...that it would fly by, go too fast, seem like just yesterday - and they were all right. In the course of a month the girls are now zombie-crawling anywhere they want in the house and are pulling themselves up to standing on anything they encounter, including my pants (note to self: elastic waistbands are not your friend right now). In fact, they both LOVE standing so much that they refuse to sit. And when I say refuse, I mean they go stiff as a board when we try to put their butts on the ground and, even if we do get them to bend, they immediately toss themselves backward in a show of defiance and lay on the floor for mere moments before crawling over to something to stand back up again. Charlotte has even discovered a love for the couch and is now scooting (because walking isn't quite accurate just yet) back and forth, turning to stand against the coffee table, and then back again.
And man, do these kids eat! We've been trying several new foods a week and by the time we turn back again, it has vanished. This week we did pancakes, steamed zucchini, shredded chicken, and yogurt. Not all in the same meal. We're not animals. Ok, sometimes in the same meal. They don't know about flavor pairings yet! I try to keep a balance of a protein, a grain, a dairy, and a fruit/veggie, which means they get 4-5 course meals, which is better than Sean and I eat. We've resorted to convenience food for ourselves quite a bit. Thank goodness for Morning Star Farms! In a single meal they'll eat a cup of canteloupe, a scrambled egg, a slice of whole wheat bread with cream cheese, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup applesauce and a jar of baby food. No joke! Where do they put it?!
In between meals the girls also have formula and absolutely LOVE Cheerios. We put a blanket over a case of toilet paper so they could use it to stand up against and we ended up scattering "O's" on top and calling it "the salt lick" because the ladybugs scurry over to get it as fast as they can.
Both girls have just started to appreciate mimicking us: repeating syllables we say even if they're not identical, holding out their hands, jumping on our laps, etc. Charlotte loves to clap and to carry things around in one hand while she crawls through the house. Lilah has discovered how to make a kissy noise and will make it on demand. We're trying to work on waving and sign language, but I'm beginning to think I'm the only one in the house who is making an attempt, so we'll see if they pick it up or not. Right now the one thing they can do is bang their hands on their high chair table when they run out of food or want another bite from the spoon. No, that is not the correct sign for more, but I get it.
They have their good days and their HORRENDOUS days - I call it their tide chart of moods because it goes up and down so much. Waking up early from a nap, not eating enough, and the msyterious "no reason at all" can get them whinier and fussier than Britney Spears without a Frappuccino. They want to be held, but not really held. They want to stand in our lap and turn around and around until even I'm dizzy, but they don't want to look at anything in particular. They want to be near us at all times, but mostly so they can use us as a jungle gym. They whine and cry at the tiniest little movement if they think for a moment it means we're getting up from being at their every whim. It's utterly exhausting. And it's usually both girls at once. The catch phrase you'll hear over and over again in our house is: "If there were just one...." Poor Sean takes the brunt of it because he's home with them every afternoon, but on the weekends I get more than my share as well.
Part of the fussiness may be because of their top teeth. Charlotte had her right top front tooth break through this weekend, so that probably means that Lilah isn't far behind. Pretty soon they'll start looking like little rabbits.
We had an outstanding photographer, Sarah Sweetman, come to our house this weekend for the girls' first ever portraits and I'm extremely excited to see how everything turned out. Sarah is starting to build her business and portfolio and from the looks of it she will be a blazing success! She was very sweet and patient with the girls, had brilliant ideas, and came very well prepared. At one point, Charlotte knocked over the giant Tupperware of O's I had to entice them to stick around, and then she gloriously began scooping handful after handful into her mouth and throwing it around with a gigantic smile on her face. She looked like Uncle Scrooge in his money bin, except instead of coins it was cereal. Charlotte found her happy place. So, Sarah suggested we take off their outfits and let them swim around in O's and get some good shots out of it- perfect! It was so completely adorable and darned if Charlotte wasn't grinning from ear to ear the whole time!
Here is a sneak preview of some of the cuteness:
1 comment:
Keep on writing ~ I really enjoy the ladybug saga.
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