Happy Spring! And Happy 10 Months Old!

We celebrated the 80+ degree weather this morning by taking a long walk around the reservoir and through the neighborhood. When Mama and Daddy Lovebo got home from work we spent about an hour in the front lawn watching the neighborhood kids playing and enjoying the last of the afternoon sun. We also "installed" the swing we got from cousins Diane et al in New Jersey, in a tree branch in the front yard. It was a HUGE hit with both babies. Now we just have to get another one so they can both enjoy it! Another first to celebrate the ten month birthday: first beef! I bought some organic ground beef from a farm in Dryden en route to Ithaca last weekend, and we made tacos with it tonight. I can't say it was a "hit," but almost nothing is the first time we try it. It took about a dozen times before the boys would eat more than a bite of peas without spitting them out, and now it's no big deal.

Last week we took the boys to their 9 month checkup at the pediatrician. Theo's at about the 5th percentile for height and the 10th for weight, and Beck's at about the 50th percentile for height and the 25th for weight. They are on track developmentally and did lots of good waving and clapping for Dr. Morisseau. They also passed their lead and iron blood checks, with more than enough iron and not too much lead.

Developmental update: Both babies are

• Pulling up to standing very quickly from seated position.
• Returning to sitting once standing, rather than careening sideways and ending up landing head-first like they used to.
  
• Crawling backwards.
• Using a combination of crawling backwards, pivoting on hips, and rolling to move around.
• Clapping.
• Waving.
• Babbling (favorite sounds are dada, baba, mama (Theo more than Beck), up, cat, ("ca-TUH"), guh, num-num).
  
• Sharing, occasionally. When the babies are seated facing each other, Theo will sometimes play with a toy for a while, then look at Beck and reach the toy out to him. Beck takes the toy and plays with it while Theo watches, then Beck hands it back to Theo. Every once in a while if Theo is eating something with his hands he will offer some to me as well, and then put it in my mouth.
  
• Enjoying peekaboo. I think they could play variations of peekaboo all day long.