Pool time!!

The boys hosted a play date in their new pool with their pal from the neighborhood and had so much fun. Connor, who wasn't really all that thrilled with his plastic pool warmed up at the end and appeared to be enjoying himself despite some of the faces that he is making!!

You've got to move fast to catch the fastest kid in town

I made this collage in an attempt to give an idea on how fast that Jackson maneuvers. These pictures were all taken in probably no more than a couple of minutes. He is always on the go and the fastest kid in our house whether that is by maneuvering or emotions but it wouldn't be as much fun!!

Hattttt

Connor has been building up his vocabulary with lots of words that end with T. Most of it is done in an exaggerated tone on the end of the word as if there are extra Ts. Last week, Connor was sitting in our bedroom and was staring in the mirror and started saying Hattttt, Hatttttt, Hatttttt. I applauded him for saying the word but chalked it up to him just babbling. But, once I got up, I realized that Michael's hat was sitting on the dresser and that Connor could see it from his vantage point in the mirror. It always amazes me how much that they are learning and can see even if I totally missed it the first time.



Regardless of how much he likes to say the word, he doesn't like to wear a hat. I was lucky enough to catch some pics of him today.

19 Months

The month of July has been one of the most interesting months to date with the boys.

The first part of the month actually had me questioning whether or not I could continue to stay home with the boys. There were several factors including teething (thank you Orajel and stepping back and realizing how much food the boys actually do eat despite the throwing(and having to clean up what was thrown)) and the install of a gate at the bottom of the steps to stop the continual yelling and screaming of no to both boys to stop climbing the steps. They were both getting up the steps in record time and either hiding or throwing bath products in the tub and it was too much so we caved. There were too many days that I was hoarse by nap time from all of the yelling and screaming, which wasn't very healthy for me or the boys.

The end of the month reminded me of how very lucky that I am to be able to stay home with them and we are NOT looking back. They are soooo much fun and are learning new things every day.

Here are some of the things that both boys are doing...

* distributing their plush in the nursery
* starting to show some jealousy of each other if they are not getting either mine or Michael's attention
* think that they are too cool for bibs :( this is a HUGE problem especially since they can get the bibs off probably faster than I can get them on
* playing very well independently and imaginatively
* fascinated with the trash and shoes. YUCK,YUCK and more YUCK, which often times relates to throwing toys and storage containers into the trash. so, we have to really keep an eye on them and their proximity to the trash
* can retrieve things when asked and are following simple instructions very well
* are enjoying their pool, caterpillar and slide. we are struggling with managing the boys outdoors so a camera really hasn't made it into the mix. will eventually get the courage up to take the camera out.


and, just about Jackson




* pushes Connor in the back when he takes something from him or gets to something before he can (which is very rare) or just has something that he wants. this is very concerning because he often does this when they are on the landing and there really isn't any place for Connor to go
* can negotiate the landing without holding on to anything or anyone
* has taken his diaper off a couple of times. we are hoping this doesn't continue
* walks on his tip toes and is LOVING hoppin tots. he can actually do the climbing wall on his own without assistance
* willingly goes to timeout, which may defeat the purpose. and, Connor joins him even if he hasn't done anything wrong.
* finally gives kisses. he thinks that they are hugs so if you want a kiss, just ask for a hug. he may or may not be willing but it's not happening if you ask for a kiss
* can do puzzles. it is amazing to see the wheels a turning as he scans the puzzle for the appropriate place.
* covers his face when he is "hiding," which he likes to do a lot. he has rearranged furniture and will stay back if I bring Connor up for food just so he can get the opportunity to "hide" in plain sight on the couch.
* there was a toss up between this and the last one but it doesn't happen often enough to be the best BUT still rather cute is his re-inaction of injuries. he will walk either Michael and I over to the spot that he got hurt and show us how it happened.
* and, I saved the best for last-- can do a spanish style flamenco dance with his arms tilted to the side while he spins around all while up on one foot. it is quite a sight and we will try to get a video because it is a-w-e-o-s-o-m-e.

