More pictures from the Lloydhorst visit to Ithaca

Fire truck ride.

Ithaca Farmers' Market.

My favorite things

Kisses. Theo and Beckett give the best kisses. They love kisses ("more kisses!" is a common refrain, especially from Beckett) from Mama and from each other. They can occasionally be coaxed to give kisses (Theo more than Beckett) to non-immediate family. Theo gave some great kisses to Emily, Tommy, Rachel and Jon this weekend. My favorite new kissing-related development is kissing each other, which they regularly do before nap and bedtime.

Hugs. Daddy Lovebo has been working a little more diligently on hugs with Theo so his hugs are especially heart-melting, but both boys have really taken to hugs. There's just something wonderful about having short little arms wrapped tightly around my neck, and a little soft face touching mine.

All the words! Beck continues to repeat words and phrases with stunning accuracy, and both boys can clearly communicate their wishes most of the time. Since reporting to the pediatrician last month that Theo's language lagged behind Beckett's, Theo has added to his vocabulary daily. He is regularly stringing several words together and repeats words much more confidently and effectively than he was even three weeks ago. I took him back to the pediatrician this morning to get an ear re-check. He has had fluid in his ears and abnormal pressure readings for at least eight months. Today, his pressure readings were normal and there was no fluid in his ears. We're not sure if his ears finally popped, or if the physiology of his ears changed, or if the pressure and fluid was entirely unrelated to the language development, but it's great news. We're still scheduled for a early intervention evaluation Friday but I'd be shocked if he was two standard deviations below the mean on language development at this point

Potty-going: Beckett has really taken to the potty recently, even to the extent of asking us to stop the car Sunday night so he could go pee-pee in a KFC parking lot. He usually uses the potty two or three times a day and continues to be motivated primarily by chocolate ("TUBBA!"). We suspect that he has trained himself to pee a small amount each time because he gets an M&M each time he goes pee-pee. Sometimes he tries to extend the potty sessions to 10-15 minutes with a tablespoon of pee each time.... Theo has backed off his use of the potty lately.

Yesterday we enjoyed a lovely visit with Uncle Jon, Rachel, Cousin Emily and Tommy.

On our walk after dinner, the boys insisted on inspecting a car in someone's driveway. They are always interested in this particular car but last night they really wanted to check out every aspect of it. Tommy and Emily were happy to oblige.

Yesterday a backhoe was parked in front of the fire barn, a big building in the middle of our neighborhood park. The boys played on it for a good half hour, pressing all the buttons, shifting the gears, pressing the brake pedal, and changing all the settings of everything. It was pretty muddy and wet but man, they had a great time!

Theo has begun pretty regularly to throw food on the ground while eating. In an attempt to head it off, I have made a rule where if he throws food off his tray, he is done eating for that meal. Sometimes if after a few minutes he is penitent, he can return to the table, but only because I'm a sissy about depriving him of a meal. But it IS probably a good rule. The other night Beck felt bad for him and started passing him blueberries after his tray had been taken away. Beck fed him at least half of his blueberries.

Last night I hosted Tara's book club baby shower. She insisted on lots of belly touching pictures. Jeff kicked off the night with a good rub. Beck was confused.

Twin-specific development update

One of the most fun things about watching the boys learning language and trying out new words is their development of words and phrases that must be more developed because they are twins. One of Beck's first words showing relatedness between two things was "other" as in, "other car" or "other vroom" or "other sock". I think it's because he is always trying to figure out which is his, and which is Theo's. There are only a few things that they have really claimed as their own, or at least only a few things that they each recognize as the other's property: Beck has the red car that steers, and Theo has the yellow bulldozer ride on; Beckett has the potty under the linen closet, and Theo has the potty next to the dresser. Besides those few things, they don't really have their own toys. There's a way in which that is sad, because if they were only children they would have a world of toys and experiences all their own, but also a way in which I find it pretty cool that they have shared so much and have a built-in friend and playmate forever. "My" is actually a relatively recent vocabulary addition for both boys, which I think speaks to their not being that aware of which is theirs. When they beat their chests and say "The-The" or "Buh-Buh," I usually understand them to mean that they would like to play with the toy (or read with Mama, or drink some milk), not that the thing is theirs and theirs alone.

Yesterday when I came home from work the boys asked me to read to them. They climbed up on my lap and we started reading Extra Yarn and Amos McGee, two new books from Mike and Emily that are already favorites of the boys. I touched Theo's collar for some reason and he giggled. Then Beck reached over and tickled Theo. Theo erupted into giggles. They kept going for about a minute, with Beck alternating from Theo's neck to his belly. Pretty awesome, right?

We're approaching the two-year anniversary of the boys' due date, June 15. I think now that we probably should have delayed their two-year pediatrician appointment and any reference to developmental milestones, because Theo is busting out with all kinds of new words, and making all kinds of multi-word sentences. If we were making the decision today, we probably wouldn't have asked for Early Intervention for him. But we'll go through with it now, since it's already scheduled, and learn whatever we can from it.

More fun times in Ithaca

We had a great afternoon and dinner with friend Anne. At Applebees (our pick for an uncrowded restaurant during Reunion Weekend) we discovered the boys really like hot dogs. Also that changing tables at public places can be nasty. With twins, I usually avoid changing them in public because it's too hard to keep an eye on the other one while I'm changing one baby. I strategically plan outings or, when the need arises, change them in the back of the van. The Applebees bathroom changing table reminded me why my strategy is the winner.

The boys and Romy (Mike and Emily's daughter) playing kind of together.

Beck was one sleepy monkey at the Farmers' Market.

We had a great time running around Joan and Stu's backyard, finding frogs, playing in the fountain, and throwing around the tennis ball. Too bad we never got to try Collin's suggested game--water tennis.

Weekend at Joanie and Stu's (without Joanie and Stu)-Part I

We spent this weekend with friends Michael and Emily and their kids Collin and Rosemary in Ithaca. Joanie and Stu (smartly) chose to stay at the lake to get some sleep.

More pictures to come (many more!) but here's the first installment, of our trip to the Cayuga Heights Fire Station with Lauren and Scott! 

Theo mostly stuck right with Lauren. She showed him all the gadgets, pumps, buttons, levers and controls on all the trucks.

I'm so delighted to have captured this photo of Jeff making this face with Theo, who was asking (again) to drive the fire truck when it was Beckett's turn.

Scott took us on our own private fire truck ride!

Then Theo and Lauren helped Scott park the fire truck back into the station.

The boys even got to climb up on the top of the fire truck to see the ladder.