Catching Up With the Twins

Jane and Sydney are almost 11 months old and are such sweet girls. They are very busy little things, getting into everything, but constantly making me laugh. Both girls are playing patty-cake and pulling up. They are still eating baby food, but are quickly moving to more and more table food. They are cutting teeth like it's their job, and it seems as though they are growing before my very eyes.

Jane (in front) is a sweet soul. She is very content and easygoing. She sleeps more than Sydney, eats more than Sydney, talks more than Sydney and needs her mama more than Sydney. When she gets upset, she makes the saddest face ever with her little lip turned down. I think she continues to be my easiest baby yet, and I love her.

Sydney is an explorer. Currently her favorite thing to do is open cabinet doors. She is a very happy baby, as well, but is just louder about her unhappy moments. Sydney is the more motor-oriented of the two and gets around this house like nobody's business. She loves music and starts clapping anytime she hears anything with rhythm. She is my rough and tumble girl. She loves to sit on Clare's bed while Clare is jumping and get tossed around. If something is in her way, she just crawls right over. She is a baby on a mission, and I love her too.

These girls are fast approaching their first birthday, and yet, I still can't believe I have twins.

The Great Pumpkin Post, Part 1

We've been to the pumpkin patch. We've been to the Arboretum. We've had friends over for a Halloween themed play day. We've done the pumpkin patch thing at school.

And we're still a week away from Halloween.

We started at a local pumpkin patch.

A few days later we ventured out to the Arboretum.

(Jane)

(Sydney)

(Jane and Sydney)

(Sydney, Clare, Jane)

(Jane and Sydney)

Next up: Halloween fun with friends. We had Ryan, Anna Lee, Henry, and Edie over for lots of activities. We painted pumpkins, baked cookies, decorated masks, etc. Here are Clare and Henry working on their masterpieces.


Last Thursday, I got to go with Clare to her school's pumpkin patch. All of the kids brought a decorated pumpkin to school to create the pumpkin patch. Clare was quite taken with this Elmo creation.


Next week we have even more festivities: Fall Festival at church, Halloween party at school, and let us not forget actual trick-or-treating!

Face Painting

This is my daughter.

This is my daughter after finding a tube of diaper rash cream during rest time.

Let me just say that a cream that is designed to be a "barrier" against moisture is not the easiest thing to get off a child's body. Alas, she is clean now, as is the carpet.

I suspect it won't be the last time something like that this happens at our house.

Scaredy Cat

I have mentioned before that Clare is a very cautious kid by nature. Along with that, she is also scared of many things. Most of these fears I understand.

I get that she is afraid of bugs.

I understand the recent apprehension over Halloween skeletons.

And I definitely understand her uneasiness around dogs.

However, last night before bed, she starts tearing up. She said she was scared and wanted us to remove something from her room.
This was the culprit:

Now, I don't get that.

The End of an Era

Tonight marks the end of an era at our house. We have moved Clare out of her crib. We have potty trained, gotten rid of the bink, and tonight Clare is sleeping in her "big girl bed." Another milestone checked off the list. While each of these things is exciting, I can't help but feel a bit sad when I know we have completed another "stage" in her little life. Plain and simple, she is just growing up too fast. But enough about that, let's looks at some pictures.

Huge thanks to my mom for taking this...

and turning it into this:


We still have some finishing touches to add in...more pillows, moving the picture above the bed, etc. Nonetheless, Clare was very excited about having more room.




She wasn't the only one who was excited about all of the "newness."


After all the monkey business, she laid down quite nicely. After looking way too big in her crib, she looks so small in her big girl bed.
Sweet dreams to my biggest little girl.

I Just Like This Picture

Jane-left, Sydney-right

Clare-ism

Lately, Clare has been into her favorite things. Her favorite colors, toys, foods, etc. Now, she may have more than one favorite, but that's another story.

For the past several weeks, if I asked her what her favorite food was, she would say, "corn on the cob."

However, last week she threw me for a loop. We were playing "favorites," and I said, "What is your favorite food?"

She looked up at me and said, "corn on the loose."

Guess she likes it off the cob now.

Happy Fall!

Jane

Sydney

(Do I still need to label them?)

Clare