Emma Cate and Holden,
You are 1 year old. We made it!
Lots has changed in the past month! Our routine is very different! I stopped nursing one week before you both turned one. I had planned to quit earlier but it never seemed like a good time. Eventually I got down to one pump a day and on a random Thursday I just decided I didn't want to pump anymore and that was that.
Now that school is out, you both wake up anytime between 7:30 and 8:30. I am loving the mornings you sleep until 8:30! We have a little routine where I come in your room and hang up your clothes from the night before and put away your cloth diapers for the day while you both talk and play in your cribs. We change diapers and start our day. On the way out of the room Emma Cate leads the way by crawling and I always hold Holden because he loves to turn off the lights. He joins EC on the floor and they both speed crawl down the hall and into the family room with Sophie and Boomer following them all the way. You have a 6oz sippy cup of milk when you first wake up and then you eat breakfast half an hour later. You've been loving eggs recently and I've been making you some interesting breakfast scrambles!
You both have become much pickier eaters lately and its making this foodie mama pretty sad! I don't know what happened to my try anything babies! Emma Cate is my dainty eater and prefers fruit to anything else. Holden LOVES to eat and can put down some food. Holden loves to fill his mouth to the brim and resembles a chipmunk. He always has food all over himself and in his hair. Many nights I go to give him a bottle before bed and I find food still in his mouth from an hour before. Hoarder. Emma Cate picks up each piece individually and feeds herself one piece at a time. She is a pretty clean eater and for that I am thankful!
We play in the family room until 10am when you both go down for your morning nap. You sleep until 12 or 12:30 and sometimes I have to wake up both up at 12:30 to get some food in you before swim lessons! You eat lunch around 12:30 and have another 6oz sippy of milk.
We play or run errands after lunch and head to swim lessons at 2:30. We just switched you into your big kid car seats and MAN they are a PAIN. I am missing the days of the snap and go infant carriers! We have swim every weekday for 20 minutes. It's a lot to get everyone ready everyday for such a small amount of time but I'm loving that you both are taking infant swim rescue and are learning to save yourself if you ever accidentally fall in a body of water.
We finish swim lessons around 3:15 and head home to take afternoon naps from 3:30-4:30. Emma Cate is hit or miss with her afternoon nap but Holden definitely enjoys his nap time. I think we have a miniature daddy on our hands :)
We play until dinner time around 6:30. You have another small sippy cup of milk with dinner. After dinner we clean up and play for a bit before bedtime. We are starting to get into a bedtime routine. We change into pj's drink bottles, brush Emma Cate's teeth, read books, and pray before laying down to sleep at 7:30.
Developmentally, Holden has changed a lot this month. He loves to push his walker and Emma Cate's YBike around and can cruise with great speed. He took a few steps towards me during playtime but continues to loving speed crawling. He is cruising all the time on furniture and takes a few steps from one piece to another. Emma Cate changes her crawl everyday. Sometimes she crawls like Mogley from the Jungle Book with her legs straight and her tush in the air. Sometimes we have one straight leg and one bent leg for a little stanky leg action. She LOVES to be chased and giggles all the way down the hall.
You both have become talkers. I have no clue what you are saying but you love to talk. You both know how to scream to get attention and I love hearing you babble with each other in your cribs. You get so excited when you see the dogs and Emma Cate always screeches at the top of her lungs! Holden is more of a grunter! You've both got Dada down and we're working on mama. Sometimes I swear Holden says hi dada.
We've just started to have to worry about discipline. Tonight I was passing out sippy cups while we were in the family room playing and Holden's was leaking so I took it to the sink to fix it and heard Emma Cate's head hit the ground and a huge scream. I looked at the babies and saw EC on her back and Holden drinking out of her cup. We had some hugs for Emma Cate and a little time out session for Holden. I'm starting to research discipline with two babies. Holden is the more aggressive one and Emma Cate is pretty passive. Right now we are working on refocusing their behavior when they do something that isn't nice. We'll see how this goes. Most of the time you both play together just fine. Emma Cate is great at independent play and when Holden is napping and she is awake, she is content to play independently while I get work done. Holden is my needier child and always wants me to be with him. I read that babies at this stage need lots of positive reinforcement so I always try to give them my full attention and praise them when they do things well. You both have been giving kisses lately but only to each other and your stuffed animals and EC's doll baby (Marina- named from the cabbage patch adoption agency :)). Mommy and Daddy are still waiting for our kisses!
Emma Cate:
Nicknames: P (daddy's nickname for you), Emma Tate, Taters (we use this one the most), Cate, Tatie Boo, Sissy, Sassy, Sassafrass.
Weight: 18lbs
Height: 28.5
Hair: It keeps growing (especially in the back) and we think you'll have dark hair
Eyes: Blueish grey
Clothes: Mainly 12 months. We are loving bubbles now that you are crawling everywhere. We have to tuck all of your dresses into your bloomers to allow you the ability to crawl
Eating: 5-6oz sippies 3 times a day and bottle before bed. Eating full meals three times a day.
