15 month stats

Jakob

Weight: 20 lbs 9 oz (6th percentile)
Length: 30 inches (14th percentile)

Alex

Weight: 19 lbs 9 oz (3rd percentile)
Length: 28.75 inches (9th percentile)

Mary

our new motto

We have it a new motto in our household - "We did try." - and I think it can be used to sum up the past weekend.

We headed to Pennsylvania this past weekend to visit with family.  And it was somewhat of a big, fat fail with a bit of wonderful thrown in between and it all occurred in only a 12 hour time span.

The boys don't get to visit with Grandma & Grandpa Russell and Great Grandma Mimi all that often because of the distance between us.  So we try to make an effort to head to Pennsylvania whenever we get a rare free weekend.  The last time we traveled to Pennsylvania was at Thanksgiving and the boys were a whopping 6 months old.  And with the exception of all the stuff we had to pack for the boys the trip could be classified as super easy.  This time we made the trip with toddlers.  And there was nothing easy about it!  The boys did GREAT in the car.  But that's only because we finally became "those parents" and installed a DVD player in the car.  All we had to do was rotate snacks and keep Super Why on constant play and the boys were beyond content with life.  We made a stop on the way to Pennsylvania at Grandpa's Cheese Barn in Ashland, Ohio.  Never been?  OMG!!  We have driven by it year after year after year and we have never taken the time to stop and take a look around.  We were missing out.  It is basically a mecca of cheeses and meats and snacks and sweets and just all around yummy goodness!  And there are about a bazillion free samples.  I did not need lunch afterwards.  And after about 45 minutes and a maxed out credit card later (only kidding) we got back on the highway towards Pennsylvania.  The boys only slept for about 30 minutes in the car.  We arrived at Grandma and Grandpa Russell's at about 1:00 pm.  The grandparents are in the middle of a major house remodel so the boys had a blast exploring all the construction chaos.

The boys did not stop moving for the entire 2 hours we were at the house.  We had early dinner plans with Great Grandma Mimi so Kara and I loaded the boys up in the car around 3:00 pm and drove around Presque Isle with the hope that the boys would nap before dinner.  We only managed about another 30 minutes of sleep.  We got to Great Grandma Mimi's around 4:15 pm and the boys got to spend the next couple of hours exploring every inch of the condo.  Have I mentioned that they NEVER EVER stop moving?  But they loved every minute of the visit and Kara and I absolutely would not trade watching Mimi interact with the boys.  We even got a few good snapshots.  There was a moment where I went into the kitchen and Jakob was staring up at Mimi as she talked about some unknown topic and it just took my breath away to watch them together.  The boys are so lucky to get to know a great grandparent.  That moment alone made the difficulty of the trip worth it.  We left Great Grandma Mimi's around 6:30 pm with the intention of heading back to Grandma and Grandpa Russell's for the night.  But our toddler boys had other intentions that they did not bother to share with Mommy and Momma before we started on our journey to Pennsylvania.  We got the boys into their pajamas and instantly both boys entered major meltdown mode.  There was not a single thing we could do to calm them down.  And believe me we tried our hardest.  Kara and I were also exhausted.  It had been a physically draining day on us.  And we both knew that the comfort of our home was only 4 hours away.  And we both knew that the boys would sleep with zero problems if we could only get them home.  And we both knew that neither boy would sleep at Grandma and Grandpa Russell's house.  So we made the decision to head home.  It broke Kara's heart.  And as a result the tears started to flow.  Have I mentioned that I rarely see Kara cry?  It was a rough moment.  I often forget how far away Kara is from her family.  I take it for granted to have my parent's literally around the corner from us.  So the last thing Kara wanted to do was leave after only a few hours.  But she made the ultimate sacrifice for her little boys and we loaded up the car.  The boys did a fairly decent job on the way home.  We did have a major fail.  I did not notice until we got home that Jakob was absolutely soaked from head to toe.  The lid to his sippy cup must not have been on all the way and so he had dumped his entire sippy cup all over himself at the beginning of the 4 hour trip home.  Oops!!  No wonder he kept waking up during the drive home.  Kara and I keep each other awake during the trip home and thanks to a lot of caffeine we made the trip with no problems.  We pulled into the driveway a bit after midnight.  We decided to do our normal bedtime routine to ensure that the boys would fall asleep with no problem.  So my other memory of this day ... watching the boys have a blast in the bath tub at 12:30 am.  It was great!

