The twins have already started doing things behind our backs! Yesterday, John and I put the boys in their cribs for a nap and when we left the room, they were lying down. A few minutes later (I don 't remember why), we looked in to find both of them sitting up! Up until that point, they could not do that - or at least we had not seen them do it. Tonight, Ben pulled himself from a sitting position to his feet and if his toy had been taller, I am sure he could have stood right up. Coop is still doing a strong commando crawl but is starting to rock on his hands and knees. It seems like every other hour, John and I are commenting at something new. We go back and forth on who we think will crawl first.
Ben has finally popped out one of his top teeth and you have never seen a happier kid (or parents). He is so much more cheerful is all smiles this week. And, he is eating so much better. We have started him on level 3 foods but he still does not eat nearly as much as his brother. Coop is still loving anything we put in front of him but Ben is not really showing any interest in table foods.
Alice learned something new at school on Friday - John and I are not sure what to think about it. She loves to dance and always asks us to put music on so she can perform but this time she had a song to sing with her dance. So she turns around and starts to wiggle her butt while singing "Shake your bootie, shake your bootie". um.....yeah.....John and I were at a loss. It was funny but at the same time seeing your daughter do that is mildly disturbing. I think I saw 15 new gray hairs sprout on John's head in about 30 seconds. This video is a long one (8:28) but it documents the dancing and Ben standing up.
As you can imagine, dinnertime in our home is never dull. We are always rushing the clock to get everyone fed before there are meltdowns. Tonight was an entertaining meal with happy/silly kids. Check out Coop's itty bity mohawk in the still shot of this video. Oh that reminds me, Alice has a small mole on her hip and every time she goes potty, she shows me her "Molehawk" ha ha ha.
2011 was a rough year. Incredible highs and incredible lows forced John and me to make some major changes in our lives. Towards the end of the year, we put the house on the market, pulled the kids out of daycare, I quit my job, and we moved to Virginia. So much drastic change - I feel as if we entered the witness protection program. It makes my heart ache when I think about everything/one we left in Alabama. Maybe, at some point, I will rehash the tumultuous last 6 months but I still need to get a little more distance from it so I can attempt to tell the story with a little humor. (does that every really happen?)
2012 will be a better year. I am already finding that in many ways, the change has proven to be good for all of us. John is really happy in his job. I found a job that is OK but getting better. The kids are happy and settled in our new home and new daycare. The move has brought us physically closer to my side of the family. In the 3+ months we have been in VA, we have already seen all of my immediate family more than we did in 2 years while we were in AL. That makes it all worth it, right? (But Flash knew that, didn't he?)
So, onward and upward. I am trying to set some realistic goals for myself and one of them is to blog once a week, if only to post pics of my adorable children. I have found a mantra and am going to try to keep it in the forefront of my mind everyday. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." Sounds ridiculously simple, right? we'll see...baby steps.
First up are the most recent cell phone/flip videos. The boys have been sitting up on their own for a little over a month. They will be crawling in about 2 weeks, no doubt. They have started interacting with each other so much and by that I mean, they have started stealing toys from each other. And they are brutal! I actually caught Cooper pulling Ben's hair on Monday. (a glimpse into the future 4 weeks, months, years, warrants a stiff drink)
Not sure why but we have started calling Ben, "BenBen". Maybe because Coop has such a very long nickname, "Super Duper Pooper Cooper". ugh, what can you say about these two?! They are awesome. At their 9 month well visit last week, the bruiser and his brother weighed in at 25 lbs, 13ozs and 30.5 inches and 21 lbs, 13 ozs and 29 inches (can you guess which is which?). It is amazing how much at 4 pounds feels when you are picking Cooper up. After carrying him around for a bit, I almost throw Ben over my shoulder when I pick him up. At 9 months, Alice was 21 lbs. and 29 inches.
The only thing that makes these boys twins is their birthday. They are different in everything from their looks to their temperaments, to their current abilities, to their teeth. Cooper is such a chill little guy. Almost nothing bothers him. He is sprouting his 7th tooth and has been fussy about it for a total of 20 minutes. He seems to be developing asthma so he has been getting regular breathing treatments this winter. We think that it is something that he will outgrow but he has a constant rattle in his chest and wheezy breathing. Coop has started a commando crawl and is starting to pull his knees up under himself - he will be crawling any second. He is not really interested in standing and doesn't seem to like it very much. I think it is because he is so darned heavy, he cannot support himself. He is an amazing eater (duh!) and will chow anything. We have started him on table food and so far he is really liking it. He is cool with just about any situation he is put in as long as he can still me John or me. If he has a toy in his hand, he will sit in his high chair for 30 minutes while I make dinner. He is a cheeky thing though, when his brother or sister are crying - he laughs, thinks it is hysterical. I see a smart ass in the making. He is going to be the child who gets away with murder by flying under the radar and keeping his parents laughing. He loves getting tickles and raspberries and has the heartiest laugh.
