In Toddler News | Part 29

More often times than not, I find myself staring at these girls, taking in everything that makes them, them. While I was pregnant with the twins and basically their entire first year of life, all I heard about from other senior mamas was how very quickly babies change. From newborns - babies - infants - and now into toddlerdom.  Can we all agree that it was a whirlwind?  As the months continue to pass me by in what seem like a blink, I am confident to say that changes begin to slow down just a tad when they make the transition to toddler, however I am blown away with how much Jolie + Parker have come into their own in the last few months. From the things they says to their preferences in clothing.. To say it best, I am basically obsessed with the tiny people that have and continue to become.

 While we are b u s y all the time, or so it seems, we do have down time at home- and I absolutely cherish it.  These girls are the best cuddlers of all time and will sit through an entire movie without making a shift from my lap or move out from under my arms around them.  They love to be held (hold you?!), carried (carry you?!), and hold hands (mama hand!?).  Being loved by them is the most gratifying experience of my life.   

PARKER

Parker has this personality that I cant even put into words.  I am thankful she is actually using her words on a regular basis.  After listening and watching Jolie's vocabulary and sentence structure flourish, I was nervous that she wouldn't ever take interest in saying much more than two or three word sentences or even holding a short conversation about something she was reading, watching, or playing with. 

With the help of BB, her daddy and I have been really working through these vocabulary barriers and I feel like we are finally there.  She will count, say her ABC's, and talk/sing/dance along with her favorite shows (Mickey Mouse being at the very tip top).   

One thing we are SO proud of her for is how well she has done without her paci.  We are going on week three without the pacifier and I am way impressed with the fact that she hasn't once asked for it.  Not once.

She and I were scrolling through pictures on my phone and came across the pics from a night three weeks ago when we put her paci in the Build-A-Bear.  She and I conversed freely about her 'blue paci' "Oh paci went bye-bye, me." << she always adds the 'me' at the end of her sentences to make sure we know she is talking about herself  - makes me smile every time.  I will say that soothing her when she's upset takes a lot longer, and she has woken in the middle of the night a time or two.  But- she still has her Wubby to love on, and that suffices well enough.  The time spent in the car without the paci has much improved - and can I just breathe a sigh of relief about that?  It was stressful to even think about getting in the car without it for that first week. 

Such a big girl. Jordan and I mention at least once a day how impressed we are about that.   

Her favorite place to be (besides her mama's lap) is outside running with the dogs through the yard.  she comes running back to the patio covered in dirt, mud, and grass from the knees down and doesn't even bat an eye to it.  She is the first to announce she is ready to help mom + dad do ANYthing- water the yard, feeding the dogs, carrying in groceries, opening and closing the pantry/drawers/cabinets - "I WILL DO IT", she says

and she does.

If you would have asked me which one of these girls would have this type of personality a year or even just months ago, I wouldn't have said Parker.  But, as they have grown and changed over these last months, I have been led to believe otherwise.

JO GRACE

 My tiny beauty.  Gah, this girl has my heart and is just the absolute sweetest.  The most gentle little girl on the planet - so aware of her mama's changing body and the growing little sister inside.  She talks about the baby all the time.  My little mama.  She will wear her dress up clothes all day long - which are actually oversized princess nightgown jammies purchased in the 'little girl' section.  Way cheaper than actual dress up (those in the toy section are $30!), and right now it all makes her feel pretty, and thats what matters to me.  Her BB did, however, splurge on a pari of the Cinderella glass slippers to which she hung Jolie's moon.  She is forced out of these accessories for nap, bath, and bedtime - but if she had it her way, she would wear them 24 hours/365.  She is obsessed with Mickey Mouse and asks to watch the show first thing in the morning and first thing after nap.  

Thank goodness for DVR. 

While she is the absolute sweetest - she has gotten into the habit of testing me and her daddy.  We will warn her of time out in reciprocation of her actions, and the look she gives in response is almost as if she is saying "Oh, I dare you to put me in time out." 

