Sidney and Chloe

2008 Brings Changes to the Blogs

2007-12-02T17:44:00.001-06:00

As you all know, I have become a blogaholic of sorts. I love them all, but out of the need to simply my life to some degree, there will be fewer entries into the girls blog next year, as well as some others. I am going to focus on our family and Quinn blogs for next year.

Pictures are updated on our WEBSITE. Stories will be posted on our main blog. I am finishing up phase one of my online book, "no bones about it". I do plan to do more posting to it next year. Always a ton to write about in our world today!

Hope everyone has a great time shopping and getting ready for Santa!

2 Year Old Update

2007-11-10T16:39:00.000-06:00

Boy, 2 year olds are fun!

Yes, they have their moments when being two is not fun, but for the most part these two little girls make us laugh! They are talking like mad and saying everything under the sun!

These are the days we soak in and relish cause they are changing right before our eyes. Now they are putting sentences together. Sidney is the boss and Chloe is the rebel. That's the game they play right now anyway!

More Fall Fun With Chloe and Sidney

2007-10-04T19:38:00.001-05:00

These days are about mom being "Mrs. Entertainer"! Here are some great photos from playing, to eating and getting up!

Chloe and Sidney - Photo Updates

2007-10-02T21:56:00.001-05:00

Been a while since I have posted recent pics. The girls are growing like mad! They are truly little girls now! No more babies and the toddler stage is fading too!

MoonSky

2007-09-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

It's funny how as time goes on, the entries into the blogs get fewer and fewer. Things are just so busy between the family, work, friends and church that is hard to keep up. But this is noteworthy for sure.

The girls are in a "language" phase. Finally, after months of waiting, they are talking like mad women. Every day new phrases and words are understood by their mom and I. The latest thing?

Moon Sky.

Sunday driving home from church I noticed the moon was visible during the day and pointed to it out the car window.

"See the moon in the sky girls?" I asked.

A surrond sound, dual response followed - "MoonSky!" they yelled.

This evening we spent some time learning how fun showering each other with the water hose can be in the backyard. Everyone was getting wet. Me, Julie, both girls and even poor old Sam got drenched. (Max was smart enough to hear the commotion outside and hide under the bed). But right in the middle of this giggling ball, the girls looked up, pointed and once again exclaimed, "MoonSky!!!".

The last few weeks we have heard "I wuv u dadda!", "How are you?", "Sissy dress up!", "Eat Pizza!" "Momma eat pizza!", "More grapes", "Cowboys!" and even "Romo!".

But for some reason, I think "MoonSky" is gonna stick with me forever.

What a great time to be a parent!

A Dream Has Come Come True For Daddy

2007-08-28T20:51:00.000-05:00

A few days ago it happened. For real. No Joke. They did it. I nearly cried.

They looked at the TV to see what dadda was watching and repeated after me....

"OwBoys!!!"....

All they were missing was the "C".

Now they run around and see the star or see a football game and say it every time.

This is gonna be our year....

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY!

2007-08-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

One day they will actually go back and read all these millions of blog entries and read this one.

Happy Birthday Chloe!

Happy Birthday Sidney!

We love you!

Mom and Dad

Double the Birthday Parties, Double the Fun

2007-08-19T10:04:00.001-05:00

We had two birthday parties yesterday for our two girls. One at Little Gym in Cedar Hill with all of the girls friends, the other here at home with the family.

It was a great time of celebrating, though a few days early, the girls turning two. I still cannot believe our girls are already 2.

Pictures will be posted on our website later today. http://thefamilypost.com/speersfamily/

LOOK FOR THEM TO BE ANNOUNCED ON FOX4 GOODDAY TUESDAY MORNING!

By the way, as a fun note.....Sidney started saying "mine!" for the first time during the party.....nice. That's gonna be fun....

How Do They Do That?

2007-08-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of loud things in life. Think about it.

Airplanes, rockets, trains, even cars can be extraordinarily loud. Then there are fireworks, loud animals, gun shots, bombs, music concerts, winds, packed sports stadiums, thunder and tornadoes.

Life is full of things that are loud.

Yet nothing prepares you and nothing is louder than the scream of a two year old toddler.

I don't know what happens....call it the humor God, but something at 2 years old clicks in the small brain of a growing baby. "Hhm. This yelling thing is really fun....just look at how mommy and daddy react! Let's see how loud I can get."

Next thing you know, sound barriers are being broken, glasses are shattering and everyone around you is preparing to dial child protective services thinking you have just wounded your child beyond repair.

For some reason, right around 2 years old, toddlers have this incredible ability to, without warning, go from complete joy and laughter, to screaming like they are auditioning for a new role in Scream 5.

As our twin daughters begin their 2 year old birthday celebration this weekend, I am fully prepared to expect a few belted out screams to fill my ears.

Some of joy, others of pain, but most for show.

Toddlerville continues.

Enjoy.

Two 4 Two

2007-08-05T14:17:00.000-05:00

As I sit here and write this, one of my little two year olds is throwing an "I am not sleeping no matter how tired I am or what the heck you do to me" fit on a Sunday afternoon at 2pm. She has been in there for nearly an hour - talking, screaming, laughing, playing....all the while being very sleepy and in a very bad mood. She needs the nap. But, she won't.

She's two.

Two years ago on August 21, 2005, our lives where interrupted with one of the best days one can imagine as Chloe and Sidney joined our world. Twins. Two. One plus another.

To express all that has taken place in one journal entry would take me more time than the 10 minutes I probably have left before all hell breaks loose. Even with the monitor down to near zero, I can here the natives getting restless and the wife is at the grocery store...how convenient. Nap time is about to come to a crashing end I am afraid. I wish I could still have nap time though.

Two years has been a blur of activity beyond imagine. Our life has become full of dolls, shoes, passies, blankies, pink, books, shoes and more shoes, gold fish crackers, nila waffers, Elmo's in every form imaginable, shoes, Wiggle's videos, Seasame Street, Children's nursery rhimes on CD, pink, two toy rooms, more shoes, a VERY EXPENSIVE dinning room table stashed in storage for the next decade, dress up princess clothes, pink, squeeky shoes, toys that have no reason to have a sound yet do, toys that make noise on their own or with the prompting of our Boxer, plastic slides, drawer locks, stairway gates, outdoor toys and gyms strewn about, more pink, regular clothes, diapers, wipes, diaper trash bins that really don't work, hair bows, hair rubber bands, a milk container that is always magically empty when daddy is ready for his bowl of LIFE, lost remotes, balls, shoes, pink, and to top it all off, lots of pink shoes!

