An Evening with Grandparents

My mom and dad came to visit, and I pulled out the camera one night when everyone roughhoused in the living room. 

Lydia especially likes to get in on any wrestling or daredevil antic Josiah does. Abby makes forays into the fray but doesn't dive in like her sister. They're both toughies, but compared to Lydia, Abby seems a little more delicate at times.

This particular evening the kids all had so much fun with Daddy, Pa, and Grandma . . .

 Lydia balancing on Daddy's feet

 Josiah wrestling with Pa

Lydia again

 Abby posing with Grandma

Abby made lots of hilarious faces for the camera. She and Lydia are both aware of picture-taking "etiquette"--or at least that cheesy grins, contorted expressions, and squinty-eyes are called for when the camera comes out.

 Of course, the iPad is always an attraction

 Josiah had to try the balancing act, too

 All three with Pa and his iPad

 Lydia posing on the exercise ball

 What a face, Abby!

 Abby in rare form

What funny girls I have!

16-Month-Old Twins

You know what's just about the cutest ever? My curly-headed girls giving each other high-fives while tandem nursing . . . and then holding hands. 

They are such fun and such stinkers these days. They regularly scratch faces and pull each other's hair, snatch toys, steal books, pull the other off the rocking horse, fight over Josiah's chair, screech at each other, snitch each other's snack, and swipe the other's cup. 

But they also give each other kisses and hugs, trade toys and books pleasantly (once in a while), chase each other and play peek-a-boo under couch cushions, follow each other to each new activity, scheme together, dance together, crawl on the table together, perch on Josiah's bed to watch the other get her diaper changed, squeal and talk together during naptime . . . 

 Lydia is into stealing noses since Josiah started in on that game

They both--but especially Lydia--like to imitate Josiah and be with him. Of the three, Abby is the most content to play on her own. Lately Josiah has cried when I put the girls down for their morning nap. "I want Li-ya!" he wails (even though they were often just fighting fiercely).

They wouldn't pose properly for a picture . . .

 . . . and Abby wanted to hide under the cushion, so started getting upset

A couple days ago all three were playing with Duplo. Josiah built a helicopter, a bird, and then (of course) a gun, which he started to point at his sisters and then quickly turned on lions, tigers, and bears. He did try to argue that Abby was a bad penguin that he needed to shoot.

Lydia surprised me by coming 'round the corner with an L-shaped Duplo creation--she held it correctly and clearly made "pow pow" shooting noises. This she would not know but for an older brother!

 Lydia

 Abby hiding

Lately Abby has tried her tongue at many new words. She mangles "Lydia" but happily says it when I ask. Along with other words I've reported previously, she says "dis" (this) and came out with "guck" (duck) on her own yesterday. When Abby wants to nurse, she pulls at my shirt and nods emphatically as if to preempt any objection to her request on my part. I guess it's more of a command. She employs the nod-and-ask technique with other things, too, usually pointing and using words and tone of voice to convey her desire.

 Abby's little bum

When I ask Lydia to say something, she usually refuses (shakes her head or ignores me) or nods if it's something she wants. For instance, if I say, "Lydia, can you say peas?" she just nods because she wants to eat them.

Both girls persist in using the "all done" sign, but Lydia typically uses more sign language than Abby--especially "more" and "eat/food." They often use appropriate intonations and tone of voice when I ask them to say "please" or if I tell them to be kind to each other.

They both nod their heads when I ask them to say, "Yes, Mama" in response to a request or command. Jeremy said Lydia shook her head "no" when he asked her to say, "Yes, Daddy" to something she didn't want to do, though.

Both girls are under here--can you see which is which?

I think the girls enjoy being in a room with Josiah these days. I hear lots of growling and laughing from Josiah and Lydia after we leave the room--but we usually have to revisit them several times before everyone settles down and goes to sleep. We still catch Josiah flipping over the rail into Lydia's bed on occasion.

One night last week I went to check the cause of crying. "What happened?" I asked Josiah. He claimed that Lydia tackled him--only possible if he was out of his bed and on or in hers! (Though she and Abby can climb out of their cribs, they haven't done so since the first few instances.) His stock response lately to our inquiries about Lydia crying is that she's "crying 'cause 'Siah's leavin' her."

At bedtime, Lydia likes us to drape blankets around her shoulders like a cape rather than covering her up while she's lying down. Abby decided for a while that she did not want to be covered and would shake her head decidedly when we approached. Now she stands up, holds out the blanket, and asks to be covered with an "eh-eh-eh?" noise whenever Mom or Dad comes back into the room to check on misbehaving siblings.

All three like to give rounds of goodnight kisses to everyone. Josiah wails if we forget to let one of the girls kiss him goodnight. Last night we all got plenty of slobbery smooches--often on the lips!

15 Months Old

Two weeks after the fact, here are some pictures and details about our fifteen-month-old twins!

