Santa 2009
Santa 2010
Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Holding back?
Audrey's usually pretty quiet, but lately she has been full of surprises! While she only has a couple of words she uses regularly, she will occasionally spew out a random word--pronounced perfectly, mind you!--and then not use it again.
Examples? Last week, she grabbed her tee-shirt, looked up at me and said, "Shirt?" I swear she had the "h" in there and everything! And last night, she was splashing around in the bath tub, all of a sudden stopped, and said "Splash!" and then started up again. How can she pronounce these things so perfectly without any practice? Needless to say, we're very intrigued by this. Aunt Stacy insists Audrey's going to be the quiet one who all of a sudden starts talking in full-blown sentences, and I'm starting to be convinced!
Audrey's also very much into sounds right now: She roars like a lion, growls like a polar bear, hisses like a snake, and goes "vroom vroom" when she plays with cars (it's so cute to see a little girl having so much fun with cars!). She has some new dance moves, too. Ask her to "shimmy" next time you see her! (she gets her shoulders into it and everything). :)
Examples? Last week, she grabbed her tee-shirt, looked up at me and said, "Shirt?" I swear she had the "h" in there and everything! And last night, she was splashing around in the bath tub, all of a sudden stopped, and said "Splash!" and then started up again. How can she pronounce these things so perfectly without any practice? Needless to say, we're very intrigued by this. Aunt Stacy insists Audrey's going to be the quiet one who all of a sudden starts talking in full-blown sentences, and I'm starting to be convinced!
Audrey's also very much into sounds right now: She roars like a lion, growls like a polar bear, hisses like a snake, and goes "vroom vroom" when she plays with cars (it's so cute to see a little girl having so much fun with cars!). She has some new dance moves, too. Ask her to "shimmy" next time you see her! (she gets her shoulders into it and everything). :)
A "Yes" Man
While most 17 month olds are screaming "no" and throwing tantrums, we've got ourselves one positive little guy! Well...Isaac can still throw a good tantrum, but he has recently added "yes" to his vocabulary and we've been having so much fun with it!
Mom: "Would you like grapes or a banana for lunch?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Mom: "You mean you want both?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Mom: "Or neither?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Mom: "Well, which is it--both or neither?"
(Isaac then gets really mad and impatient...he says "grapes" but not "banana" yet, so I'm sure it's really frustrating when we tease him!)
Mom: "Did you have a very busy day today?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Dad: "Did you have a stressful day like Dad?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
We're pretty sure Isaac's day wasn't very busy or too stressful. :)
We could have a lot of fun with this one!
P.S. We took down the baby gate that blocked our entertainment center, and now Isaac is determined to play a DVD himself. It's so funny to watch him turn on the TV, hold the DVD, and push all of the buttons to try and make it work!
Mom: "Would you like grapes or a banana for lunch?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Mom: "You mean you want both?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Mom: "Or neither?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Mom: "Well, which is it--both or neither?"
(Isaac then gets really mad and impatient...he says "grapes" but not "banana" yet, so I'm sure it's really frustrating when we tease him!)
Mom: "Did you have a very busy day today?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
Dad: "Did you have a stressful day like Dad?"
Isaac: "Yes!"
We're pretty sure Isaac's day wasn't very busy or too stressful. :)
We could have a lot of fun with this one!
P.S. We took down the baby gate that blocked our entertainment center, and now Isaac is determined to play a DVD himself. It's so funny to watch him turn on the TV, hold the DVD, and push all of the buttons to try and make it work!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
16 months old!
The twins are 16 months old already! I still catch myself calling them "babies," but they seem more and more like little kids now, and seem to grow leaps and bounds every week.
Here's what you should know about them at 16 months:
Audrey:
1. Audrey is still our happy, happy girl. While she wears her "serious" face a lot, she continues to be laid-back, easy going, and generally cheerful. That said, she does have her moments when she needs to cuddle and be held (love those moments!) and when she lays the smack down (Isaac literally gets smacked now if he gets in her way or bothers her!).
2. Her favorite word is "light." She loves lights--turning them on/off, telling us when she wants them on, and pointing out all of the little (and big) lights that we take for granted and don't even notice in our daily lives: street lights, car light, little lights on the T.V. buttons and dishwasher. She spots them all!
3. She continues to be our "goofball"--she loves imitating and initiating gestures and knows when she's being silly! Favorites: side-to-side, head tilts, head shakes, and peek-a-boo.
