18 Months!

Feeling a little melancholy today because....

Benjamin and Emma are 18 months old!  11/2 years old.

  Where, oh where, has the time gone?  I can hardly believe it!

Then:

May 2010 6 months old

Look how little they are!

They tried rice cereal for the first time.
How's that for a first reaction?
They eventually started gobbling it up!

Now: 

Love these kiddo's!

Playing the piano at Grandpa and Grandma's house

New favorite pastime- eating crayons

Sometimes they color, too.

Emma "wearing" Papa's tie and inspecting her "carzzz"

Playing unerneath the table.  I love how Ben is hugging Elmo!


At 18 months, I can no longer officially call you "babies".  
But you know I still do!


Ar 18 months:


*Emma has finally discovered baby dolls- she hugs and kisses them with the sweetest expression on her face.
*Ben blows kisses at bedtime and both say "night night".
*They are so proud of themselves when I praise them for being good or for doing something I ask them to do.
*They love to "twirl, twirl, twirl"!
*Ben and Emma will wash their own face and hands.  Every time they see the box of wipes, they ask for one to wash up!  We're going through a huge amount of wipes but now I don't have to 

wrestle them to the floor to wash their faces!

*Ben will gave me real kisses as in puckering up his lips and smacking them against mine.  
MMMWAH!  Love ya, Baby Boy!
 He also loves to kiss and hug Emma...she tolerates it!

*The words, "lets go read some books" 
will get Ben and Emma into their room quick as a whistle!  
They love to "read"and be read to.  
This is not new news but what is new is that they are 
"eating" them less which makes me very happy!

*Ben is ticklish under his arms and behind his knees!  
Emma is still ticklish all over!
*Emma is still repeating everything we say very clearly.  
Ben is now repeating words, too!  Yeah, Ben!  
He is mostly repeating sounds but he is improving 
and Mama is so proud!
*They love to color for a few minutes and 
then prefer to just eat the crayons!
*Both Emma and Ben love cars of any kind.  "Carzzz" is Emma's new favorite word but she will still blurt out "shoooz" 
 just for the heck of it!
*They can bounce a foot high in their cribs!
*Ben knocks on the wall to let me know they are awake 
and ready to play!
*Ben loves to "dress" himself by putting as many shirts over his head as possible.  Oh yes, and one foot in a pair of pants.
 For example:

In "other" news:

Ben takes off his diaper in his bed.
They can spit water across the room.
Ben turns the TV off and on and repeatedly turns up the volume.
Ben stands on the couch and turns the light off and on.
Emma's squeal makes my head hurt.
Emma is getting very picky about what she wants to eat.  
What kiddo doesn't like peanut butter???

I miss them~


Benjamin and Emma,


I miss your soft downy hair
but love Emma's crazy curls
and Ben's new frizz!


I miss you sleeping on my shoulder
but love (when) you sleep through the night


I miss seeing you sleep side by side in one crib
but love to see you jumping in your cribs in perfect rhythm
with pure joy in the morning!


I miss your soft baby coo's
but love to hear your sweet voices say new words.

I miss your baby chuckles
but love that you do things you know will make me laugh!


I miss you eating with gusto everything I gave you
but love that you are starting to tell me what you 
enjoy and don't enjoy eating.
Emma will even shake her head when an 
undesirable food is offered!


I miss you laying on a blanket on the floor gazing 
in wonder at your favorite rattle
but love to watch you run and play together and with your neighborhood friends and cousins.

I miss you sitting contentedly playing with a toy or your hands 
but love how exciting everything is for you.  You are discovering new and exciting things everyday.  Leaves, sticks, mud, sand, bark, bugs-everything must be inspected and tasted.
  
I miss your small bodies 
but laugh with delight to see how long and lean Ben is 
and how short and chunky Emma is.
"Miss Chunkalisious" indeed!
__________________


I love you so much, my sweet Twinkies.  You are a joy and a blessing to your Papa and I.  We couldn't have asked for anything better than our boy and our girl.  You are loved and cherished,
my beautiful babies.