18 Months Old!

Kayla:

• Weighs 22lb 8oz (25th percentile) and is 33 3/8" tall (90th percentile).
• Words:  
• "Ma" for Matthew
• "Ba" for ball
• "Woo Woo" for dog
• Animal Sounds
• "Woo Woo" for dog
• "Sssss" for snake
• "Wra wra wra" (high pitched) for a mouse, rat, squirrel, or rabbit
• Tries to climb poles.  I couldn't figure out where she would have picked this up from...until Pauline's blog entry reminded me that she had been trying to copy her older cousins who were climbing a pole at Leanne's house.  Totally makes sense now!
• Loves sitting on my lap.  If I'm sitting on the floor she often comes and places herself in my lap.
• Learned to spin in a circle on August 23rd.
• Learned to walk backwards on August 30th.
• Is really good at jumping on the trampoline.  She actually gets air!
• Loves books.
• Loves playing with the single mega bloks, stacking and unstacking them.
• Loves making her dolls and animals and anything that resembles a living creature "eat".  She holds their head by her food and says "nom nom nom".
• Likes to steal toys from Matthew, but will give him something in return in hopes that he doesn't cry/complain.
• Runs everywhere.
• Constantly trips over her toes. 
• Talks non-stop when she's in a good mood.
• Has 8 teeth
• Likes to walk around with her blankie wrapped around her
• Likes walking around with my hair brush, and brushing her hair.
• Loves drinking coffee.
• Can't drink pop...the carbonation is too much for her and she lets it drool out of her mouth.
• Is becoming a better eater.  The trick is to talk to her and ask her questions during mealtime and shoves bites into her mouth when she's listening/responding.  Seems to distract her from realizing that she's confined to a highchair and being fed.
• Is really good at drinking milk...and by that I mean she actually drinks milk at meal times.  She doesn't drink enough so that I can drop her before-bed bottle, but we're getting there!  (Although I can't drop her bottle until Matthew is ready).
• If you don't praise her for doing something when she thinks she deserves praise, she praises herself by clapping.
• Likes to play "Where is it?"  She'll hide a toy between her legs and then will ask you where it is.
• Is quite shy.  She shows her shyness by staring straight at you with a blank expression on her face.
• Loves "cleaning".  She'll walk around with a wet cloth or a dish brush and will "clean".  She must see me do it all the time (haha - kidding!).
• Wears size 12-18 month clothes (but is starting in some 18-24 month), size 3 diapers, size 5 shoes.

Matthew:

• Weighs 21lb 4oz (3rd percentile) and is 32" tall (40th percentile).
• Words:
• "Woo Woo" for dog
• Learned to spin in a circle on August 22nd.
• Learned to walk backwards on August 30th.  I have no idea where he would have learned this as I had never shown him!
• Is really good at jumping (on the ground).  He gets air!  
• Loves going bum drops on the trampoline.  He'll jump a few times and then intentionally land on his bum.  Too cute.
• Still loves holding rocks.
• Is starting to talk more.
• has 12 teeth...and knows how to use them.  He accidentally bit me on the arm last week.  And then Kayla was feeding him a goldfish the other day and he bit her finger so hard he drew a little bit of blood.  Poor Kayla!
• Still has the best giggle.
• Loves playing with the ball popper...he also loves throwing anything that's not a ball down there and then whining when the balls aren't popping.  I get tired of dealing with that so I try to hide the ball popper from him.
• Loves playing with the single mega bloks, stacking and unstacking them.
• Likes walking around with my hair brush, and brushing his hair.
• Loves snacks and candies.  He knows exactly which cupboard has the candies and that the snacks come from our pantry.
• Loves drinking pop.
• Sucks at drinking milk during his meals.  He just isn't thirsty.
• Likes to play "Where is it?"  He'll hide a toy between his legs and then will ask you where it is.
• Is quite shy.  He shows his shyness by looking at the ground, completely avoiding eye contact.  It's as if he thinks that you will disappear if he's not looking at you.
• Wears size 12-18 month clothes, size 3 diapers, size 4 shoes.

StrongStart

We attended our very first StrongStart class today (for those that don't know, StrongStart is a free preschool-like program funded by the government in select public elementary schools province-wide, and is for kids age 0-5 and an accompanying adult).  The closest school that offers it is at Willoughby Elementary, on 208th street and 80th avenue.  Their class runs from 1pm-4pm.  Not an ideal time, I would have much preferred if they offered it during the morning session (usually 8:45am-11:45am) so that it wouldn't interfere with their nap at all, but I didn't want to drive further just to attend a morning session.  I tried laying Matthew and Kayla down for a late morning nap...but only got 30 minutes out of them.  Not good.

