4 months and growing!

Our babies are growing so fast; it is hard to believe they are over 4 months old now! It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing them home from the NICU. They both have their own personalities, and they are definitely complete opposites. Eva Marie is stubborn at times because she wants to be held all the time, but when I go to wake her up in the morning; she will give me the biggest smile...and my heart just melts. We think she has a little bit of colic at night, but really for the most part, she is a happy baby! She has rolled over 3 times now. After about 10 minutes, she is frustrated being on her stomach. I think she sometimes forgets that all she has to do in order to get off her stomach is roll over! She plays with toys, and she watches Jerry and I like hawks if we leave the room for a split second...she will scream! She is precious, and we love her so much!

Ella Kate can be stubborn at times too, but for different reasons than Eva Marie. Ella Kate, who I thought was going to be my calm, relaxed baby, is most likely going to be my active one. But like Eva Marie, she gives me that big grin in the morning, and my heart melts. Ella Kate likes to be held, but she would rather be up and doing something! I think if she was able to walk; she would run all over the house. If she is in our laps, she is constantly trying to sit up or move around. She loves to play on the floor; just kicking and talking! She will lay on her blanket and babble for an hour. I love baby talk; it's so adorable. She has not rolled over yet, but she is well on her way. I think she might actually roll from her back to stomach first. She will get on her side, and she can just about roll to her stomach. Ella Kate is precious too, and we love her so much!

Below are some pictures that I have taken over the past 2 weeks. The pictures of them in their lime green chair are pictures I took about a week ago. I took these pictures to put in 2 distressed frames that my sister and mom gave me for Christmas. I can't wait to get them put up in their room!

Eva Marie with her bears!

Ella Kate with her bears!
Ella Kate smiling!

Eva Marie "Blue Eyes" I think she is going to have the most gorgeous blue eyes!

Ella Kate chilling in her bumbo

Eva Marie's First Bubble Bath

Ella Kate's first Bubble Bath

Eva Marie and Ella Kate's First Christmas!

I was going to try and put all of the pictures in chronological order, but there are too many for me to move them around! So, they are going to stay as is....so, just start from the bottom of this post (The DeFatta Christmas Picture), and then scroll up! For some reason, we did not take any pictures of the girls opening presents at Nana and Papa's house (aka, Bethanie's parents)...we just used the video camera there! Oh well! We still have pictures; just not of them opening presents! We also did not take a "Hontzas" Christmas picture because there is no way we would have been able to get 13 kids to sit still for that long! I have a huge family! At the Hontzas Christmas, we had 16 adults and 13 kids!!! It was wild!

Eva Marie and Ella Kate really enjoyed Christmas this year; however, I think they believe it was just like any other day! As Jerry says, it's just like any other day for them..they come in, everyone freaks out over them, and they get presents! I did tell them the reason we celebrate Christmas is because of Jesus' birth. Although they may not understand now, they will one day! It's very important to us that the girls know Jesus and what He did for us! We hope everyone had a wonderful Merry Christmas!

Jerry and I have started sticking our tongue out and making noises to Ella Kate...and she tries to do it too! It's hilarious, but she just ends up spitting on us!

Ella Kate and her Side Kick--Papa

Ella Kate and Cousin Parker! Parker loves holding the babies! Sisters!

Santa brought presents!!

Eva Marie and her stuff that Santa brought her

Ella Kate and her stuff Santa brought her

Eva Marie's First Cabbage Patch Doll from Aunt Julie

Opening clothes!

Ella Kate's First Cabbage Patch Doll from Aunt Julie!

Blocks from Mimi and Pops!

And Finding Nemo!! I think she likes it!

DeFatta Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It always amazes me to see how much the girls have grown. When I go back and look at pictures Jerry and I have taken of the girls, it makes me so happy to see how they have changed from the days they were in the NICU to now. Eva Marie and Ella Kate are our special, little miracles, and we love them so much. Eva Marie has really started smiling more lately, and Ella Kate will just lay on her mat on the floor and coo for hours. Jerry and I feel so blessed to have our precious girls. This is their first Christmas, and we are ready to start some "traditions" with them. Jerry and I have always had the tradition of watching Christmas Vacation and drinking Hot Chocolate on Christmas Eve. We will still have this tradition, but as the years go on, I imagine it will alter somewhat when the girls get older. Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. It's filled with going from house to house to celebrate the holidays, and I truly enjoy it. Even though the malls are crowded and the roads are crazy...I still love to drive around to see the Christmas lights. Christmas is not only a special time for us to celebrate with our families, but most importantly, it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We will always remind our girls of the reason we celebrate Christmas! It is very important to Jerry and I for our girls to know Jesus, and what he did for us! Remember the reason for the season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here are a few pictures!

We put the girls back in their monkey outfits from Halloween, and wow how they have grown! They barely even fit into them!!

Eva Marie Smiling!

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!!

I love this picture of our house!

It always amazes me how Eva Marie can go from this...

to this in a matter of minutes!

More of Eva Marie Smiling!

Ella Kate likes to stick her tongue out

Ella Kate has a tendency to scratch her face! See the marks!

More Pictures!

A cute family picture!

Eva Marie on her mat with Hunter. Hunter really loves the babies, but you can tell Eva Marie is not so sure about him!

Ella Kate had a few episodes a couple of weeks ago where she was getting sick after her bottle for no reason! The doctor said she could have developed a little acid reflux from her nose being stopped up. These pictures were taken right after one of her episodes, and she thought it was so funny!!!

This is the picture that is going in the next issue of the Southern Miss Alumni Association Talon Magazine! Future Golden Eagles!!

A few pictures from Thanksgiving at the Hontzas home! It was the first time Parker was able to see the twins, and he LOVED them! He wanted to hold them all the time!

Parker and Eva Marie

Parker loved holding the babies! I didn't get a picture of him with Ella Kate though!

Aunt Meme and Eva Marie

Aunt Meme and Ella Kate

Jerry and I have so much to be thankful for this year!! We welcomed our two precious girls into the world, and we could not be happier! I am thankful for my wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally. God could have not blessed me with a better man. He is such a Godly husband, and I thank God every day for him. I am also thankful for our wonderful families who love us so much, our health, jobs, our home, friends, and I could go on for days and days! We have so much to be thankful for; we never need to take anything for granted!

Here are a few photos from the DeFatta Thanksgiving Lunch!

Jason and Marcus...they look like they are up to something!

Aunt Donna and Uncle Gary....they look like naturals!

I absolutely love this picture of Jenny and Ella Kate. It is so sweet! Jenny is going to be a fabulous mother!

I thought this picture was so cute...Julie and I both had on black shirts, and conveniently, both girls had on black and white polka dot dresses!

Generations

Grandmother (Skeet's mother), Jerry's dad (Skeet), Jerry Jr., Eva Marie and Ella Kate

Papaw (Peggy's Father), Jerry's mom (Peggy), Jerry, and Eva Marie and Ella Kate