18 months old?!? How did that happen. Here is where we are right now...
They are so much fun! They are really developing quite the personalities and quite the relationship with each other. They share toys (they also fight over toys), the play hide and seek, peek-a-boo, chase, and they really crack each other up. They LOVE making each other laugh and once they find something (even if it's running into the wall again and again...seriously) they will exhaust it. Sometimes I have no idea what is going on between them but they seem to pretty much be on the same page.
Jake is turning out to be every bit as sensitive as Miles. He is so attached to dada, mama and Miles. The other night we had him down in bed with us when he was sick and he just kept saying "Miii" (Miles) over and over. He was distraught not to be with him. We compromised by letting him hold the monitor and watch Miles sleeping - that did the trick. He often demonstrates concern for Miles. Right when they wake up from their nap he starts trying to make sure Miles has a blanket and whenever he picks up two similar toys he always takes one over and offers it to his brother. He is also a little bit ornery. Jake frequently tackles Miles for one of two reasons... he either wants a big kiss or to steal his toy. He loves to put on a show, right now he likes to stomp around (one leg comes way up high and 'stomps' down on the ground), back up with tiny baby steps or turn circles. As he's doing his moves he looks up and gives you a sly little sweet smile. He'll be the one to get them OUT of trouble later in life. Jake loves books and has very strong opinions about which books he's interested in. He will march up to me, hand me a book, say 'read' ("reee") and plop down in my lap. And despite how much he loves Miles, he is not at all interested in sharing a lap with him. He tries to repeat much of what is said to him, but with his own touch - that is hilarious. You never know what is going to get him going. Sometimes he's just sitting in the backseat, repeating something from earlier in the day (today it was "WOW!") over and over, while cracking up. As a result he usually cracks Miles up as well. Flirting with strange women around town is still a favorite pastime and he works hard to get people to look at him when we're out. He is so sweet and loves to give us hugs and kisses, even eskimo kisses. It makes my heart melt. But he definitely keeps a balance between the sweet and feisty. Today when I was telling him a story before his nap he looked up at me, gave me a completely unsolicited kiss, then reared back and head-butted my nose so hard that it started bleeding a little bit.
Miles has taken off and is not looking back. He is still the man of extremes that he's always been. Lucky for me he is mostly extremely happy. And silly. And ridiculously adorable. He has an endless supply of energy and that is the first thing people comment on when they spend an extended period of time with him. He spends a large portion of his day running laps around things (the couch, the kitchen island, the length of the porch, etc.), stopping only for a giggle or a smile. He loves it when people chase him and just wishes that Jake had a longer attention span for that. Miles has a surprisingly long attention span and when he gets interested in something he sticks with it for quite a while. He LOVES books. First thing in the morning he won't let us pick him up out of his crib...he bobs, weaves, doges your grab and wriggles out of your grasp. All he wants is a few books and some time to chill so he can wake up on his own. He will sit in bed, flip through the books, give you a running narrative of what he's looking at, and he's happy. At night time and nap time right now he prefers to curl up in his chair instead of a lap (this is new and a little bit of a bummer because I love cuddle time). It seems to settle him to just have his space a little bit. He gives great little smooches, but it's hard to get him to slow down enough for too much of that! He always gives me great big toothy grins, he is a complete giggle box and loves to be tickled. Any time I do something he says "gee gee gee" (again). He is so so so curious, determined and stubborn. When he wants to do something he is going to find a way. He plays super hard, but every so often he just curls up on your lap and sucks his thumb...takes a few minutes to recharge and then he's off again.
They are both great eaters still. Favorites include eggs, pb&j, grilled cheese, veggie burger, tofu, mac & cheese, english muffin pizza, veggie meatballs (thank you costco), sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, butternut squash, carrots, apples, berries, pears, banana, pancakes, smoothies, cheese, and pretty much any variety of crackers. We're still working on the spoon & fork thing but we've pretty much got plates and bowls down. We're also working on having patience while I prepare their meals as opposed to trying to physically climb up my legs and push me around a bit. Sometimes they get a little frantic - not because they are starving but because I'm focused on something else. We're also really working on (i.e. struggling with) them walking along side us, following along, holding my hand, etc. It will be really great when I don't have to use the stroller ALL the time to transport them from the car inside, etc. So many people say "oh yes, we have that problem too" and then they see me release my boys from the stroller, immediately dart off in opposite directions and they say "wow, they really take off." They really are talking up a storm, trying to repeat much of what is said to them and retaining so many words. There is no better sound than their voices, whether it is a sentence of babble or one word repeated over and over. Both boys are experiencing some hard core separation anxiety. We'll see how this progresses in the near future. It's challenging for them and for us. We have definitely been dealing with the typical patches of rough toddler stuff, but it seems like we are working some of it out. (Here is a great website that has some wonderful information http://www.earlyparenting.com/ - some of it is a little touchy feely for me, but for the most part it is very helpful). One of the main challenges for me is finding things that we can do that are fun for them but where I can still safely take them by myself. Our current favorites are the bookstore train table and the neighborhood playground.
I just started typing and realized that I have written a whole novel. This is the only record keeping, baby book that I keep, so it's as much for me as it is for anyone reading. I'm sure this post is more than you could ever possibly want to know about what is going on in the Strelitz house right now!
I honestly can't believe that Miles and Jake are 18 months old. Wow. We have been in and out of the doctor's office over the past week so we weren't thrilled to be going back for a well check. It turns out that Jake is still fighting some stuff off. Recently he has had a double eye infection, double ear infection, a nasty cold that started to work its way into his lungs and a little bit of croup mixed in there. Poor little guy. We have been back on breathing treatments, sitting in steamy bathrooms and doing whatever we can to make him feel a little better. When we went back in today all is well except for a lingering cough and a gross ear infection - the pressure built up so much that it was leaking out of his ear (sorry if that was an overshare). I just feel so badly for them when they are sick. We got him some antibiotics this time and hopefully we'll knock it out.
Aside from that, they are doing wonderfully! They are tipping the scales at 28 lbs, 4 oz (Jake) & 26 lbs, 13 oz (Miles), both fully clothed, and both measure 33 inches tall. That puts them in the 75% for both of those categories. Dr. Norton said that their speech seems to be a little bit ahead of the curve for their age and that they are both strong, happy boys. They demonstrated a little bit of brotherly love for her when Jake body-slammed Miles into the floor. Even though Miles was clearly not happy about it we all had a little giggle. A couple of shots later we were out of there. Here they are horsing around while we waited for her to come check us out...