And I am sure my wife could double the list.

Life with twin toddler girls is crazy in a nutshell.

We survive on 6 hours of sleep. We no longer use the alarm clock. They wake up EVERYDAY between 6:45 and 7:12am. Our meals are dictated by their nap time or hunger moans. And they do moan. They still think "uhhhhhhhhhh" is the sound for the word "more". The colors blue, green, orange, pink, and purple are now pronounced "yellow". Our dog Max is called "Pax" or "Dax". Our other dog Sam barely has a name yet the girls love making his toys their own. Poor guy doesn't get to play with his own toys anymore, much less momma or daddy.

It is amazing all that a parent experiences in the first 24 months of a babies life. Those include 2am bottle feedings, 12 diaper changes a day, 12 bottle feedings a day, babies that do nothing but squirm some and poop alot, first smiles and giggles, the first rollover, the first crawl, jumpers, swings, walkers, walking and then running, playing pickyboo, reading books in daddy's lap, babbling, throwing fits, playing hide and seek, saying "momma" and "dadda" and calling everyone else by some sort of representation of their real name, or milk aka "nilk", pulling at their diaper and saying "poopoo", jumping and saying "boing", jumping like real monkey's on their beds, laughing their tails off while closing the door on each other over and over, calling their butts "bobos", to having fullfledge conversations with themselves, their piers and anyone else that can act like they understand every word they are saying. Julie and I are amazed at how different they are in a matter of months.

Chloe has already had "timeout" sessions under the living room window and she is not officially 2 yet. She loves snatching anything that belongs to her sister and running away with it as her own. She can be a sneaky little devil. She'll throw anything she can find when her way is not met (usually her blankie). We have to turn our faces we usually laugh so hard at her outbursts. This little 22" tall person trying to control her own destiny just kills you!

Sidney is the life of the party on most days. Her giggle cracks you up and between the two they are working daily on getting the words "sucker" permanently placed on both of our foreheads. We are doomed. Sidney loves the mornings most days. Chloe....not so much.

Both are a trip. Both are a mess. Both are balls of energy. Both want their way.

But both of them are a blast. It's their cute smiles, their loveable kisses, their incredible brown eyes, their funny words and dicussions and the silly ways they play that make the tiring life we now have worth it all.

"Double trouble?" people ask.

Nope, it's still double the blessing and double the fun. I just wish it wasn't all going so fast....

Two 4 Two.

Closing in on TWO

2007-08-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

In a matter of days Chloe and Sidney will be 2 years old....if you can believe that!

Our days of being parents that always say "it seems like yesterday!" are in full swing. The girls have certainly hit the Terrible Twos and Threes in full swing as they strive for independence and attention. Times are fun, but times can be nerveracking too!

I am amazed at how fast it goes though. My little babies will be TWO way too soon!!!!

2nd Annual 4th of July Parade Appearance!

2007-07-07T00:04:00.000-05:00

The girls made their 2nd annual Mothers of Multiples 4th of July parade appearance in Arlington Wednesday. It was steamy but not nearly as hot as last year!

Sidney proved to be the sport this year as she waved the entire time! Chloe wasn't quite as into it as she was last year!

Seriously. Is it already July???!!!

Girls Have First Graduation!

2007-06-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, so maybe we are a little over-the-top when it comes to our little Chloe and Sidney....but being a parent of toddler twins is pretty cool so give us a break!! :>

Our girls had their first official graduation from something Monday as they completed their first session of Little Gym. See some great photos on our website!

Girls Closing in on 2 Years!

2007-05-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

Our amazing little babies are 21 months old today! How insane is that?!?

It will always "seem like yesterday".....how many times did I hear my parents tell me that when I was growing up?

Wow. Boy are they fun though. What a great time it is with them. Words applenty and fun, fun times.

Toddlerville Photo Update

2007-05-08T09:44:00.000-05:00

More photos are on our website - use link on this page - but here are some recent good shots from our little chickies.

They are talking like mad, giving kisses, eating Fruit Loops, stealing our Nila Waffers, and just coming into their own!

Bluebonnet Time Means Easter is Near

2007-04-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Took the girls out for the traditional Bluebonnet photoshoot....

Chloe loved it.

Sidney...well. You can see for youself.

Toddler Update March 2007

2007-03-12T21:28:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well.....our little girls are turning into just that....little girls! We are certainly doing all we can to capture the moments, but they are so many! Here are some pics of the latest activities of these little "get-into-everything-we-can-and-then-give-a-cute-smile-to-get-out-of-it"ers.

Sidney & Chloe Are 1 1/2 Years Old!

2007-02-21T21:18:00.000-06:00

Poof! Just like that our precious little ones are toddlers that are now a year and a half old!

We celebrated tonight by taking them to Sidney's favorite Mexican food place, Abuelos! Sidney turned into the refried bean queen and Chloe was the rice master!

Fun, fun!

More photos coming soon on our website!

QUICK UPDATE:

The girls are saying many words these days - some it takes a parenting interpreter to understand, but still...here they are:

baby, go, banana, nana, papa, daddie, moma, eat, wiggles, max, car, yeah, yea, sis, sidney, chloe, maci, kelsey, nigh-night, amen, thank you, rock, duck, quack, lilly, you, me, no, hi, bye, dog, woof, whoa, ball, up, cheese, snack, peekaboo, teetee, book, cow, cookie, uhoh, and today they said "got it".

Famous Girls Land Newspaper Spot!

2007-01-29T20:43:00.000-06:00

Yes, our girls are even more famous now after getting their photo in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram yesterday! Check it out below our by visiting - http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/16566458.htm

Girls Start Year with Some New Things...

