Almost 2...

These boys... seems like every day there is a new word they are saying, or something new they are getting into.  And we are loving every minute!  Sadly, they are already over the novelty of giving kisses.  Kisses are few and far between :(  Now they say "ow" for everything... getting a diaper change "ow", getting their hair brushed "ow", everything gets an "ow".  Surely not everything we are doing with these boys is torture!    They go in Time Out when they hit, throw, bite, etc., and they tattle on each other, boys doing something naughty get a "no no no" from their innocent (for now) brother.  They all love to be tickled, and it's so cute to watch them laugh.  They also love to crash into each other and run each other over... such boys :)

They are pretty good at walking and holding hands, thankfully.  But we still don't go anywhere without two of use to their 3, just not enough hands.  They know lots of animals now, but call them by their sound, horses are "neigh", cows are "moo", sheep are "baa".  Except dogs and cats, those names they have had down for a long time!  Some of their first words.  They are also good at recognizing body parts and pointing them out (toes, head, etc.).  Cars and trucks and tractors are some of their favorites!  They get really excited, cars are "vroom", and trucks and definitely tractors they call by name.  They still love books, one of their favorite things is sitting in our laps to read a book, or they'll grab one and climb up on a chair or plop on a pillow on the floor and flip through it on their own.  Sometimes they even babble while they are doing it and I wonder what stories they are making up :)

Personality wise, Evan is very determined, pretty stubborn, relentless.  Once he figures out how to do something or how to get what he wants, he does it over and over regardless of what we try to do to interfere!  Opening drawers, getting things he shouldn't have, finding a cord, if he wants to do it or get to it, he will.  Evan is pretty independent, chill, and easy going.  Ryan desperately wishes he was an only child.  He loves his brothers, but he wants to be held by one of us all the time, and good luck trying to set him down or get away to tend to one of his brothers.  There have been days I have had to set him down screaming just to change another boy's dirty diaper.  Ryan seems to think about things, more serious and reserved.  Collin is playful and adventurous.  He was the first to climb on the little table next to the couch and then fling himself on to the couch.  He is a fish.  He loves the water whether it is a pool or a bathtub, he will splash and play as long as we let him.

Most of the time they will eat pretty much anything, Evan especially.  Except Ryan, he doesn't vary much from his favorites (fruit, carbs), but since he is the biggest it doesn't seem to hold him back!  And they are all getting really good at spoons and forks.  Pretty soon it will be time for booster seats, they love to sit in chairs like big boys :)

Big changes coming next week, the boys will start Children's Day Out at the church Mondays and Wednesdays.  I'm excited for them to have a chance to socialize more with other kids, and have some structured learning.  Our days at home are pretty much a free for all, with the structure being the times we eat and nap, but that's about all.  Hopefully all goes well and they love it!

Time flies...

Wow, life just never gets easier... Time has flown by, and these boys are growing up before our eyes!  I'll edit the post later to add in the stats from their last few doctors visits (I hope), but if I don't write this when I get the chance, it won't get done!

The boys dropped their morning nap a few months ago, we were all really sad to see it go... They still have an afternoon nap that is pretty good, and sometimes great :)  And they still sleep about 12 hours at night, going to bed between 7-8pm and waking up between 7:30-8:30am.  Which is fantastic!  And critical for our sanity.  Speaking of dropping things, we stopped pacifiers cold turkey a few months ago, they were only getting them for naps and bedtime, and I just didn't give it to them for an afternoon nap, and it went so well we just didn't give them to them again!  Such good boys.  The key for us I think is doing it before they can ask for it, they were still at the stage where if they saw it they wanted it, but if they didn't they sort of forgot.

They are running around like crazy, and starting to climb things (like onto the kitchen table).  Definitely very, very active.  But they love to sit and "read" books.  It's so cute, they even "talk" out loud when they do it.  Or one will grab a book and bring it over to sit on my lap for me to read it to him.  Sigh, love, love, love.  We sometimes let them take books to bed with them, and as we leave they will be sitting in their cribs, each flipping through a board book "reading".

They are major chatterboxes.  Everything right now is "whazzzat?"  Which is "what's that?"  I mean, everything.  Shirt, window, shoe, cat, cup, you name it, if a boy can point at it, we'll be asked "whazzzat" about 50 million times.  But it is SO CUTE.  They are little sponges, absorbing everything.  They can say lots of words, and know a lot of animal noises.  The favorite is "Baaaa" when we ask what a sheep says, or when they see a sheep.  They give kisses.  LOVE.  If I ask for a kiss, or pucker up, they will pucker too and run over, and make a "muah" sound and everything.  Heart. Melting.

I'll try to post some pics of the last trip to the ranch in Nebraska, and we go again next week so I might combine them when I get back.  We split the trip there and stayed in Concordia, Kansas, arriving at midnight.  The boys had slept fantastic since leaving around 8, but as soon as we got there there was no going to sleep.  About 2 hours later the tears finally stopped, or at least I fell asleep, one or the other :(  The way home we cancelled our plans to do the same thing and drove all the way through, stopping at a McD's Playplace for a bit to let them stretch their legs.  I don't think traveling will ever be easy, but the way home was definitely preferable to the hotel experience.  Sean was afraid the hotel was going to kick us out, I don't want to repeat that experience any time soon.

This is all I have time for now, lots more to update, I'll try to be back again soon...