So  ... "We did try!"

We also got an invite from some new friends to try out a "Mommy and Me" style music class.  It was free.  So Jakob and I decided to give it a whirl.  Kara and I are actively trying to find some one-on-one activities to do with the boys.  And we thought this would be a great fit for Jakob.  He is a very social little boy and we thought he would love to sing songs and dance with other little kids.

The good news?  Jakob and I didn't officially get kicked out of the class.

The bad news?  The only reason we didn't get kicked out was because we walked ran out before the class ended.

Did I mention it was only a 30 minute class?

I think it was a great program.   And I am sure it would be wonderful for many kids.  But just not my kid!  It was an extremely structured class.  I was not expecting that at all.  And my 15 month old toddler does not understand a structured environment.  We let Jakob and Alex learn by exploring everything that is around them.  We only guide them in terms of safety issues.  So when we tried to do this class Jakob entered full meltdown mode in about 20 seconds.

Problem #1: There were toys all around the room that Jakob was not allowed to touch.  Have you ever told a 15 month old to not touch the toys?  The bright and colorful toys?

Problem #2: The instructor wanted us to walk around in a circle.  Why was my kid the only one who wanted to basically do a sprint across the room?  And I would finally get Jakob to walk in a circle and the instructor would tell us to turn around and go in the other direction. NO!!!

Problem #3: The instructor would give Jakob a toy to use for an activity but the activity would only last for 2 minutes and then Jakob would be expected to give the toy back.  WHAT?  I kept silently begging for the instructor to just forget that we had the toy.

Problem #4:  And then the worst part came when the instructor pulled out a xylophone for an activity.  We have a xylophone at home for Jakob and Alex.  And they absolutely love the toy.  So immediately Jakob did a made dash for the xylophone and while I was holding on to the back of his t-shirt with all my might all I kept hearing from the instructor was, "Jakob we need to wait our turn."  And all the while I was thinking to myself, "I've failed as a parent."  I have no idea how to teach my 15 month old to wait his turn without causing a meltdown.  When Jakob and Alex fight over a toy we use the power of distraction to solve the problem.  I guess that's not the answer.  So basically the xylophone was the final straw.  And because the instructor was giving us the evil eye I made the decision that our Mommy and Me days were officially over!!  I was sweating up a storm.  And I basically made a made sprint to the car.

I'm also fairly certain that I scared away our new friends!

Did I mention that I was a safety town dropout when I was a kid?  I guess Jakob is following in my footsteps.

So ... "We did try!"

And in other news ...

* Jakob learned how to climb the stairs in Pennsylvania.  He now climbs the stairs at home with zero problems.
* I swear that Alex said "Dog" the other day.  But we haven't heard it again.
* And tonight I officially gave the boys a bath together for the first time ... ALONE!!

Mary

be still my heart

There are certain pictures that make my heart skip a beat.  There is no greater love.

Mary

15 months

The boys are 15 months old!

What are we eating?

I think we have really picky eaters.  But I think I might be alone in those sentiments.  I am told the boys eat a ton during the day so the picky eating should come as no surprise when I try to feed them dinner each night.  I only see them eat dinner though so I think they are picky eaters.  The boys are obsessed with sippy cups!  They love them some juice, water, and milk.  We are still really only eating finger foods.  We have introduced a fork and spoon but at this point the utensils are only used as weapons or drum sticks.  The boys sit down to 3 meals each day (8am, Noon, 5pm) and also graze a lot during the day.  Here is a list of some of the recent foods the boys seem to enjoy tolerate.  I noted their favorite foods with a *.

Oatmeal (w/ fiber one cereal)*, Banana*, Peaches*, Blueberries*, Grapes, Melon, Prunes, Pancakes, Eggs, Blueberry Waffles*, Sausage, French Toast, Hotdogs*, Hamburgers, Cheerios, Sweet Potato French Fries, Puffs, Graham Crackers*, Granola Bars, Ice Cream*, Shredded Cheese*, Block Cheese*  

The boys still drink about 16 - 18 oz of milk each day.  We need to start incorporating sippy cups into mealtime.  It's one of the areas where we have perhaps failed a bit.  It is often hard to break "bad" habits because they really do make the days so much better!