Likes: being tossed in the air, being tickled on the neck, shaking her head no, being chased, when mommy sneezes and say achooo really loud, the swings, her wagon, her marina doll, Sophie and Boomer, "hissing", playing "so big", clapping, flying like an airplane, her paci, the blue pop up toy (you just squeal with delight when I bring it out!)
Dislikes: mommy walking out of the room, being set down or left alone, diaper changes (you are such a wiggle worm!) Food on her tray when she is done eating (you are a swiper and all your food ends up on the floor)
Development: You are crawling like a champ, pulling up, cruising, and standing independently for a few seconds. You've even started clapping your hands while standing. You are learning what things mean, you clap on demand and also when something funny happens or when mommy sings or dances, you wave bye bye, play so big, you can throw your paci with some might, you know how to find the ball when we ask, and you give sweet kisses, you also LOVE to take your paci and put it in my mouth. You think that is the funniest thing!
Words: hey, dada, ata,
Teeth: You've got 4 teeth! You got your bottom two first and then the upper two. The upper two are pretty big and you have a nice size gap between them!
Sleep: You love to sleep on your tummy with your tush in the air. You always wake up with red marks all over your face from your hands and the crib slats. You wake up SOOOO happy. You practically jump up and down and screech when we wake you up!
Extra: It is so fun to watch you grow into the person you will become. You cry if you don't like something but are quick to change into the smiley girl we love. You started pulling your headbands off of your head so we've switched to tiny bows in your hair and you seem to tolerate it. You love to wrinkle up your nose and hiss at us. Playing ball is probably your favorite activity and you giggle like crazy when we roll the ball to you. You like to watch Holden and you notice him a lot. You get upset if you are in your crib and he is not in his. You are awesome with your sippy cup and also take a straw very well. You are timid in the water and don't care for the pool as much as your brother. You continue to love music and playing our "instruments". You love to swing and go super high. You are definitely the daring one! You LOVE the baby gate and you will climb on it and not know how to get down so you scream until we rescue you. You love climbing so much that we are planning to sign you up for little gym classes soon! You are sweet and a little sassy. You have your Daddy wrapped around your finger and he is hoping that you are a Daddy's girl. You have a fun, sweet spirit and we cannot wait to see the little girl you are becoming! We are so thankful to be your mommy and daddy!
Holden
Nicknames: Holdy and Holds, Ho Ho, Ho Bo (sorry) . You go by Holden most of the time.
Weight: 20lbs
Height: 29 3/4
Hair: blond. It continues to grow and you a definitely a blond!
Eyes: Bright blue
Clothes: Mostly 12 month but you are starting to outgrow those and are getting into 18 month
Diapers: Bumgenius 4.0 and freetime and KaWaii at night.
Eating: 6oz sippies 3 times a day and lots of finger foods at meal times. You are a BIG eater and a growing boy!
Likes: dancing, being naked, standing up, you love exploring. You love your lovie and holding blankets up to your face. You love your tambourine and any toys that make noise. You love to steal toys from your sister. You also love the remote and Mommy's iPhone. Shiny toys are your friends. You LOVE sissy's YBike and push it everywhere.
Dislikes: being tired, being held for too long (you are always on the move), when Mommy get's mad at him, when the dog's lick his face.
Development: You are my reckless boy. You crawl over anything to get what you want. We've had to watch you recently because poor Sophie dog is pregnant and you always want to step on her tummy and that sweet dog just lets you do it. You take a few steps when you want but are very stubborn with it. You know lots of words and will do things when we ask like clap, give kisses, wave bye bye, come here, and turn off the lights
Words: Dada, you and Daddy also have a secret language that he calls japanese. You both make the strangest noises and grunts and then crack up about it!
Teeth: not yet but we think they are coming VERY soon
Sleep: You always have blankets by your face. You like to crawl in to the corner and scrunch your head up to the bumpers to sleep.
Extra: Your personality is really shining through. You can be a bit of a bully in the playroom with all your toys but generally you are a sweet brother. You are definitely a scaredy cat. You don't like being tossed in the air or swinging to high and loud noises make you cry. At your birthday party we couldn't get through your smash cake because every time you ate, people would clap and you would cry and I would have to comfort you. You play very intently and then at random times crawl over to me and want to be held. I hold you for 30 seconds and then its off to play again. You always look back at me to see if I'm watching you. You still get lazy with your sippy and sometimes I have to hold you to get you to finish it. You love your sleep and are a cranky spanky if you don't get enough of it. You love to read books and your favorites are the ones with texture. You love to pet the furry animals in your puppy book. You have also gotten good at petting the doggies but sometimes you get carried away and hit them a little. You like to pat yourself on the head when you are done eating. You love the baby pool and walk all the way around the edge several times. When I carry you, you hold on tight like you are afraid I might drop you! You love turning off the lights when we leave a room. You SCREAM when I don't get food to you soon enough. You are one hungry boy. You are so sweet and loving with a little crazy mixed in! You are becoming such a boy and an adorable one at that. We are so thankful to be your mommy and daddy!
