Exploration

With their newfound mobility, Clara and Hank just seem happier. Through their crawling abilities, they are exploring every remote region of their playroom, as well as the front room. Their drive to explore, move, climb, stand and generally play seems neverending. I now understand why babies need so much sleep: during the limited time they are awake they are constantly on the move. It makes me tired to even watch them sometimes.

Yesterday, the babies had their first play period in the snow. I'm not sure they enjoyed it, but hey, we figured it was worth a shot. Hank tried hard to crawl in the snow, which is much harder than one I might think. Clara was more content to just check everything out than plow through the snow.

Generally, these days are just full of "what's this?", "what's this" type moments. It's hard to predict what will make them smile, but there sure are a lot more smiles these days.

From November 11 months

From November 11 months

Dada, Dog Dog, and Duck Duck

I can't be sure whether it "officially" counts, but we think Clara has started saying a few words. She can now some what point at the dog and properly identify him. There are moments when "dog" sounds a lot like "dad", but hey, she is only 11 months!

Clara has also figured out that if she doesn't want to be corrected for playing with her sippy cup, she can just turn around while drinking and avoid having mom and dad see her. So, immediately upon getting her cup now, she starts spinning to ensure her back is to me. Amusing, annoying, and intelligent all at the same time.

Hank is just so close to taking his first step that I'm constantly watching him. He pulls up to standing then just debates whether it is worth it to take that step. So far, the lure of crawling fast outweighs the fear of taking that step. But, I suspect it won't be long.

We had our first substantial snowfall last night. If the snow sticks the rest of the day, we might take the little ones to play a bit in the snow. I suspect there will be a lot of snow filled afternoons this winter, so the sooner we can adjust to taking them outside in it, the easier the winter will be.

It's hard for me to really accept that their first year is almost over. With the new developments daily, I'm trying hard to focus on the positive. But, there is a part of me that longs for the little babies they were. I suppose that is just nature's way of ensuring the human species continues.

New Moves

Wow, it's hard to believe the kids are eleven months old! This is their last month as baby babies. Makes me sad, but I'm also so impressed with everything they have learned in their short time. I feel like we had several months of little tiny new things. Then, we suddenly hit a time of high growth and development.

Clara has figured out how to pull up on things. She uses her new found skill conservatively so far--just to get up in the crib or pull up on the gate to the playroom. But, I suspect in another week or two, she will start pulling up on toys more.

Hank is figuring out how to stand on his own. It's only for a few seconds here or there, but it's really quite impressive. He is also doing cute little squats. I guess it makes sense since he needs to build those leg muscles, but I never considered whether babies would really do them!

With all these gains, we are also seeing improvements on their dance abilities. Even just a short rift of music is enough to get the kids grooving. It's one of my favorite things to watch. Guitar music is a particular favorite, but pretty much any music starts the rocking and head bouncing at this point.

Happy November!

It's hard to believe it is already November. This is the last full month of the babies being true "babies"! With their birthday quickly approaching, I'm trying to really enjoy these weeks before toddlerhood. The kids had a good Halloween, playing with some of their friends during a playdate. Seeing all the twin babies in costume was fun.

Over the weekend, they want to a birthday party of a friend of ours, and they explored all the floor area they could while banging away at spoons. Hank spent the entire party pulling up on all possible pieces of furniture, ranging from ottomans to breakfast nooks. If it could be pulled up on, Hank was all over it.

Clara, too, is working on pulling up on things. She successfully pulled up on the lounge chair in her nursery this morning. We also got to see a glimpse of Clara crawling with her stomach off the ground this weekend. Her preferred technique is still inchworm style, but she is exploring her options. She crawled in a traditional hands/knees style on Friday night on her path to the bath. It is great watching her try new things out and see what works best.

If I had to predict, my guess is that Hank will be walking before too long here, maybe in time for his birthday. Clara will follow suit not long after, perhaps by 13-14 months. While I am excited for them to learn new skills, I do enjoy the limits on their mobility from a parenting standpoint. I suspect life will change radically once their can walk and run.

This is a wonderful age. Having Clara and Hank check out every corner of the house, climb over us, reach for things, and just generally learn and observe is fun. Yes, it requires a lot of oversight from the parents, but I love trying to see how the world must look to them.