Tickle Me Timothy pt 2

Here is Daddy giving Timothy a good tickle before he goes to bed!

Tickle Me Timothy

We tickle Timothy all the time because his laugh is so much fun! We also have Cameron tickle him and he thinks it's just as funny. Usually we have to hold her hands and wiggle them over Timothy tummy but yesterday she started tickling him all by herself! They were having the best time. I took some pictures but I know it's hard to get the full impact of how adorable it was. Then Timo leaned over and gave his sister a big, sloppy kiss! I'm sure the fun in that won't last long...

First Words and more...

Timothy said his first word last week, ball, and I kept trying to get it on video but he clams up when he sees the camera. Then a day later he said "duck" and then it was "book" and this morning it was "trash". The words are coming so fast now I figured I better document it and not wait for video. He seems to pick up words easily now, most of the time not really knowing what he is saying, just repeating what we just said. And I'm sure if you heard the words you wouldn't know what he is saying...words only a mother could understand. Thank you comes out as "tu tu" but I know what he means...

It seems Cameron is putting all her energy toward walking and Timothy is putting his energy into communicating. Cameron is taking more and more steps every day and doesn't seem to want to crawl much anymore. She holds onto anything she can find to walk her way around a room or down the hallway...even holding the wall. And she is understanding more and more. I can say "it's story time" and she goes right over the the books and starts pulling them out. And the both know what breakfast, lunch and dinner mean...they head straight into the kitchen. This is such an amazing time for me as a mother! It seems they do something new everyday, so exciting!!

Shoe Size

I was cleaning a little the other day and straighten all the shoes up by the door. I walked back by it a little later and thought it was a cute picture. Maybe I'll take a picture every year to see how the kids' shoes get bigger and bigger.

Trouble in the Kitchen

Anytime I go into the kitchen the twins are right on my heels! I can't walk in there with out them right behind me, looking for trouble! They are no longer amused by the pots and spoons I get out for them to play with. Timothy loves to push the chairs. He'll push anything that moves but especially the chairs because they make noise crossing the floor. And Cameron scopes out the food. Bless her heart, you would think I starve her by the way she is always looking for something to snack on. I caught her red handed yesterday trying to eat the raisins out of the raisin bran!

Daddy has been doing a little baby proofing in the kitchen because Timothy was getting out of control taking ALL my tupperware out of the drawer every day...several times a day. He was also trying to take the frying pans out...I was afraid he would drop one of my cast iron pan on his foot so we took action. Looks like it's working! I just need to get a few more locks for the pantry doors to keep Cameron from snacking between meals...

Pearly Whites

Both Timothy and Cameron are cutting teeth. Actually I took these pictures a few days ago and as I write, Timothy has two more coming in. Cameron is getting her first teeth, YEAH...finally! I think 13 months with no teeth has to be some kind of record. And Timothy is getting two up top and two more coming in. I heard him crunch into a cracker the other day and it sounded so strange and he laughed when he realized what he did. I'll be glad when they get more and more teeth. I feel like they are picky eaters simply because they can't break a lot of food down with just two teeth. We've been stuck on the simi-soft food menu for a long time. They will eat anything but end up spitting a lot of pieces out. There are so many yummy, delicious foods I want to introduce them too!

Zone Defense

It wasn't the best weather this weekend but since Young was around we took the kids to the park. It takes two sets of eyes right now to keep the keep track of them both. The kids know the play structure well and they like to repeat the same loop over and over...up the steps, around the corner, play with the wheel, down the slide and back around to go up the steps. So Young and I had zone defense! I covered the top of the structure and wheel and Young covered the slide and lower steps. Of course, Timo just wanted to climb up the slide most of the time so Cameron was the one Daddy had to watch the most.




Cameron loves to walk around like this now...practicing her skills. Timothy is a super fast crawler, so many people comment on how fast he gets around, so I think that's why he isn't really interested in walking just yet. He can get from A to B much faster on his hands and knees...and that's all that matters to him right now.

Hallway Highway

Between pushing their cars and pushing the walker...we have a highway in our hallway!

and occasionally we have a little fender binder...beep, beep!

Spring Has Sprung!

The weather finally cleared up this week, the sun came out and we headed for the parks! It's a little difficult to keep track of the twins on the playground so we only go there if I have help. But they don't really know the difference, they are just as happy to hit the grass, eat the dirt and push the stroller...just to be out of the house!

Cameron enjoying her snack time and Timo chasing the pigeons in at the playground.

Timo headed straight out to pick and eat the flowers. It's impossible to keep him from eating dirt!

Getting in his daily exercise of pushing the stroller and Cameron giving me flowers she picked.

Cameron practicing her standing skills...she is so proud of herself!

Can we sit in it?

For some reason the kids have a new fascination with sitting inside something...anything. We have a toy organizer with bins. They now know how to get some of the bins down, empty them out and they sit in them. I'm not kidding, the other day, they climbed in and out, playing with the bins for over an hour! And we went over to my friend's house, Timmie, to have a play date with her daughter...they pulled a large try off her coffee table just to sit in it! Oh, and don't forget the best one of them all...the laundry basket!! It's all fun and games until someone tried to push the other out...then we have a little time of learning how to share.
Sharing one bid wasn't working out too well so I got another one down. They climbed in and out over and over again.