4. We're pretty sure she'll love the rides at Valley Fair and Disney World someday: She loves to spin, rock, go upside-down, bounce, dance and splash. At day care, she loves to spend open gym time on the rocking horse (when Ryan picks them up at the end of the day, that's where he usually finds her!).
5. Audrey's all about routine. She expects dinner on the table when she gets home from day care, doesn't like bath time to be a minute late, and loves her milk with bed time stories. The only part of her routine she hates is brushing her teeth; she has several tricks up her sleeve to make sure that toothbrush never reaches her mouth!
6. She helps us out around the house, and would rather be with us than playing with her toys. She loves to load and start the dishwasher and "sort" the mail and the laundry.
7. Some of her favorites: blankies, her stuffed caterpillar, spicy food (loves Mom's chili and hummus!), books like The Rainbow Fish and Can You Cuddle Like a Koala?, and--of course--our dog Sydney and cat Mookie. Her favorite instrument is the triangle, favorite movie is probably Baby Neptune (but any Baby Einstein, really), favorite cereal is Kix, and her favorite pastime is emptying the bookshelf, cupboards, freezer, and anything else that could be emptied!
Isaac:
1. Isaac loves to smile and make people laugh. He blows kisses at anyone who will reciprocate and isn't shy about giving kisses to strangers! He still has a hearty laugh and shriek and reminds us every day to have fun and see the humor in life.
2. He continues to love balls and gravity--he has the most fun when he's rolling small ones on different surfaces, dropping them from various heights, or bouncing the "big ball."
3. We predict he'll be a techie--the first one in line at Best Buy to buy the latest gadgets! He loves the cause-and-effect of pushing buttons and levers--from the most basic of technology (flushing the toilet) to the T.V. remote, air purifier, microwave, camera, and laptop. It isn't too difficult to find him in the house: Just listen for one of these to mysteriously turn on!
4. Isaac still likes to eat, though he has a more discerning palate now. He LOVES fruit--especially blueberries--but tends to throw his veggies to Sydney and won't usually humor me if I cook something new. The first day of day care he cried and cried until someone said the word "snack." I guess his mood and expression immediately changed, as if to say, "Food? No one told me there was food here!"
5. He continues to talk a lot, and has added enough words to his vocab that we stopped keeping track. He loves to imitate words too, and he'll practice and practice until he gets it right (or, at least until Ryan and I can understand him). Everything usually starts as "dah" and over time morphs into the correct pronunciation (though most of his words still lack the final consonant sound!).
6. Reading stories continues to be a favorite pastime for him. He likes to choose his own stories now and will usually throw a mini tantrum when we finish (apparently, four stories isn't enough--especially when he's trying to stall bed time!). His current faves: Sleep, Baby, Sleep; Wow! Said the Owl; and The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear.
7. He initiates a lot of games and is a terrific problem-solver (when he wants to be). At day care, he purposely creates traffic jams of cars at the bottom of this car chute they have, and then removes the first car to watch them all come flying down (again, fun with gravity!). He says (or attempts to say) "stop" when he sees a red light and "go" when he sees a green light and gets upset if I don't acknowledge this (i.e. "Yes, Isaac, red means stop"). He continues to amaze me with his inquiries and attempts to make sense of the world around him!
Here's what you should know about them at 16 months:
Audrey:
1. Audrey is still our happy, happy girl. While she wears her "serious" face a lot, she continues to be laid-back, easy going, and generally cheerful. That said, she does have her moments when she needs to cuddle and be held (love those moments!) and when she lays the smack down (Isaac literally gets smacked now if he gets in her way or bothers her!).
2. Her favorite word is "light." She loves lights--turning them on/off, telling us when she wants them on, and pointing out all of the little (and big) lights that we take for granted and don't even notice in our daily lives: street lights, car light, little lights on the T.V. buttons and dishwasher. She spots them all!
3. She continues to be our "goofball"--she loves imitating and initiating gestures and knows when she's being silly! Favorites: side-to-side, head tilts, head shakes, and peek-a-boo.
4. We're pretty sure she'll love the rides at Valley Fair and Disney World someday: She loves to spin, rock, go upside-down, bounce, dance and splash. At day care, she loves to spend open gym time on the rocking horse (when Ryan picks them up at the end of the day, that's where he usually finds her!).
