Tyler the Talker

Tyler is my little conversationalist lately. He looks at you so sincerely and intently and just talks and talks - of course, we have no clue what he is trying to say since it is mostly gibberish. He has picked up a few more words though just in the last couple of days, including starting to say "Katie" almost perfectly! Katie is doing good - copying words well and saying new things that are the beginnings of words, but Tyler really thinks he is having a conversation and it is just our problem that we don't know what he is talking about! Katie has started patting Tyler when he is near and they will both give each (and any toy or stuffed animal around) a kiss when we make a kissy noise. Katie's newest thing is that she has learned to take jackets on and off which did not work out well when I was trying to get a picture of her in her new jacket from Uncle Matthew.

Showing it off!

Flip-flops were a little more challenging than our slip-on shoes, but they figured it out.
Tyler usually manages to get both cups - and that makes him very HAPPY.

Katie is usually otherwise occupied (like helping dad on the computer), if Tyler is able to gather both cups without a fight.

Little "Helpers"

Well, I ended up having to take a vacation day today because I didn't bring any work home and it is virtually impossible to get anything done while watching the kids anyway. So, I thought I would use the unexpected free time to do consignment sale prep. I thought about using the time to fold the fifteen zillion baskets of clean laundry that I have, but judging from what happened I'm glad it was consignment clothes being thrown around instead of ones that I finally got clean. The kids decided to "help" me, which really meant they took everything out of the boxes and spread them all over the house and on each other.

It began innocently enough with Katie just curious about what was in the boxes.

And turned into this! I thought the box would distract them so I could get it done (this was just the sorting stage, I still have to hang, tag, and price everything!), but the clothes barrage on the house was too much fun! Tyler was pretty content with box fun.
But Katie's "ugly look" shows she was still up to no good!

A new word - "snow"

I can't believe one of our kids first words is "snow!" That tells you what an odd winter we are having, because in years past there wouldn't have been enough for them to see it and know what it is. We are home again today with a snow day. There was only about an inch of snow but freezing rain put down a layer of ice under the snow and temperatures aren't going to be high enough today to change that so we thought it safer not to get on the roads since we don't have to. Kids are doing good - they still have slight runny noses but seem to be feeling fine and in good spirits. They are doing better with naptime - still not great and they still get super sleepy mid-morning, but better. Their other words of the week are "all done, "alright" and "toes." They can point out their feet, toes, and hair now in addition to eyes, ears, nose, belly and mouth. They have their 18 month appointment coming up and so that is still our deadline for mama and dada - I think we can do it. They are starting to say it more often, and Tyler has said mama when I walk in a couple of times, which is great. Katie knows that we are either mama or dada but at this point they are interchangeable. Regardless, they are definitely getting it! They have figured out what doorknobs do and are trying desperately to turn them all. We finally got a gate at the top of the stairs in preparation for them being able to escape their cribs. Toddler beds are not too far away for these little monkeys - I don't think. Potty training isn't going to happen until this summer at least. Tyler went to the doctor last week and was 23 pounds!!! I think Katie is still probably 21 +, but not yet 22 - we'll see. She is still wearing 6-12 month shoes so I know her feet, at least, haven't grown much. When it gets a little warmer we are planning to move their carseats forward-facing which should make them happier - they won't be able to kick the back of the seat, but they will be able to see out and see us which should be better!

Maybe I will get some snow day pictures today to post later!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know it is early, but apparently I am in a hurry this year. The kids daycare is closed on Friday, so they had their little Valentine's party today. On Wednesday I thought it was Thursday and dressed them in red and hearts (for Katie). When I picked them up Wednesday afternoon it dawned on me (and not until then) that it was not yet party day. Maybe I was confused because Lance and I are going to dinner tomorrow night, or maybe I am finally just losing it! Anyway, I like to have the kids dressed in the spirit of the Holiday and my mix-up left me with nothing wintery (still really cold around here) or red for Tyler on the day of his Valentine's party. Katie, though, had a little heart dress she got from her Aunt Lori. So, the kids were kind of festive Wednesday and Thursday which meant it was picture time!

This is the "red" I was left with for Tyler (his hair just keeps getting more and more out of control - gotta do something about that soon). Katie was loving her little dress with pockets! These were taken at daycare - apparently Tyler was trying to give Katie a hug - so cute, he looks so serious!

I swear we give them toys, but we have found that things like cups, empty cartons, and boxes that rattle (candy hearts) can entertain them for a long time!

It's things like this that made me go to a "belly tone" class today. They are obsessed with pointing at their bellies, and if they can lift up my shirt and poke at my belly fat, even better! Tyler even likes to poke belly buttons - ewwww.

Tyler doesn't do his "silly" smile as much as Katie, but he has one too. Katie really looks like a Little Lance Mini-Me here, to me. Tyler was diggin' his boots - he clomped around all over the place and actually kept these "soos" on!

I'm a Big Girl!