2007-01-27T10:33:00.000-06:00

There is never a day with twins in which you could say it was just a "normal day"....just doesn't happen. This year has proven to be just a continuation of 2006. The girls are growing over night and are doing all kinds of new funny things. Here are some of what they have been up to and are doing in this first month of 2007:

1. Both are talking baby talk - to us and each other ALL THE TIME and it is hilarious to listen to. They just sit there and babble and then laugh as if sharing the "joke of the week" they just read in their latest email. This goes on for long periods of time too. Especially in the car.

2. DVD player in car - greatest invention ever, but until they create a "rear system" for the kiddos and a "front system" for dad to listen to his fill of sports talk as we drive, we will have to settle for hours upon hours on end of childrens "silly songs"...with great hits like "Do your ears hang low" and "Wheels on the bus". Of course, many of you are laughing as you read this, knowing you are well past this point in child rearing.....dear God bring the day when the girls will love Mix 102.9...playing the hits of the 00s, 10s and 20s of course!

3. The stairs - both have mastered crawling up AND scooting down our staircase. Chloe loves going down more than up. We discovered the climbing up abilty weeks ago when one afternoon Julie heard nothing but silence...she peaked around from the kitchen to see both girls standing at the top of stairs with the proudest grins in history!! Needless to say the habit of putting gates up on both ends to block this new skill is now in place!

4. Electronic Girl - Chloe is my little electronics girl...she has learned the master skill of how to turn daddy's PC off right in the middle of one of his projects (that he of course has NOT recently saved)....and she knows all remotes well enough to change channels, turn up volumes and reprogram entirely! Maybe she's gonna be Poppey's helper one day....

5. Curly Haired Girls - Chloe's hair is now nearly a mirror image of Sidney's. At a glance it can be hard for even us to tell them apart and we are with them all day! I have never seen such cute curls....other than on Jayna Curlee!

6. 4 Wheeler Babes - we got the girls these little powered pink 4-wheelers for Christmas.....they have more fun actually pushing them from behind, but they do get on them and push the red "go" button! Steering? Well, that is something yet to be learned.

7. Little Gym - the girls have joined in the little gym craze. They love doing flips and both can nearly do them on their own. They bend down with their hands on the ground and nearly stand on their heads....at this point we have to give them a little push to complete the process!

8. Sidney's One-Arm - our little sid has this hilarious one-arm run she does! She chugs right along running around all the while propelling herself with just one arm swing! The other remains steadily in place not moving an inch! It is very funny!

The girls are now 17 months old which is incredible. We think they are a little behind in their vocabulary, but way ahead in many other ways. Regardless, this is by far the most fun we have ever had! They are always keeping us and the Boys (our dogs) on our toes!

Funny, funny, funny times in Speers land!

See our website for video and pictures! Post comments too!

http://www.thefamilypost.com/speersfamily/

Girls Make First HPU/Brownwood Visit!

2006-12-31T08:19:00.000-06:00

see www.bradysfamily.blogspot.com for pictures and details!

Girls Eat First Spaghetti!

2006-12-23T11:07:00.000-06:00

Well, we did it. The girls have been introduced to America's all-time favorite pasta pastime!

Santa Visit 2006 - You Decide How It Went...

2006-11-26T16:22:00.000-06:00

Ok. So the visit with Santa this year wasn't all joyful...

New Photos and Video Added!

2006-11-18T09:23:00.000-06:00

New photos and video clips have been added to our family website at http://www.thefamilypost.com/speersfamily/

Check them out. There are some great videos of the girls. More will be added this weekend!

New Fall Festival Pictures!

2006-11-08T21:14:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe the holidays are just around the corner isn't it?

Halloween was a ton of fun for us this year as we took the girls to the Fall Festival held at our church.

Check out the new photos at our website:
http://www.thefamilypost.com/Speersfamily/home.php

Girls Are 14 Months Today! New Cousin Just Weeks Away!

2006-10-21T13:45:00.000-05:00

The girls are growing like weeds! They are 14 months old as of today.

Their cousin, Lilly, is soon to join our world - in just about 3 weeks!

All of these girls...whew...us men are doomed.

Grandma Kat Gets a Visit From Her Great GrandDaughters!

2006-10-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

Girls Visit the Pumpkin Patch!

2006-10-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

We took the girls to see their first "pumpkin patch" yesterday afternoon. They loved it. Here is a neat photo we took. More are posted on our website.

Videos Posted to Website!

2006-10-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

Some video clips are now posted on our new site - www.thefamilypost.com/speersfamily

Some more are going to be added by weeks end...wait until you see Sidne'y "FrakenBaby" walk!

BOTH GIRLS TAKE FIRST STEPS!!!

2006-09-30T23:24:00.000-05:00

It's official! The girls are now walking on their own!

It all happened Thursday afternoon at Nana and Poppey's! Chloe and Sidney both just decided it was time to have more in their mobilty suitcase than just crawling!

Videos clips from the actual event will be posted on our new website by the middle of the week! Check it out at http://www.thefamilypost.com/speersfamily/

Our world is REALLY about to get crazy now!!!!

Brady

Chloe is close to walking! Girls Growing Like Weeds!

2006-09-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the month has flown by once again. Hard to believe Christmas is around the corner....

Girls are growing like mad. Here is the latest.

- Sidney is saying some words and singing all the time.
- Chloe is really testing us both and being very funny while doing so.
- Both are walking around with their walkers like mad. The latest craze being Chloe pushing Sidney around on her "car". See the picture.
- Chloe took 2-3 steps by herself tonight! She will be walking soon! Sad but exciting!

They grow way too fast.

We will be posting pics on our new website at http://www.thefamilypost.com/speersfamily/
so stay tuned to that and this blog for more!

Brady

Mom and Dad Rock!

2006-09-24T23:06:00.000-05:00

Birthday Slide Show Added!

2006-09-03T15:01:00.000-05:00

Check it out at http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?alb=117305

Beach Vacation 2006

2006-09-03T00:48:00.000-05:00

Check out our family blog for photos of our first family vacation with the girls....

www.bradysfamily.blogspot.com

Chloe is Walking with Walker!

2006-08-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

Less than 24 hours after getting her first walked, Chloe jumped right up and started walking like mad! She is tooting herself all over the place! Sidney is not far behind!

