Twin Plans

The boys are getting way too smart for me. It's amazing how their critical thinking skills are developing. Yesterday, we were at church, and I had to leave them alone in the nursery while I was practicing with Bro. Bryan and Mrs. Barbara. Karissa hollered at me to come the nursery to come see what my genius sons were doing. I walked up to the door, and they had pushed chairs against the half door. Karissa said that when she walked up, Titus was trying to push Peter over the door to get out. He was almost all the way over the door. If their plan had worked, two things would have happened. First: There would have been lots of crying because Peter would have been hurt. Second: There would have been lots of crying because Titus would have realized that he was by himself without anyone to push him over. A line from Meet the Robinsons comes to mind, "I don't think this plan was very well thought out." I guess I won't be leaving them in the nursery by themselves any more.

During this visit at church, they also came up with a new way to sit in the toddler chairs.

Everyday, I'm blown away by what they're picking up. They are no longer my babies that I have to do everything for.

Finally Happened!!

Peter's first ant bites!

I knew it would eventually happen because both boys absolutely love dirt. It's so much fun to throw it up in the air and have it land in your hair and down your shirt and shorts. However, it's not as fun when the dirt happens to be from an ant hill. We turned our backs for two seconds, and Peter was in a huge ant hill throwing dirt all over himself. He wasn't screaming yet; so, I didn't run to get him because I thought I was wrong about it being an ant hill. Well, when I got there, it was definitely an ant hill; they just waited to bite until they were all on him. Then...he started screaming. In the process of getting them off Peter, I wound up with them all over me too. I'm sure Peter won't be digging in dirt piles any time soon.

Stephen and Karissa got back from their honeymoon yesterday and were able to see the boys today. They brought the boys baseballs from Washington, D.C. They couldn't have picked out a better gift for them. As soon as they put the balls in the boys hands, they started throwing and kicking them. It was a good thirty minutes of pure happiness! Titus would even count 1-2-3 before throwing his ball which is good since it gives you time to get out of the way. He doesn't care what's in the way when he throws balls.

New words/phrases: Peter said thank you. Titus knows that you're supposed to say letters while singing the alphabet song, but it comes out sounding like o-oo-o-oo to the tune of the alphabet song.

Why Am I Awake?

Why am I awake? Because Titus is sick once again! His ear's draining which means ear infection, and he's coughing and congested again. I just don't know what to do with him, and he's certainly not the best patient either. When he doesn't feel good, I know about it at all hours of the night. Sometimes, he wakes up, cries for a few minutes and goes back to sleep. Other times, he wakes up, cries and doesn't go back to sleep. He finally went to bed around 11:30, but he's woken up crying several times since then. Fortunately, they've just been "I'm miserable" cries because he goes right back to sleep after those. And because he's sick, I hear every little extra noise that either boy makes since I'm worried and don't want to sleep through him crying if he needs me. Of course, if he's quiet, I'm worried too and have to check on him to make sure he's still breathing. Being a mom is a stressful job. If he's quiet, I worry; if he's too noisy, I worry; if he's awake, I worry; if he's asleep, I worry. Don't worry though....Daniel is sawing logs right now:) Hopefully, I'll be able to join him in dreamland soon.

Sickness, Wedding, and More!

The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind and very tiring. We had their 18 month check up on February 8, and I haven't had time to post updates since them. This was the first time that recognized where we were and started crying as soon as they saw the nurses and doctor. Other than that, the appointment went very well, and Dr. Macleod is loving their progress. Peter is still small but is staying steady on his curve: 23 pounds, 31.5 inches, and 18.5 head circumference. Titus is still my brute: 26.3 pounds, 33.5 inches, and 19 head circumference. They also got their last shots until 5 years old.