A super duper girlie girl as heart - she's obsessed with makeup, doing her hair, and of course the hair bows.  She asks for her choice of a hairbow to complete her outfit - I mean, a little girl after her mother's heart.  Independence is in full swing with this girl

Hates to be dirty- the world is ending if there is wet grass on her feet.  She is much more cautious than Parker - observing her surroundings before just breaking out in a run and then thinking about what she is actually doing, like her sister.  

The Potty

Still doing AWESOME - hardly an accident ever.. except that time this week when Parker just straight up peed all over the carpet in the living room.  In her defense we were dead in the middle of a full out dance party and she was not interested in ceasing her shoulder shake for a potty break.  I do want to mention the biggest change since we stopped having regular accidents is that the girls are acknowledging when they need to potty at night.  We haven't transitioned out of diapers at night just yet, but over the last couple weeks there has been a time or two that they have woken in the middle of the night and told me they needed to potty.  I've been dreading that process of trying to figure out when and how to start having them wear panties to bed, but I feel like they are doing it for me:)

The Favorites

Music!  Music is by far still their favorite thing to listen to, dance along with, and have playing in the background.  The other night we were listening to music (we listen to Mercy Me or Jeremy Camp most often) while I as making dinner, and when it was time to sit down to eat I went to turn on something else (Jordan was at a the fire station and we weren't bothering with sitting down together at the table) and they requested to keep the music on while they ate.  Thats right- music over Mickey, folks.

Movies!  Wreck it Ralph and Lady and the Tramp is at the very top of their favorites list.  We've also been watching Finding Nemo on the regular and UP as well - they love the balloons.  Another favorite along in the movie theme - videos on the iPhone.  They ask for "beedios' all the time.  AND- Miss Jolie knows exactly how to get to the videos on my phone.  They love them.  

Food!

Yogurt. Dry cereal. Grilled chicken.  Peanut butter toast (they steal bites of mine every time).  English muffins... and of course donuts.  I have recently realized that between their dad, BB, and myself we are taking them to get donuts at least twice a week.  I didn't realize that until the lady at out favorite donut place mentioned daddy and grandma.  They know who we are.  We should probably cut back on the donuts.  Maybe.  They also love to sit on the patio wherever we eat.  Sonic is always fun in the afternoon to grab a snack and a drink during Happy Hour.  Anytime we pull in to order Parker starts asking to 'sit patio!'  For the most part the girls have a pretty good taste for everything that I put in front of them.  They have never been super interested in food in the first place- so meal times often turn into three or four bites of food and then "DONE!"  Drives me insane sometimes, but at this age they are eating until they are actually 'done'.. so I'm fine with it.

the goofiest of them all - these two right there.  I laugh SO hard with them all day.

 Summer is coming and we are READY for the water!  After just one time of playing in the fountains, the girls have now announced their desire to go play in the fountains at least once a day.

I also bought an enormous box of popsicles last week at the store. 

Its official. 

its clear they don't really remember these fountains from last season.. water comes out of that spout girlfriend.  Just one spray in the face is all it took:)

I've decided that babies in bubbles is my upmost favorite. ever.

grocery shopping with the girls isn't as easy as it once was, but I have found our groove with toting two along.  great big promises of bakery cookies keep them busy for the majority of the trip.

sleeping together was short lived when they were teeny tiny, and now as toddlers it has become of some interest here and there.  lots and lots of giggles and threats of separation by mom happens with two in one bed before they both settle down to sleep.

sweet friends

the cat fights are regular- but the making up between these two is the sweetest.

bathtime - easily my most favorite and most stressful time of the day.

they have recently become frightened of thunder and storms - but sleeping close has seemed to do the trick to ease the fear.

they are way cooler than I'll ever be.  toddler accessories are just amazing.

water games.  there is always a great debate over the necessity of sharing the water hose between sisters.

I've promised them a kiddie pool.  soon.

keeping them busy while I make dinner.. why did I ever stop sticking them in the sink? 

spending time with cousin Kendall + Truett

the attempt to go up the slide never gets old, and is always interesting to watch 

baby cows! 

We are so excited to watch these two make the transition to big sister.  These last few months as a family of four will be the most precious time of our lives before this big change. 

Our sweet girls are the light of our life.

29 Months..and still growing.