Girls Having Fun Playing with New Birthday Toys!

2006-08-24T17:23:00.000-05:00

Girls Have Birthday Bash the Size of Texas

2006-08-22T00:09:00.000-05:00

The girls first birthday party was a total blast and thanks to the tons of people that came in support of them both!

Wow. The presents. I can only imagine what Christmas will be like.

Here are a few photos...the rest will be in a slide show soon at the link below!

http://ww w.photodex.com/sharin g/viewalbum.html?alb=117305

Happy Birthday Chloe & Sidney!

2006-08-21T10:21:00.000-05:00

Our girls turn 1 year old today! Enjoy these new photos! Want one? Email Julie for ordering details.

Looking Back....

2006-08-17T22:37:00.000-05:00

This time last year Julie and I were enjoying her pregnancy and waiting for our girls to arrive. Just 365 days later, we spent hours walking around Toys-R-Us shopping for 1st Birthday gifts for our two girls. My oh my how things change...

In just a few days our girls will be one year old. Yep. Twelve months have flown by and now our little babies are well on their way to being our "little girls".

Looking back it's really amazing to think of all that has happened in just 12 months.

BACK THEN...

- This time a year ago we were told by Julie's doctors to "get to the hospital immediately". We grabbed a few things and began two sleepless nights waiting in the comfort of a small hospital room. A few days later Julie was being cut open, I was video-taping and Dr. Neill was pulling Chloe and then Sidney out of her swollen belly. Julie doesn't remember most of it but I will never forget that magical yet scary moment as long as I live. Our lives were forever changed in about 18 seconds.

- Sidney came home first. She was so little and our hearts were excited, nervous and yet broken as we pulled away with her in hand but leaving Chloe wrapped in blankets in her little incubator in the NICU. Sam and Max (our dogs) had been prepared to greet Sidney as we had been familiarizing them with their scent from blankets before we brought them home. Their lives changed too the moment we walked in.

- Chloe remained at AMH for the next two weeks. Days were emotional and long as we took turns visiting her 2-3 times a day, while I tried to get work done and Julie got over her surgery. Thanks to our mothers and fathers who helped us alot those two weeks.

- I remember the nights going up to see Chloe at midnight or later. Feeding her a bottle, praying she would hold her temperature and eat more so we could bring her home. I'll never forget how she would recognize my voice when I peaked into her incubator and said "Hey baby" as I gently stroked her skin. I'll still get tears in my eyes, as does Julie, when I think about those two weeks. She was just so small and so fragile. Yet, so strong.

- During this time Julie and I got used to getting up and feeding Sidney her bottle 2-3 three hours, burping and then rocking her back to sleep. It was a precious, yet tiring time. We were both thinking, "How are we going to do this with TWO in a few more weeks?"

- Then finally, Chloe came home to join her sister and be welcomed by Sam and Max. It was a great time for all 6 of us! We were relieved and felt more confident in being parents of little babies as Sidney played "parenting guinea pig" for us!

- Of course, we, nor most of you, can forget the wonderful world of baby monitors the girls had to remain plugged in to for the next 2 months. By far that was more annoying than anything. They went off at nearly everything, which would alway scare the crap out of us. They were just a royal pain and a total waste of money. I even went as far as stuffing the speaker on the stupid things with paper-towels, yet tornado sirens were still quieter than they were.

- The scariest moment of the year came one night as Julie was feeding the babies upstairs. She had them placed in their positioners as was normal as she held the bottles in their mouths. I was downstairs getting ready for bed when Julie screamed "Brady!!!!! Something is wrong with Sidney!". I could hear the fear in her voice and I bounded up the stairs in seconds. Sidney was foaming at the mouth, eyes closed and convulsing. I grabbed her and suddenly she came out of it and spit up some food. We were both shaken and nervously watched her all night long. We learned later this was a "normal" occurence with premies. Still have no idea what it was though.

- Then the world settled down some and our new world of being parents of two, identical girl twins really took off. Our first outing was to Spagehetti Warehouse with my mom and dad. Then there were a few other outings. Along with that were the many people stopping us to ask, "are they twins?", "how do you do it?", "two boys?", or statements like "I can't even imagine!" or "double trouble!" as they laughed at what lie ahead of us. It was fun, but honestly got a little old too. (Since when did pink plankets, pink bows and pink clothes confuse people between a boy or girl baby? Anyway... )

- Shots and RSV were the next big thing as was the fear of SIDS. The first shots were no fun at all. We both cried as they screamed bloody murder. Yet, that was nothing compared to the horrifying eye-exam they got at 2 months. Dear Lord....that was terrible. The fear of SIDS went on for a few months and I can remember us both checking on them all the time. Making sure they were breathing and sleeping right. RSV kept us locked in the house for the next 4 months and drained us financially as the shots were $3500 a month and insurance would not pay for them! Except for a few family outings we bascially couldn't do anything outside our doors. Not even go to church together.

- For the first 6 months Julie and I rarely had time together. Either her or I slept upstairs most of the time as the other would sleep in our bed. The nights wore on as we tried to take turns getting up at 2 or 3 am and then again at 5 or 6am. It was crazy to say the least. Parents of one just have no idea. It's not double the work....it's 100% more work.

- The biggest event of the last year came the night when they both slept from dusk until dawn. I'll never forget jumping out of bed, in full fruit-of-the-loom gear (colored that is) and running upstairs in fear realizing how quiet the night had been. I rushed into their room, saw their bodies rising with their breathing and let out a huge sigh. Then it hit me.....they slept all night long! "Julie! We can sleep more than 2 hours in a row again!" I started preparing to build an altar in the house as a memorial and tribute to God and His greatness, but Home Depot didn't have the supplies I needed....it was a great thing though. Still is.

- The holidays were great as they began smiling and laughing some and were much more aware of their surroundings. Their first visit to see Santa at the mall was a real hit. Just another perfect photo moment. One of many that took place the last 12 months. (we have taken over 2700 photos in 12 months time...of just them!)

