"Wuss Dat"

This is the phrase Kaylie has been using for about 5 months now. Her inquisitive little mind constantly craving knowledge. Eager to learn anything and everything about her surroundings. Now the same phrase is spoken by Cavan... ALL THE TIME!

It's still in the cute phase so I just keep telling him "Dog", "Dog", "Still a dog", "You say Dog" (Which 95% of the time he will say the word he just learned). He is catching on though because when I ask him later, "Where's the dog" he knows where to point.

It just amazes me how much the little wheels in their heads work on a daily basis. Simple things to us, like looking at a balloon, are new experiences for them. They want to know what it is they're seeing for the first time; what's it called; what does it feel like, sound like, taste like... yes they would like to know this even about the dog. To watch them take in their surroundings and begin to understand what it is they are seeing, well I'm just happy I'm here to witness it all.

Their receptiveness is unbelievable and what they take away from just a quick question, something they'll etch in their brains forever.

Another example is Cavan's favorite book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I just have to start singing the first phrase and he crawls right over to the book shelf and pulls it right down. Or if I turn on the music and say "Let's dance" Kaylie start wiggling her little body to the beat. Just the beginning of their education, but wow, what a start.

The mind is a beautiful thing.

11 Months!

The twins are 11 months! Time to start the birthday planning! I've already begun thinking about themes and decorations, now it's time to get this show going! It's absolutely amazing to see the bond these two have formed even more so in the last month. They love to play together and even have there own little language to communicate to each other.

Kaylie has become SO much more mobile! She crawls on her knees and no longer army crawls. She pulls herself up onto everything and now even lets go to stand on her own. I'm convinced she will start walking before Cavan! Her vocabulary continues to grow each day with her repeating so many words. She still has her sweet personality, but don't let her fool you, she has a nasty temper when she's told no. I'm really in for it with her, haha. She has two more teeth slowing coming in and that has been making her sleep patterns not so great. Hopefully this is just a phase since her brother is making a lot of progress with his sleep.

Cavan is still working on that confidence to get himself walking. He'll walk with a walker, and will sometimes let go for a second, but does not want to stay up on his own for too long. I would like to report though that I believe we have see a white flag in regards to the crib wars. He no longer fights us to go in his crib and I have The Sleep Lady to thank for that! Crying it out just didn't work for us so this was a much gentler option. 

I can't believe it's almost been a year! These two have grown way too fast!

Crib Wars...

So I mentioned in the 10 month post that Cavan is pretty much at war with his crib. I know its mostly my own fault because of the sheer exhaustion I had been pulling him into bed with us. Now I wouldn't mind him sleeping there if he actually slept. But with a queen sized bed, things are just a bit too snug for all of us resulting in a lot of tossing and turning resulting in not a lot of sleeping.

Now we're just desperate for a good night's sleep. But unfortunately for us and Cav, this place scares the dickens out of him...

Or so he'd like us to believe. Gone are the days of my perfect little boy who I could lay in his crib wide awake and watch him doze off in to dreamland. It really got bad when he learned he could sit up in his crib. Then worse when he learned to stand in there. 

We resorted to rocking him to sleep, which worked for a while, then he decided the arms were where he preferred to sleep. The second we put him down in his crib he'd roll over sit himself up and scream. I'm talking you would have thought we just laid him down on a bed of nails scream. Mind you he'd be sound asleep and snoring when we laid him down. 

My first thought, it HAS to be an ear infection. So off we went to the Doctors. Nope completely healthy. So I blamed teething and hoped this phase would soon pass. Well 8 teeth later, we're still in the same rut. To which I responded with another trip to the Doctor, because it has to be an ear infection this time, right? WRONG! Clean bill of health. Just fighting his crib. The Doctor tells me to try the Ferber method.

So here we are starting off with a modified version of crying it out where I wait the intervals and when I go in I give him his pacifier, lay him down, say goodnight and place my hand on his back. Well, we've had a little progress, he's stayed in his crib all night for three nights. So I plan to do this for a week and then move in to REAL Ferber method of not laying him down and letting him do all the self soothing. 

I know it'll be a longer process, but I'm hoping it will eventually lead to a much better night for all of us.

