16 Months - Update on the Babes



Nice, Jules (vulgar much?) And, if you recall, this is the same chair as their monthly pics. They are sooo big!)



16 Months old!!

Oh wow, these update posts sure do catch up with me. Here I am lolly-gagging around in this blissful 16 month old stage, not realizing that next week they will be 17 months old. Its just unbelievable. Work has finally slowed down, which is nice! Now I have my summer to spend more time with the abbes! Yay! Unfortunately, I have a sneaking suspicion that the summer is going to fly by just as quickly.

Feedings: Can someone please come to me home and make my kids learn to use a spoon? This is just getting ridiculous! Why can my babes not learn to do this? Any tricks or pointers? They like to eat the spoon, yes, just not with food on it. or, we like to put the food that is on the spoon in our hair instead.

They are still eating pretty good, though. I can't complain. I just don't want to take them to restaurants, lol. I try to have every meal have a little bit from the main four: whole grain, fruit, veggie, protein. For the most part is is working well. Josh still loves pasta, and they both LOVE fruit. Jules can store up grapes and blueberries like a little chipmunk for winter.  They also eat alot of cheese, yogurt, toast, waffles, chicken, fish, crackers, veggies, avocado, etc. Do I still constantly worry about they calories they are consuming - yes! (they were born, and still are, small) They are hit or miss on their sippy cups though. They are so used to their bottle being so fast flow, so I had to cut the sippy valves to make them flow faster. However, the problem with this is that now milk gets spilled on the floor. Constantly. It's ok, though, because I have a little maid to help clean it up.

Waketime/Napping: We are officially down to one nap! They go down about 11:30, and sleep until 1:30-2. (when its until 2, they usually laugh and play in their cribs until 12)

Nightime: This is still hit or miss. Sometimes we wake them up, and sometimes they are up playing at 6:30 (we don't go get them until 7 or so though). I can't figure it out. I am pretty sure its birds, but I don't hear them on my side of the house.

Our Schedule:

7:15- wake/feed 8oz each whole milk for Josh and Jules then cereal with fruit or waffle with cream cheese spread or eggs and toast with fruit

10:30 - some milk

11:00 - Lunch is either a pasta, ( I have found Annie's Organic boxed pasta and they love it! You can sneak in some veggies here too) beans, rice, usually avocado. I try to have a little bit of the biggies: whole grain, fruit, veggie, protein. We also are fans of Yummy brand chicken nuggets (Canadian product so gov't mandates hormone free and natural - way cheaper than organic. Harris Teeter sells it) and fish

11:30 - Nap

3:00 - feed 6-7oz for each + "dinner" This is either some of a pasta I have in the fridge, or toast with hummus and fruit. There also might be cut up tofu, cut up string cheese, chicken, cut up veggies, beans, or rice. I try to keep some easy things in the fridge to grab.

5:00 - sometimes a snack. I usually forget. I try to do water or milk and something light.

6:30/6:45 - I still feed another meal here.

7:00-7:30 - baths, story/bedtime

Outing/Events: They love, LOVE the class at Gymboree. Its by far their most favorite thing to do. We went to the pool for the first time this summer last weekend. The first day was complete misery. I just can't figure out what to do with kids their age. They are too big for the baby floats, too small for the toddler vests, and too small to sit in the baby pool. However, they can stand. The second day was better. They just kind of stood around and played with toys in the baby pool. We will work on this. Its funny, because since I have twins, it tends to be a topic of attention. And this weekend was to exception. two middle school girls were just enamored with the twins, and just played with them most of the day on Monday. Spontaneous babysitters - score!!!

Structured Playtime: I had talk with my nanny last week about what I would like to see happen here. i do think the babes have too much "free play time". And while I love that, and they play very well, it isn't something that needs to happen all day, every day. So, we are going to break it down into some outings here and there, learning time, reading time, coloring time, etc. Also I want to get back into independent playtime, which we have kind of strayed from. I think that is so important. Plus, I love it because it gives one on one time with the other babe, which I also think is important.

Diet: Doing good here again. Woohoo! Eating less breads and sweets, and working out more. Sounds so easy huh? Tennis has started back up again, which is good. And I have also committed to a Pilates/Yoga fusion class early Tues/Thurs mornings. I did Zumba for the first time last week - it was so much fun! So hopefully I can fit that in somewhere as well. Josh still refuses to go to the YMCA nursery, so I am having to do this on my own when I have time, which is hard.

Milestones: We are well into toddler territory. They run everywhere we go. They want to walk (run)everywhere now, instead of being carried, and they are babbling up a storm! I no longer have a boy names Josh, I now have a monkey who insists on climbing up on everything and getting into absolutely everything (typical boy!) They aren't too bad into the tantrum arena, but we are getting there. They are learning to point and sign "please" when they want something instead of screaming. They love to sing, and dance. They love to laugh and clap They have just started "playing" with each other, and giving each other hugs and kisses (at my request, natch). And by playing, I mean running towards each other, giggling, and Jules pushing Josh down (he never retaliates). They are little mimics, and can now pick up on things so quickly, its amazing. if I am tickling Josh and he's on his back on the floor, Jules comes running, and falls on her back , b/c she wants to be tickled too. So cute! At night, they both want me to sign to them. Jules will now get on her stomach and wants me to rub her back and sing to her. When she knows  the song is about over, she'll roll over and sign "more, and please". How can you resist that? I LOVE THESE BABIES!!!! (ahem, toddlers!)