Tantrums Times Two

We have hit the age of tantrums. For the most part, Hank seems to loss his patience a little quickly than Clara. That said, when Clara does eventually decide something is worth fighting over, her devotion to the cause is pretty intense. Sometimes it is like threading this small needle of what will and won't start a fit. We have noticed a few patterns. Clara throws a fit if she has specific toys taken away (usually by her dear brother). Hank has a fit if you need to go inside after spending time outside. No matter how long he has been outside and no matter how cold the temperature gets, his view is that there is plenty more time to spend with bikes and balls--his two objects that make life worth living. We continue to strategize on how to get through this lovely "stage" without pulling out our hair.

Hank and Hank

While new words are coming quick and furiously, we are still working with Clara on her name. It seems that she much prefers to call herself Hank. Yesterday, for the first time, she finally even said Clara. Perhaps it is just a challenging name? Perhaps she wishes she was named something else? Who knows. We will continue working through this.

I do love all the new words, though. Mark and I tried to calculate how many words Hank and Clara know at this point. We got to around 30 before stopping our tally, though throughout the day I kept thinking of new ones to add to the list. My goal is to generate a thorough list by their second birth day.

Day care is going better, and the kids seem to enjoy their time there. They particularly love art, which is great since I love the art projects which currently decorate my office.

Dreaded Daycare

The time has come for the kids to start daycare. Hank and Clara started last week. They are going two days a week, and so far, it has been rough going. Clara is having a particularly hard go of it. There has been a good deal of separation anxiety, naps are nil, and Clara already has caught her first cold (though, I have suspicions that may be more playdate related than anything else).

It's surprising just how difficult it is on me. I am trying to figure out how to not feel so guilty about the whole thing. I can't help feeling I am handing over a portion of my parental responsiblity. Add to it that glorious guilt associated with knowing you are making your children do something that is both scary and dreaded, and one gets a sense of just how hard this week has been for all.

Here's hoping for a better, calmer, and happier week for all.

Pleas of Peas

Hank and Clara have added a new word to the vocabulary: "please". We definitely needed this word to come into their vocabulary. With so many of the babies' requests sounding like demands, we are now able to request that they add a softening word like "please" to cushion the demands. Of course, articulation remains an issue, so Clara in particular, sounds like she is repeatedly asking us for peas. Since peas remain one of the few vegetables the babies willingly eat, this can definitely be a confusing thing. But, any move from demanding to manners is a welcome one!

Glorious Messes

I keep thinking that as the kids get better at eating with forks and spoons, the food related mess will ease up. Apparently, it doens't really work that way. This morning's attempt at Cheerios, blueberries, and cottage cheese is more on the high chairs than anyone's tummy. But, it was worth the effort to let C&H try. I find that the more indepence they are given during the mealtime, the less hellish the whole thing is for the parents.

Speaking of messes, we had a wonderful time getting all the cousins together last week, but man oh man, it's amazing how much five kids can make a home messy, even in the height of the summer. Hank and Clara loved watching Alex and Natalie explore their world, as only big kids can. And Madeline was often Hank's shadow, crawling right behind him every where he went. Clara had some reservations about sharing Mom, something that is increasingly difficult for her to do. But, it was all in all great.

Now, it's time to turn our attentions to our next adventure, which is heading out to Rochester for an overnight camping trip. Will Hank and Clara be good campers at age 18 months? I have my reservations...

The Revenge of the Pink Eye

Hank has pink eye. More accurately, Hank has pink eyes. Fun for all. I suppose it is just a matter of time before dear Miss Clara gets to join in on the festivities. My favorite tidbit of advice came from our doctor's office. Generally, we love our pediatrician. The nurses offer great advice and never give us a hard time regardless of the number of questions we ask. Today, though, some of the advice ignored that Clara and Hank can't really be separated. The nurse suggested we keep the kids apart or, at a minimum, we ensure they don't share toys. To that, I offer a hearty "Ha".

In a terrible way, I do hope Clara gets it quickly, so we can get them both treated and on their merry way without reinfections. For now, it's the joy of trying to get eye drops in a wee eyes--a skill I apparently lack.

Happy Happy Clara and One Bruised Hank

Clara has decided that her new favorite word is "happy". Really, no complaints from here! My favorite is that she now starts singing "happy" whenever the day is going her way. While both Hank and Clara have a good 12+ words in their vocabulary, it still never ceases to amaze me when they add something a new one. For a few days, Clara was saying something that resembled "abby", but with a few more days and some more context, it seems like it really is more about being happy. It is hard to know what is going on in their little minds, and while they are so expressive in some ways, emotions remain elusive to gauge. Does Clara actually mean she is truly happy? I will never know for sure, but I suppose we take the joy where it is offered.

These days are crazy. With both babies (toddlers?) on the move, it is not surprising to see them in all kinds of questionable places. They both love to move chairs around the house and use them to climb onto unacceptable heights. Hank took a terrible fall off the couch two weeks ago, managing to bloody up his nose and bruise both eyes and nose bridge. I was just a foot or two away when it happened, watching the whole thing. Isn't that how these things always are?

