Max & Kate: 22 Months

We recently bought a few new toys thrifting and off craigslist.org in hopes of entertaining our children and encouraging individual playtime (ie: without parental involvement 24-7). Yet it is the box from our recent Costco trip that gets more play time.

We are so busy around here! Cupboards are still being emptied, naughty children getting into places they shouldn't, curious minds constantly at work.

I was pushing them into the library yesterday and looked down at them as they were laughing together, mimicking one another and my heart just swelled with love. As hard as this stage is I am so glad there are two of them, that they have each other. I love to hear them laughing together, especially when Max entertains Kate and she has the most amazing and adorable laugh.

Sweet boy had a smack down with the kitchen chair and he lost. We were all a bit shaken and have since recovered nicely.

Max:

Probably around 25 pounds

Size 4 diapers

Size 5 shoe

Size 12 months shorts, 12-18 months pants for length, 18 month shirts

Thinks he is Mr. Big Stuff

Communication is starting to really take off. It is wonderful to witness comprehension skills and I know as language continues to develop that things will get easier. He picks up sign language more readily and is very good about using "help" and "more". He will sign "please" and "thank you" when prompted.

He says a few simple phrases; I get it, all done, etc. Daddy, mama, Jesus, "Momo" (Elmo), bye, Lili, bear, apple, hi, play, outside, and more words that I can't remember right now and lots of intentional babbling that I have yet to decipher. It is really fun to have a "conversation" with him. The kids know their body parts and love to find everyone's belly button.

Playing at the library with friend Lili.

Max is tender and kind, devious and stubborn, frustrating and endearing. He still loves to share with Kate but when given food to pass along he always gives Kate the one he has already taken a bite of. Stinker. Changing a diaper is a battle most of the time since he is too busy to lay down. He loves to wrestle, tickle and play cars, trucks, blocks, read. Loves his blankie and bear.

He says "no" to everything when asked a question. It is cute most of the time. When he or Kate get into trouble or unkind to one another they apologize by giving each other kisses. I love it. They both give good kisses to everyone.

Kate:

Just over 20 pounds

Size 5 shoe

Size 4 diaper

Size 12 months shorts, 12-18 months pants but they will be very baggy, 12mo-2T shirts, brand dependent

Resident Drama Queen

Kate is also talking more and surprises us with how easily she will repeat words if she takes her darn thumb out of her mouth. She says most of the same words as Max, is good at saying "share" and telling her brother repeatedly as he always takes things from her. She requests her favorite songs/rhymes that we learned at the library and does some actions from "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Wheels on the Bus", "Head Shoulders".

She is very sensitive, gets overwhelmed and scared when in busy places with loud older children (ie: the mall play area) or when other kids yell/scream near her. She still whines when she wants something instead of signing unless we repeatedly prompt/ask her and usually she is impatient and refuses to comply. We praise her heavily when she does! She loves to drink out of a cup and does fairly well.

Kate is beautiful and tender. She still loves to snuggle and is most content in your lap. She plops her little bum in your lap at every opportunity when we are on the floor playing together. They do not like to share the lap and will push each other away.

She has soft natural curls in the back and I hope she keeps them. She is starting to keep hair bows in as we tell her she is pretty and she will wear a few bracelets during playtime. I put the bracelet she was blessed in on her a few Sundays back and she treated that arm very carefully during church and felt very special wearing it.

She is a very sweaty sleeper since she pulls her blanket up over her head and will wake with awesome bed head.

We watch Sesame Street now instead of incessant Barney (hallelujah!). They are exercising their climbing skills; onto the couch, kitchen chairs, etc. Nothing too scary but our kitchen chairs are top heavy and I feel dangerous, see exhibit A with Max above. They are starting to play a bit more imaginatively and with friends and each other instead of just parallel play.

Some randoms: I will say "da, da, da, da" to Beethoven's 5th and they repeat me. So cute, they will initiate it now. I pucker my lips and make kissy noises and they repeat me and Kate is especially good at making kissy noises. They grunt and growl when they are territorial over space or personal items and have conversations with each other. Both are good at trilling their tongue and making silly noises and pow-wow noises with their hands and mouth. Lots of noise around here.