- The last 6 months have been incredible too. We've experienced them getting their first teeth, crawling, saying "moma", "dada" and "uh-oh", feeding them baby food with a real spoon and then watched as they learned to feed themselves real food. (They love tea, Dr. Pepper and these little tasteless crackers).

- Now they are standing on everything, they play hide-and-seek with us, and laugh their tails off playing together or at us as we say "Boo!" and make faces. I love getting on the floor and crawling at them saying "Daddy is gonna get you!". They turn around in anticipation and take off trying to out-crawl me! Yet, they slow down on purpose so I can grab them and they can giggle to no end. It's truly one of the most amazing things. I had no idea how much joy I would get out of being a daddy. Especially to girls.

...AND NOW

Things today are different yet the same in many ways. Sure there are the days of teething, or them being whinny and tired, and days with little or no naps, and yes, they are now into everything...but neither of us could ever imagine our lives with just one of the two. God has truly set our lives apart to be the parents of these two little angels.

Now their thing is pointing. Pointing at themselves, pointing at the dogs or trying to point the others eye out. It's hilarious. Other than that, our lives have become "baby stoppers". Stop them from eating dog food, stop them from playing in the dogs water bowl, stop them from trying to climb up the stairs, stop them from chewing on the newspapers, stop them from dialing 911 on the phone, stop them from chewing on one of the dogs many bones or stop them from poking each other's eye out or stealing the others paci. I have a bad feeling this is only the begining too...

Not a day goes by when they don't make us laugh with something new. Sidney is so funny and always making hilarious faces. Chloe has the greatest deep laugh, cutest "twinkle smile" and is always trying to figure out how something does whatever it does. They are already great pals and you can see the "twin thing" every moment of every day. That is something they will always share that Julie and I will never understand.

As they turn one, we are sad in some ways that the days of rocking them asleep are nearly gone. Sad that they are well on the road of discovering their independence and wanting to figure it out on their own. Sad that they are growing so fast. Sad that they feed themselves now instead of us getting to...well ok, maybe not sad about that!

At the same time.....so many fun things are ahead and we can't even wait!

Happy Birthday Chloe. Happy Birthday Sidney.

You are loved. Thanks for the most amazing year of our lives.

Mom and Dad

Come One and Come All! You Are Invited!

2006-08-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

You are invited to our girls ONE YEAR Birthday bash!

Just RSVP!

email Julie at jules75@charter.net

Girls Nearing ONE YEAR Birthdays!

2006-08-08T23:41:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it has already been nearly 12 months since these two little ones were born in Arlington? Holy cow....and I thought time went fast BEFORE we had kids! Whew! What a blurr!

The girls are doing incredible and I will be updating the blog with more pics soon! I know some like the slideshows and some want more posted pics! (Geez you guys are pushy!!!! :>)

Here are some recent good ones....

The girls are climbing on everything as both are VERY close to walking. Chloe is running a little ahead of Sidney but both are pulling up and ready to be even more mobile than they already are!

SIDNEY CRAWLS!!!

2006-07-17T20:51:00.000-05:00

Not too far behind her older sister, Sidney got up to speed tonight by taking her first crawling steps with mom as the witness! By the time dad got home to see, she was a trained professional!

Girls Ready for 2nd Cowboys Season!

2006-07-15T21:58:00.000-05:00

Last year really was their first full Cowboys season experience....for real. This year, they are REALLY excited about seeing what the 'Boys might do with T.O. and the gang.

They got warmed this week up by getting their photo take with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at a recent appearance in Arlington.

The cheerleaders had big smiles on their faces seeing our cute little ones.....and honestly, dad had a big smile on his face too....

Training camp is in 3 weeks. Go Cowboys!

CHLOE CRAWLS!!!!!

2006-07-08T10:14:00.000-05:00

Sidney exclaims"OH NO!" as Chloe beats her to the toys by crawling first Thursday night!

Julie had literally just left the house for a meeting, when I turned to see Chloe making her way on hands and knees to her bouncy chair! I caught it on video and what a thrill it was!

Sidney is not far behind!

Thanks to Grandma Kat!

2006-07-05T22:05:00.000-05:00

We were one of the big hits in this years 4th of July parade in Arlington...the largest 4th parade in the state, with our "Covered Wagon" stroller...crafted by the amazing Great Grandma Kat. There were cheers and "awwhhs" as we walked down the parade route! We even got on NBC5! Well, Chloe did...

She never ceases to amazes us all!

Thanks Grandma!

July 4th Celebration Time...

2006-07-04T16:44:00.000-05:00

check it all out at our other blog....http://bradysfamily.blogspot.com/

Hard to Believe But the Girls are 10 Months Old!

2006-06-21T08:42:00.000-05:00

They are close to crawling.

They are saying "moma" and "dahdah".

They can use their toy walker to walk.

They can roll nearly anywhere.

They laugh most of the day.

They are also getting closer to a year old.

Sidney, Chloe.....wow. How time flies.

Check out the photo shows listed below...

Slide Show Update!

2006-06-06T00:14:00.000-05:00

"Summer Girls"

Go to this link...http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?alb=117305
and click on the title.

Enjoy!

Girls Serve as Secret Charm to Sports Teams...

2006-06-04T17:46:00.000-05:00

Our twins have something mystical about them....ever since they have been born, my teams have started winning!

After 36 years, the Astros win the National League for their first World Series appearance....

After 26 years, the Mavericks win the Western Conference for their first NBA Finals appearance....

Could the Rangers and Cowboys be next? The Rangers ARE in first place and they are beating good teams...

The Cowboys now have T.O and are already picked by some to win the Super Bowl?

My dream has been to see my teams play in each of the World Championship games....so far we have been to the World Series and we are going to the Finals this week! Are these precious little girls the secrets to their success? Could be....!!!

Whew.....these World Championship tickets are killing me....

A few great pictures!

2006-05-17T08:33:00.000-05:00

Closing in on NINE Months Old!

2006-05-16T18:13:00.000-05:00

Another hard to believe fact, but our little ones are just days from being 9 months old. Only 90 days away from their first birthday!

They are doing very well, though they just go over their first colds today. They kept us both up for the last two days, but they felt so bad.

Make sure and check out the slide shows online!

Here is a good shot at our recent church picnic...