How are we sleeping?

They boys are still sleeping really awesome at night!  (please don't jinx it)  We go upstairs for bath time each night at 7pm.  I am now bathing the boys in the big boy tub and they seem to really be enjoying it.  I can actually get both boys to sit in the tub.  This is an improvement as it took weeks for Alex to relax the death grip on my t-shirt.  I swear he was trying to pull me into the tub too.  I have not mastered bathing both boys at the same time.  It still makes me too nervous.  I really wish I would get the courage to bath them together because now we are having temper tantrums as a result of not being able to play in the tub all that long.  The boys still get a sippy cup with milk before bed.  I cannot in a million years imagine getting rid of this.  And I am sure many parents would slap me on the wrist for still giving a "bottle" before bed.  The boys are always in bed by 7:30pm each night and sleep until about 6:30am or 7:00am each day.

We are slowly transitioning to one nap a day.  And it scares the crap out of me.  I just want the boys to continue to be champion sleepers.  We were noticing that the afternoon nap was becoming a bit of a struggle.  So instead of transitioning to one nap cold turkey we have decided to shorten the morning nap in hopes of continuing with the afternoon nap.  The boys still show signs of needing to take a nap about 10am.  It's just that if we let them sleep uninterrupted they would sleep until Noon.  And then the afternoon nap would be out the door.  But there is no way for them to stay up until 7:30pm.  So we are letting them sleep for about an hour during the morning nap and then they take an afternoon nap for between 60 - 90 minutes.  And it seems to be working.  We hope to bump up the morning nap to a later time once the boys start showing signs of refusing the afternoon nap again.  

Random Stuff

* Jakob learned how to walk backwards!
* The boys can respond to some simple commands now.  "Where is your head?" "Go get me a book." "Go get me your shirt." "Where is your sippy cup?"
* Both boys have learned how to take the safety plugs out of the electrical outlets.  Yippee.
* Alex is a klutz!  I think it's because he has a big head.  He has a smorgasbord of bruises on his forehead. (please don't come to my house child services)  But at the same time that little boy is tough and as a result he rarely cries for a long time after getting an ouchie.

See my newest bump?

* They boys still love to take the vents out of the floor.
* We have entered the temper tantrum stage.  It's so much fun to try and control a 15 month old who is throwing a temper tantrum right after a bath.  I feel like I am wrestling with a greased pig.
* We are getting better about brushing our teeth.  We can at least get the toothbrush in their mouth.
* They still love Super Why!.
* They boys are obsessed with the dog leashes and can spend hours pretending to walk the dogs through the living room.  They grab a leash and drag it behind themselves just like they are walking the dogs. They will also chase after the dogs and try to get them on the leash.
* We got the boys bean bag chairs.  Too cute.

* They absolutely love to play outside.  They could spend hours digging in dirt or looking for rocks.

* They love to watch big trucks.  The garbage truck is a favorite.  And Alex is obsessed with airplanes.
* Both boys babble a lot but there are really no new words.
* Jakob - Mom, Mama, Thank You, and Bye-Bye
* Alex - Mom and Mama
* The boys love to read.  Jakob is a fan of sitting in our lap with a good book.
* The boys are still mostly in 12 month and 12-18 month clothes.  Most of which are still too big for Alex!  I almost think he will be able to wear the same shorts next summer.
* The boys have no problems walking and both boys can stand up without any assistance these days.

The boys have their 15 month appointment next week.  I am anxious to see how much they have grown.  I don't think they have really put on a lot of weight but they have definitely gotten much taller.

Mary

a day in the life

I cannot take credit for this idea!  But after reading several blogs we decided it would be neat to document a day in the life of the boys at 14 months old!

We made it to 6:55am!  

You can hear the chit chat over the baby monitor with a bit of screaming thrown in for good measure.  The troops are restless. I (Momma) am responsible for getting the boys up in the morning while Kara takes the dogs for a walk.

Good Morning World!  These are some hungry boys.  It is time to go downstairs.

Now we are happy!  Yum.  Yum.  It is time to change these stinky diapers.  I'm not sure how I would ever change a poopy diaper without the aid of a sippy cup.

