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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2014 (17 months - 74 weeks)

Oh my sweet babes. This picture wraps up a full year with you. And what a journey this year has been - witnessing you grow from 5 month old babes to 17 month old little beings who hold my heart tighter every day. You experienced your first taste of food, glorious fruits and delicious morsels of bacon nipped right off our plates; you travelled to new places and saw Cape Town, the sea, the bush and the mountains;  your gurgles and gabbles transformed into actually words; you became aware of family and friends and the world, naming those you love and holding creatures in your hands; your bond with each other became more evident as you continually refer to each other, imitate each other, look for each other and hold each other; your faces have changed and your limbs have stretched and I think you're more beautiful at every glance; your laughs get better and better and I want to bottle the sounds bubbling from your wide open mouths; you learnt to sit, crawl, stand, walk and run. And fly babies. Oh my how you fly. Growing, changing, learning, and always, becoming. Likewise, along with you and because of you, I have felt myself growing, changing, learning, and always becoming too.

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 A portrait of my babes once a week in 2014 (16 months and three weeks - 73 weeks)

Oh these faces. My favourite faces in all the world. When I close my eyes in many years time and think back to these babyhood days, I think these are the faces that will come to mind. When I look a them from a distance, when I step out of the moment, I already miss the acute memory I have of them. The luxury of looking at your faces and getting lost in them. Anna, the twinkle of an eye when you find something amusing, and eyes wide open in wonder. That big, smile showing top and bottom teeth when you laugh. Florence, the let down of your entire expression when you're upset, your pursed lips in inquiry, and your huge, opened mouth smile. The feeling of your perfect skin on my cheek. Even now I have difficulty in describing them in such detail that would allow me to step back in time...

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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2014 (16 months and two weeks - 72 weeks)

We picked this spinach from our veggie garden - the leaves larger than your faces. We are outside a lot this time of year when pent up summer afternoons start bulging with thunderclouds. I want to cultivate in you a love of outdoors and nature, and in doing so it is reminds me of the beauty and simplicity of being outside. We chase ants with our fingers, Florence manages to catch one and proudly brings it to me. A game we repeat with imaginary ants throughout the day. We look for hadedaes and guinea fowl in the garden, we marvel at ladybirds on our Swiss chard leaves. The cats in the complex grounds are scary but enticing and your little bodies quickly jump on mine when one saunters by too close for comfort. We say hello to the chameleon statue hidden under a bush, still with that child belief that the unreal is real.

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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2014 (16 months and one week - 71 weeks)

Joy to the world. 

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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2014 (16 months - 70 weeks)

I like that your changes and growth are aligned with the seasons. It speaks of an ebb and flow of life beyond our control and counting. Spring gives way to summer and humid muggy days as the plants in our veggie garden burst and bloom and ripen. A shyness of new blossoms becomes a spurt of ruddy petals freshly fallen on green-green lawn. And your little bare feet tentatively step on wet soil with hose pipe in hand and no clothes on the body. Sticky, sweet watermelon drips down your chins and we loudly exclaim how much we love these summer months. 

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A portrait of my babes once a week in 2014 (15 months and four weeks - 69 weeks)

I find it hard to describe each of you and sum you up in a few words. Although you are completely different personalities, it isn't as easy as saying one is more dominant or funny or easy going. The reason for this I believe is that you are continually evolving and becoming, and at the same time I am continually learning about you. Florence, you adore your comforts of a dummy and your binky at bedtime, and last night Anna fell asleep clutching a toothbrush (and anything could have been in place of the toothbrush  - a binky or a spoon).  Anna at the moment you are the bossy boots, yet you are terrified of flies (which Florence lovingly points out to you whenever she sees one), and ants. Florence you catch ants with two of your chubby little fingers which you wouldn't believe could pick up something so small and quick. I'm learning of Florence's preferences for chandeliers and scarves and Anna's preference for anything Florence is holding. You both love hats and prance around inside with all sorts of head gear on. Anna loves cheese whereas Florence prefers strawberries or oranges or anything an adult is eating. The way you eat strawberries is different (Florence holds the stalk and finishes the entire fruit while Anna picks at it delicately with her fingers). I've learnt you are both determined souls, you know what you want. Anna, you will try and do anything Florence can do and really believe you can also walk on tiptoes. In general, you both want to do what the other is doing. You're kind hearted too, even though it is hard to be twin at times, you share and negotiate. You both have a cheeky streak, to go hand in hand with a cheeky grin and cheeky eyes. Florence, you wear your heart on your sleeve whereas with Anna what you see is not always what you get.

You're sassy and soft and smart and funny and little lights of joy. I can never capture all of you but learning all this about you is one of my favourite things about being your mama. 

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 A portrait of my babes once a week in 2014 (15 months and three weeks - 68 weeks)

The sweetest thing. Florence calls Anna "Nana" and, thinking that is what you call you twin sister, Anna calls Florence "Nana" too.