Hurray for baby boys

A couple of weeks ago we found out that Jack and Charlie will be getting a baby brother in April. They are excited and we talk about him a lot. They can tell you his name and that he will be coming in the spring. A couple of days ago we found out that our sweet godchild Caroline will also be getting a baby brother in April. It will be fun to have these two new little boys grow up together (they are due on the same day). I'm sure Caroline will do a great job of keeping all 4 boys in line on our vacations!

Crumby weather = Early Christmas gifts

The weather here has not only been pretty cold (for Tennessee in December) but also very rainy. We have bundled up on the couple days when it didn't rain to venture outside but we're all getting cabin fever. Enter the Christmas gifts. Last week I decided to give them one of the toys I had ordered called "Fun with Fruit". It's fake fruit that velcros together and you can "cut" it with a fake chef's knife. They played with it non-stop for about two hours. It's been a very big hit.

Yesterday they got a work bench from Poppa. If "Fun with Fruit" was a hit, then this is the best gift ever. Not only did they both run right for it yesterday but they have been playing with it for well over an hour and there have been no fights. They actually seem to be taking turns standing in front and working while the other "talks" on the phone or picks up dropped pieces from the floor. If you know a two-year-old boy for whom you still need a gift I'd seriously consider this.

SANTA!

So we decided that the line was too long at Saturday's outing to wait to see Santa. Instead we went to the mall yesterday morning. It was great timing. There was no one in line - the picture guy was reading the paper. I thought it would probably go pretty well as they are really getting into the idea of Christmas. I bought them an Elmo movie about Christmas and they ask to watch it everyday at least once. Also my mom got them a Little People Nativity set and they have played with it almost non-stop. The stable plays "Away in a Manger" and the star lights up at the push of a button. As with any button prompted action this is a big hit. We've also started our advent calendar and while I'm sure they don't really get it they like to watch me move the elf and say "Merry Kissmes" each morning. Anyway, Jack must have thought that Santa didn't know his alphabet and so recited it for him several times. Santa was nice enough to sing along at least once. Charlie didn't have much to say but did give Santa several fives and sat very nicely during the whole thing. That was a feat in itself for Charlie who rarely stops moving. They took about 5 shots before the boys started trying to get down. I thought this one was pretty good.

Updates

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. We stayed in k-town and celebrated at my mom's house with the whole clan. The boys ran circles around the house all day and were asking "Bed?" and "Let's take a nap?" by 5:30. We managed to make it a little closer to bed time but they were exhausted. Charlie capped the evening off in typical 2-year-old fashion by laying himself out in the floor and crying (who knows why). They also really took an interest in playing the piano and were not too bad about banging on it.

On Friday we put up our tree and they tried to help some. Jack gave up pretty quickly in favor of entertaining us but Charlie hung in there. He would ferry ornaments between Chip and I. After we were finished he kept trying to take them off again. We're working on that. Jack loves to walk up and hit them to watch the lights reflect in different directions. Charlie keeps trying to eat one that looks like a watermelon slice, it's glass and covered in glitter so we're trying to discourage that.

On Saturday we went to a Christmas tree show for charity. It's held every year and different groups around town decorate and donate trees to be sold. They also have live entertainment and tons of children's activities. The boys loved seeing all the lights, got a hug from a polar bear, and rode the carousel. I wasn't sure how they would do with the carousel since our last experience was mixed at best but they both requested a ride and did well. We did it last since I was unsure if they'd go for it. That turned out to be a mistake since Charlie asked to ride the horsey again but we needed to leave. He cried. Next year we'll have to spend more time there. It was hard to take good pictures since we were also trying to hold them on the horses but at least we got some.

Baby it's cold inside

Last night's low was in the 20's. Man that's cold. Our playroom tends to lend itself to extreme temperature fluctuations. In the summer we have to use multiple fans just to make it tolerable due to the sun exposure. It will warm up today (thanks to the same sun exposure) but it sure can be cool on winter mornings. After both boys telling me it was cold this morning I decided to put their hoodies on them. Now Charlie keeps insisting that we go outside, since it's still just 22 we'll be staying in.

Trick or Treat

Well, they really only went to one house but they did try to say Trick or Treat. It was almost a battle trying to get Jack's costume on (I may go into designing children's Halloween costumes after that). They both hated their "hats" so we were completely unable to get a picture of them together in complete costume but here are a few pics.

Halloween Cookies

The boys did a little cookie decorating recently with Meredith. Charlie spent most of his time smearing icing on his face while Jack methodically picked the sprinkles off one at a time and ate them.