Flu Fun

It seems that once again, C&H are in the midst of a cold. This time, it ends up being a particularly nasty flu virus. Of course, with the timing of the swine flu epidemic, the neurotic mom in me automatically starts wondering if they could be exposed. Isn't that ridiculous? Just unfortunate timing--or at least I keep telling myself!

When little kids are sick, they are pretty interesting to watch. They manage to rally in surprising ways. But, it's the tiniest set backs that cause the largest distress. For example, usually Hank doesn't mind when Norm accidentl knocks him down on his way somewhere. But, when sick, this is enough to get Hank to melt down.

We are learning that Clara's favorite way of coping with ailment is extended television watching. We usually limit the television to an hour of Sesame Street on weekdays. But, while sick, we have allowed some extra PBS time. Clara is enchanted with pretty much all the shows, which is actually a little troubling to watch. It's like watching a potential couch potato blossoming. Once this flu stretch is over, we will nip the tv watching, I'm sure.

Update

With Dad still in the hospital, I am behind on postings. I had my first extended trip without the kids recently, so I could visit Dad. Coming back home, it was amazing how much they had grown. It seems like this age is full of constant, daily new abilities. While they may just be little achievements, I still love seeing the developments.

Clara is walking a little more these days, though crawling remains her preferred form of transportation. Hank is moving along faster and faster, while also learning new standing skills, like how to spin in a circle or stomp his feet while standing.

Language skills are also getting better. The kids have begun identifying animal noises with certain animals. These days, they have the lion and sheep down, with an occasional recognition of the cow's moo or the hyena's ha-ha. Watching how they process their experiences or communicate is one of the best part of each day.

Catching Up

Wow, has it really been over a month since my last entry? Somehow, time has just gotten ahead of me. With each day, Hank and Clara have started all kinds of new skills. It is a wonderful time, and days pass quickly as a result.

Clara is full of little "tricks". She can identify a bunch of body parts, and she likes to try out new dance moves. She can shake her head, roll over, and twist when asked. Her vocabulary is also growing daily. We recently decided that her abundance of hair required a little styling, so she now wears bangs. I can't say I'm the best hairstylist, but we try. Clara is also beginning to walk a little more each day. I have yet to see her ever fall walking, as she tends to walk only when she feels confident enough to take a few steps.

Hank, on the other hand, is walking a lot--or shall we say almost running? He is on the go a lot. He is laughing more each day and particularly likes to laugh when others are laughing. He also sings a bit these days, particularly his version of a patty cake song we learned on Sesame Street.

I guess I have to flat out state on this blog that I am recommitting to more current entries. Perhaps the potential guilt from knowing I made this commitment publicly will help motivate me. We'll have to see!

Lovies

From Jan. - Feb. 2009 (13 months)

Hank and Clara are increasingly getting to that stage where life is all about little stuffed animals and dolls. They now hug them, and it is pretty common to see them drag them about the ground thoughout the day. They are particularly devoted to their bear blankets. I fear what might happen should those blankets ever get destroyed.

It's funny to watch how they bond with these wee things. Some stuffed animals that seem completely adorable to me just don't the cut. Yet others are so beloved that they can start a fight between the babies just by showing them the stuffed image. I refuse to buy the kids a stuffed Elmo since I can already hear the crying when the other baby refuses to share. Someone without twins might suggest I just buy two stuffed versions of the more beloved creatures, but it just doesn't work that way. Clara wants what Hank is playing and vice versa. For now, we just keep repeating our mantra of how sharing is caring. I don't think the kids are buying it.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...Keep Those Babies Rollin'

I know we are suppose to be moving towards the walking milestone around this age. And we are actually getting there in a way. Hank has decided walking is okay again, after taking about a six week reprieve from all things walking related. After a few particularly harsh crawling related spills, Hank decided that he might as well walk if he is going to fall anyway. Since then, he has been taking steps here and there at his whim.

But, this post is actually more about the kiddos new favorite past time--rolling. I know, I know--all babies roll at a much younger age, etc. And yes, that is true. But what the kids are doing these days is much more about trying to amuse their target audience (aka Mom and Dad). If you ask kindly and if the kids are in the right mood, they will drop to the ground and start rolling across the floor. It just is this amusing activity that for some reason never fails to make me smile. They both know this is just a party trick, but we like to pretend that perhaps it a sign of future gymnastic prowess--something I certainly never had. My favorite is when the kids roll into each other then smile when they realize they actually know the person who has just become their rolling obstacle.

Here is Hank mid-roll:

From Jan. - Feb. 2009 (13 months)

Hank Gets Croup

Having never had kids before, there are always these new ailments to discover. Things like RSV keep me up at night. So, last night when Hank's running nose progressed into a cough which later sounded like one of those seals near Fisherman's Wharf engaged in territorial warfare, I found myself pondering what this new realm of baby cold hell could be. With the add of our doctor's nurse hotline and Google, we have come to learn it is croup. Awesome. Barky cough for 3-4 days followed by productive horrific cough for 3 weeks. Fun for all. Cross your fingers that either Clara doesn't get it (which I read is incredibly unlikely) or that she gets it soon, so we aren't stretching out the family croup fast too long. On a good note: apparently one way to alleviate the coughing is to take a baby into the cold air. It reduced the inflammation. Good to know that the ridiculous cold stretch we are facing has some value!

