I are very proud of. I'm not sure when we'll allow them to watch TV, but for now we are happy that they can be entertained by the simplest of things as they explore their surroundings. We also try to limit the number of toys they have (or have access to), something that I have found to be very challenging and an on-going process/effort. But again, we believe this will give our kids a better opportunity to grow and develop (I do a lot of reading and research on child development :). I think the phrase, 'less is more' says it best.
As we approached Tyce and Shay's birthday this year, I found myself doing a lot of reflection on where we were two years ago. It is amazing to think about how far our kids have come and what they've overcome after being born just over 12 weeks early. I have always believed and still do believe that everything happens for a reason. Although it all seemed so unfair and heartbreaking at the time, I do believe that God had a reason to send these two angels to us so early. I can't say for certain what that reason is right now, but I do know that God created me just the way I am, including my bicornuate uterus. He also created Tycen and Shaylie and blessed me as their mommy. The doctors were amazed at how I could carry twins so far along having a bicornuate uterus (the vast majority of multiple pregnancies involving this type of uterus ends in late-term miscarriage), but God worked a miracle. No, he worked TWO miracles. So, while I don't know exactly why our kids came so early, I do know we are all stronger because of what we went through--together as a family. I also know that God was faithful in answering our prayers and if it wasn't for His strength and grace, we wouldn't be where we are today. Thank you, God, for giving us this opportunity to celebrate such a special day with our two little prides of joy!