Santa Claus is coming to town

Back by popular demand (seriously - lots of folks have asked for it) is the boys' blog Christmas list. Each item is linked to a picture/description of it on the Internet. Most of things are also available in local stores I just wanted you to be able to see them easily. I'm starting my shopping this week so I thought it was time to post this too. I'll try to add to it as I think of things and if you email me I'll take things off as well.

Pictures from the boys' birthday party

Here are some pictures from the boys' second birthday party. They got a huge new swing set from us and some of the grandparents. Chip put it together almost entirely by himself. The idea was to play outside all afternoon but it rained. Oh well. The Elmo balloon didn't hold up too well in the rain but the cake Aunt Phyllis made was great.

Check-up

We went for the two-year check-up yesterday. The computers were down so they couldn't give me any percentages but here are the raw numbers:

Jack weighs 32 lbs 10 oz and is 35.75 inches
Charlie weighs 29 lbs 13.5 oz and is 37.125 inches

They had to get two shots. One was a flu shot but we are now done with vaccines until Kindergarten. Overall they were real troopers and looked great all around.

2-years-old!

Wow! I can't believe it. The boys are already enjoying their big day. I sang to them first thing and Jack has been singing "Happy Birthday" to himself ever since. Here is a recent picture of them in their new Superman swimsuits. They just finished their second set of swim lessons and they are becoming real swimmers.

Charlie is very into blocks and will really amaze you with his towers. He also loves coloring and finger painting. We are going through a second crayon-eating phase though.

Jack is really into playing with cars and singing anything. He likes to color but wasn't too keen on the finger paints. He takes a good picture though as he has learned to say "1-2-3 cheese" and smile. Both have pretty much mastered ABC and 1 to 10 we are now very into colors and shapes. Blue seems to be their favorite color and they really like octagons.

We're soaked

The boys love water. This past Saturday we went to the duck race and found that there is a water play park down by the river. They loved it. Their outfits (and diapers) grew to at least twice their normal size. As you might predict Charlie went right for it, while Jack stood as far back as possible and took his time getting used to it before really getting in. The water was pretty cool and there was a breeze so I finally had to make them get out when Charlie went from just shivering to actually looking a little bluish. On Sunday we swam at Grandmomma's house. They are really turning into actual swimmers. We start our second round of swim classes this week.

In other update type news...Charlie can now count to 10 and identify at least 75% of the letters. Jack has an unbelievable memory and can "read" himself almost every book we own, even ones we rarely read to him. They both know most of their shapes and several colors. Charlie can do all of the puzzles picking out the right pieces for each one. Jack can sing along with just about any song he has heard before. His current favorite sentence is "As you wish!" which is really cute to hear him say.

A late night, well worth it

I was out until 2:30 this morning. Very unusual for me as I'm generally asleep around 10. But it was well worth it as we welcomed COEN early this morning after a long period of anticipation. His mom (my cousin Maria, who is more like a sister than a cousin) and dad are doing great and are thrilled to see him. He is just perfect weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and 19 inches long.

Where does the time go?

I can't believe July is almost over and I have not posted anything. Things here are just rolling along. There is a lot of dancing and a lot of talking (not all understood yet.) The boys are very into "farm" themed things right now. Last weekend they got to go to Grandaddy's real farm and sit on the tractor (Chip and I were gone to a wedding in NC) which was a big hit. They have also been taking swimming classes and doing really well. In fact they love it so much they try to rip off their car seat straps as soon as we pull into the parking lot. I have no pictures of this though as it is a Parent/Tot class. Meredith, our good friend and beloved babysitter, helps with the lessons too.

Finally, on "film"

Jack has been saying his ABC's all the way through for over a month now but every time I get the camera he stops to investigate what I'm doing. My sister-in-law, Sara, was here yesterday and was able to keep his attention on the task at hand while I finally got it on video. As he started through a second time I got a little greedy (trying to get a visual of him pointing to the letters as he said them) and he saw what I was doing and got distracted. Oh well, once is enough I guess.

He speaks...

Charlie finally decided to talk to us a couple of days ago. He's been saying 6-10 words (which is the normal range) for several months but with Jack counting to 20 and saying his ABC's its been strange having him still be mostly into gestures but the day before yesterday he just started talking. He has decided to start with animals and body parts mostly. So far he says panda (of course), giraffe (which is really just raffe), zebra, ear, nose and mouth. He has also added a few utility words like eat and help. Jack is going very slowly with his sentences. We've still only gotten a few out of him. Last Saturday he brought Chip a book and proclaimed "I say book." It seemed pretty appropriate. They are also both very interested in helping right now. In the picture they were helping Chip wash the car.