Abby on the left, Lydia chewing the pig (dubbed "Piggly-Wiggly" by Josiah)

Lydia still weighs about two pounds more than Abby (they're 24 and 22 pounds, respectively--give or take a little). They're 31.25 in. long, which puts them in the 80-something percentile for height. They continue their trend of landing in higher percentiles than Josiah. One day they may catch up with him in height--hopefully only temporarily!

 Abby on the left, Lydia on the right

These days Abby and Lydia understand pretty much everything I say to them. If I say, "Do you want to take a bath?" they tumble over each other to rush to the bathroom. If I ask them to get their shoes so we can go outside, they say "sh! sh! sh!" and plop on my lap desperately trying to pull them on. When I ask them to be quiet as we exit their room after naptime--so as not to wake Josiah--they put their index fingers on their lips.

They love to make music!

The girls do say some words, but they also communicate pretty effectively through their combinations of sounds, motions, facial expressions, pointing, sign language, etc. Both say "hi," "da-ee" [daddy], and "mama" clearly. Abby tried to say "Lydia" yesterday (with lots of tongue movement) and also said "ball."

 Lydia

Lydia requests music almost every day by pointing at the CD player, whining, wagging her head, clapping hands, and (I think) trying to say "moo-si." She still uses "da-ee" as a kind of catch-all word, but especially for words that are kind of similar--like "Abby" and "dolly."

 Abby with Aunt Bobo

Both girls give kisses and hugs liberally. Abby sniffs as her kissing sound, while Lydia does a first-rate pucker and smack when she smooches. 

 Abby on the left, Lydia on the right

Both girls say "sh" for "shoes" and "ch-zz" for "cheese" (one of their favorite foods). They love to try on everyone's shoes, especially Josiah's crocs. They spend quite some time fighting over shoes, trying to get them on their feet, and then delightedly and proudly walking a few steps till they trip or the shoe falls off. They also love to pull all the shoes off the shoe rack and use it as a bench (which is not allowed).

 Lydia loves hats like the rest of 'em

They like to dance (Lydia's is a fast-stepping jig, Abby's is smoother and slower with more turning) and take me up on every offer to read them a book (but each wants my lap to herself). They love to page through books themselves, and they often aid each other in emptying Josiah's book case. 

 Lydia on top of Abby

Abby barks/growls just about any time she sees an animal outside or one in a picture (regardless of whether that animal actually makes a barking or growling noise). While she's very interested in animals and loves to see dogs when we're out walking, she's terrified if they come near her. She still doesn't like to pet the goats at the zoo. Lydia, on the other hand, chases every dog she can.

 Lydia

The girls are climbers now, too. Every day I have to pull them off the kitchen table multiple times, and they're getting dangerously close to being able to shimmy up their crib bars and flip over.

 This is what tandem nursing twins in bike helmets looks like . . .

 They love their new helmets and fight over them, switch them, bang them together . . .

 Sisterly love

These little sisters love, love, love their big brother. When he gets up from a nap, Lydia runs over smacking her lips and gives him kisses. Abby says "ah-ahh" (her "gentle" sound) in a sweet voice and leans in for a hug. They instigate wrestling and chase games and squeal with delight when he pretends to be a tiger and runs after them.

 Guess those shorts are gettin' too small, Bud

They want to do everything he does, which is cute but often leads to fights when all three want to read the same book, sit with Mama at the same time, play with the same toy, dig in the sandbox all together, pull the wagon all at once, etc. Two of the girls' favorite things are drinking out of Josiah's water cup and clambering all over his bed with him.

 Mesmerized by Shaun the Sheep

Last week we moved the girls into Josiah's room. The first night they were all awake till 10 p.m. Josiah threw a heavy floor pillow on Abby just when she had settled down, which raised a ruckus, and he's antagonized her in particular by throwing blankets, stuffed animals, etc. into her bed regularly. A few nights this past week everyone went to sleep fairly quickly and painlessly. I hoped this meant we had weathered the transition, but last night all three were awake till about 10:30 or 11, with alternating crying/screaming (from the girls), kicking the wall/jumping on the bed (Josiah), and playing/laughing/screeching (all three). At one point I went in to find Josiah vaulting over the side of Lydia's crib to join her (a big no-no). So I guess we keep persevering . . .

See how much they love him?

Ride 'em, Cowgirls

The girls vie for a chance to ride Josiah's rocking horse (made by Grandpa Scott for Jeremy when he was a little boy!), and once atop the steed, they attempt daredevil antics--no hands, standing up, flipping off, etc. Between my work at keeping them semi-safe, I took some pictures of them the other day. (Not pictured is the unlucky girl who has to wait her turn, usually trying to drag Sister off the horse, bugging Mama with whining about unfairness, or melting into a tantrum on the floor.)

Abby rides with spoon in hand

This is how the trick-riding begins . . .

Lydia ready to ride

Offended that Mama won't let her do tricks

Happy again

A quick trick before Mama stops the fun