Wednesday, July 9, 2008

July 9th, 2008

Well, they are one-year-old and all over the place.  They got baptized on their first birthday so that will be a date that we/they will never forget!  I still can't believe it has been that long.  I was looking back at last year and where we were at this time and things have changed drastically in our lives over the past year!  They are walking/beginning to run everywhere and LOVE their new-found independence.  I think that a little bit of attitude has come along with this, but hey... I would want to be able to do what I wanted too if I had finally found a good way to get around.  It is very cute to watch them now because they are beginning to test their walking and climbing skills as often as they can.  Both of the girls worked hard on their stepping up and down a small step this past weekend at the reunion in Fredericksburg.  By the end of the weekend both of them were fairly good at it and could do this without falling down every time.  They also got the opportunity to walk on different (unlevel) surfaces and actually did pretty good.  So far they don't seem to have a problem with walking in the grass or on rocks, they just don't like the feeling on their hands when they fall down and have to push themselves back up to standing.  

They are both just now beginning to actually stop and watch the TV so I put on one of the Sesame Street DVDs that they got for their birthday and pulled out their little chairs.  This once again showed me the complete differences in their personalities.  Emily sat quietly in her chair and watched the show while Bethany found a way to climb up on the couch from her chair and proceeded to watch from there.  Well, at least she finally sat down and didn't fall off this time.  We are also working on that.  They are getting good enough at climbing that we are having to teach them how to get down from things.  Oh, what fun!  We have had a few bumped heads and one busted mouth, but so far... they are both still all in one piece.  

They are learning SO much right now.  No wonder they don't want to sleep sometimes.  Both of the girls have learned how to ask what things are.  Emily points her finger (in a really weird way that none of the rest of us can figure out how to do) and will say "got" or "sdat?"  Bethany will also point, but would rather bring us things and have us tell her what they are.  She can say "puppy," but says it "pup-ah."  She is also saying "bite" as "bi."  Both of the girls can say "Mama" and pretty much use that as often as they can when they want something.  Neither have really figured out how to say "Dada," although we think that Emily might have said it a few times and we work on it constantly.  Both of them get angry because they want to be able to tell us something but they don't know the words and we can't understand their needs.  They have taken to dragging us around by our fingers so that they can show us whatever it is that they need or want us to see.  

It is interesting to watch how they interact together now.  For starters, they fight... all the time.  Both of them have learned how to push the other out of the way or just scream as loud as they can when the other takes their toy.  Although they fight lots of the time, they also play together and that is when it is fun.  I was watching them in the living room a few days ago and figured out that they were playing the "get you" game.  Daddy plays this with them when he gets home and they love it when he "gets" them, but I have never seen them play it together.  In this case, Emily was running from Bethany and Bethany would chase her until she "got" her, then Bethany would try to tickle Emily and they would start all over.  It was SO funny to watch because they were both just giggling and laughing and rolling all over each other.  Most of the time they play in the same room together and like to stay near each other, but some of the time they will split up and I will find one in the playroom and one in their bedroom, etc.  They even like to touch each other when they are in their highchairs eating.  I almost feel like I am interrupting their bonding at mealtime.    

I am amazed daily at what they know how to do.  I watched them play with their activity table yesterday and realized that they were fitting the shapes into their correct holes in the table.  I was shocked.  I had no idea that they could do that.  They can stack things and are getting really good at some of the nesting blocks that they have.  They are also learning that certain buttons, etc. on the toys will do certain things.  They are really enjoying reading their books now and love to point at things in them and ask what they are.  They both also love to dance.  I checked on them in the playroom a few days ago (which has finally become a fun place to hang out again... YIPPEE!!) and both of them were making one of the toys play music so that they could stand up and dance to it.  I need to get that on video for everyone to see because it is really precious.      

Well guys, I better get going, I hear some babies talking in their room so they must be up from their nap!  I really should try harder to update a little more often... it just gets SO busy around here.  I can't leave them alone for a minute or two anymore because who knows where they will be or what they will be into.  Oh, by the way, they have finally figured out how to open our kitchen cabinets and drawers (we don't have handles on ours) so it is finally time to finish some of our "baby-proofing!"

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