Timmie's tray they pulled down and had the best time just sitting in it...go figure!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

OK, so I got a short video of Cameron walking. We were in their room tonight, winding down before bed. She was determined to practice walking. She would stand up, take some steps, fall...stand, take some steps and fall. Over and Over. What determination our little girl has! (just like her Mommy :)

Hold the Presses...

Not to be outdone by his sister...Timothy took four big steps tonight. I was practicing with Cameron over and over when Timo crawled up in my lap and stood up. I put him a little ways away from me and he walked right back to me! So now I guess we'll see who makes it across the room first!

And the First Walker is...Cameron!!!

Cameron took her first steps today!!! I don't have video because I was alone had to catch her when she lunged forward. But she did it...four whole steps with balance and all!! I'm so proud of her! I can't wait until Young gets back in town see his little girl toddeling across the floor. Oh, and she is getting her first teeth too...it's a big week for our baby girl!

Reason # 1,042...Why I Love My Daddy...

He does crazy things to my hair and make bath time so much fun!

We're 12 months old!

Sorry this post is a little late...I was waiting until their 1 year doctor's apt to have all the stats. My friend Claudia went with us because Young was out of town. Thank you Claudia!!! You can imagine the chaos of getting two babies undressed, weighed, checked out and entertained all at the same time. Anyway, it looks like Timo has recovered from his pneumonia and his lungs sound clear. He still wheezes off and on so we're to use his little inhaler when needed. The big shocking news was that Cameron has actually LOST weight from her 9mo apt. A whopping 6 ounces...which is a lot in baby weight. She is over 3 pounds lighter than her brother. So I have orders to beef her up, let her graze all day if she wants and give her time to eat at each meal. What ends up happening is Timothy is such a fast eater while Cameron likes to talk and eat at her own pace. He inhales all his food in 5min (just like his father) and then starts playing and throwing food. So I get him down while Cameron finishes. Well, she gets distracted by him playing with her chair, she starts throwing food. I figure she is done too and I get her down. Now I'm gonna need put him in another room when he is done and try to feed her more. And she will get snacks in between meals too. Plus, she still doesn't have teeth so finding new, fun food she can eat is always a challenge. We go back in a month to weigh in and see what happens. The doctor doesn't think it's serious, just that she is burning more calories than she is taking in. So she doesn't need to weigh a lot, she just needs to be gaining weight.

This is about as good as I could get...the kids were decked out in their UNC shirts for the last game of the regular season---victory against Duke!! Anyway, the sippy cups were the only thing what would keep them in place.

Fun At the Rec Center

I took the kids to the Richmond Rec Center yesterday, just a few blocks from our house, for the "Kid's Time" We've been before when the kids were smaller and they couldn't really participate in much. But now, boy, they were all over the place! Thank goodness my friend Yang was there with her son...she was an extra pair of hands and eyes to help keep track of them. There are so many kids in there, running around, sliding, climbing and ridding in cars. The twins had a great time roaming all over and of course, they were totally into the music time at the end of play time.
Timothy had the best time pushing all the cars around...Cameron is enjoying her ride!

I had trouble keeping the kids seated in the wagon so the ride didn't last long. Then it was off to the little house where they played peek-a-boo through the windows.

Excellent Question/Answer

I just had to post this Dear Abby question that a friend of mine posted on her Facebook page. I thought it was a great pick-me-up for us stay home moms that often get asked or often insinuated to us..."what do you do all day?"

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.Tacoma, Wash.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

Internet searches?

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

Frozen Peas and Corn!

Since the kids don't really have many teeth yet...Timo with 2 bottom and Cameron is still all gums...finding new, fun food for them is a chore. They can't really eat chewable food yet and they are sooo over chunky or pureed food. They love to feed themselves so it needs to be solid enough for them to pick up. I got a few great tips from some other moms and they work great! Frozen peas and corn...right out of the freezer. They love them! The veggies practically thaw in their mouths and are easy to bit. Plus, I think frozen, the flavor of peas isn't that strong b/c Timo wouldn't eat the pureed peas we tried to feed them. And I think the skins are hard for Cameron to break down so she spits the skin back out. Now I just need to figure out how to stop Timothy from throwing his food on the floor!! Any tips are warmly welcomed...

Look What I Found!

In the mornings, after we give the kids their bottle in our bed, we put them down and let them go play while Young and I start our morning. They usually go back to their room, play around our room or occasionally make the long trek out to the living room where most of their toys are. Yesterday they headed down the hall to the living room while I was in the kitchen. Then I heard a sound of a glass being knocked on the coffee table...and suddenly, I remembered we left a glass of water and some chocolate truffles out from our neighbors being down the night before! I crept in the room, dreading what I would find...and there they were...Cameron munching on a chocolate truffle and Timothy trying to drink the water, which was now all over him and floor! Lesson learned from Mommy and Daddy...clear coffee table off before we head to bed the night before!!

Playing Together

Behind the sofa has become a favorite play area for the kids. I'm not sure if it's the big window to look out, the tight space so they have to climb over each other or if it's the curtains to play hide and seek from each other. Probably a combination of it all! Most of the day they play independently but always close to each other...but when they get behind the sofa they seem like they are playing together, making each other laugh and actually looking for the other. I can say "where's your bother?" or "where's your sister" and they look in the direction of the noise and head that way. I'm so glad each of them has an instant play mate, ready and willing anytime. As challenging and difficult as it is at times having multiples, I'm wouldn't have it any other way!!