Identical.

For those of you who don't know, Aria and Cadence are identical twins. This was confirmed at their birth because they were both attached to a single placenta which means that they came from the same egg, which split during conception. Sometimes the differences between Aria and Cadence are as apparent as night and day, but sometimes even we have a difficult time telling them apart.

Their similarities are obvious. They have many of the same curious expressions, their legs stick out straight when they are feeding, their lung strength has drastically increased since they were born and their cries have gotten stronger. They both drown in their newborn clothes. They love to eat and gain lots of weight - they've already gained almost two pounds each! They both have big beautiful gray eyes that get slightly browner each day. They were born with a TON of dark brown hair that needs to be brushed after each bath or else it'll dry in crazy ways. They both have soft, smooth skin that smells SO good. They fall asleep immediately when we put them in their car seats. They always get the same reaction from strangers: "Oh my goodness, twins!? They are so beautiful!!" which is almost always followed by, "You're gonna have your hands full!" Our hands are definitely full with these two, and so are our hearts.

First of all, their physical differences: Aria is (and has always been) slightly heavier than Cadence. Currently, Aria is 7 lbs and Cadence is 6lbs 9oz. Aria has a birthmark on her stomach and Cadence has a small one on her bum. Aria has a slightly longer, narrower face while Cadence's face is more round. Lastly, Aria has longer, fluffier hair while Cadence's is shorter and more matted to her head. 

Their personalities can be night and day different as well. Aria is usually more mellow and reserved, but oh can she scream. She scarfs her food down like it is the last drop of milk on earth and ends up getting the hiccups EVERY time. She loves her pacifier but it is always falling out of her mouth, which poses a problem at three in the morning when she needs it to fall asleep. Lastly, Aria is the smiliest baby I've ever met. She is always breaking out into grins and sometimes even lets out a laugh! It is so sweet. Cadence is our little feisty one. She makes it known when she has a dirty diaper and wants to be changed IMMEDIATELY. With Cadence, there is always a good reason why she is crying and it's pretty easy to figure out. She makes the funniest faces and has us constantly laughing. She has always been the smaller baby, so she really fights for her food. When she looks up at you, it seems she is really looking at you - wanting to know who you are. It is so special.

We have come to know and love these little girls SO much. Everyone who meets them falls in love with them as well. They have such special spirits and it is really an amazing experience to be their mom. I just love holding them, trying to rock them to sleep, and seeing their big, beautiful eyes open and stare up at me. I love getting to know them individually. They are identical, and that is apparent in so many instances. But it is so fascinating to see how different they are as well. It will be an incredible adventure to raise these lovely girls and we can't wait!