14 Months

14 months? 14 months? 14 months? How did that happen so quick?

So, what does 14 months look like at our house?

We have some new favorite games: Feed the dog and Climb the stairs (but coming down isn't as much fun)

Both babies have become speed-crawlers. I swear they can crawl 30 MPH!

As for walking, F is letting go a little more, but his center of balance is so high that he doesn't trust himself. His legs are so long that when he's sitting next to G, he's a half-a-head shorter. Both babies will take steps if you hold their arms. G likes to kick her legs way out in front of her or to the side each time she takes a step.

As you saw from my last post, F is saying "Hi". Within the last few days, G has started to say "Hi" too, but her's is more of an "Eyyyyy".

Both babies know how to point to their heads and noses and love to dance when they hear music.

On the first of the year, we had some "nanny drama" and had a "changing of the guard".

Their nanny who was previously with them four days a week is now with them only two days, and their "Thursday" nanny is (and sometimes her boyfriend - who is my good friend's son, and my nanny's four-year-old daughter) is now with them three days a week. To be honest, it's been WONDERFUL.

Our four-day nanny and her boyfriend adore them to death and love to take them out on adventures - to the library, to lunch, to the mall, to the indoor rec center playground, to the children's museum, to music class. Sometimes, they even go swimming!

At the Indoor Playground

Swimming

It's also great to have the kids around a four-year-old because they can see what an older kid can do. You can almost see them thinking "I want to do that!"

Oh, lots of days I wish I were a stay-at-home Mom, but knowing they are home having fun and in excellent care puts my mind at ease.
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Update 01-22-12

So I drafted the post over two weeks ago, but just never hit "post"...

Our company's subsidaries changed names on January 1st, so work was supposed to slow down after the first couple weeks of they year, but it never did. This is the first week like I feel like I can FINALLY come up for air.

Milestones
A few things have changed since I wrote this post...

• The only two places they are not really allowed to go are in the pantry and up the stairs by themselves. Guess where they ALWAYS try to make a mad dash to anytime we forget to close a gate...yup - into the pantry or up the stairs. Yesterday, F sneaked away and decided to sample our Lab's food...yuck! 
• F is now starting to let go with both hands when he squats down. He won't do it all the time...and he still doesn't trust his balance, but it's a start. G will lean against something, like her busy-box table, and let go with both hands too.
• Both babies are getting MUCH more proficient at the stairs. They still prefer going up to going down, but the "feet first" concept is starting to sink in. They're not 100% perfect, but I would say more than 60% they go down backwards vs. forward.
• When I have them on the changing table, I'll ask "Where's your belly button?" and about half the time they get it right. Another 30% they point to their heart and another 20% they are not even warm - usually pointing to their head or ears or mouth.
• G has FINALLY figured out to say "Ooooooo." I'll do it first and she'll  purse her lips and copy me.

We started them in music class agian last week and the difference between last spring and now is astounding. They will bop, clap or kick their feet in-tune with the music. We can defiitely tell they understand certain songs we've repeated again-and-again since they were very little, like "Hi, Hello and How Are You?"



At Music Class With Dad





At this age, They have two favorite toys:

1. Board books. They will sit for five minutes uninterrupted flipping back and forth and back and forth among the pages. They still won't point to colors or specific pictures if we ask them to...even though we rotate through the same 5 board books again and again and again and again. I wouldn't be surprised if they've heard "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" close to 1,000 times by now.

2. A Fisher Price "doorway" filled with activites - like a window, shape sorter, clock, doorbell, light and "jukebox" that plays tunes, weather, and traffic reports on "Alphabet Radio." G will crawl over to the radio and keep pushing buttons until she finds the song she's looking for. Once she does, she will bounce up-and-down and laugh. Her favorite song is a toss up between one that counts to 10 and the "Alphabet" song.

Physical Appearance

G's features have changed. She keeps her tongue in almost all the time now, her features look different and her hair becomes more honey-colored each day. She can use her bangs trimmed, but she's so squiggly that I am chicken to get anywhere near her face with a pair of scissors. She has also had a bunch more teeth peek through.

Teddy Needs a Hug

Foods

F's hair is still bleach-blond, short in front and he often has one little strand sticking up., If I put him in overalls and stripes, he is a dead-ringer for Dennis-the-Menace.

G loves her fruits and vegetables - especially blueberries. F still enjoys stuffing his cheeks full of bananas. The other day they tried moo shu chicken for the first time and I think it was a hit.

Good Morning!

 

At the Children's Museum - Baby in the Box

At the Children's Museum - Going Boating



Cheeks Full of Blueberries



Out to Breakfast With Mom and Dad

Until next time...

It's Official - We Have a Flirt!

New Year's was as fun as possible...

On Saturday, my DH and I finally went on a date - something we haven't done in a long, long, time!

Many weeks ago, there was a Groupon deal to an indoor shooting range by our home, so we spent an hour with two 9mm pistols. After, we did something very unexpected...

Ever since we moved into our home six years ago, I've HATED the side-by-side fridge. So, we made an impulse purchase and bought a shiny-new stainless steel, French-door fridge with freezer on the bottom. I can hardly wait until it arrives on Saturday...it can't be soon enough!

To finish, we went out for burgers. Unfortunately, I think mine might have been tainted and I was up most of the night sick. Without family nearby, I was hesitant to "phone a friend," but the kids are still teething, were a bit cranky,  and I was desparate. My angel of a friend rescued me and took the kids for the afternoon. This allowed me to sleep most of the afternoon on Sunday and recover. Ahhhh....thank you!

Monday, I had to work, but our Nanny took the kids to "Noon Year's Eve" at the Children's Museum. I wish I could have been there - but it wasn't to be this year...sob.

On New Year's Day, we took in the Van Gough exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and it was EXCEPTIONAL. It's the only stop in the USA and people are coming from all over the country to see the collection.  We are so lucky to live in a "large cow town" that has the caliber to bring in exhibits like this. I bought the tickets a couple weeks ago, thinking the morning after New Year's Eve would be slow. Boy, was I wrong! It was sold out before we even arrived.

G drifted off to sleep, but F appointed himself the "welcoming committee" and said "HI" to EVERYONE - hundreds and hundreds of times!

After, we went for a family lunch and F continued his "job" - picking up no less than five 20-something girls.

And now for something special...here he is in all his glory:

Enjoy!