On Saturday at the Spring Celebration, we were mobbed (as per usual) by people asking if the girls were twins and how old they were, etc. Without pause, I exclaimed that the girls had just turned one…I didn’t even realize it was actually their 13 month birthday the day prior!
Fast forward to Monday, when I received my weekly email from BabyCenter with the subject line, “Your Toddler: 13 Months, Week 1.” HUH? I’ve been getting these BabyCenter updates since the girls were born, but this one nearly made me spit out my drink all over my computer when I saw the subject line. 13 Months, Week 1? That can’t be right! When did that happen? After a minor freak out, I looked at my twenty-six pound, long-legged girls, sprawled out across me while napping and gulped down the the fact that they were definitely not babies anymore!
Wake up, sister! I WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU.
GO AWAY, SAMANTHA!
The milestones and artifacts symbolic of babyhood are long gone. The Boppies on which the girls used to practice tummy time have been replaced with walkers they now use to practice running up and down the house and sidewalks; the large quilt on which they used to sit, unable to move past its perimeter, has been replaced by a million different gates and safety locks on all the drawers now that they are able to get into everything; the teething rings that were once too big for their tiny hands and the “Baby Jungle” under which they used to play have been replaced by books, blocks and dolls. Only a few relics from infancy remain: their trusty Wubs (which I am trying to wean them off, unsuccessfully, I might add), their Aden and Anais swaddle blankets that we use for nap time, their sleep sacks, and, of course, rocking them to sleep, are some of the few things that have made the transition to toddlerhood with the girls.
The first few weeks after the girls’ first birthday acted as a psychological buffer, giving me a little bit of time to transition from holding onto the girls’ baby-ness to embracing their toddlerhood. Now that we’re officially in Month 13, I’ve realized it’s time to let them spread their wings and fly!
On that note, I’ve been making a special effort lately to pay attention to all the special, unique and downright adorable moments that make having twin toddlers a grand new adventure. My observations have surprised me with how fun it really is getting to be. For example, the absolute best thing about toddlerhood so far is watching the girls interact and babble with each other. Lately, the girls have been getting up super early in the morning, (to the tune of 5:45 a.m.–even after I installed blackout curtains in their room…grrrr) and after giving them a bottle and playing with them for a few minutes, I’ve been putting them back in their cribs while I take a shower and get ready for the day. It’s the most precious thing ever when I peek back in their room to watch them happily babbling over the crib rails, banging the shutters on the window together, dancing to the beat of the music in unison, or lobbing toys over their own crib into the other. If only they’d let me catch them on film one of these days! It’s definitely one of the highlights of my day, for sure.
Another twin toddler milestone t I’m excited about is walking. Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy the fact that the girls are not proficient walkers yet, because once they are, life is going to reach a whole new level of crazy. However, I can’t help but hope/beg/pray that they start walking more consistently soon so that I don’t have to constantly carry both of them everywhere! Going up and down the stairs, bringing down one twin and then the other is getting super tiring, especially since together, they weigh over 50 pounds! It’s completely unmanageable to carry both of them at the same time…even Jake has a hard time picking up both girls these days.
While we wait for the girls to hone their new skills, it’s so much fun watching them “walk” together and then topple down (usually on top of one another).
The girls get in their fair share of disagreements, but even after Samantha steals a toy or Amelia annoys Samantha somehow, they go right back to following each other around like puppies.
Another sign of impending full-on toddlerhood is the fact that the girls have realized that by working as a team, they can reach a whole new degree–nay– dimension of trouble-making! Samantha is usually the instigator, with Amelia as her trusty, yet devious, little sidekick. At the park the other day, Samantha worked on pushing the stroller over…
…while Amelia was distracting me with her cuteness. Works every time!
Once it was down, they saw no reason to explore anything else at the park.
What parent doesn’t want their children to act as one another’s confidants/motivational life coaches? The girls are great at encouraging each other, especially when it comes to enacting a plan to grab a forbidden object. C’mon sister! You’ve almost got it!
Of course, just like when they were babies, the girls still have their differences. Here, they were teaching us about opposites: messy vs. clean.
Silly vs. serious.
But the biggest sign of toddlerhood is…wait for it…more hair (finally!)
I can almost style them with some of the large clip-on bows I received at my shower last year…almost!
Growing up into toddlers, one mohawk at a time!
Lots of love,