5. Audrey's all about routine. She expects dinner on the table when she gets home from day care, doesn't like bath time to be a minute late, and loves her milk with bed time stories. The only part of her routine she hates is brushing her teeth; she has several tricks up her sleeve to make sure that toothbrush never reaches her mouth!
6. She helps us out around the house, and would rather be with us than playing with her toys. She loves to load and start the dishwasher and "sort" the mail and the laundry.
7. Some of her favorites: blankies, her stuffed caterpillar, spicy food (loves Mom's chili and hummus!), books like The Rainbow Fish and Can You Cuddle Like a Koala?, and--of course--our dog Sydney and cat Mookie. Her favorite instrument is the triangle, favorite movie is probably Baby Neptune (but any Baby Einstein, really), favorite cereal is Kix, and her favorite pastime is emptying the bookshelf, cupboards, freezer, and anything else that could be emptied!
Isaac:
1. Isaac loves to smile and make people laugh. He blows kisses at anyone who will reciprocate and isn't shy about giving kisses to strangers! He still has a hearty laugh and shriek and reminds us every day to have fun and see the humor in life.
2. He continues to love balls and gravity--he has the most fun when he's rolling small ones on different surfaces, dropping them from various heights, or bouncing the "big ball."
3. We predict he'll be a techie--the first one in line at Best Buy to buy the latest gadgets! He loves the cause-and-effect of pushing buttons and levers--from the most basic of technology (flushing the toilet) to the T.V. remote, air purifier, microwave, camera, and laptop. It isn't too difficult to find him in the house: Just listen for one of these to mysteriously turn on!
4. Isaac still likes to eat, though he has a more discerning palate now. He LOVES fruit--especially blueberries--but tends to throw his veggies to Sydney and won't usually humor me if I cook something new. The first day of day care he cried and cried until someone said the word "snack." I guess his mood and expression immediately changed, as if to say, "Food? No one told me there was food here!"
5. He continues to talk a lot, and has added enough words to his vocab that we stopped keeping track. He loves to imitate words too, and he'll practice and practice until he gets it right (or, at least until Ryan and I can understand him). Everything usually starts as "dah" and over time morphs into the correct pronunciation (though most of his words still lack the final consonant sound!).
6. Reading stories continues to be a favorite pastime for him. He likes to choose his own stories now and will usually throw a mini tantrum when we finish (apparently, four stories isn't enough--especially when he's trying to stall bed time!). His current faves: Sleep, Baby, Sleep; Wow! Said the Owl; and The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear.
7. He initiates a lot of games and is a terrific problem-solver (when he wants to be). At day care, he purposely creates traffic jams of cars at the bottom of this car chute they have, and then removes the first car to watch them all come flying down (again, fun with gravity!). He says (or attempts to say) "stop" when he sees a red light and "go" when he sees a green light and gets upset if I don't acknowledge this (i.e. "Yes, Isaac, red means stop"). He continues to amaze me with his inquiries and attempts to make sense of the world around him!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pumpkin Pickin'
We took the twins to the pumpkin patch this weekend. Things were pretty picked over, but Isaac and Audrey managed to find the perfect lil' pumpkins (with maybe a little bit of help from Mom and Dad). Take a look:
Why do we have to sit here with these pumpkins?
Slim pickins'
Waiting for the tractor to come around again and take us for a hay ride
Donkeys make everything better!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Footprints on our Hearts
Audrey and Isaac lost their dear friend Eli unexpectedly last week. He added so much to their lives in such a short time, and will be deeply missed. These pictures were taken just a week and a half ago at the apple orchard. I wanted to share them in Eli's honor.
Audrey and Eli having a conversation
All three loved the goats
Monday, September 13, 2010
Look Who's Talking
The twins are really starting to "talk" to us now, and they have discovered how empowering it is to have a "say" in various matters. While Isaac has a few real words under his belt (though only Ryan and I can understand him at this point), his favorite new word is actually a gesture: a fast and furious head shake that obviously means "no" and is a borderline temper tantrum (do those really start this early?). However, he has learned to use it calmly, too--when I asked him if he wanted more cereal the other day, he looked up as though he was pondering it a moment, then slowly shook his head "no." I was shocked--since when does Isaac turn down food? :) Sure enough, he was just reveling in his power to choose (I came back a few minutes later and he was asking for more).