I draw paper

We have our first real sentence. Jack is very talkative right now and spends lots of time naming things, reciting his ABC's and doing his numbers. This morning at church there was a little boy his same size but a little older who could really talk in sentences etc. I got the report that Jack was fascinated by him. It seems to have inspired him as this afternoon he told me "I draw (on the) paper" as he began to scribble on his paper. Charlie has started picking up a couple new words a day and I'm sure they'll be talking my ear off in a matter of days.

Kidz fun kutz

The boys hair was getting really long (as you can see in the picture above). I've been cutting it myself but it is getting harder and harder. Also, it grows so fast that I had to cut it about every other week. So yesterday afternoon we took them to Kidz Fun Kutz.

Charlie went first and he did great. He was really pretty cooperative and sat relatively still. He really liked the airplane and watching VeggieTales. He did try to watch every TV in the place so since we were the only ones there she just turned the others off. I was amazed at how well he did, no fussing at all.

Jack went second and fussed just a little. Mostly he just wanted to get down and run around somemore. He was also really interested in what Charlie was doing in the firetruck (another of the seats). But overall not a bad showing either. The stylist was very patient and very good. She didn't mind the wiggling or looking around at all.

They both have much shorter "summer" 'dos now.

Living the high life

We're at the beach and the boys are living a life of leisure. They really like playing on the beach (especially Jack) and in their little pool. They also greatly enjoy being waited on by all their loving family. Charlie has eaten his weight in watermelon and Jack loves kicking back on the couch.

A quick catch up

The boys have had a virus that kept them from sleeping well, thus mommy wasn't getting any sleep. All of last week I napped when they napped. This week we have been very busy preparing for our vacation. There is a lot of talking going on. Charlie can point out most of his body parts and say some of them. Jack can say ABC's to J without help and all the way with a little coaching. There is also a lot of coloring going on. The other morning I caught Charlie sitting in Jack's lap. It's very sweet how they are really becoming attached to each other. We'll post an update from vacation soon.

Playroom picnic

Lunch has been a challenge lately. Today I decided to try something different just for a change. So we cleaned up the playroom and had a picnic in the floor. They liked it a lot - especially playing with the sheet and running around from toy to toy between bites. In the end they probably ate about the same amount they usually do even though they definitely did not sit still. It was a fun experiment anyway.

18 month check-up, finally

We finally went for the boys 18 month check-up today. What a surprise - for the first time since they were born Charlie weighs more than Jack! I had Jack re-weighed but it's true. Here are the stats: Jack weighs 27 lbs 7.5 oz and is 33.75". Charlie weighs 27 lbs 11 oz and is 34.25". She said both look great and are well within normal ranges for all developmental areas. Aunt Ria went with us and got to see what a well child check is like. It was probably our hardest check-up thus far in that Jack definitely knew where we were and was not happy about it at all. Charlie was in a great mood though and put on quite a show right up until his shots. The good news is that we only get 1 shot next time and then we are done with regular vaccines until kindergarten.

Swimming

Yesterday's high was 80. The boys have been kind-of snotty, restless and grumpy for almost a week now so we are really looking for distractions. I decided it was time to get out the pool. They really enjoyed it. I would estimate that half the water was out of the pool before they were through. If you've ever seen them splash in the bath you know they can move some water.

Our friend

We have a bunny. He/she lives in the bushes behind our basketball goal. It is not skiddish at all and will come out even if you're playing a game. The boys are fascinated and of course try to get close enough to touch. He/she lets them get within about 2 yards before hopping off. I used to think it was a boy bunny (I can't really say why, I just assumed) but now I'm fairly sure it's a girl. We had been seeing her every evening but then we didn't see her for a couple of weeks. But yesterday we saw her 3 times and she was eating a ton each time. She also was a little more slender than before and I think she may have had babies.

At long last

A new post. The boys are cutting their second year molars. This round hasn't been so bad except that it has really messed up their sleep patterns. For the last couple of weeks Jack has been wide awake for at least an hour each early morning (like around 2 or 3 AM.) So instead of posting new stuff I've been napping during their naps which have also been a bit hit or miss.

There are lots of new things happening. The boys are dancing up a storm. Charlie spins, shakes out his hair and does this little side to side step. Jack bounces up and down, spins some and marches in place. They are working on and can partly do several animal sounds. Jack is so close to full on speech that I dream about him really talking almost every night now. He babbles a lot of things that sound oh so close to real sentences and has added several new words. Charlie knows everything you say to him but doesn't say as much as Jack does.