The kids are getting into the stage where they are starting to mimic a lot of what we do, and echo things we say too (uh oh). They still haven't totally picked up mama and dada with intent, so I am still a bit concerned, but they are doing great with new words, and understanding directions, and trying to get their point across. I honestly feel like they are fine, but the mom/dad labels thing is supposed to be so indicative of speech development that it does worry me some. I think Lance is right, if there weren't two of them demanding the same attention from the same person most of the time, if we were able to give them more one on one time just to work on communication and words and coloring and things like that, then I actually think they would be ahead because they are picking things up really well with the limited amount of time we can put into it. For me, that is what is important - that they are obviously developing, that they seem to be on track, and that they are learning to communicate to make life a little less frustrating. I don't need for them to recite their alphabet or know their colors at this age - I just want to make sure that we don't need to provide any intervention to better prepare them. I really, really don't think we are anywhere near that point and I think that the "right" words will come soon.

I got to play tennis today (woohoo- it has been almost SIX months and I finally decided the money spent was worth it to get back out there), and Lance was on baby duty, which explains why my daughter is dressed the way she is in the pictures below. Cute, of course, but I just wanted to put it out there (in case she reads this one day) that I was not the one taking pictures of her in a diaper and socks!!! Since two of their newer words are "shoe" and "sock" they are obsessed with both - especially shoes of ours. They have figured out how to get them on their feet, and stand up, and grin like crazy because they think they are so funny, but until today they couldn't walk in our shoes and that was what Katie really, really wanted to do. When she finally figured out how to get my shoes on her feet, stand up in them and then get them to move with her feet she was SOOOO happy! Lance said that he was cracking up and watching her walk around for a while before he finally decided to take some pictures. I guess it must be "twin mom guilt," or something, but I have a hard time posting only pictures of one of them, just like I can't get an outfit for only one, or give them un-equal numbers of cookies - very odd. But, these two of just Katie are too cute not to share, so it's a Katie only picture post (Tyler is actually, probably grateful since he was wearing the diaper/sock combo too)!

Please just be a stage!

Well, Katie hasn't had another all out temper tantrum but she sure has been pretty grumpy. On the drive home she is fine, but once we walk in the door all she wants to do it be held by me (while I have to fix them dinner, and would like to have some time without a hip ornament) and then when I hold her she isn't even too happy then. She is doing great right now though just playing and talking, so maybe she's just had a couple of bad days in a row and is on the downside of it. So-So and Lance's dad watched the kids last night while we went to the Vanderbilt game, and as if that wasn't nice enough they came with gifts. They brought some adorable Spring outfits for the kids and I couldn't help playing dress-up with the ones today that were just fine for a winter day spent indoors! Of course, Katie wouldn't cooperate and smile to accentuate how precious the dress was - but, I guess you'll get the idea.

Sad Katie

Happy Tyler, at least they so far haven't gone through these stages at the same time!

Katie loves wearing dresses so she can swing around like a princess.

Bear with a ball and block - I never noticed there were so many "B" first words. Katie paused for her crying long enough to try to get into some trouble

Tyler is now tall enough to reach the table from where he stole his sister's new hat AND managed to get it on his head. He was pretty funny walking around proud of himself for putting the "at" on all on his own.

Epic Meltdown

Head banging, hitting, scratching, clawing, pinching, biting, screaming and screeching that could be heard for miles - some kind of deranged animal, a feral cat, a dog fight, that's what it seemed liked but nope, it was Katie. You have never seen anything like this tantrum that Katie just threw for at least 20 minutes! I have no idea what started it, I think it was because we wouldn't give her a cookie or cracker (that she saw me eating because I have been sick) before dinner. It started off pretty normal - she ran to her dad and tried to coerce him into picking her up and giving her what she wanted. When that didn't work she slid out of his arms and proceeded to bang her head and kick her feet. When I tried to pick her up and calm her down she hit me, pulled my ear and hair, and would not stop yelling. Lance tried to take her back and distract her and the same behavior continued so she got put in the pack and play - a safe place to throw herself around and not hit anyone. We continued to pick her up when she seemed to have calmed down, only to have her freak out again and find new places to hit, grab and pinch. It was crazy - and we thought maybe she was in pain, but calming down at the sight of macaroni and cheese seemed to nix that idea. Lance says that he imagines this is what he was like when he was a kid and we are just in for it. I really hope not, I literally have never seen a worse meltdown from any toddler (on tv or real life), or adult for that matter. She has an odd rash too, that we can't determine if it is from a virus, if it is an allergic reaction, or what. I called the doctor and they seemed to think it was a virus and told us just to let it run its course. She hasn't been sick or had high fevers so I have my doubts - but I am going to hope and pray that this tantrum was a result of her not feeling well and they don't become a regular occurence. That is probably very wishful thinking, so I will just hope that they don't become too frequent until she learns to understand consequences, and can be reasoned with.