Trouble

Alex decided the little red table would be great for climbing, and his brother quickly joined in. Spencer's monkey toes can climb on the tiniest strip of wood. Maybe it's time for hard soled shoes. ***, am I in trouble!

Monkey

I was sitting here at my computer drinking my coffee and checking my email. I heard Spencer let out a cry and turned around to see what was the matter. This is what I found.

An American Life

Ummm...I can't say this is what I pictured for my boys. But, really, they don't watch much television. Here they are, watching "Sesame Street" in their pajamas, eating Kashi Heart to Heart. Please, no comments on what a lazy mom I am sometimes!

Alex is Learning to Walk

These are from two separate falls. I'm not beating him, I swear!

"Purple is a good color on me, don't you think?"

Coffee table bruise and scratch from glasses (which broke in the fall)

The sweetest thing just happened. The boys were sitting on the living room floor watching "Baby Beethoven" and Spencer was babbling on and on about something as he often does. Suddenly he started singing "Al-LEE, Al-LEE, Al-LEE." So special!

Bear Steps

Tonight Ally Bear took his first steps! He went from one step, to two, to three, to nearly four all in the space of about five minutes. Alex takes his time getting to milestones (he's very cautious), but when he decides he's ready to do something he does it all the way!

Uh Oh

Until recently I allowed Alex and Spencer to watch television very rarely, and usually no more than 30 minutes at a time. Recent studies suggest that television affects babies' and toddlers' brain development negatively. Lately, however, since they're almost two years old, I have been letting them watch about an hour a day, usually a Baby Einstein video or part of "Sesame Street" in the morning, and their "Goodnight Moon" video before bed. The boys got up from their nap a little while ago. Spencer just pointed at the television (which was off, as usual) and then sat down on the floor in front of it. He was very clear about what he wanted...now we're watching Baby Einstein's "Meet the Orchestra." Ugh! Don't you turn into a couch potato, Spencer!

Laundry

Okay, so....as the sizes of the clothes increase the amount of laundry increases. I'm still wanting to do laundry just a couple times a week. It's piling up so quickly. I have to adjust my thinking!

Spencer Sprout

In my last post I said I thought Spencer had grown. Well, three weeks ago at the doctor's office (for a sinus infection) I asked the pediatrician to weigh and measure him. He hadn't gained much, but he had grown four inches in two months!

20 Months

Alex and Spencer are 20 months old. Wow! Time goes by so quickly...too quickly. It doesn't seem like that long ago that they were those fragile, barely viable, tiny little babies in the NICU. You would never know it to look at them now. Most people would have looked at their little bodies, with their see-through skin, all the tubes and wires attached to them, and thought "There's barely a chance they'll make it, and if they do they'll have so many problems," but we were fortunate. Fortunate to be surrounded by people who believed in miracles, that with enough love, positive energy, and prayers anything is possible. My boys are so healthy! As I write this Spencer is standing behind me, not holding on to anything for support, and clapping his hands. Alex is cruising around the living room carefully inspecting everything, as he always does. Two colds so far this year and no panicked visits to the doctor's office, no getting up in the middle of the night to give breathing treatments. Their health is better than I could ever have hoped for, and I am incredibly thankful.

Spencer seems to have sprouted recently. Maybe it's because he's walking tall, taking up to eight or nine steps at a time; it looks like he's as long as Alex now. At last weigh-in two months ago Spencer was a little over 20 pounds, and Alex was almost 24 pounds. Who knows how much weight I'm carting up and down the stairs now. Spencer still has just six teeth, but is working on more. Alex has a mouthful. 10 at last count, with four more pushing their way through right now. They rarely seem bothered by teething, or much of anything really; they are such happy, good boys.

Alex repeats words from time to time but mostly babbles. He loves to sing to himself when he's happy, "la, la, la" and when he's upset he'll request to be sung to in the same manner. He even sings to his brother when Spencer is upset. It's the sweetest thing. Spencer's most frequently used words are "yogurt" and "Ally." The both say "I did it" and of course "mama." The boys babble to each other in their own little language and amazingly seem to understand one another.

Alex's favorite toy is the bead maze. He loves to move the beads up and down and can entertain himself for a long time that way. Spencer likes to climb onto his rocking horse and bounce, one knee under him and the other leg over the side. He also "talks" on the play phone, putting up to his ear and saying "hello." They're both easy to entertain and keep themselves and each other occupied much of the time. Alex is playing the toy piano now (while wearing his "rock star" shirt...Mommy doesn't have any aspirations for him musically, does she?). They both love the piano, and often play duets.

Favorite foods
Spencer: Yogurt, bananas, Annie's Mac & Cheese
Alex: Eggplant parm, chicken
Both: Applesauce, Goldfish, Fig Newmans, Kashi Heart to Heart, and Veggie Booty

Favorite activities
Trying to get into anything that is obviously off limits or out of reach
Playing with their cousins
Dumping toys all over the floor for Mommy to pick up
Climbing on top of each other

Things we're working on
Feeding themselves with a spoon
Walking
Drawing with a crayon
Learning body parts (they know mouth, nose, hand, foot, and belly) and how to treat others gently (the biting has significantly lessened)

Favorite toys
Anything with buttons and lights
Bead maze
Musical instruments
Little People castle
(okay, I admit, I have influenced them in the direction of the last two just a little)

Woo hoo!!!

Alex just made it through the firehouse siren going off without crying for the first time!

Mommy Doesn't Live Here Anymore

My mom used to say this sometimes when we were kids. Four kids in four years...who can blame her? Sometimes you just want to go away. I love my boys. Seriously....seriously! But this virus we've had over the last week (first me, then Spencer, then Alex) has made things tough. I need a break. That's why I'm finally cashing in on the massage gift certificate I was given months ago. Saturday. And I'm getting my hair cut, and my eyebrows waxed. Because I need it, and I deserve it. Seriously.*


*For those of you who aren't Grey's Anatomy fans, this is me trying to give myself a pep talk, Izzie style. Ah, forget it. If you don't watch you won't understand. Seriously!

My Lion and My Monkey

My Lion and My Monkey
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

It's a jungle in my house EVERY day!

The Zoo

The Zoo
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Speak No Evil

Speak No Evil
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Lion On The Prowl

Lion in the Jungle
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

POTD 10.27.06

POTD 10.27.06
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

One of the boys' favorite things to do when we first come down in the morning is to look out the living room window. I haven't put plastic up yet and the big windows get a bit frosty or dewy. I've showed them how they can "draw" in the dew with their fingers. Here's Alex enjoying his morning lookout.

Spencer . . . took . . . threestepstoday!!!

Three times!

Picture of the Day 10.22.06

POTD 10.22.06
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Alex got new glasses, with an even stronger prescription. He's eating a Fig Newman in this picture. The boys love them.

Picture of the Day 10.20.06

POTD 10.20.06
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.