Speaking of more, Audrey has started signing "more" all of the time now, and I wonder how she can possibly fit all of that food into her tiny tummy! Like Isaac, I think she enjoys this new "word" more than she actually enjoys the food. I used to joke that she just picked at her food like a bird, but now she eats as much as her brother! She has also learned to sign "food" now (surprise, surprise), and this becomes a problem when it's not even close to meal time!
Isaac also figured out how to flush the toilet this week. First step toward potty training, right? :)
All of these skills are prepping them for daycare, which they'll be starting full-time in three weeks. While I'm really sad I won't be staying home with them anymore, I'm excited for the fun that awaits them!
Speaking of more, Audrey has started signing "more" all of the time now, and I wonder how she can possibly fit all of that food into her tiny tummy! Like Isaac, I think she enjoys this new "word" more than she actually enjoys the food. I used to joke that she just picked at her food like a bird, but now she eats as much as her brother! She has also learned to sign "food" now (surprise, surprise), and this becomes a problem when it's not even close to meal time!
Isaac also figured out how to flush the toilet this week. First step toward potty training, right? :)
All of these skills are prepping them for daycare, which they'll be starting full-time in three weeks. While I'm really sad I won't be staying home with them anymore, I'm excited for the fun that awaits them!
Monday, September 6, 2010
A Busy Month!
Audrey and Isaac had such a busy end to the summer! A trip to Iowa, their first wedding, a pool party, and their first carousel ride--at the State Fair, of course! Check out what they've been up to:
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Team "Trouble"
Now that Audrey crawls as quickly as Isaac, we've noticed that they travel together--and get into trouble together. Every day they go together to the bookcase where Isaac will stand and reach the books off of the highest shelf and toss them down to Audrey. When all books are off of the shelf, they page through--and sometimes rip pages out before I can save them!
Yesterday, they got mysteriously quiet and I knew they were up to no good. I found them in the bathroom--Isaac had emptied the garbage can of its contents and Audrey had discovered the toilet paper roll. I found them sitting together in a whopping pile of toilet paper and Kleenex--even Sydney couldn't make that big of a mess! Someone remind me...when can I start teaching them to clean up after themselves?
They've had many bouts of separation anxiety lately, which I find endearing in spite of it all. Yesterday when I left the house, I turned around as I walked down the front steps to find Isaac, face smashed against the window, staring at me and bawling his eyes out with the most painful look! As much as I feel bad for causing his anxiety, it's touching to be loved so much. :)
Yesterday, they got mysteriously quiet and I knew they were up to no good. I found them in the bathroom--Isaac had emptied the garbage can of its contents and Audrey had discovered the toilet paper roll. I found them sitting together in a whopping pile of toilet paper and Kleenex--even Sydney couldn't make that big of a mess! Someone remind me...when can I start teaching them to clean up after themselves?
They've had many bouts of separation anxiety lately, which I find endearing in spite of it all. Yesterday when I left the house, I turned around as I walked down the front steps to find Isaac, face smashed against the window, staring at me and bawling his eyes out with the most painful look! As much as I feel bad for causing his anxiety, it's touching to be loved so much. :)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Self grooming?
If Isaac looks a little more disheveled than usual the next time you see him, it's because he has decided to take grooming into his own hands. He knows how to comb his hair and brush his teeth now, so we're letting him take over during our bedtime routine. Granted, I usually have to re-brush his teeth (I think he mostly brushes his tongue and chews on the toothbrush), but I'm going to let him comb his own hair (his hair is so wild it doesn't cooperate anyhow!). Audrey also learned to share this week, so we've been practicing sharing toys and balls (she won't share with Isaac yet, but she'll share with me and Ryan!).
Kim also posted some of the twins' one-year photos online. They're amazing! Check them out at http://www.kiddiewhampusphotos.blogspot.com.
Kim also posted some of the twins' one-year photos online. They're amazing! Check them out at http://www.kiddiewhampusphotos.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
One Proud Mama!
Audrey has taken off in the last couple of weeks, and I'm so proud of her! In addition to waving and crawling, she started standing up in her crib last week and today she mastered two new skills: signing "more" and clapping her hands. The best part for her? Her big brother can't do either of these yet! I'm so glad she decided to bring on the competition. It's hard when you have twins not to compare them all of the time...:)
Isaac has news, too: I mentioned awhile ago that I thought his first words might be "milk" and "all done." Well...he has never consistently said those, so it might have been a false hope. However, he definitely says "done" now--and he says it on cue at the end of meal time (while signing "all done"). It comes out "dah" most of the time, but you can tell he's trying to master the "n" at the end of it. Also, while he loves to "crash" his blocks, yesterday he helped me stack them. Every new skill just amazes me, and I feel so lucky I get to witness all of these firsts.