As a side note, we did something right with Kaylie because she will go in her crib, talk to her dolls for a minute and is sound asleep for the night. I wish she'd teach her brother her tricks! 

Oh my, my babies are almost babies no more. This is definitely a hard pill to swallow. 10 months are gone and where they're at now is well beyond where I thought they'd be. Cavan is ready to just take off walking any day now and Kaylie's vocabulary is astonishing.

Cavan is officially into EVERYTHING. He is quick too. I will go in the kitchen for just a second only to come out and find him across the room climbing something. Oh and does he love to climb things. He loves his little scooter and can climb right on and scoot around the house. He also loves to push things around the house to help him get to where he wants to go.

However, he does have a new habit that I'm not thrilled with. His war with his crib. So far, the crib is winning. I try to be Switzerland and try to help him make peace with his crib, but his safe haven eventually becomes our bed. Which let me say I don't hate him being there because I know he won't be this little and snuggly forever, but that being said, we have a queen sized bed with 2 dogs already taking up my half of the bed. So as you can imagine, a little boy added into the mix does not help, but it sure beats getting up and having him scream every 20 minutes. Crying it out is tough when you know your husband has to get up at 4:30 for work, so for the sake of saving some sanity, for now he'll start in his crib and then join us when he wakes up.

Kaylie is literally like a little parrot. Although she not only repeats, she knows what she's saying. How do I know this? Because she will point to herself and say, "Kaylie" then point to her brother and say, "Cavan". I kid you not! If only she would let me catch he saying it on film but everytime I turn the camera on she just laughs. But Ryan and my mom have both witnessed it so I'm not crazy. She is also very inquisitive and is constantly asking, "Who is that" or "What is that".

This girl is destined for the lime light though. Once she gets over that little stage fright. She is always a performer for me. She is constantly dancing to any beat she hears, even some I don't hear. Now she has a toy with a microphone so she can sing AND dance... which she does. I mean she's not singing Ave Maria or anything...yet, but she puts the microphone in her mouth, yells and shakes her little booty.

She is also destined to give me grey hairs. oh does this little girl have a temper! If she has something she's not supposed to have, she knows it. And when I ask her for it she'll reach it up to me and when my hand gets close she whips it away and laughs hysterically. When I do eventually get it, she shakes he entire body, bites her fist and throws herself either onto the floor or, if I'm sitting with her, onto me and bites me. Thankfully she doesn't have that many teeth yet!

I just can't believe that I need to start planning their 1st birthday! That is crazy to me!

Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas...

Christmas this year was hands down the best Christmas I can remember. Not for the presents but for the true meaning of Christmas... the joy of spending it with family.

The pure innocence of Christmas. One that is lost amongst most of us. During this time of year we forget how Christmas was before we knew Santa brought gifts. When just the thought of Santa alone was enough to bring joy. Before the stress of holiday shopping lines or how much money we're spending. When singing Christmas carols was fun even if we started in November. This is the innocence that was returned to me again by my two little babies. Innocence I hope we all hold on to forever.

I continue to wonder how it will all be next year. Will Kaylie still love to see and call Santa by name. Will Cavan's eyes still light up everytime we turn on the tree lights? Or will it all be overshadowed with gifts. I will certainly do my best to keep the true meaning alive because without it, the magic of Christmas will be lost.

Now don't get me wrong. It was fun to watch them dive into their toys under the tree. They were certainly blessed by family, friends, and of give the man in red this year.

Now my only question is now that Christmas is over, how will Kaylie cope with Santa being gone for a whole year? Perhaps we will keep one little one out all year round :) We hope you all had a very merry Christmas and look forward to the new year!

From our family to yours, may you all remember the magic of the holiday season.

Evil Kineival in Training

He gets around easier this way!

Someone get my Son a Safety Helmet Please!

Kaylie's the talker and he's the mover. He's just not satisfied sitting anymore. Although he's not quite stable on his feet and as much as I try to cushion his falls, sometimes I miss. Those times are not pleseant, but like a trooper he keeps on keepin on!

Guaranteed he will be walking shortly after the new year!

Kaylie on the other hand will just learn how to say "Move me" and that'll be her preferred method of transportation.