Our Twinkies are 1!

Happy, Happy Birthday to our sweet little men!

This has been a huge month for both boys.  There are lots of new things almost daily.  I can only imagine what the next year holds for us...

Jake:

20 lbs, 3 oz

 29"

Jake is walking everywhere!  He definitely fits the description of "toddler" now as one needs to be a few steps ahead at all times as a crash could be just around the corner.  (See "Figure 1" above - the bandaid is a badge of courage for his tumble into the door.)

Loves exploring.  I think he would be happy all day long if I just followed him around the house...down the hall, in the bathroom, up the stairs (only when we are close behind), in our room, in the kitchen...

Claps and waves, espeically if Charlie claps or waves to him.

Now has 9 teeth, including his first molar!

Says "mama" and "ah-da" occasionally (though I still think "ah-da" is a universal term) and I think he said "boo" a few times while playing peek-a-boo, which he now initiates from his carseat via the mirrors.

Eats non-stop.  While he can put a spoon in his mouth if we hand it to him, his preferred method is the shovel (as in, hand to mouth).

Eats whatever I put in front of him...usually.  However, he has signs of some potential allergies, so we're getting him tested this month.  So, maybe we'll have to limit some of those things in front of him for the time being.

Oh!  This is wild.  He sometimes (please excuse the bathroom talk here) pees for us...on que!  Actually, we got tired of getting peed on all the time (this newborn fad didn't fade as he got older), so we started waiting to fully take off the diaper until we were sure there would be no "shower."  Now, he will sometimes pee on command!  Once on the changing table with his diaper still covering him, I'll say something like, "Ok, Jakey go pee-pee for mama," (don't you love the grown-up talk) and then I'll wait a few seconds.  And...many times (especially if he is still dry)...he does...and then he will give me this sly little smile.  So, crazy mom bought a mini-potty last week.  I thought, "Who knows, if he pees on command in his diaper, maybe he'll do in the potty."

Well, as of his first birthday, he has now peed...in it...5 times. 

(Now, he makes no effort to actually tell us he needs to go, it's a lot of good timing on our part, but we're still pretty giddy about this crazy trick!)

Charlie:

16 lbs, 15oz

29"

Charlie is CRAWLING!  We are pretty excited around here!  Thanks to a LOT of hard work and his wonderful new physical therapist, he has made great strides this month.  He is now sitting up* on his own (from lying down), crawling, pulling up to stand, and even cruising!

*The first time he sat up on his own, he was in his crib.  I was just outside the door and heard him grunting.  I peeked in thinking he might soon need a diaper change (hence the grunting), only to find him on his belly, nearly doing the splits.  Next thing I know, he had muscled himself to sitting!  And, the best part, though he thought no one was watching, he clapped...for himself!  Darn right, little man, you worked nearly 12 months for that accomplishment.  You clap away! :) 

Meanwhile, mom is tearing up at the doorway...

Now claps and waves by verbal only request.  We discovered this on accident as Scott and I were talking in front of the boys and one of us said something about how we saw Jake waving.  All the sudden, Charlie started waving.  We thought it was a coincidence, but then we honestly got a bit freaked out when he clapped, then waved, then clapped...then waved again all with our verbal requests only.  (I actually may have then whispered to Scott, "Oh my goodness, they are becoming little humans now, aren't they???") 

"Performs" other tricks, such as buzzing his lips, clicking his tongue, giving a "low" five (as opposed to a high five), getting the ball for mom (sometimes), and copying the fire truck sound in one of his books.

Now has 3 teeth, officially, I think (2 bottom middle, one top, upper right, 2nd from middle).  3 more are pushing through as I type, so soon he should have all four of his top chompers.

 

 

Though he has had issues with dairy (he would get a blotchy rash around his mouth in addition to some ongoing eczema), he has just this week had yogurt with no reaction.  Hoping we're maybe growing out of it???  I think some good dairy fats would help pack on some needed pounds!

Recent Vocabulary: 

"Da-ee" or "guh-guh" - Doggie/Dog (Can't quite get the g in the middle yet.) 

"Baa" - Ball

"Jay" - Jake (heard this as he pointed to brother a few times)

"Uce" - Juice

Both Boys:

As Charlie has just started to sit up and stand up, we now often find them standing and "talking" to one another in their cribs after waking up in the morning or after a nap.  Listening to them over the monitor (or outside their door) is truly one of my favorite things.

Their "conversations" are getting longer and more detailed these days.  For example, we think they discussed removing their bibs after lunch yesterday.  It may have gone something like this:

"Charlie, you don't need this neck thing anymore.  See, yank at it like this." 

"Oh, you mean like this?"  (Yanks at bib.)

"Yes, see, like this."  (Pulls bib off and bangs it on the tray.)

(Pulls own bib off.)  "Oh, okay. Thanks for looking out for me, bro."

Of course, it sounded a lot more like, "Ah...ba-da-ba-da-bah!"  But, Scott and I still just kinda sat there, in awe.

They often copy eachother.  (This may have been the at the heart of the bib story, actually.)  Jake will often wave to Charlie, and vice versa.  They will clap for one another, or make noises back and forth.  Charlie often mimics sounds that Jake makes, even those made during a tantrum.  But he does it in fun, which is actually pretty funny.

Now nursing just once a day, first thing in the morning.  Somewhere around 8 months, we started dropping one feed about each month and replacing with formula/more "real" food.  I'm sure it won't be long until they are done, and though I may be just a tad emotional, I'm definitely ready and they seem to be as well.