This weekend was Russ and Mannie's adjusted first birthday. Meaning, the boys were expected to come into the world one year ago - instead, they were born in January 2010.
Before I unleash all the details about the boys and their progress...I must acknowledge my struggle to blog. Believe me, my lack of writing does not come from a lack of desire to record our boys' adventures. I have been meaning to write for months:
- I planned to write in December at Christmas - but my brother and his family were visiting from Alaska, and the holidays are BUSY. Seriously, who has time to write when there are babies to keep away from the tree.
- I wanted to write on January 3, a year after my water broke. The next week, I started blogging. I wrote, "I have been trying to compose a blog for two months...but somehow I can't seem to find the right words. I am overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with joy, watching my babies grow and develop. Overwhelmed with thanksgiving. As we celebrated Christmas this year, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. And then it was suddenly 2011...and we passed January 3, which was the day I had premature rupture of membranes..." Anyway, it is still in draft phase. Unfinished.
- I planned to write on the boys' first birthday - I even started writing the night before their birthday. "Tomorrow Mannie and Russ turn one. One. ONE. We are really excited to celebrate their very first birthday." And that's as far as I got.
- Then I thought about writing on Valentine's Day - I mean, I am completely and utterly IN LOVE with my babies. But I only thought about blogging...didn't even start a draft.
But enough about me -
The good news is that the past 5 months have been fantastic. The boys have stayed healthy, they're growing, and they are meeting all their developmental milestones. In fact, they are closing the gap between their adjusted age (12 months) and their actual age (15.5 months).
Size: Emmanuel was 23 lbs and 30" at his 15 mos check up; Russ has maintained being just a bit bigger at 24 lbs 6 oz and 30.5."
Hair: Blond. Yes, blond!!! (Dave and I were both blond as children.) Both boys also have a nice wave in their hair, and Russ has the cutest curls in the back, behind his ears, which I have been refusing to cut.
Teeth: Mannie and Russ each have eight teeth. They take fluoride daily and even cooperate to have their teeth brushed.
Eating: The boys enjoy eating, and they are good eaters. Mannie loves meat. Russell prefers veggies or breads. They both love Cheerios, crackers, or anything crunchy. We're working on getting them accustomed to table food. It is a slow process. Hopefully the arrival of some molars will help us out! They can drink out of sippy cups, but still love their bottles. We're currently transitioning from formula to milk.
Sleeping: We typically put the boys to bed around 8 p.m. and they get up between 6-7:30 a.m. They sleep in separate cribs, but their cribs are right next to one another! They like to nap mid-morning and mid-afternoon. For naps we separate them - Mannie gets to nap in the Pack 'n Play in our bedroom.
Movement: Russ and Mannie walk. Russ was our first walker (about 1 month ago), but Mannie got on his feet within the same week. Mannie still relies on pulling himself up on toys/furniture to get into standing position, whereas Russ can stand up and go in the middle of the floor. When we put them on the deck outside, they want to run! (Oh, boy!)
Language: The boys are very interested in words and sounds. A lot of our time is spent answering the questions "dis?" and "dat?" as the boys point to objects around them, wanting you to say the name. They know a dog says "woof", a snake says "sssss", an owl says "whoo." They can point to their hair and noses. Other words: dada, mama, dog, shoes, jacket, glasses, uh oh, done...the list is growing quickly so it is hard to keep track!
What Else They're Doing: Their book collection is becoming very well loved. They like to play with the Shape-O ball (or similar toys) where they can put shapes into the proper place. They are able to play together (yay!) for short periods of time. They fight over toys sometimes; typically Russ will see Mannie playing with something and then decide he has to have it. He'll take it, and then Mannie will cry. However, Mannie knows how to tackle Russ...he just hasn't figured out to do it after Russell takes a toy! Mannie can throw a ball with one hand. Russ has been hiding behind the furniture and then peeking out and saying, "boo." My boys are also music lovers. Russ will rock back and forth or swing his arms like he's conducting the music. Mannie's response is to rock from side to side or dance. It's really funny to watch if they are grooving simultaneously - Russ rocking back and forth and Mannie rocking side to side. And of course, they love to play with anything they aren't supposed to (especially things with cool buttons)!
I'll sign off with a couple of photos taken last month by our fabulous babysitter, Tammy.
First, there is Mannie...we typically struggle to get great photos of the Man, but he was cooperating for Tammy.
And now, Russ. He is a silly little guy who loves to laugh - but she couldn't get him to crack a smile until the next day...
They are great little guys, that's for sure. I thank God everyday for my miracle boys.
