It’s been quite some time since I talked about life lately with two daughters, (almost two years to be exact). Today I’m sharing a little bit about my daughters. Annabelle and Ailey are two years eight months apart, ages six and three, and every day with them is an adventure.
Annabelle and Ailey are growing, changing, and surprising us every chance they get. From Ailey’s exploding vocabulary to Annabelle learning to read practically overnight, it’s harder to picture the girls as babies. We watch a lot of home videos lately.

Sister Jealousy
There is no such thing as a dull moment in motherhood with sister jealousy keeping me on my toes. It doesn’t matter how hard I try to show them equal amounts of love and attentiveness, some form of envy is inevitable.
My daughters compete for my attention in both negative and positive ways. If Ailey is naughty, Annabelle is extra well-behaved. If Annabelle makes me smile, Ailey finds a way to make me laugh. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not jealous of each other on a daily basis, but it’s too frequent to ignore.
I hope over time I find a way to teach the sisters resentment is a waste of time and energy. Brandon and I naturally try to reduce opportunities for jealousy to arise, but have been working harder to avoid the green eyed monster. I’m reading it’s important to downplay jealousy by dividing responsibilities equally and avoiding comparison. Bonus: schedule one-on-one time with each child!
How the Sisters Differ
We’ve always known the girls looked different right from birth, but it’s fun to see how they change as they grow up. Despite possessing the same hair color, Ailey has curly tendrils, while Annabelle’s hair is almost stick straight. Then there is skin color – Ailey is fair with pink undertones while Annabelle is olive and turns brown in the sun. The girls share an intense temper, but Ailey’s is far worse than Annabelle.
Dance is a hobby both Annabelle and Ailey have in common. However while Ailey’s moves are filled with emotion, Annabelle follows the routine she is taught. It’s funny how we can see their penchant for discipline reflected within their dance moves.
How our Daughters are Alike
Our daughters have different interests due to their age difference, but for the most part love the same things. Magic, whimsy, and make-believe are at the center of their play time – which is a trait we adore. Annabelle and Ailey prefer to dress up and play pretend over most anything else.
Art is another favorite past time, especially drawing. It took some time but both girls now love books (just like their Mom), but Annabelle took the longest to dive into reading.
Annabelle and Ailey are long and lean. They love to laugh and humor might just be their secret weapon in life. Each child is intelligent, equally too wise for their years, and often more inquisitive than we’d like them to be (if you know what I mean).
What is it like to have two daughters?
Before I had two little girls, there was only one. When I look back on the days with just Annabelle, I laugh at how difficult I thought motherhood could be at times. I had no idea.
After Ailey was born, we had difficulty adjusting to another person in our family. There were long sleepless nights and even longer days, trying to figure out how to mother TWO. I felt, and still feel, torn between both children on more occasions than I’d like to admit. There are instances I want to defend one and not the other, even if it’s not justified.
Being a Mom of girls is nerve-wracking, but no more stressful than being a Mom in general. In the big picture, I don’t think motherhood changed all that much having two daughters vs. one. The joyful chaos that accompanies two is worth every bit of powerful emotion experienced as a Mother.
This makes me smile because I’m the oldest of two girls & I see a lot of myself in your oldest & a LOT of my younger sister in your youngest!
I really liked the update. Raising 2 girls would be so different from raising 1 boy!
I love this! I think this has to be my favorite line “It’s funny how we can see their penchant for discipline reflected within their dance moves.”
As of mom of two girls (also three years apart, 5 &2), Some days can be really tough. But, I try my hardest every day to strengthen their relationship with each other over their relationship with me because there will come a day when they only have each other, and I want them to be there for one another, always!