Ben is Mr. Smiles when his is in a good mood. He has mood swings like a teenage girl which all seem to revolve around his two top teeth. He has been trying to push though since Thanksgiving - his gums are huge and swollen but nothing seems to push them out. He loves, loves, loves taking a bath. I have been sitting him up in the tub and giving him a washcloth to play with. By the time we get to the washing part, I am soaked from his splashing. He is still very much a little wookiee - and by that I mean that he still makes this funny gurgling noise all the time (imagine the sound that Chewbacca makes). He has always been the more needy of the two but he is really coming into his own. He loves to stand and can do so for 20 minutes at a time. He can also pull himself up when holding my hands; he has not started pulling up on furniture yet though. He is not the greatest eater but we discovered last night that he does a lot better if he has a toy or other distraction in his hand; we can hold his other hand and shovel it in. He is a face rubber so dinner is a messy chore for him. Maybe he does it on purpose so he can have more baths. hmmm....I am on to him. He has a head full of hair that really needs to be cut but I cannot bring myself to do it yet.
Both Ben and Coop have been sleeping though the night for about 3-4 months and we have been putting them in their cribs awake for about a month. Ben only cried for a week or so but since then, they have been awesome. They are usually in bed by 7:30pm and sleep until 5:30am. We are so lucky to have such awesome little guys.
Smiley, laid back Coop
Ben is so happy...when he is not screaming.
Alice is doing great but is very much three. (whoever said the twos were terrible should be shot!) She has adjusted very well to the new house and school even after a false start on both. She has been amazing with her brothers - very gentle, entertaining, and somewhat patient. Knowing her and the family dynamics, she is obviously feeling some jealousy over her lack of attention. I know most of it is typical 3 year old behavior but she is shockingly willful, stubborn, and disobedient. She does not fear any consequence at all. We have tried reasoning, calmly discussing, yelling, counting to five, spanking, removing toys, bargaining, time outs; nothing seems to make much of a difference. I have turned to a book that suggests we speak to her like a caveman. I am still reading but will be sure to share if it works. We are most interested in resolving the staying in bed issue. This girl is training to be a hostage negotiator, I am sure of it. She comes up with one excuse after another at bedtime. We have a very set routine that we stick to but it just doesn't matter. Just as we kiss her good night and turn to leave the room it starts. "But Mommy, I love you and I want you" "I want you to sleep with me" "I'm thirsty" "I'm hungry" "I have to go potty" (this is the only one we allow her to get up for). Once we actually leave the room, we spend the next 10-75 minutes telling her to get back in bed and go to sleep. The pleasure of putting the boys down at 7:30 is spoiled by the sometimes two hours it takes to Alice to actually go to sleep. This book explains how John and I really feel some nights.
On the lighter side, she can be and usually is a very sweet little girl. She is smart as a whip, really funny, and again, shocks us with the things she does and says. Alice's tastes are as different as can be. She loves putting on make-up (made her some faux make-up to keep her out of mine) and dressing in costumes but also loves dinosaurs - T-Rex to be exact. She loves dancing and is a master at being very silly (see video below). She started ballet classes last month but does not yet seem to have the attention span to follow direction for the 45 minute class. I think that we will just let that fall by the wayside for a while and work on the silly dancing at home. She loves helping me in the kitchen and I have had to learn to set aside extra time to complete a task to allow her assistance. She is doing wonderfully at school and is bringing home a lot of artwork. Her class is behind where she was in AL as they are not really working on numbers and letters, but we read to her at home and work on writing as well.
Alice's first ballet class - a very short-lived activity.
We went to my Kevin and Stephanie's (brother and sister-in-law) house in DC for Christmas and had a wonderful time. It was the going to be the first time my whole family had been together since Thanksgiving 2008 but Tim and Cindy (brother and sister-in-law) came down with wicked colds so they decided to stay home. My mom was in her glory with all four of her grand kids under one roof and Alice was spastic just being in the same general area as Nate. Man, she loves Nate - so much that she tells us all the time that she is going to be "married with he".
The video below is Nate reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to his mom and Alice. This is a 5 minute video but it is worth watching - listen especially to Nate around the 1:45 minute mark. He is such a sweet, sweet kid. I cannot believe he is 7 years old already!
Nate, Uncle Kev, and Ben
Reindeer Alice
Rudolph Alice and Rudolph Nate
Nate and Alice decorating a gingerbread house
Nate cut a beard out of paper and pretended to be Santa. Alice was beside herself.
Telling Santa what she wants for Christmas
Nate reads "T'was the Night Before Christmas" to Aunt Steph and Alice (see video)
The only thing Alice asked for from Santa was an umbrella a lot of umbrellas. My mom wrapped up this rainbow one that was mine when I was a little girl. There was another one waiting for her at home (once I realized that one would not suffice).
And it would not be a day with a drama queen 3 year old without a meltdown.
Alice, Nate, and his friend, Cash. Doesn't Alice look like a tiny pixie compared to the big boys?
Ben likes to play bongos on his brother's head
When Coop wants to sleep, he will do it anywhere!
Some mornings it is obvious that Alice was up playing far longer than she was supposed to be.
And so there it is. This year is going to be a great one. Happy New Year to you!