Speaking of proud mamas, my good friend had a baby boy today--a great way to top off a fabulous day!
Isaac has news, too: I mentioned awhile ago that I thought his first words might be "milk" and "all done." Well...he has never consistently said those, so it might have been a false hope. However, he definitely says "done" now--and he says it on cue at the end of meal time (while signing "all done"). It comes out "dah" most of the time, but you can tell he's trying to master the "n" at the end of it. Also, while he loves to "crash" his blocks, yesterday he helped me stack them. Every new skill just amazes me, and I feel so lucky I get to witness all of these firsts.
Speaking of proud mamas, my good friend had a baby boy today--a great way to top off a fabulous day!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
It's Cabin Time!
The twins went to the cabin for the first time over 4th of July weekend. They swam in the lake, went for a boat ride, played with cousins Landon and Graham, and had a blast! (though Ryan and I were exhausted by the end.) Here are some recaps:
Audrey with Aunt Stacy and Grandpa Falkum
Audrey loves the water!
Isaac warmed up to it eventually
The boys were happy Grandpa and Grandma brought up some toys!
Aunt Stacy is a great storyteller!
Even Dad went for a swim
Monday, July 12, 2010
Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My: An Isaac Update
Apparently, there is such thing as being too good of a storyteller. I LOVE the book Oliver Finds His Way, but my roaring sound effects have made Isaac cry twice now! I made the mistake of reading it a second time (thinking he was just tired the first time around), and he started bawling hysterically. It took me about ten minutes to calm him down. I felt soooo bad! I wanted to cry myself. Now any time I make a sound effect, his lower lip quivers and I have to quickly change my tone and expression. The last thing I want is to traumatize him and scare him away from stories! The picture above shows a little smile after I calmed him down.
Other news? Isaac is allergic to peanuts, eggs, oats, milk, wheat, and soy. Yikes! We're trying to reduce his eczema (which is getting progressively worse) and we think food allergies may be a culprit. We meet with an allergist tomorrow for further testing and to discuss his diet. I'm hoping some of those are false positives--otherwise the poor guy will have to eat like a rabbit!
He is cruising all over the place and can now stand by himself (without holding onto anything) for 6-7 seconds at a time. I see baby steps in the near future! We're also working on colors with him. I thought he knew blue, but then I realized that when I say, "Show me the yellow block" or "Show me the red block" he always chooses blue! It's his favorite color (he loves the blue page the best in his color book), so he must think I'm saying, "Show me the best block! Your favorite!" :)
Curse of the MMR: An Audrey Update
Audrey has had a rough couple of weeks: first pink eye and an ear infection, followed by a nasty stomach virus, a cold, and now a reaction to the MMR vaccine! Our family might be cursed when it comes to this vaccine, as cousin Landon got the same bad rash from it! And supposedly only five percent of kids have this reaction. Hmm....
However, all of this illness has given Audrey what I call her "baditude." She has become a fiesty, sassy, warrior! Now that she army crawls, she literally throws things out of the way that come across her path. It reminds me of Transformers tossing cars and smashing buildings the way she heaves these heavy things! She now steals toys from Isaac and makes him cry. Not that I want Isaac crying, but I think I'm secretly glad Audrey has some attitude. It's a tough world out there, and I don't want her to take any crap from anyone! :)
P.S. She also started waving hi/bye this week, which is super exciting for us!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Frenemies?
While there's plenty of biting, clawing, and hair-pulling at our house, it seems there's a lot of love, too. Check it out:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Happy Birthday Isaac and Audrey
...you big one-year-olds, you!
Here are some pictures from Saturday's celebration:
Here are some pictures from Saturday's celebration:
aammm numm numm numm...
Mushy, sticky fun
Awww, isn't that cute?
But if you just try a bite, you might actually like it...
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
First Haircut
The twins got their first haircuts on Saturday in preparation for their one-year pictures. Audrey didn't need a haircut, but since Isaac was going we thought she could get a little trim, too. Audrey didn't flinch...in fact, she kept a poker face the entire time and we couldn't tell what she was thinking! Isaac didn't handle it very well. I think he was sad to lose his curls (they'll grow back, buddy!). Here are some pictures....
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Look at me! Look at me!