They are spending lots of time working on their puzzles and I'm sure they'll have them figured out any day now. Yesterday we got out the shape sorter for the first time in quit a while and they really got the hang of it. Books continue to be big favorites and sometimes we have to hide certain ones since they will try to make you read the same one 4 or more times in a row.

With the warm weather we've been going out to the park some. Charlie, true to form, loves the big kid slide and does not want you to go down with him. (In the picture above he really prefered to go down the yellow slide in the background without daddy holding on but I had to catch him at the bottom and couldn't get any pictures. Jack also prefers to swing by himself but this park didn't have toddler swings so he was stuck with me.) Jack will do the slide but really prefers to swing the whole time. They also continue to love the water and have already been playing in the hose some.

By far the most popular two things right now at our house are playing patty-cake (you'll catch Jack doing it dozens of times a day) and pointing to something accompanied by "that?" or "that!". Sometimes Jack gives up on the patting part and just rolls it up and throws it in the pan. Charlie will do it too but he is far less enamoured with the game than Jack is. Charlie is more into pointing to his belly or ear or belly-button.

Happy Easter

We had to make an emergency trip to the mall yesterday as I realized the boys shoes were not going to fit. I had completely forgotten that the Easter Bunny would be there. He was right outside Stride Rite and while they were getting fitted Granmomma took turns letting them walk out there to see him. They were fascinated so we decided to try for a picture. I was ready to abandon ship at anytime but there was no need. They both loved him. They smiled and laughed and patted him. The bored teenage girl working the camera didn't get any pics when they were both smiling but this one was pretty good anyway.

Just in time for Easter pictures

Driveway rash. Walking on concrete is hard in more than one way. Both boys took a little tumble in the driveway Monday evening. Jack scrapped his nose up a little (it's all but gone now) and cried for about 30 seconds. Charlie scrapped his chin up a little more and did not cry at all. They are super cute these days. They chase each other around the play room. Charlie even ran up and gave Jack a big hug on Monday but he had so much momentum going that they both fell down before I could even react.

Our first basketball game

Today is unseasonably warm. In fact, it seems ridiculous to see pictures of the boys in snow gear now. This afternoon we took them outside for a bit and a basketball game broke out. They are both very interested in balls of all types right now and did a good job of scraping their knees and feet crawling around after the ball. (Crawling seemed to be preferred as the ball was fairly unwieldy for a little boy to pick up and carry while walking.) The game was definitely short on scoring and offense in general but it was a great defensive showing on both sides and included quite a few jump balls.

Snow day

OK, so it's not quite like the snow days Leslie and Caroline have in Cincinnati but it is snowing here today. Supposedly we are going to end up with 1-2 inches but I'm doubtful. At any rate, I dressed the boys right after breakfast and rushed them out to see it and take a few pictures. It was pretty icy on the deck so they stayed pretty rooted in place. They were mostly interested in watching Maddie frolic around and slide a little. They were also trying to figure out their way too big snow boots. Huge flakes were falling when I had Charlie out there but by the time I got Jack out they had gotten much smaller although still a lot and falling fast.

Playgroup

We went to play group yesterday for the first time in quite a while. I was very surprised at how well the boys did. The house we were at happened to have a couple of extra booster seats that the boys were happy to sit in and eat their lunch. They also sat very patiently and took it all in while I finished my lunch and gathered up our stuff. But when I took the trays off to clean them up they decided they'd had enough of just sitting there. I just had the chairs in the floor so it was easy enough for them to just lean forward and start crawling around, despite the fact that they were still straped in. I was able to get a picture as they both went in different directions.

Happy Birthday, Caroline

Happy second birthday Caroline. We all hope you have a wonderful day and an even better year. We miss you, love you and hope to see you soon!

Out for a ride

As a cap on his workout Chip has been pulling the boys up the hill in our neighborhood after his runs. If you've been to our house you know that the hill is nothing to sneeze at. The boys really enjoy it. I took this picture a couple of days ago when it was not too cold but very windy. Meredith gave them these boggans and gloves for their birthday. They are fascinated by the gloves and hold their fingers straight out for minutes at a time when we put them on.

It arrived!

The panda arrived on Monday. I have to say that he/she didn't get quite the reception I was envisioning. I was expecting big smiles, maybe clapping and a sprint across the room. Charlie was only mildly interested at first. Jack was far more welcoming, giving his panda a big hug right off (I'm no dumby and ordered one for each boy just in case they both fell in love.) Since their first meeting Charlie has become quite a bit more interested but he still isn't carrying it around like he does the puzzle piece. At least I can say I've offered him something more cuddly and if he sticks to the wood that's just a personal preference.