These little ones really are great. And I will not hesitate to share with you the simple fact that twin toddlers, though great, are not easy. Twin babies, for me, were a piece of cake. Though I really have a knack for the newborn and baby stages and feel like I could do about a dozen of those at once with mostly ease. Twin toddlers are a whole different ballgame, and while the joy and fun is plenty, there is no shortage of mischief in our house. And throw in the mix a really smart three and a half year old big brother, things get interesting fast. Though I can honestly say, in this last month, I have seen a bit more calm entering our home. And they are really developing a great sense of empathy towards one another and their big brother. I see them helping each other, sometimes helping with things I would rather they not be doing, but hey, the thought is there. I see them hugging one another. I see them kisses one another's boo boos....yes sometimes they were the ones that cause the boo boos but there is empathy . I see the three of them becoming friends, best friends, which is one of my greatest wishes. And it is crazy to think that when Elijah was there age, he had two tiny brothers that were just a couple of months old. And I see him continue to adore them just as he did back then.
Rory's Two Year Update
Baby A came fiercely into the world (my VBAC baby) and that big personality full of laughter and alligator tears shows passion in all he does. Rory is passionate about his Mama. Yup, he's still a mama's boy and I get his biggest hugs. But he adores Elijah and follows him everywhere he goes. He and Elijah are thick as thieves and will play together for hours.
Ever since I started talking to him about his birthday, "Birdday!" has become one of his favorite words and at the mention of it, he will run up to someone and say "Hap Birdday!". He is learning his colors and knows bits and pieces of his ABC's. He can also count when Patrick leads. This child WANT TO POTTY TRAIN! He is obsessed with trying to go on the potty and will even pretend to wipe. I keep a little potty in the bathroom so they can practice the idea while fully dressed. (My theory on potty training is not to until they can be trusted in a toddler bed so you can night train at the same time. We are not there yet. ) Rory has even started wiping his own bottom when I change his diaper (after I wipe it for real of course).
Like his big brother (and little brother) he loves Elmo clothing and toys...which kind of cracks me up because we really don't watch much Elmo....at least not compared to how much we watched with Elijah. And the kids usually choose other videos, even when Elmo is offered. My favorite videos to show all the kids are the preschool prep videos and Rory LOVES the Colors video. He loves to draw and loves his baths though water is the eyes is enough to end bathtime fun for him. Rory's eczema has greatly improved and he has not had an outbreak for several months. We are able to remain pretty strict with his diet restricting cow dairy and gluten and I think that has been the answer for him.
Rory is tipping the scales at twenty five pounds eight ounces and though he is a little small for his age, he is the much larger twin and just has this delicious chunky toddler body that you just want to cuddle!
Rory continues to be sweetly affectionate and will stop playing to come over for a quick hug and a kiss then slither back down the couch and return to what he was doing. It is one of my favorite "Roryisms". He is also (usually) a pleasure to put to bed. I just tell him we are going to go upstairs and normally he will run to the gate, walk up and (try to) climb in his crib. I pick him up and cuddle him for a few minutes, because that's MY favorite part and tuck him in. Most nights he goes to sleep without a word around 6pm and we don't hear form him or Patrick until about 6:30 or 7am. Yeah, I know, we are lucky.
Rory loves music. Seriously, this child is ALWAYS dancing. He swings his hips and tilts his head and grabs his hair and just wiggles all over and it leaves us in stitches. His dance moves are legendary I tell you. People come from all over. Brent's mom came all the way from Bellingham, Washington just to see Rory dance. Seriously. We play lots of Celtic and French music for the kids and while they all love it, Rory just gets into it on this whole other level. He almost seems entranced and just gets in this zone. One night we were playing a pipe band on Youtube with heavy drums and all the kids had their own drums to bang on. Rory got this very seriously look on his face and systematically went around to each drum giving it two loud bangs, over and over. Quite. The. Character.
Rory is a very physical guy and at the playground, will scale any structure that is climbable. He is fearless, like his predecessor, and will jump off of anything, fling his body across the couch and pounce with an eruption of giggles and smiles.
Like Brent and me, Rory is destined to be a foodie. This child can put away some grub. And will fearlessly try most things. He loves the sushi samples at the grocery store (don't worry, he does not get the raw fish kind) and is obsessed with Brent's sauteed broccoli. He still loves to nurse though now it is more for comfort and cuddling. Cuddling. That is what he does best. I will ask him if he wants me to hold him like a baby and he will nod his head and curl up in fetal position in my arms. And for that instant, I am transported back to that sweet little newborn I held two years ago.