I know this kind of thing isn't that big of a deal to a lot of people, but Isaac was SO proud of himself that I had to share. We put Isaac to bed first tonight, and while I was getting Audrey ready for bed I heard a huge shriek of glee behind me. I turned around and Isaac was standing in his crib with the biggest grin on his face I think I've ever seen on him! He has been pulling up on furniture/toys for awhile now, but this was the first time he figured out he could pull himself up to standing in his crib. Once he figured this out, he didn't want to go to sleep--only practice his new trick--so we've been back there two more times in the past hour to lay him back down. I think he's finally asleep now...:) Way to go, Isaac! Not a little baby anymore...officially a toddler, I'd say!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Shake!
Shake!
Originally uploaded by rpm112003
Everyone should try this while they eat. It makes lunch time much more fun!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Where Did This Year Go?
Our babies are almost one year old! It’s crazy how fast this year has flown by (and a little sad that they are growing up so quickly!). Here’s what you should know about our big one year olds right now:
Audrey:
1. Audrey will be silly for the sake of being silly. When she was around six months old, she learned how to shake her head and it’s been her trademark move. Over the last couple of months she has realized that it makes everyone loosen up and laugh, and she’ll shake her head with a big smile on her face and wait for us to smile and laugh back. She knows she’s being goofy, and we love that so much about her!
2. She has gorgeous blonde hair that still sticks up on the top, no matter how much we comb it down. Unfortunately, as long as it sticks up it’s a target for Isaac, and Audrey still gets her hair pulled on an almost-daily basis.
3. We knew Audrey loved stories, but now that she can make her way across the room I’ve noticed that she bypasses the toys and goes straight for the books! She loves to flip through the pages and look at the pictures. This would keep her amused for hours if we didn’t force the toys. Her faves: Hello Baby!, Quack!, and Quiet Loud. Do we have a future bookworm on our hands?
4. When she doesn’t want to let go, she won’t. She is so strong and has such an iron grip! Just try and take the sippy cup or the spoon away from her. I feel every time like I’m losing at arm-wrestling or something. And poor Sydney: When we go on walks, Audrey grabs a hold of Sydney’s leash and doesn’t let go, which cuts her leash length in half!
5. Speaking of walks…When we go on walks and Audrey decides to nap, she pulls her hat down over her face (just like she pulls the blanket over her head in the crib). This has gotten me into trouble with random strangers on many occasions who find it necessary to scold me because my baby can’t see anything!
6. Audrey is our “thinker.” She is very focused and every move is a calculated, cautious one. This may mean that she doesn’t take as many risks as Isaac, but she also doesn’t have as many accidents either. I know she has been watching him carefully and learning from his mistakes. Hmm…smart cookie!
7. While she still is very independent, she has become much more affectionate in the past month or so and will hug and cuddle (when we used to try, she would squirm to get away!). Both she and Isaac know how to give a kiss, and it’s a pleasant surprise when Audrey offers one. Also, she has been waking up a couple of hours past bed time pretty regularly recently, and sometimes the only thing that gets her to go back to sleep is being held close. I cherish those moments!
Isaac:
1. Isaac enjoys the road less traveled. He has created his own obstacle course in our living room, beginning with a trek through the shaky bottom of the exersaucer (this is pretty much all we use it for now!), climbing onto and crawling through the bottom shelf of our sofa table, making his way around the couch, climbing over the blow-up lion toy, and then flipping over and tossing aside the Leapfrog learning table to squeeze around the last couch leg (he usually gets stuck on this last feat!). It would be much faster to bypass all of these and simply crawl around the couch, but that would be too easy, now wouldn’t it?
2. Isaac loves the little plastic balls that come with some of the fancier push-toys. He will crawl from room to room with one of these balls and drop it on many surfaces just to see how and where it rolls. Thanks to Isaac, we have discovered exactly where our floors are uneven and slanted! I think we have a future physicist on our hands. Or a golfer?
3. I’m pretty sure he has all of our books memorized. He always smiles at the end and at his favorite parts (it’s so amusing to see what he likes!), but recently he has started smiling at the resolution part of the story. I don’t know how to explain this, but he seems to know when he should smile (i.e. when someone does something nice for someone else in the story, a problem gets solved, etc.). This blows my mind. His faves: Why, Oh, Why Does Baby Cry?, Ten Tiny Babies, and While the World is Sleeping.
