Update: Buddy's Big Milestone

DAD has eagerly waited for it. He thought it would arrive last Friday. And each intervening day brought new promise that that day might be the day. But those days were not that day. But today is that day!

Buddy hitherto has not yet pulled himself fully upright to a standing position. He has pulled himself to a kneeling position. He can hold himself fully upright when placed in that position. But until now he has not bridged the two positions.

What's so special about this? He did it on his own!

Of course he was too embarrassed by the possibility of failure to do it in front of Dad. He waited until Dad left the area. And as soon as he did, EJ popped right on up.

Good job son.

Update: Having figured out his newest skill, Buddy puts it into practice as if he had always been doing it.

"What? It is no big deal Dad. All of the kids are doing it."

 

Roly Poly

BUDDY boy recently got dressed to brave March's cold drizzle and venture out for a weekend errand with the rest of the New Family. Dad noticed, liked, and photographed his son's rotund physique.

The round ones give the best hugs.

Buddy

WELL here is a gratuitous abuse of New Family blog readers. Dad posts a shot of Buddy sans context.

What is Buddy doing? Where is he going? Why has he paused just here, just now?

Conspiring Nanners

THE Twins wore their banana sleepers (banana, nana, nanner, get it?) while in their play space today courtesy of Dad.

A teething, drooling Buddy took all of the toys out of the laundry basket. This is the game he and Dad play. Dad puts 'em away, Buddy takes 'em out so Dad can do it again.

Buggy uses her pacifier as a teether. Dr. Pedia says it has to go Buggy, but can Dad let it go?

Buddy is still not ready to pull himself up to standing, but here he makes it onto his knees.

The bully Buggy can pull herself up. She tends to knock him down and walk all over him to get at what she wants. He cries for Dad to come help.

Take that you bully! Now down herself, she cries out. It becomes a noisy time with screams of delight, anguish, and just because they've been up for over two hours. Dad tunes the cacophony out to attend to some work.

Dad turned his attention away from them for a few minutes to get through the 254 e-mails he received since he last logged in. While working, he had not noticed that the room had gone silent. When he finally looked down he realized the Twins were somehow able to get into the basket together without him noticing. This is interesting because it required coordination between them (no matter how unintended) to roll the basket up from its side (see first photo). And that they did without crying, whining, or otherwise fighting.

A marvel. Playing quietly having worked their way into the basket without Dad noticing. Uh-oh, Dad now recalls the stories he has heard about twins plotting and coordinating together. All of those stories had the same theme, the two were able to accomplish great feats of evil by working together silently.

Dad gets a shiver up his spine at the thought and turns them out to find another activity to do.

Conspiracy is not allowed.

Update: 9/12ths Year Old Today!

THE New Family Twins are nine months old today, or to a tax accountant 9/12 of one year old today.

Mom had their check up appointment scheduled since their last one at 6 months. Back then they were containerized, i.e. easily transported from home to car to office in infant carrier car seats. Those are gone. They are now carried to the car and from the car to the office in Mom and Dad's arms. Loading, unloading, opening and closing a stroller is not worthwhile for these brief excursions. Especially under March's cold drizzle.

Liesel is tall and skinny and in the 90th percentile for height (29") and 25th for weight (16.5 lbs.).  EJ is 75th for height (29") and 25th percentile for weight (18 lbs.). So she'll be the family's runway model and he'll be the Olympic wrestler (assuming they bring it back as a sport).

She pulls to a standing position and crawls like a champ on all fours. He is not lazy, just content to stay on the floor, and uses his massive upper body strength to pull himself around. She is four, while he is front wheel drive.

Neither experience stranger anxiety.

They are both on stage 3 solids twice per day supplemented with formula. Dr. Pedia says to increase that to 3 meals/day supplemented with solid snacks while concurrently reducing bottle feeding. The goal is 100% table food by 12/12ths months old. Dad is absolutely on board with that since he is tired of cleaning, making, and feeding bottles.

Lower two teeth have emerged while their uppers are about to push through. Dr. Pedia wants Buggy to give up her binkies. Oh boy, Bugaboo is not going to like giving up her soothing binky sucking habit. Nap times have just become noisier affairs.

Update: And boy have they. Buggy likes her pacifiers and has formally registered her protests with the Committee for Review before she will fully relinquish them. Mom, composing the en banc committee, will weigh her arguments (and Dad's implorements) and render final judgement.

The Wagon

THE Twins new wagon is assembled and ready to go. It is an early birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Woodall.
 

EJ likes the footwell best.

Liesel would prefer to walk.

 

Buddy checks out the trailer.

Buddy Stands Out

BY standing for long periods of time.

EJ will not pull himself upright yet, though he attempts to, but when put in an upright position, he apparently can maintain it for long periods of time.

Buggy goes up, and comes down, as she chooses having mastered pulling herself up and sitting (or falling) down at will.

There is some doubt, but by certain accounts, when the above series of photos were taken, Buddy had been upright for at least 20 minutes.

Hailey III

THE final series of photos Hailey took while visiting. This time we look at photo quality.

Click to see more.

Hide and Seek

"WHERE did that girl get to?" Dad wonders having only left the play area for a moment and not finding her immediately upon his return. She could not have gone far, while she is quick, she is not superhuman. Never-the-less, she was not readily visible from his vantage when he performed his well being check so he had to abandon his task and investigate further to find her.

Panic, followed by visions of worst-case-scenarios, and repetitions of self assurance quickly followed. There are stairs; they could fall; he has blocked them, but has he done so effectively?

Several steps into the play area and he thought, "It figures," having heard a chirp from an odd location.

Hiding like a sniper in the shadow of cover, she was not easy to see. Above, the flash illuminates her face but without it, she was barely visible.

Dad squats down to confront her. Acting as if nothing were amiss, she came down from her hidey-hole feigning concern for Dad's brief worry.

He expects this routine will play itself out over and over again many times in the coming years.