Slide Show Update!

2006-05-07T19:58:00.000-05:00

Here is the album to be looking for for girls slides.

Random Fun Pics and Easter Shows are now online!

Have Fun!

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?alb=0&bm=99349

New Photo Slide Shows!

2006-05-06T11:02:00.000-05:00

We really want to show more pictures. But, the blog idea only allows us to show 2-3 at a time. However, we have a new approach....

Check out our online slideshows with Photodex.com

Here is the latest.
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2583618&alb=0

More are coming soon!

May Food FEST 2006

2006-05-06T09:24:00.000-05:00

Fun Food Times in May!

8 Months Ago....

2006-04-21T20:39:00.000-05:00

Their one year is getting closer by the day as today we celebrated both Sidney and Chloe's 8 month b-day!

They are growing so fast and are more fun than the law allows!

Come see them any time....just call Julie!

(PHOTOS - Chloe is in the bath, Sidney is wearing the hat and both are enjoying some pool time)

Our Angels Are as IDENTICAL as Texas Bluebonnets!

2006-04-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

DNA test results came back yesterday and I quote, "We are pleased to report to you the results of the twin zygosity test that you requested. Analysis of the DNA indicates that Chloe Grace Speers and Sidney Nichole Speers are monozygotic, or more commonly referred to as identical twins."

Yep, they are supposed to be EXACTLY alike, yet they are so different in many ways!

Here they are enjoying the greatest time of the year in Texas and getting ready to bring in Easter!

Girls Both Show First Tooths!

2006-04-09T19:52:00.000-05:00

Our girls are really growing like mad. Now they are nearly sitting up....Sidney is for sure, AND they have their first baby tooth! They are the biggest delight and light up any place we take them.

This week was a week of firsts. They went to the nursery at church for the first time and loved it. They went to their first Rangers game (though we lasted 30 minutes cause of the cold wind storm) and they also went swimming for the first time last week. Here are some recent photos...

Girls Have Photo Session in the Clouds

2006-03-30T10:55:00.000-06:00

Great Chloe Pictures!

2006-03-18T10:47:00.000-06:00

Great Sidney Photos!

2006-03-18T10:42:00.000-06:00

They are so cute!!!

2006-03-13T12:14:00.000-06:00

The girls are so much fun right now! 6 months has definitely been our favorite age so far. Chloe can't keep her eyes off the dogs. She loves them! She also loves to be tickled, take baths (and soak everything by kicking her feet in the water), play on the floor with her toys, and listen to mommy read "Animal Noises," her favorite book. It cracks her up everytime. Sidney is finding many different ways to use her voice- screaming (happily), fake coughing, and, as of yesterday, a new laugh where she sucks in her breathe real hard. She makes a scene wherever we take her! The girls are very aware of each other and like to talk or sing to each other. We are so blessed to have such wonderful girls and so happy we have twins! What could be better than this??

More Dr. Pepper Pictures!

2006-03-05T15:38:00.000-06:00

Sidney and Mom (below) Chloe and Daddy(above)

Girls Get First Taste of Dr. Pepper

2006-03-05T15:28:00.000-06:00

We had a family day on Saturday, as we spent the day in Waco!

We ate some Mazzio's pizza(daddy's favorite) and then enjoyed some time at the famous Dr. Pepper museum just across the freeway from Baylor University.

As you can see by the pics, the hats were a little big...but they seemed to enjoy their first sugary tastes, after getting over the sweetness!

My Girls

2006-03-01T23:48:00.000-06:00

talk about my girls....MY girls.....

Yep this is their daddy and my oh my how fast things are happening with them.

Here are just some of the things going on now:

1. Chloe rolled over for the first time today (from her tummy to her back)
2. Sidney has learned how to fake cough and does it all day long! Very funny!
3. Both giggle like it is going out of style...
4. They stare at the dogs and follow their every move - Sidney loves when Sam gives her sloppy kisses - she giggles like no other.
5. Both are now "eating" spooned foods - though swallowing is a challenge.
6. They sleep from about 9pm until 6am! Yeah!

I love these girls. They truly light up my life when I walk in from work....I can't get enough.

Just Some Pics...

2006-02-27T16:21:00.000-06:00

Chloe

Sidney (L), Chloe (R)

Sidney

We Love Maci!

2006-02-27T16:13:00.000-06:00

Chloe and Sidney's cousin Maci comes over during the week and helps take care of them. She feeds them, changes their diapers and clothes, reads to them and plays with them. She is such a blessing! Sometimes their cousin Kelsey comes to play and she can make the girls laugh so hard! They love their cousins!!

6 Month Checkup

2006-02-27T15:38:00.000-06:00

The girls went to the doctor Thursday for their 6 month shots and checkup. Sidney now weighs 15 lbs (in the 34th percentile) and is 25 3/4" long (47%). Chloe is 13 lbs (3%) and is 24 1/2" long (10%). They are small, but both their heads are near the 50th percentile! Today they started bananas and boy did I get a look that said, "What in the world did you just put in my mouth?!" Sidney ended up liking hers and ate well, but Chloe remained in a disgusted state. This is her picture.

Happy Half-Birthday!!!

2006-02-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

Today our sweet girls turned 6 months old! Their Papa put together their brand new highchairs and now they are eating rice cereal and (attempting) to drink from sippy cups. Their hair is long enough to put in a little barrette- mommy is very excited about this! They are non-stop talkers and love to do the "happy scream"- which is just a blood-curdling scream of joy! Look for more pictures from the highchairs coming soon...

More Great Pics....

2006-02-19T15:39:00.000-06:00

Girls First Valentines Day!

2006-02-19T15:31:00.000-06:00

Our two little angels celebrated their first Valentines Day this last. Chloe, Sidney and I surprised momma with her own photo session! Here are some of those shots....

Chloe's Turn!

2006-02-16T17:35:00.000-06:00

Chloe is becoming a pro at holding up her head during tummy-time! She loves to roll from her back to her side and scoots around so much that she's never in the same place for more than 10 seconds!
Sidney is rolling from her tummy to her back now. She thinks she has to do it immediately after being put on her tummy and looks up at you expecting applause and cheering for this feat!

