DaDaDaDa...Dog

Every week with the Twinks brings new and exciting changes. It's fascinating to watch how, all of the sudden, they try something new.

We've kept up our near-daily walks and they love to look around when they can stay awake. I have to imagine the change of scenery is quite stimulating for them - especially with all the smells and colors spring brings about.

F is babbling up a storm. The last few days, he's started his "Da, da, da, da, da's" and at one point clearly said "Dog!" He can't connect the da, da, da's to Daddy yet, but I bet that won't take long.

He has also told me (in his own words, of course - that only a Mommy could understand) that in addition to being a professional sun-bather and hot-tubber, he is going to be a part-time yoga instructor. Within the past week, not only is he regularly rolling from his back onto his tummy straight into "Cobra" pose, but he holds the toes on both feet with his hands and simultaneously kicks them straight out to the side - really, really fast. Often, one or both of his big toes find their way into his mouth - especially while on the changing table! I swear I've even seen him do a perfect split once or twice. BABY!

He invented a new game recently too. The objective is to score points each time he can sneak his thumb into his mouth while Mommy or Daddy is feeding him with a spoon. So far, the score is F several thousand and Mommy & Daddy zero.

G loves to try new foods, and there are very few foods she's met that she doesn't like. Recently we added some Plum Organics to the mix, so she's gotten to taste some "exotic" foods mixed together like "pears and peas and spinach" and "bananas and mangoes." Last night, I made string beans and blended it with a very ripe banana. I think we found her new favorite food combination...she finished the entire 1/2 cup ramekin in record-speed and continued to imitate a baby bird and squawk for more. She was so disappointed when she realized it was all gone.

Some of my favorite times with her have become after she finishes her breakfast / burping / diaper change  and I'm running out the door to work (usually late). I'll plant kisses all over her cheeks and forehead, and she'll squiggle, squiggle, squiggle her little face, close her eyes tight and smile in bliss, never wanting it to end. It makes it SO HARD to leave on the mornings that I have to come into the office.

G is now showing signs of wanting to be a physicist. Instead of rolling over, she'll pull her legs high up into the air, then slam them down as fast as she can - testing the theory of motion. She believes that if she bangs them down hard enough, her whole body will pop off the play-mat and she'll flip onto her belly vertically. Go G! Go G! Go G!

Today, at lunch, I was trying to describe the difference in personalities between them - and I think this about sums it up...

Earlier this week, I purchased a roller-coaster bead-maze toy which was recommended for 18-month olds.

Well, the manufacturers never met my son - because when I sat him up in front of it, he looked at the toy, a switch flipped, the brain cells started humming (yes, you could actually hear them), and in about two minutes his fingers were pushing the beads along the wires and his eyes were following them as they coasted and dropped. Granted, he wasn't very coordinated and sometimes was just happy to spin the beads, but he clearly got the point of the toy.

G preferred to lay on her side next to the toy and had a cartoon bubble over her head that said "Oooooohhh....ahhhhhh...red and yellow and green and blue and green and yellow and blue and yellow and red...and oh, it's shiny...and look, there's my puppy - I have to lick his nose...and yellow and blue and green and red....Great Grapes G! (giggle, giggle, giggle)"

And, so it goes in our happy house!