17 Months - Update on the Babes

This is getting to be a little ridiculous. How are my babies 17 months old, and very, VERY soon to be 18 months old? Are you trying to tell me that they turned a year old SIX months ago?????? What in the H E Double Hockey Sticks is going on?? sigh....moving on.

17 Months old!!

Feedings: Hmmmm, I still am no closer to having them feed themselves as I was at the last update, and my goal was to have them self-feeding by 18 months. NEW GOAL - 19 months! LOL. See how that works? You can just keep pushing it back. They have actually been eating alot more than usually the past week or so. I have tried googling to see if toddlers go through a growth spurt, but couldn't really find anything "scientific". Food is getting to be boring for me, and I feel like we are in a rut. They still eat good healthy things, but I feel like we are in a "same food" rut. This month they had a McDonald's Happy Meal for the first time. They honestly loved the hamburger happy meal better than the chicken nuggets, which surprised me. But, they don't eat much red meat, so that was good. That might be weird, but the babies (nor I) eat much fast food, so it was a big deal. Even nicer was that they could run around like wild Indians in the playcenter afterwards.

One different thing I am doing this month, is trying out an experiment. I bought some toddler formula, and am adding a scoop or two of it into their milk. They are still drinking it fine, it just gives them a bit more vitamins, calories, and nutrients.

Waketime/Napping: Doing really good here. If we have had a busy morning, they alot longer, but they are a good 2 hours on average, usually 2.5, but sometimes even 3. They go down 11:30/12ish.

Nightime: Still stirring earlier than 7am, but we don't go in until after 7 to get them up. But they don't care. I honestly just like to listen to them on the monitor in the mornings. Giggling up a storm, talking to each other, jumping up and down, knocking their heads against the crib, lol. It's awesome.

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, if we are out, then its water. We still haven't tried juice yet.

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. We have been doing smoothies sometimes, and they like them. Its just getting them to sit still while drinking it.

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. They love, love the pool. I said last month that it will be a challenge, but we have a little routine now, and they love it. First is to the baby pool, where they can stand, walk around, and play. Then after about an hour they are dying by this point to go to the big pool. So, we'll take them (We usually prolong this as long as possible, b/c no one wants Josh, poor dude. He is a fierce, strong squirmer. Jules will let you hold her and swim around). They don't like their floats at all now, so you have to hold them the whole time. Then afterwards, we'll do a snack, then back in the baby pool. Then leave after that.

We have been to the zoo a bunch. They are really starting to like it as well. I (again) have my little routine with them, and we see the same animals every time, so now they are recognizing them and get excited. Plus, our zoo has this HUGE play area. They are too small for the big area, but they have this toddler area that they love.

They also still go every Wednesday to storytime with Sherry.

Structured Playtime: This has gotten better. We do alot more structured time, and less free play, but there is still a good amount of free play. But, now we also do music time, reading time, learning time, etc. We still don't do independent play, and I'm not sure how to do that yet.

Diet: Well, I WAS doing good. Then a week goes by and I find I haven't exercised at all. My life is so inconsistent, so why am I surprised that my diet is as well????? Can I start breastfeeding again? That seemed to be the best way to diet.

Stats: They babies are in 18m clothes now. Josh has been for a little while. Jules can still wear a lot of 12 month stuff, but she can also wear 18m stuff as well. They are both in size 4 shoes. Jules was super in size 3 until last week, when the poor thing grew overnight. They are both in size 4 diapers. I don't have a clue what they weigh. I know Jules is over 20lbs (maybe like 22), and Josh feels like 60, but he may just be a pound or two over her. You pick them both up, and it feels like night and day. Its so funny b/c of their body makeup. Jule sfeels like a feather, and Josh feels like a sack of potatoes.

Milestones: They are jibber-jabbering all the time!! Words they say (or their version, natch): Mama, Dada, Papa, Mimi, JJ, Duck, Hi, Bye Bye, Baby, Ball, Barney, Book, (actually everything that starts with B, sounds like Ball, but THEY think they are saying the word) Night-night, Nana (what they call Sherry, our Nanny). They (Jules more) and really into those wood puzzles. They really enjoy them. And of course, they still adore their books. They run everywhere. All of a sudden we are letting them climb up the stairs. Don't know how it happened, it just did one day (they only climb them to go up after dinner to their bath, and only if we are directly behind them). They love to clap, to sing, to laugh. They love to dance, and can go side to side, twist, touch their toes. They "sing" Ro, Ro, Ro". It took a while to learn they were trying to sing "Row, row row, your boat". Its the only thing they sing, and its clearly their favorite song to sing, lol. They love to "stomp" and think its fun to take baby steps, then make BIG steps. They have also started sleeping with a stuffed animal, in addition to their lovey. Again, not sure when it happened, it just kind of did. Josh sleeps with a stuffed monkey from PB, and Jules sleeps with a bunny from PB. When you go in at night, Josh is on his belly, with one arm around George the monkey, and one around his lovey. Absolutely precious. They are also playing with each other tons. They like to chase each other and play. Jules is definitely the more dominant, and like to push him down all the time, and he just laughs and laughs. LOVE these babies!!!!!

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