The following Sunday, I put Titus to bed at 9; and he woke up at 10 congested and coughing. We cleaned out his nose, gave him some Tylenol, and put him in the swing to sleep slightly inclined. The next day, you could tell he was sick, but he's always sick and didn't act any worse than usual; and Peter acted like he always does. When Dan got home from work, I decided to take Titus to Pediatric After Hours because his breathing started getting worse around 5:30. I really hadn't checked Peter much during the day because I was trying to keep Titus away from him and didn't want Peter sick too. Dan picked him up and said he was burning up. We checked his fever, and it was 102. He didn't act sick; so, I didn't think to take his temperature. So, we packed both boys up and headed to After Hours instead of what was supposed to be our Valentine's Dinner at Longhorn.

Normally, when you get to Pediatric After Hours, they check the babies weight and temperature and send you back to the waiting room wait some more. By the time we got there, Peter's temperature spiked to 104 which meant that we didn't get sent back to wait. They sent us back to a room immediately and worked on getting Peter's fever down. Long story short...Peter had strep throat, and Titus had bronchitis. It all came out of no where because they were fine Sunday. It's amazing how little bodies can change so quickly.

That whole week was spent getting the boys well which always makes a tiring week. Friday night was the beginning of our mid-year mission's conference. Saturday was a funeral, and that night was mission's conference. Sunday was church. And now, I'm tired just thinking about that week. Monday started the countdown for Stephen and Karissa's wedding on Saturday. So, I not only was really busy, but I also had cranky boys because they're used to some sort of a regular schedule which went totally out the window. I think the week of the wedding was the shortest week ever; although, the groom would probably disagree:)

The wedding was beautiful and went really well. The bride and groom shared their first kiss at the altar and left around 4 to begin their life together. Even though they didn't make it down the aisle as ring bearers, Peter and Titus looked super cute in their suits and bow ties. I'll post pictures after the bride and groom have had a chance to post some of their own.

Peter update: He's starting to babble even more, and I can't wait till words are actually formed into something understandable. He loves to entertain and playing the piano while singing. It cracks me up listening to him because he tries so hard. He's so adorable:)

Titus update: He's starting to form actual words. We're working on identifying eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He has eye down perfect. When I ask where his nose is, he points to his nose and says, "N-eye!" He's also started "reading" books out loud. Unfortunately, he has a Phineas and Ferb addiction which means he keeps wanting to turn on the TV to see if it's playing.

I just realized a few days ago that my babies are now closer to 2 years old than they are a year. They turned 19 months on Monday. I just don't know where the time has gone!!

Playing Catch Up!!

It's been a while since I've updated everyone on the goings on of the Slavy household, and it's time to play "Catch Up." Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years were such a whirlwind, and I really don't know where the holidays went.

We spent Thanksgiving at Nana's house (Dan's mom). Last year, the boys just kind of tasted mashed potatoes and yams; but this year, they got to really eat their 1st Thanksgiving dinner. You should have seen them stuff the food in their mouths. Titus especially loved the food.

And yes, they're using big boy forks instead of toddler forks. They find it easier to use the big forks without accidentally throwing the food.

Christmas was a blast this year with the boys. They knew what presents were and absolutely loved opening them. Their favorite toys that they received was a drum that had a recorder, tambourine, maracas, and drum sticks inside it and also their keyboards. The boys love music and instruments. There's nothing more adorable than listening to them play and sing on their keyboards. I see piano lessons in their future:)

What blows me away is how much of an imagination they already have!! Well, they absolutely love the microphones at church; and since getting the maracas for Christmas, they've started pretending that the maracas are microphones. What 18 month old knows how to pretend that maracas are microphones?!?! I certainly didn't teach them. The other day, Peter was even singing and dancing while pretending that the maraca was a microphone. Go figure!! I can't wait to see what the future holds if their imaginations are already that good.

We did manage to get some Christmas photos taken; and now, I'm managing to upload some for you all:)

Peter has developed quite the personality and temper over the past 2 months. Who knew that my laid back Peter would have such a temper! While having a temper is a problem, the worst part is that you never know where the line is for his temper. He's easy going 80% of the time; but when you cross the 81% mark, a whole new Peter emerges. However, during his easy going mood, he'll lay on your shoulder for 15 minutes giving you a hug, or he'll randomly jump up on you and give you a hug and a kiss. He still sits back and watches what's going on; he doesn't want to get hurt doing something the wrong way when he can do it the right way on the first try. He's also started trying to talk. It's still jabbering, but he's trying now.