We were the first to arrive at StrongStart which was nice...it gave me a chance to familiarize myself with the classroom, show Matthew and Kayla around, and talk to the teacher.  Matthew and Kayla had so much fun...at the beginning.  They LOVED all the different toys to play with.  I definitely need to try to work with them on cleaning up a toy after they play with it, as that is strongly encouraged there.  They lasted until 2:30 (just as snack was starting!), and then they had sleep-deprived/hungry meltdowns.  I suppose if there was only one of them I could have stayed and managed the meltdown, but because there are the two of them I figured it would just be easiest to leave.

They're now having some quiet-time in their cribs...in case they want to take a quick afternoon nap.  Correction...it has now turned into "giggle-time" in their cribs.  Oh well, they'll be in bed early tonight!

Missing Grandma

My parents left for Ontario (to visit David, Laura, Remy, & Carly) at noon on Thursday, September 13th.  The next day, when we were at my parents' house to use the trampoline, Matthew stood by the sliding door looking for my mom.  Minutes later, when Kayla was on the trampoline, she pointed to the house and did her hand expressions "where?".

I downloaded Skype and let Matthew and Kayla talk to my mom last night.  I thought it might help Kayla understand that my mom was not around (Kayla frequently Skypes with Remy and Carly).  Kayla just stared at my mom on the computer, expressionless.  Ten minutes after we finished Skyping, I heard the latch of our deck gate open and close.  I excitedly exclaimed to Kayla, "Guess who's here?  Go look!".  She ran to the kitchen to check it out.  Candice came to the living room, and said Kayla didn't even smile when she saw it was Candice.  Kayla then came to the living room...and her lower lip started to stick out and the largest tears started rolling down her cheeks.  I think she thought it was going to be my mom visiting...not Candice...and was so disappointed!

No More Soothers

After we got home from church this morning I decided (with Jon's consent) to take away Matthew and Kayla's soothers.  Hopefully they learn to soothe themselves quickly!

I put them down for their afternoon nap at 12:10pm...and of course they're crying...let's see how long for!!

I had always said that at the end of the summer around their 18 month birthday I would take them away...and so I figured now is a perfect time to do so.  My parents are both in Ontario and so our weekly plans/activities are at a minimum, so I should have little temptation to give in to them and the flexibility to attend/not attend things depending on how they're doing.

Wish us luck!!

(They were asleep by 12:35pm - not bad!  But only slept for one hour:( )

*UPDATE:  Kayla fell asleep tonight within 15 minutes of being put down, with only 5 minutes of crying.  Matthew fell asleep in 45 minutes with only 10 minutes of crying.  Hopefully it stays this easy!

You've guilted me into it...

August 2012 pictures!  I quickly chose a few...I probably missed a bunch...I still haven't even loaded all of the ones I have.  Something is better than nothing though, right?

August 3-12 David, Laura, Remy, & Carly Visit - Trip to the Zoo!

August 10-12 camping @ Alouette Lake with Nicole and Colin.  Matthew and Kayla got LOADS of attention - it was like having four parents!

(I put Kayla in one of Matthew's hoodies in attempt to having them wearing matching clothes...too bad she looks like a tomboy!)

August 18-25 Camping @ Penticton with my family.

On our way there Jon & I (and Jason & Courtney who were driving with us) stopped at Bridal Falls (we did last year as well).

First adult-sized ice cream cone.  They loved it!

First time having a ring pop!

Playing in the sand while her aunts and uncles try to catch teeny tiny little fish with sand pails..."for Matthew and Kayla" they said.  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Volleyball...classic.

Jumping off the dock.

Concentrating on the ice cube in her mouth.

What a dork :).  Matthew had tipped his chair sideways while sitting in it and banged his chin against my parents' trailer steps...the sandpapery part.  He received a pretty nasty scab as a result.

Enjoying bath time on the picnic table.  Matthew, on the other hand, despised bath time.  :(

My little athletes :)

Showing Grandpa how to use Jon's iPhone to play "Peekaboo Barn".

Spent one evening at the batting cages.

Us girls (and Matthew) went to the mall on the cloudy Friday.  Kayla bought some hair clips (she LOVED being in Claire's!!!) and then they enjoyed playing in the kids play area.

Being crazy with Grandpa.

SO CUTE.  Except for the booger dripping from his nose :(

Starting to become a little daredevil and she discovers what she can climb onto.

Watching the one cartoon they are allowed to watch some mornings (while eating frozen blueberries)..."SuperWhy".  It's super educational and cute, and it entertains them for about 10 minutes :)

Playing in their pajamas after breakfast.

Showing me her owie.

Kayla loves my computer and grabbing my pens and paper I leave laying out.  

So sad :(

Kayla loves carrying her doll around, wrapped up in her blankie.

I tried to show them how to clean the peel off of the onions.  Kept them busy for a couple minutes, and then they started to throw the onions around.