More Updated Photos!

2006-02-02T22:01:00.000-06:00

My is Time Flying!

2006-02-02T21:34:00.000-06:00

It has been crazy so far this year. The girls are growing like mad too and we can barely keep up with getting pictures downloaded, printed and sorted, much less posted!

Sidney has already said a variation of "dada" and is about to walk right of the house! She is nearly standing up! All we have to do is barely hold on and she will stand forever! Chloe is doing great too and always seems to have her cute little smile on her face. It will melt your heart. They really are great, great babies. They have their moments for sure, but nothing takes that away like seeing them squirm with glee when you call out their name or walk into the room for the first time! Makes any fussing worth it all.

Just Days Away From 5 Months Old!

2006-01-18T07:24:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe, but our little girls are getting old! They are days away from being 5 months in the making!

Boy are we having fun too. These last few weeks have really been great. They are talking up a storm and laughing like crazy. Chloe is the one with a smile on her face ALL the time! Sidney has the best giggle ever. It is just great.

Sidney though appears to have a tooth coming in! Her first one....she is drooling like mad and we can see it peaking through her gum.

Come buy and see these little girls before they head off to school.....it will be here before we all know it.

With Mom and Dad...

2006-01-16T20:33:00.000-06:00

Pictures Round One!

2006-01-16T19:04:00.000-06:00

BIG UPDATE COMING SOON!

2006-01-16T18:50:00.000-06:00

I know it has been a bit since we have given a good update, but I am working on it tonight! Stay posted...a bunch of new pics coming!

Things Are Looking Up For Sidney...

2006-01-06T21:05:00.000-06:00

Sidney just started learning how to raise her head up while on her belly. They both are laughing and giggling all the time. But Sidney is a little ahead in getting ready to roll over!

Girls Have 4 Month Wellness Checkup

2005-12-29T12:37:00.000-06:00

Well, the "bad shot day" is over. But, all things are good other than having to watch our two little girls scream bloody murder!

Chloe is now 10lbs 6oz and Sidney is a hunkin' 12lbs 9oz. Chloe is in the 2 percentile for weight and 8 percentile for length at 23 inches. Better than the zero she was last time. Sidney is in the 27 percentile for weight and 32 percentile for height. They both are growing and that is the key!

No more shots for a few months!

More Holiday Fun Times!

2005-12-29T12:27:00.000-06:00

The girls have been in this phase of just being more fun than the law allows!

Christmas Twins!

2005-12-26T09:41:00.000-06:00

Girls Pose for Daddy Gift!

2005-12-26T09:40:00.000-06:00

What a great Christmas present. Thanks girls! Nothing makes a daddy prouder....

Girls Cheer on Cowboys on Christmas Eve!

2005-12-26T09:27:00.000-06:00

Yes, our two girls are being rasied to love the Cowboys....I hope you don't have a problem with it either....

Sidney has become our TV watching girl. No matter where she is in the room she turns her head to find the TV. Check out how she is looking at the Cowboys game Saturday in her pink Cowboys gear! Thanklfully, they pulled out a win.

Got Milk?

2005-12-23T09:45:00.000-06:00

What a great smile shot of our little Chloe!

Girls 1st Santa Visit

2005-12-22T08:10:00.000-06:00

What a fun day it was yesterday as the girls had their first visit with good ol' Santa!

A big picture update is coming this weekend! Merry Christmas all!

Just Some Fun Pictures

2005-12-05T00:07:00.000-06:00

Quick December Update!

2005-12-04T23:52:00.000-06:00

Been crazy around here trying to get ready for Christmas, fight off colds (yes, all four of us have basically had one) and stay sane!

The girls are growing like mad and getting to be so much fun. They smile, goo and just stare at us, like seeing us for the first time. It is captivating.

They went to their first church service today! Sidney seemed to love the worship and Chloe slept through it all. It was fun. I'll never forget the first day all four of us worshipped God together! What a day.

Girls Have First Thanksgiving with Speers Family

2005-11-25T21:09:00.000-06:00

Sidney and Chloe made their first family event since being born as the Speers family gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving at mom and dad's. It was a great time of being together and showing off these amazing twins of ours.

They were the hit of the day! Just look at how cute they were.

We all missed the Wroten family as they came down with sickness and could not make it....

Milestone Achieved on 3rd Month Anniversary!

2005-11-18T23:34:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe I am writing this, but our little babies are three months old as of this weekend! Time is already flying. It has been challenging, but honestly, we cannot imagine how boring things would be if we only had one! We are so blessed.

The last three months have changed both of our lives and it is amazing how your view of God changes with it. They have stolen our hearts.

But, thankfully, as of tonight, though we had thought they had stolen our social lives too, we learned that we actually CAN go out and have some fun!

We started their RSV shots this week which allows us to be a little less concerned about going out in public and exposing them to colds. So, we decided tonight, along with help from Nana and Poppey, that we'd take them to one of our local favorite places to eat.

And........

It went fine! They were wonderful and we enjoyed our dinner. We did it! We actually went out for our first social outing on a Friday night with the girls. Finally.

Three months went fast, but three months was long at the same time.

Girls Situp in New Chairs!

2005-11-18T23:03:00.000-06:00

We got these new chairs designed to help newborns situp and strengthen their neck muscles.

Oh my gosh, can two baby girls be any cuter?

(Chloe in yellow/Sidney in white)

Check these out....

Fun Times Ahead!

2005-11-14T07:49:00.000-06:00

Boy oh boy are the girls getting more fun everyday! They are growing like mad too. It is hard to believe that they will be 3 months old this weekend!

Sidney is really responding to our facial expressions and talks. She smiles and tries to talk some back to you. It is so cute. Chloe is going to be our little talker/singer of the two. She oohs and goos all the time! She too is starting to smile some. They both will stare you down as if they are really trying to figure out just what these weird sounds these adults make mean! It is great.

The next few weeks should just be incredible.

Enjoy some shots with the boys...

More Updated Pictures!

2005-11-06T20:40:00.000-06:00

See More Pictures on our Updated Website!

Boy Are They Different....