4. Isaac has so much love to give. He is very affectionate, but his affection comes with two bottom teeth and Audrey has the marks to prove it. We call them “love bites,” and it has been tricky trying to teach him to give kisses “gently.” This means extra supervision during playtime to protect Audrey from his brotherly love!
5. This guy wants so badly to walk! But he is so…very…wobbly. He walks holding our hands, taking giant, fast steps with such shaky legs! He has started getting frustrated with himself, but I fear it will be a long time before he is sturdy enough to do it on his own (perhaps a good thing, as our house is only crawler-proofed right now).
6. Isaac is our talker. While he is shy around strangers, he talks almost nonstop at home. He talks to us, to Audrey, to Sydney through the baby gate, and even to himself in the mirror. Sometimes he babbles, sometimes it’s a very matter-of-fact “a-da” or “a-ba” with a head nod (I think I nod my head a lot when I talk, so he probably picked this up from me!), and he often uses a lot of inflection as though he is having a conversation and asking questions. We don’t have an official first word yet (besides Mama and Dada), but he seems awfully close (or else we’re missing it?).
7. He is still our smiley little boy. He will give anyone a big smile, especially if he’s safe in Mom or Dad’s arms or in the stroller and can be friendly from a short distance. This means that he immediately wins over fellow walkers, joggers, bikers, and people standing ahead of us in the checkout line. This definitely makes up for the infamous scowls that Audrey and I supposedly always have on our faces! :)
Audrey:
1. Audrey will be silly for the sake of being silly. When she was around six months old, she learned how to shake her head and it’s been her trademark move. Over the last couple of months she has realized that it makes everyone loosen up and laugh, and she’ll shake her head with a big smile on her face and wait for us to smile and laugh back. She knows she’s being goofy, and we love that so much about her!
2. She has gorgeous blonde hair that still sticks up on the top, no matter how much we comb it down. Unfortunately, as long as it sticks up it’s a target for Isaac, and Audrey still gets her hair pulled on an almost-daily basis.
3. We knew Audrey loved stories, but now that she can make her way across the room I’ve noticed that she bypasses the toys and goes straight for the books! She loves to flip through the pages and look at the pictures. This would keep her amused for hours if we didn’t force the toys. Her faves: Hello Baby!, Quack!, and Quiet Loud. Do we have a future bookworm on our hands?
4. When she doesn’t want to let go, she won’t. She is so strong and has such an iron grip! Just try and take the sippy cup or the spoon away from her. I feel every time like I’m losing at arm-wrestling or something. And poor Sydney: When we go on walks, Audrey grabs a hold of Sydney’s leash and doesn’t let go, which cuts her leash length in half!
5. Speaking of walks…When we go on walks and Audrey decides to nap, she pulls her hat down over her face (just like she pulls the blanket over her head in the crib). This has gotten me into trouble with random strangers on many occasions who find it necessary to scold me because my baby can’t see anything!
6. Audrey is our “thinker.” She is very focused and every move is a calculated, cautious one. This may mean that she doesn’t take as many risks as Isaac, but she also doesn’t have as many accidents either. I know she has been watching him carefully and learning from his mistakes. Hmm…smart cookie!
7. While she still is very independent, she has become much more affectionate in the past month or so and will hug and cuddle (when we used to try, she would squirm to get away!). Both she and Isaac know how to give a kiss, and it’s a pleasant surprise when Audrey offers one. Also, she has been waking up a couple of hours past bed time pretty regularly recently, and sometimes the only thing that gets her to go back to sleep is being held close. I cherish those moments!
Isaac:
1. Isaac enjoys the road less traveled. He has created his own obstacle course in our living room, beginning with a trek through the shaky bottom of the exersaucer (this is pretty much all we use it for now!), climbing onto and crawling through the bottom shelf of our sofa table, making his way around the couch, climbing over the blow-up lion toy, and then flipping over and tossing aside the Leapfrog learning table to squeeze around the last couch leg (he usually gets stuck on this last feat!). It would be much faster to bypass all of these and simply crawl around the couch, but that would be too easy, now wouldn’t it?
2. Isaac loves the little plastic balls that come with some of the fancier push-toys. He will crawl from room to room with one of these balls and drop it on many surfaces just to see how and where it rolls. Thanks to Isaac, we have discovered exactly where our floors are uneven and slanted! I think we have a future physicist on our hands. Or a golfer?
