Luci and Nicholas at 22.5 Months
3 Comments posted by Kristi on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 at 7:31 PM
Someday if you read this, I hope you will not hold it against me that your monthly updates are always late, when the updates I wrote for your sister when she was your age were pretty much posted on the date she was born, each month. Also, please forgive me that I have approximately one-half of the photos of the two of you as babies and toddlers that I have of your sister, that I haven't written in your baby book (yes, that's book, you share one-don't hate me for that either) since you were four months old, and that most of the time, we're more of a Lord of the Flies family than a Dr. Sears one.
Love,
Mom
Oh, where to begin with these two this past month.
Let's start with the good. They were apparently angels for my mother when the hubs, Isabella, and I were at Sesame Place and The Crayola Factory. My mom said there was no screaming, no throwing food, no continual and sound-barrier-breaking temper tantrums, etc. In other words, they were completely different children.
Of course, she often arranged to have two-to-three of my other relatives here from the minute they woke up until bedtime, which makes me believe she was scared of managing them on her own. I can't say I blame her. These two are cute, but they also bring caretakers to their knees.
Luci's top two teeth finally came all the way in, bringing her grand total to four. Her hair is crazy curly in the back, and a hot mess on humid days.
She has started stringing sentences together, and has started telling me when she's pooped. Nicholas, however, is perfectly content to wear a dirty diaper. For the record, I am once again offloading potty training responsibilities to the hubs.
Both babies are high-needs, but Luci has left Nicholas in the dust in that respect. She has raging Daddyitis, and will scream and scream for him when he's not holding her or carrying her around. Of course, her screaming is not reserved only for attention from Daddy lately. It's fairly non-stop, whenever she does not get her way. And there is no calming her.
Luci is defiant, loves to say No! (emphatically, I might add), and is a struggle to feed at dinnertime. The hubs, who is basically Patience Personified, has begun to unravel where the twins' (and most especially, Luci's) behavior is concerned, and this is strangely gratifying to me.
But Luci is also so sweet when she wants to be. She will kiss me multiple times when I'm rocking her before nap or bedtime. She likes to kiss her brother, whom she calls "Dude" more than she calls him "Nico,"and she says, "Hi, Mommy!" all the time, with such enthusiasm.
Luci is currently wearing 18 month clothes, and some 24 months. We just bought her new sneakers, and her feet are size 5.5. Nicholas is mellowing (slightly), and at least for this past month. He's talking up a storm, and likes to say, among other things, "I afraid!" (fear of the moment is a talking train track), "Go Bye-Bye Car," and "See Bella" (or Goose-Luci).
He loves this Dora lunch bag, which belongs to Isabella. He fills it up each morning with toy kitchen cups, and carries this bag around all day long. He's also a big fan of trying on shoes, as is Luci.
Nicholas loves music. He sings the first verse of the Sesame Street theme song ("Sunny Days, sweeping the clouds away...") and can count to 14. He has specific tracks on Isabella's CDs that he enjoys and asks for by name, and cuts a rug at a moment's notice.
In general, he's a good eater. When I ask him what he wants for breakfast, he'll say, "Pancakes!" "Nanas!" (bananas), and "Egg!" For lunch, it's always, "Soup!" and for dinner, "Pizza!" He is a mama's boy personified, only wants me, and screams whenever I leave the house without him.
And he's still biting. Thankfully, he only bites his sisters, me, and the hubs. No teeth are barred at the gym daycare or during playdates, thankfully.
His feet measure as a size 6, and he's wearing size 24 month clothing, and a few 18 months.
I love them dearly, even though I know it often sounds like I'm ready to list them on Craig's List.
But one or the other of them is screaming or crying literally every 60 seconds, and if they're not, and the house is oddly silent, I know they're either climbing chairs, in the first-floor bathroom and playing in the toilet (having broken through the lock we had to install on the outside), or milliseconds away from inflicting bodily harm on each other.
So, I'm on edge constantly. I can't relax or even allow my mind to wander for a second, because I know the quiet will be broken instantly. I know they're high-needs, but I think some of the problem is me. I require a lot of alone time. Probably more than most. I also require quiet in which to work. Writing is my job, and is not compatible with the cacophony of noise that is always present in my house, until 7pm bedtime. Neither of these is exactly compatible with parenting three small children.
I'm clinging to the fact that things were noticeably easier with Isabella once she turned 3. The twins turn two in another six week.
One more year of insanity to go.
Luci
Current Likes: Being barefoot, naked, and out of control
Current Dislikes: Sleep and foods that are not macaroni and Cheerios
Nicholas
Current Likes: Sleeping with no fewer than four binkies, cars
Current Dislikes: Trains that talk, climbing restrictions
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My latest post on my health and wellness blog for my gym has to do with Spanx. Women have worn them for years, and now? There are Spanx for Men. Would you (or your boyfriend or partner) wear them? Check out the post and let me know what you think.
Opening letter--too funny. Close up of Luci--I finally see her resemblance to Isabella. Glad 3 was easier for you with Isabella. I personally laugh when people think they've got it rough with the "terrible twos." Three was a lot worse for us with #1 son--more back-talk, more asserting of independence, bigger emotions, etc. Now that version 2.0 has just turned 3, who knows what we're in form since he has always been bigger, louder, more aggressive, etc, etc, etc. Parenthood--wahoo!--KB
Yeah, Jason's the only one with a baby book and I do not have your excuses. It really sounds like you're getting there. Hang on to your sanity, I promise sunny days are coming.
For what it's worth Matthew and Lily are completely easier when they're here with me than when they're with their mom and dad. At least the upside is Grandma will take them again.
I thought it was funny you asked if partners or boyfriends would wear spanx. I trust you knew enough to weed out husbands? ;)
Yeah, Jason's the only one with a baby book and I do not have your excuses. It really sounds like you're getting there. Hang on to your sanity, I promise sunny days are coming.
For what it's worth Matthew and Lily are completely easier when they're here with me than when they're with their mom and dad. At least the upside is Grandma will take them again.
I thought it was funny you asked if partners or boyfriends would wear spanx. I trust you knew enough to weed out husbands? ;)