2005-11-03T21:41:00.000-06:00

The girls are now about 10-11 weeks old and my how they have changed. Chloe is now right at 8lbs and Sidney is a busting 10lbs! They are both so much fun. We can't wait until they are making more noises and really interacting alot, though they are doing more of that each day. At the same time, we are already seeing how fast they will grow. Some outfits don't fit anymore and that is sad. Our little girls are growing up.....

But boy are they different.

Sidney is funny. Of course when she was born we realized just what kind of lifestyle she was taking on in the womb. We can picture here in there, all laid back in a cushy sofa, having grapes and chocolate brought to her by her servants. She did nothing but eat and sleep, apparently. Cause when she came out SHE WAS HUGE compared to her sister. That trend continues here at home. Sidney's days consist of eating, sleeping, farting, grunting, a little fussiness, and some SHORT play time (then repeat). She is very cuddly though. She loves holding onto your neck and sleeping while making those little "goo" sounds babies do as they fall asleep. She is for sure the laid back, take it easy, please find me a beach with some food, girl at this point.

Chloe on the other hand is her own little self. She too eats, sleeps, farts, grunts, plays, and fusses. But she is the wiggle worm of the two and was when in the womb. She was the one kicking and starving basically as her big sister hogged it all. She cannot be still. She has to see what is going on and gets very frustrated when things aren't going just the way she had planned for the afternoon. I can see her with a list in her head...."Ok, gonna get up at 6am....eat some, have a grunt and toot fest, wiggle alot, stare at everything I can, do some moving aerobic activity and then I might sleep, if I feel like it, all by 8am." She is like her daddy big time and she seems to be a daddy's girl too. Chloe is the "take me to New York and let me see the world!" kind of girl. Going to the beach and laying around? Huh. She could do it...for a few hours! She is more of the noise maker right now too. I hope she is musical. One of them needs to be!

The only real thing we see in common right now is their natural ability to cry as if their arms are being pulled off, turning purple and quiverring their little lips like they are 100 degrees below zero weather, yet all being done magically without sheding one single tear. They do it as a team too, taking turns and then making sure it really gets nutts by both going crazy and doing it at the same time.

That is a funny thing. Loud but funny. They haven't quite learned that it doesn't work.

Boy oh boy, do Julie and I have a lot in front of us!

Girls at 9-10 Weeks!

2005-10-28T21:29:00.000-05:00

Girls are Two Months Old On Daddy's 36th!

2005-10-21T13:07:00.000-05:00

What a great day! I am closer to 40 now than I will ever again be to 30 as I turned 36, but my precious babies are two months old today! Hard to believe it has already been 2 months since they were born. How time is already flying by...

They are growing like mad a sleeping better.

What a Great Picture!

2005-10-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

Girls Dedicated at Crossroads!

2005-10-10T22:57:00.000-05:00

Seven weeks to the day, our precious baby girls were dedicated to the Lord at our church, Crossroads Christian Church, Sunday morning.

They were the talk of the place and we sure were proud parents.

It was their first time out in the general public as well.

Pray God works in their lives even now as we both commit to showing them the way of Christ.

Check out some of the pictures we took afterwards.

An Answer to Your Question...

2005-10-01T00:07:00.000-05:00

The main question we get asked is, "Well, what's it like having twins?"

I am sure this is a question to be asked of us by many for the rest of our lives. But let me give you some answers to what it's like so far.

It's been six weeks. Just three weeks since we have had them both home.

It's been all of these things:

fun, crazy, tiring, emotional, stressful, enjoyable, nuts, wild, peaceful, busy, a blur, a blast, worrisome, anxious, and hopeful all in one.

Let me quash a myth real quick though....it is not "double the work" or "double trouble" as many say. It's more at times. Having two babies is not just double the work. You can't give each one just 50% of yourself. Each one requires 100% attention, love, care, pampering, feedings, changings, baths, tickle sessions, play time, doctors visits and more.

There are times when both are going crazy and crying for no apparent reason (usually at night except when one of the sets of grandparents is on duty...of course!). There are times when both sleep and the house is at peace. And the fun times are when one is sleeping, and the other decides she isn't about to no matter what you do. It's 12:15 in the morning now. I am on duty. Julie is trying to sleep. The girls have been crying off and on since I came home and took over at 3:00pm. Yep, 9 hours my friends. Needless to say, this is not one of the greatest moments of the last few weeks.

Let me give you a quick run down of a typcial day with two 6 week old, identical twin girls.

NOTE: Picture this for feedings - lay both girls down on soft surface, hold bottles in both mouths and use chin to stabliize while using other hand to wipe excess milk from cute faces, use foot to shoo away Big Brother Sam who comes to give loving kisses, use knees to keep girls in correct position. Burp one girl while doing the above with the 2nd girl. Repeat with 2nd girl. After feeding is done (30-45min later), put one girl away while you change the other. Repeat with 2nd girl.

7-8am - up and feed girls...playtime for 30min in floor, then back to bed, dad goes to work
9-10am - Julie tries to eat, clean, dress, etc.
11am - feed girls...playtime for up to an hour, back to bed, take nap
2pm - repeat above, try to eat
5pm - repeat above, dad home to help, try to eat something
8pm - feed girls, give baths, put to bed, no play time
11pm - feed girls, put back to bed, parents sleep for 1-2 hours
2am - repeat above
5am - repeat above
8am - start over
*if this ACTUALLY happened every day, it really isn't as bad as it sounds. Really. It just doesn't always go as planned. They have different things planned on their calendars for the day sometimes....

Twins are fun though and a true blessing. They will be special, and so will we for years and years. Just watching them squirm, touch each other, grunt, toot and belch makes it all worth while. We'd have it no other way. God gave us what He knew we could handle, as He always does.

In general I can say it really hasn't been as bad as I was afraid it would be. At times it is for sure, but other times it isn't that hard. Then again, who I am to say? I work all day....

Brady

Girls Watch First Cowboys Game with Daddy!

2005-09-26T23:21:00.000-05:00

Yep, they will bleed blue and silver.... the boys lost in the last 4 minutes, but we sure had fun!

Girls, Girls, Girls...

2005-09-26T23:14:00.000-05:00

Here are some more shots! Enjoy!