Patrick's Two Year Update
My baby B. My PJ. My little Pfunk. Oh, how I adore my tiny boy and his sweet little demeanor. Patrick is an old and gentle soul. In his eyes there is much depth and wisdom. He has always been very intentional with his voice and movement and this continues to be true. Though this gentle soul is learning how to stand up for himself. In a house full of really big personalities, Patrick has learned how to be heard. And boy can he be loud nowadays. Heehee. He has learned how to project that tiny little voice of his and you would never know that this was that same itty bitty baby hooked up to machines and tubes, that I could not pick up for four days. He was and continues to be a strong and brave warrior. I remember when he came home from the hospital, for the first month I had to inject his skinny little leg twice a day. He was six and a half pounds. And even the tiniest needle looked huge compared to the itty bitty leg it had to penetrate. He would let out this almost silent cry and I would hold him time and tell him "You are so strong, You are so brave. So so brave". This continues to be true. There is not doubt in my mind this little one will change lives.
The obsession with Elmo does not end with Rory. Patrick two is quite the Elmo fan. I might even consider him super fan. He has raided the sock drawer and found every Elmo sock we own (all five...cause a sock is missing) and will insist on wearing them over and over again. He will dig into Elijah's PJ drawer and steal Elmo pajama tops and bring them to me to put on him. Yes. Quite obsessed. Though, again, we don't watch Elmo nearly as often as Elijah did. Patrick's favorite preschool prep video is Numbers and he can count to 14...then he goes back to 8.
Patrick is also really interested in potty training. He will tell me that when he has a dirty diaper and more than once, I thought he was telling me that and it turned out he was telling me he had to go....because I would change his diaper just as it was occurring. It seems both boys should be pretty quick studies on potty training and I have thought of rearranging some things in their room so I can go ahead and get them day and night trained in a couple months.
Brent and I decided we would really like the kids to learn (and me to relearn) French and so along with the French music we play, we have some French videos and watch some others on Youtube. (Yes, one of our French videos IS Elmo). Patrick has really taken to the idea of French and, on his own, starting tell us "I'm French". The first time he did this, he had us all in stitches and since then, anytime he hears anything about French he will declare "I'm French". For the record, he's not. But we love this passion that he seems to share with us.
Patrick used to be a great eater. Nowadays, his interest in a variety of food has diminished a bit. He was my little vegetarian, loving all produce. Now it seems, his food of choice is organic o's and gluten free toast. Though, he will occasionally still nurse, but not as often as his larger half. Though Patrick's eating has slowed down, he is gaining weight a little more than he had been. I NEVER thought this child would hit twenty pounds and he finally did this month! He can still wear some nine months shorts and is just not getting a bit too long for twelve month clothes. I think pants will be a challenge for several years for this guy.
Patrick has an entourage. No, seriously. My mother gave each boy (when they were first born) these loveys to sleep with. Each has two. Rory has two bunnies and Patrick has two elephants. Patrick loves elephants. As luck would have it, he also loves bunnies. (He has pink fluffy bunny slippers he adores). So while the second lovey is meant to be a spare, Patrick not only sleeps with but carries around both elephants, one of Rory's bunnies a random stuffed bunny of choice (that one varies). He loves soft and cuddly things and thinks it necessary to bring ALL soft cuddly things with him anywhere he goes, though usually when we leave the house, the excitement of getting to go is distraction enough to leave the entourage behind.
Patrick loves Brent. He loves me and his brothers of course too but he has this connection with Brent that us explainable and happened right off the bat. When he is hurt or sad, that is who he goes to. He still needs his Mama time and I love my one on one moments with this sweet boy. But I also love to see his adoration "Bent" as he calls him. If we are walking by and Brent is working in the office or doing something in the bedroom and Patrick hears him, he will yell out "Bent" and tell me "I see Bent" "Down". I see kindred spirits in the two of them and an understanding of littleness since Brent started out life as a little guy too.
I truly think that Patrick has a brilliant mind. He went from saying nothing to full sentence conversations, though he is often soft spoken, he has floored me with his intense vocabulary. Daily, he will say words or phrases that I didn't know he had even heard before. His responses to questions are always appropriate so his understanding far surpasses what I would expect of a child of two. He is amazing little boy. And so brave.
I just cannot believe my babies are not babies anymore. They are growing (so fast) into these sweet little people that I can see really looking out for one another and the world around them. Yes, there are times they drive each other crazy. And sometimes I intervene. And sometimes I let them try to work it out. But never is there an altercation that isn't almost immediately followed by smiles and hugs or more playing together. The bond that these brothers along with their big brother have together is so special to watch grow and develop. And it melts my heart when they tell one another I love you. Oh, that is one of my favorite things in the world. And my greatest wish. That they love and take care of one another into old age, when their mama is long gone. Happy two years earthside, my sweetheart babies. It is going to be quite an adventure.
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| This one needs a caption. I have been known to use trader joes jelly beans as photography bribery. And here, the twins give me away by signing "more"...the only sign they know. Lol. |