There's only one Jackson Charles and we wouldn't have it any other way. He is so full of life and emotions that you never know what you are going to get. It is a true privilege to be able to spend every day with him because you never know what is going to happen or what he is going to get into!

and, coincidentally Connor..





* can negotiate the straw on his new sippy cup by sliding the opening back and forth
* wants to walk up the steps while holding someone's hands. ever since his fall down the steps (gasp), he has been kind of hesitant to climb them on his own. he has gotten so confident walking up the steps that he uses one foot for each step.
* fell asleep without his penguin in the crib. besides all of the food and climbing the step problems that we were having in the beginning of the month, there was a lot of plush throwing in expectation of someone coming in to get the plush. I decided to stay strong one day and he fell asleep with his penguin lying outside the crib. now, I keep the door slightly open so that I can check plush positions at night and during nap and make adjustments, if necessary.
* mastered crocodile tears all in an attempt for someone to either get his penguin that we could hear him throw out of the crib or encourage us to retrieve him from the crib. oh how quickly the tears stopped once he heard one of us get out of bed and walking towards the crib (love the creak of the hardwood floors)
* spent some time panting for food and is a general food hound. if he hears something that would make him think food -- he is hot on the trail. and, since it is Connor, it is quite comical to see him turn on the engines to maneuver but always for food. he will try and basically demands to try everything that anyone is eating in his vicinity even after he has already eaten. and, has had all-out temper tantrums waiting for his after-nap milk cup :(
* does spins until he gets dizzy and I'm laughing writing it but realize that he could fall and hurt himself. I've started to stand close enough so that if/when he starts to get dizzy, I pick him up to avoid the fall
* is trying to repeat everything that we are saying. his vocabulary is building as he has spent a lot of time watching my mouth move when I form words. compared to Jackson, who does a lot of babbling -- Connor actually has a vocabulary. his words include: peas, please, cat, hat, is it for what is it, bye-bye, mammy for mama/mommy combined, daddy, baby (oh so cute), Jacksy for Jackson (he's really trying), pig and several more from the Hop on Pop obsession. note: I will not give him credit for a word unless people other than Michael and I can understand what he is saying.
* shows us items and wants us to tell them what they are almost all.day.long even if he already knows what it is
* and, my most favorite, and what makes him so sweet is his willingness to share. if Jackson has dropped his frog whether intentionally or not, Connor picks him up and tries to hand it to him. he will go out of his way to retrieve the frog and make sure that Jackson gets it back. can you say melt my heart because it does. he also shares food and will easily give in if there is a temper tantrum over a toy and lets Jackson have his turn with it.

Connor is like an old spirit and amazes us with his maturity on so many things (throwing of food and toys aside). He is caring, sweet and nurturing. It is like he is too wise for his short 19 months of life. Being able to observe his approach to life is a special treat for me and I look forward to the continued journey.

Stick it

We have been working with the boys every chance we get to introduce forks and spoons in lieu of their caveman esque approach to picking up food and shoveling it in their mouth (insert growling noises or beating on chest in pride). Never and I mean NEVER did we expect to have luck with ravioli. But, it just shows how much that they are growing and doing things that we would least expect them to do. I guess you can never underestimate how much that a toddler can do when he puts his mind to it. My personal thoughts on this are that the raviolis are hard enough for me to get on a fork so I definitely give them a pat on the back for being able to do it on their own. Connor wasn't as successful but by the smiles on his face -- it is perfectly clear that it didn't matter how he was getting the food.

Getting on the couches

I knew it was only a matter of time before the boys would figure out that sitting on the couch "like a big boy" was an accomplishment. Jackson was the first one to accomplish the feat and was so proud of himself. Connor didn't take as long as it usually does for him to catch up to doing things and even with his less graceful maneuverings does a good job. One thing that we have noticed is how much of a temper Connor has when he doesn't get his way or can't do something. The figuring out process of how to get on the couch resulted in a lot of tears and temper tantrums.

It is the sweetest thing when we come down the steps and see Connor on the couch in the morning (after having climbed it on his own) with a blanket covering himself that he placed there.

The biggest problem has been the next step -- jumping on the couch :( but we knew that was going to happen as soon as they figured out how to get up there. There has been lot of yelling to both boys to sit on their butts. Most of the time they oblige.