Clara and Elmo Bond

We have been watching Sesame Street off and on the last few weeks. For the most part, I have been the one watching while the kiddos just roam around the tv room and occasionally check out the characters. But, today we had a very different experience. Clara was watching the Elmo segment which was about feet. She was mesmerized. She grabbed her feet when Elmo mentioned feet. She waved when Mr. Noodle came on. She was completely understanding what was going on. It was really neat to see her getting it. It's like these little lights are beginning to fire in her brain, a little bit each day. Hank likes to laugh and point at Elmo, but we are still working on him making connections to what Elmo is saying. I am sure it is just a matter of time.

On a slightly related but still tangential aspect, what's up with Mr. Noodle? I find him creepy. Why is he always available right outside Elmo's window? What kind of message are we teaching kids about window stalkers? I know, I know. I am making too much of it. But, every time we see Mr. Noodle, I am just a little weirded out.

Back to the point of this post...language development. The last few weeks have found us exploring more and more new words with the kids. They are beginning to identify body parts and point to words as we say them. It's slow going, but any type of communication is greatly exciting.

The Babies Get a New President

Clara and Hank spent a good portion of Tuesday watching tv. Before you cry out in outrage about how fragile babies' minds are and the evils of tv before 18 months, 24 months or whatever timeline you believe in, hear me out on this one. With the inauguration of new president, Tuesday was filled with amazing images of happiness and community. I figure that while it is unlikely Clara and Hank will retain any of it, just the potential made it worth it for them.

I'm still pretty enamored with the whole idea of having a president that I can support. My obvious politics aside, it's been a long, dry stretch of politics at its worse to many, not just those "crazy liberals" like me. I also just love the idea that for C&H, it will just be the norm to have a minority as a president (although I do believe that all the definitions of who is the minority and who is the majority are vastly changing for the better with each passing year due to our ever increasing melting pot dynamic). Certainly a lot more work needs to be done for our nation to be truly colorblind, though I can't help thinking this is a pretty good start. And, as a mom, I'm just a little happier to be raising my babies in these times than four years ago.

Of course, we have wonderfully cheesy photos of the kids reaching for Obama's image on the tv.

From Jan. - Feb. 2009 (13 months)

Winter Boring Land

I suppose it comes as no surprise to people that winter in Buffalo is LONG. I mean really long. It isn't really the snowfall that is an issue. Surprisingly, we don't get a ton of snow where I live, though in the southtowns it is a whole different story. But, where I am, it is really just that it is cold, and the snow stays on the ground for a significant amount of time. Without kids, this is a nuisance perhaps, but not too terrible. With kids, it's like being trapped in a winter boring land. We can't go out for walks. Going to the store is an adventure in bundling and snow suits and struggles to keep hats on. Needless to say, I'm very eager for the beginning of spring, which is unfortunately many months off.

Anyhoo, so I'm trying to make the most of it. The family is recovering from a little bit of a stomach flu bug, so we are staying close to the nest. Hank and Clara are busy playing with their abundance of Christmas and birthday gifts. With today being Epiphany, they get a few more little things this evening. Not a shabby life.

Here are some current playing at home pics. The kids are pretty fascinated with hoodies and hats these days. Clara tries to put them on herself, with little success. Hank likes to see himself in the mirror after the hat is on.

From Dec. 2008 and early Jan. 2009

From Dec. 2008 and early Jan. 2009

From Dec. 2008 and early Jan. 2009

New Tricks

These days, the kids are surprising us with all kinds of new tricks. They can clap their hands, know how to locate their head, and love to dance. One of my favorite things is that the two clap for each other. For instance, if we say that Clara is doing a good job eating lunch, Hank starts clapping. If Hank stands well and we congratulate him, Clara starts clapping. Of course, I am a complete sucker for this and start congratulating the clapping baby, which makes the other baby start clapping. I love it. It's just so adorable.

We made a little video of the kids in which we tried to have them show off their new tricks. Being that they aren't exactly trick ponies, this worked only so so. Clara was willing to oblige us, but Hank had his own interests, as you will see.

From Dec. 2008 and early Jan. 2009

Clara Gets Hives--But Is All Better

It's been a bit of a challenging last few weeks around here. Though the holidays were delightful, we had some drama leading up to it. Clara had some crazy allergic reaction or something. One day she was fine. The next day, she looked like this:

From Dec. 2008 and early Jan. 2009

From Dec. 2008 and early Jan. 2009

Needless to say, we were a bit crazed about trying to resolve this issue. With the help of our awesome pediatrician group, we finally get things under control. But, I will add that really, truly, the ER was incredibly unhelpful. So glad Clara didn't get too much worse before the pediatrician's office opened. Of course, hives and crazy reactions only happen around here on a weekend in the midst of a snow storm. But, we survived and now have tales and photos.

The whole experience left Clara feeling a little out of sorts, but we are hopeful that she will return to her cheerful self before too long.