Titus is definitely a mama's boy, but that's okay with me. He'll eventually grow out of it, and I'll miss it. He's still either really happy or really sad, no easy going times for Titus. He's headstrong and just plows through obstacles not thinking about the outcome which is why he constantly has new bruises popping up. He's also my motor mouth, and it won't be long before he's forming actual words. He'll carry on a conversation with me all in jabber, but I know he's answering my questions and asking me questions. He just can't quite form the words correctly. Drum roll please for the best news.............................he tells me when he has dirty diapers!!!!!!! I really don't think it will be long before he's ready to potty train. YAY!! The other day, he looked at me, squated, and told me (in jabber) that he was pooping. Then, he stood up, came over to me, and jabbered while pointing to his diaper. He was informing me that he needed a new diaper.

Life is certainly going to be interesting over the next month since Stephen and Karissa's wedding is coming up. Peter and Titus are supposed to be ringbearers; so, we'll see how that goes. I've started taking them into the night services at church to try to get them used to being in there when it's time for the wedding. Pray it all goes well for Stephen and Karissa's sake.

Well, I think I've caught up on all the important things going on. I just really didn't think it had been that long since I last blogged until I looked at the date of my last post. Time really does fly!!

Training My Daredevils

The day after the boys started crawling, I bought a baby gate to put in the hallway that leads from the living room to the kitchen. I was trying to cook and was a nervous wreck because they kept getting under foot. I kept picturing myself knocking the pot of boiling grease off the stove right onto them. Very few things really freak me out even as a mom, but them being in the kitchen while I cooked really freaked me out. But I took care of that problem:)

Now, I knew that once they started walking and pulling up on things that the baby gate would become a new challenge for them. Well, today was the day. They both decided to see how far up they could each get. Titus made it the farthest. He made it all the way to the top and was hanging halfway over before I realized what he was doing. Now, I have to add not climbing the baby gate and staying out of the kitchen to the list of things that we're training them not to do.

Sometimes I feel as if I'm referring to dogs when I say that I'm training them. But that's what I'm doing, and there's no other way to say it. They're beginning to learn that life is about actions and consequences, whether they're good or bad actions. If they climb the baby gate (a bad action), there will be a consequence to follow, one they won't like. However, if they listen and obey (a good action), there will be a different kind of consequence, one they will like. If I don't train them now, they'll find it harder to understand life. They'll have to learn everything the hard way: that a hot stove is a bad idea and that cleaning chemicals can be deadly.

If My Head Weren't Attached!

If my head weren't attached, I think I'd forget where I put it. I can't remember anything lately. When the boys are awake, I don't have time to remember to do things; and when they're napping, I'm too tired to remember to do things other than laundry and dishes. So, blogging has once again taken a back seat to life. Which means, I have some catching up to do:)

The boys 15 month well check up was last week. Peter weighed 20 pounds, 14 ounces and was 30.5 inches tall. Titus weighed 23 pounds, 14 ounces and was 31 inches tall. The 3 pound difference sure feels like more!! Peter's finally gaining weight which is good, but he also hit a growth spurt. His toes started poking out of his 12 month sleepers last week; so, I had to buy new sleepers. He kind of looked like Red Skelton's "Freddy the Freeloader" character (if you know who he is) with his toesies sticking out:)

They're "running" now and tackling each other. Actually, it's more Titus tackling Peter and laughing hysterically while Peter fusses. Then, they roll around of the floor for a while. It's exciting seeing their imaginations develop. Sticks have now become wonderful outside toys with endless possibilities, and dirt has now become their best friend. Fortunately, they haven't discovered how to put anything in their pockets yet; so, the laundry is safe for a little while longer:)

They also recognize people now and have their favorite's at church. Peter absolutely loves Breauna and Dani at church, and Titus's favorite person is Aunt Karissa. There are two exceptions for them though; if Pa or Uncle Stephen come in the room, they both switch places.

I think that covers everything, but I'll definitely be blogging more often again. Here's an updated picture too.