Obviously, we are concerned with their falling off while jumping. And, our not-so-graceful Connor is the one that we have most concern for. Jackson is so steady on his feet in awkward situations that I can usually focus my attention on getting Connor down.

Distributing the plush

The boys have started distributing all of their plush that they can find into their cribs. They are super fast with locating plush in the room and depositing them into their cribs. This even involves Connor's penguin ending up in Jackson's crib, which would typically be a no no. Despite the excitement of distributing the plush, Connor remains loyal to his penguin and throws out ANY unwanted plush (which is anybody other than his beloved) when it is time for naps and night night.

No smiles for you

One of my most favorite times with the boys (despite the struggle for a diaper change) is getting them up from their naps. In an effort for Michael to spend some more time with the boys (and for me to get some extra time in bed), he has been getting up with the boys.

They are their most happiest during this time and you can just tell how much fun the rest of the afternoon/evening will be bringing or not if they wake up in tears. I was able to get some pictures of them waking up from their nap to be able to remember how sweet they are.





In Jackson's set, I kept on asking him to smile and he would close his eyes. Just like the hiding in plain sight with his eyes covered is hiding, smiling with your eyes closed is not. To think like a toddler. He thought it was the funniest thing and was laughing each time I asked him to smile for me.


In Connor's set, he is showing off his whatever older brother does, Connor will do as there are several with his eyes closed too! Connor spends a good part of his day trailing Jackson and picking up the same toy Jackson just put down. It will be interesting how this will play out in terms of house dominance. Another thing I was able to catch was Connor showing off an exchange between his penguin and his new crib-allowed toy(blue elephant). Anytime, a new plush enters the crib, Connor has a sort of meet and greet whereby the new animal and penguin have a sort of talk about the rules of the crib. The elephant has been in there for awhile so I guess they were just having a refresher course.

"Cat" "Cat" "Cat"

Anybody that has met Connor knows that he has sort of a full on obsession with the Cat in the Hat. He loves to watch the show, he points him out on any book that he has him and I've even thought about doing a Dr. Seuss 2nd birthday party for the boys because of his love for the feline. While perusing the dollar bins at the Tarjay, we happened to find some potential party favors if we so decided to do a "Cat" themed party. Connor was sooooooooooooo happy and kept on repeating, "Cat," "Cat," "Cat," every.single.time, he would see something I had put in the cart. It was so sweet. I've decided not to do the Cat themed party because it isn't as big of a deal for Jackson (and they are twins). I did kept some of the items, and this notebook, in particular, results in squeals of delight every time he happens to see it.

Peas Please

The boys have always been fond of peas, which was sometimes hard for me because I do not like the way they taste and much less their smell. So, every now and then, I would steam some and puree them for them since they were still coming out whole. Since it had been some time and the puree is more disgusting (to me) to deal with, I wanted to try again. And, sure enough, Jackson and Connor were VERY happy to see the green balls of goodness. Connor even started saying "Peas, please." Now, how can I resist giving them to him when he has such a limited vocabulary as it is....

Mowing the hardwood?!?

They've got to start somewhere and they really can't use the mower on the lawn. And, yes, Jackson has both, which is not an example of how to share with your brother. Connor and the fish face may be one of my favorites of all time....

18 Month Well Visit

The boys had their 18 month well visit today. Connor was a little concerned when he saw the nurse that had previously administered his shots. He hadn't seen her in awhile and didn't want anything to do with her. She couldn't even get his weight on the initial attempt.

Dr. Sibila thought that the boys were meeting all of their milestones. He advised that he really couldn't do as thorough of an exam based upon their age. We discussed that Connor should have an extra 20 + words by 2 and that Jackson is going to move at his own pace and may forget individual words and move onto sentences.

Updated heights and weights:

Jackson weighed in at 23 lbs 3.5 ounces and was 31 inches
(we need to find an older brother shirt since he is the "little" brother)



Connor weighed in at 25 lbs 6 ounces and was 32 inches



Just to remind us AGAIN that they are twins, by the end of the night the boys had the same soccer band aid on the opposite thigh.