All better.  It's time to play before Momma has to go to work.  Farmer Alex gets busy checking on the animals.

Here is a picture of Mommy hard at work! (take note of the coffee mug)

Our first wardrobe change of the day.  That cup of coffee?  There was a bit of a mishap.  No worries!  There were no injuries.  And the graham cracker?  You can call it a before breakfast snack.  We have growing boys!

7:30am: It's off to work for Momma.  This is my view everyday as I say "good-bye" to the family.  So blessed.

8:00am:  Mommy works hard to fix breakfast while the boys tear apart play in the playroom.  On the menu this morning ... Oatmeal, Eggs, and Banana Pancakes.

It's vitamin D time!

8:45am:  It's time for a walk with Mommy!  The boys spend a lot of time outdoors and have absolutely loved going on walks since they were newborns.  Today it is a 3 mile stroll around the neighborhood.  Jakob called shotgun!

9:30am: The boys get juice and water when they get back from the morning walk.  You can see Alex holding onto the sippy cup with all the strength he can muster.  That boy loves him some juice and water.  On the other hand Jakob has already been distracted by some shiny object.

10:00am: It's nap time!  We read the boys two stories before bedtime.  Today it was Happy Hippo Angry Duck and The Going to Bed Book.

11:30am:  It took Jakob about 45 minutes to fall asleep.  So Mr. Jakob is grumpy when it is time to wake-up.  Too bad.  We keep on a tight schedule in this household.  It's time to get dressed and have our bottles!
Don't we look dapper?

Noon: It's lunchtime!  We need to eat a big lunch because ...

... we are off to the park!!

The first item on the agenda at the park.  The swings.  The boys could swing all day long!

Next up ... the ducks!! The boys love to watch the ducks at the pond.

The boys spent the rest of the time at the park running around like crazy men.  Ok.  That's not totally true.  Alex sat next to the stroller trying to figure out how it works and Jakob ran around like a crazy man.

2:30pm:  It's nap time.  And after a bad morning nap (cough cough Mr. Jakob) and a few hours at the park the boys were exhausted!  Both slept soundly until 4pm when it was time to get up.  I told you we keep to a schedule.

Now it is milk time again.  The boys are usually really fussy after this nap so we are still trying to workout where the best place is to take the sippy cups.  The crib seems to be the best at this point.

4:15pm:  We get to play while we wait for Momma to get home from work.  Today we have turned our chairs into push carts.  Hold on Snoopy!!

4:30pm: Momma is home.  I get to see this everyday!

4:40pm:  And faster than we can blink in this house it is time to say "good-bye" to Mommy.

4:45pm:  The boys get to play while I cook put together dinner.  Alex is just hoping he doesn't get food poisoning tonight.

5:00pm: Dinner!  How did I do?  On the menu tonight ... Banana Pancake, Hot dog, Peaches, and Orzo Salad.  That all goes together.  Right?

The dogs love dinner time too!

5:30pm:  The boys get to play in the living room and watch Super Why while I clean-up from dinner.  This is the only television of the day.  But actually there always is very little television watching these days.  Why would we want to watch television when we can climb-up on objects?  Back in the day I could put them in the pack-n-play. Not so much now!

We love to play with the dog stuff!

5:45pm:  It's now time for a walk with Momma!  This time we only do 2.5 miles.  I always give the boys a high-five after we finish the walk.

And of course we get juice and water when we get back.  It's hard to push that double stroller the whole way!

And now it is playtime with Momma before we get ready for bed.  A little light reading anyone?

7:00pm:  It is bath time!  We have been introducing the potty to the boys.  They sit on it every night before they get in the tub.  They have no idea what is going on but we want them to not be afraid of the potty.  And actually Jakob has peed in the potty several times.  Here is Jakob inspecting the situation!

Alex is slowing starting to warm up to the idea of the big bath tub.  Now if only I could get him to actually sit in the tub.

The boys get a final sippy cup before bedtime.  We brush our teeth.  And then it is story time.  I think Alex is ready for some books.

Tonight we read Mommy, Mama, and Me and The Going to Bed Book (it's a favorite).

And it is bedtime!  Right on schedule ... heck ... tonight we managed to be a minute early!!

It was a great day!

Mary