3. I’m pretty sure he has all of our books memorized. He always smiles at the end and at his favorite parts (it’s so amusing to see what he likes!), but recently he has started smiling at the resolution part of the story. I don’t know how to explain this, but he seems to know when he should smile (i.e. when someone does something nice for someone else in the story, a problem gets solved, etc.). This blows my mind. His faves: Why, Oh, Why Does Baby Cry?, Ten Tiny Babies, and While the World is Sleeping.
4. Isaac has so much love to give. He is very affectionate, but his affection comes with two bottom teeth and Audrey has the marks to prove it. We call them “love bites,” and it has been tricky trying to teach him to give kisses “gently.” This means extra supervision during playtime to protect Audrey from his brotherly love!
5. This guy wants so badly to walk! But he is so…very…wobbly. He walks holding our hands, taking giant, fast steps with such shaky legs! He has started getting frustrated with himself, but I fear it will be a long time before he is sturdy enough to do it on his own (perhaps a good thing, as our house is only crawler-proofed right now).
6. Isaac is our talker. While he is shy around strangers, he talks almost nonstop at home. He talks to us, to Audrey, to Sydney through the baby gate, and even to himself in the mirror. Sometimes he babbles, sometimes it’s a very matter-of-fact “a-da” or “a-ba” with a head nod (I think I nod my head a lot when I talk, so he probably picked this up from me!), and he often uses a lot of inflection as though he is having a conversation and asking questions. We don’t have an official first word yet (besides Mama and Dada), but he seems awfully close (or else we’re missing it?).
7. He is still our smiley little boy. He will give anyone a big smile, especially if he’s safe in Mom or Dad’s arms or in the stroller and can be friendly from a short distance. This means that he immediately wins over fellow walkers, joggers, bikers, and people standing ahead of us in the checkout line. This definitely makes up for the infamous scowls that Audrey and I supposedly always have on our faces! :)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
We've Got the Sillies
I think our kids have a great sense of humor, and it is so neat to see what they think is funny!
Examples?
The twins have been known to wake up in the morning and have conversations while they wait for us to get them up. However, over the last few weeks their jabbering has evolved into shrieking--which they find absolutely hilarious and gets them rolling in laughter. No need for an alarm clock--they can be heard throughout the entire house (and probably by the neighbors). We definitely have some morning people on our hands! The best part is that we thought Isaac was starting this every morning (as he loves to scream, shriek, laugh, and talk), but we discovered last week that it is actually Audrey (the "quiet" one) who wakes up first and begins the fun! She has started doing this during the day, too, and she knows that we get a kick out of it, which just eggs her on.
Also, Isaac may not be able to clap yet, but he sure has these important life skills nailed down (and he does them on cue): the chugga chugga choo-choo motion, the Tarzan call, and--his latest--howling. :) One of his favorite books is While the World is Sleeping, and there is a line that reads, "The bright-eyed fox is on the prowl. He hopes to take a juicy fowl...Until he hears the guard dog howl, 'Arrroooooo!'" and when I howl he howls right along with me! It is so funny...I wish I could teach Sydney to howl on command like this. :)
Examples?
The twins have been known to wake up in the morning and have conversations while they wait for us to get them up. However, over the last few weeks their jabbering has evolved into shrieking--which they find absolutely hilarious and gets them rolling in laughter. No need for an alarm clock--they can be heard throughout the entire house (and probably by the neighbors). We definitely have some morning people on our hands! The best part is that we thought Isaac was starting this every morning (as he loves to scream, shriek, laugh, and talk), but we discovered last week that it is actually Audrey (the "quiet" one) who wakes up first and begins the fun! She has started doing this during the day, too, and she knows that we get a kick out of it, which just eggs her on.
Also, Isaac may not be able to clap yet, but he sure has these important life skills nailed down (and he does them on cue): the chugga chugga choo-choo motion, the Tarzan call, and--his latest--howling. :) One of his favorite books is While the World is Sleeping, and there is a line that reads, "The bright-eyed fox is on the prowl. He hopes to take a juicy fowl...Until he hears the guard dog howl, 'Arrroooooo!'" and when I howl he howls right along with me! It is so funny...I wish I could teach Sydney to howl on command like this. :)
It's Playtime!
Audrey playing around with Dad
Getting along!
With their friend Eli (notice how they all have goofy looks on their faces!)
Isaac playing with his buddies Max and Ethan
At the "Learning Table" (they love this thing!)
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