Audrey Kvetches with Cousins

At Olivia's birthday, Audrey seemed to be having tea with the attending girl cousins in the sitting room. All very cordial, charming.

Henry Hugs Opa

I guess the little guy just really needed this hug. He grabbed Opa as soon as he walked in the door and didn't let go. Not that Opa seemed to mind.

Toofs

This is Audrey and Henry sharing. A little bit.

They do many things together...and many against each other. They definitely play with each other at home and at school, and check on each other when they are upset. But they will also become very upset and possessive if the other has a toy or food or anything that they think they should have. They are sharing the bathroom stool in these photos, and fighting over the toy car in the yard. We are charmed by these interactions, because we remember Olivia being a normal parallel-playing kid at this age. Not very much direct or cooperative play interaction with other children her age, more play near them.

Also, Audrey's teachers got her hair into pig tails, and she looked adorable.

Recent Activities: Illness and Walking

These have my voice explaining as well, that Henry and Audrey had been sick for a while before they had tubes placed a few weeks ago, and Audrey started walking.

You'll see.

Catchup Photos

Really seems to capture the interaction between the two of them. Or not.

Well, at least one is a birthday warning for Olivia for next month - Hank knows his cipherin'.

Audrey at 1

Tap-tap. Though her mother and I seem a little resistant to nicknames for Audrey right now, this may be the closest we come to one, in naming her after a small proclivity she has for lightly poking something with her finger. Before we switched the twins' carseats last week, she would tap on the button of her chest belt closure and frequently open it en route home. We chose not to interpret this as a self-destructive cry for help. Mostly because she remains one of the happiest and most observant children I have ever met. Composed, smiling, gregarious. Which is why it is very disconcerting to watch her calmly grab her brother's arm and bite him when he steals something from her. He has it coming, but she is so matter-of-fact and calm about this assault that I'm usually too slow to call her off. She strikes like a cobra, that Audrey. Henry seems as shocked, receiving no warning cry of her frustration or rage. Simply the Mossad-like injury response to his insult. I guess i'm taking this with her aplomb and am simply comforting Henry afterward, hoping by ignoring her it might dissipate the behavior, but i'm also simply too slow to stop it. But enough about her single naughty trait. She sleeps well, eats well, but is cutting a molar right now with lots of intermittent pathos. She'll just suddenly spike a toy she was playing with and go into a silent cry in a heap on the floor. I'll pick her up and she accepts the cuddling as quietly as the tooth pain. But she isn't always quiet - her laugh is infectious and sounds like her sister's. And she will laugh at almost anything, even holding her gaze for a few moments. Prat falls are her favorite, and her brother has realized this, performing them for her at school occasionally. She is a fantastic audience; one wants her attention. I predict she will finally walk within the next week, as walking is starting to make her laugh, even if Mom or I aren't the destination. She will be my last child to walk, and i guess i'm in no hurry.

Henry at 1

This last month or so, Henry has really perfected walking. He still holds his arms up, elbows cocked, as if getting them out of the way, but at least not out in front of himself to protect or absorb. Getting ear tubes placed last week has changed him into a much more consistently happy version of himself. Gone are the eye and nose boogers that plagued him. He is imitating sounds that he hears and actions that he sees surprisingly accurately. I think I hear words from him sometimes, and catch him playing at something, but the thing he just said had been said by someone else in the room within a moment prior. He loves to chase his twin sister for a few moments at a time, then pause to do something, then chase her again. She behaves similarly, and neither seems to get frustrated when the other takes a break. The dogs still do this sometimes as well, and I imagine some small gesture or look that communicates this desire to play between them that goes unnoticed by those much taller. He signs words well, is very coordinated when climbing on playground equipment and brings books to his mother and I for reading, knowing which books he wants read specifically. He also screams to get his way, steals toys from his twin sister blatantly, as well as other children at school, and deliberately climbs onto things or runs away with things when we tell him not to or ask for something to be given back. I am in profound love with this little guy, even though he passes through these phenomena for the second time in my experience of my own children: it is just as fascinating to see the walking and talking in a second and third child, and to see it learned and acted by a different personality.

Happy Father's Day to Me

Henry is walking, but just a bit. He still thinks crawling is faster, but gets excited about trying steps occasionally.

Audrey...got pink eye last week. Gone quickly, and didn't really effect her constantly happy mood. What a charm.

They are both eating very well, and I think I can hear them growing at night.

These photos were from Father's Day. I have no idea how I got this fortunate to have this many fantastic, curious, happy kids. Yet, here they are.

Emotional Transition

Last week Audrey and Henry changed schools, as they were about to change rooms and teachers at Little Angels, where they have spent their best months of growth and development in their young lives. It is much easier for Mom and Dad to make a single drop and pick-up, but there are quite a few people that we will miss as we change to Apple Tree. We look forward to hearing from any or all of you here, and hope to keep you posted on the twins as they grow. Ladies, you have meant so much to our family. We will try to keep expressing our gratitude by helping these two grow. And we look forward to hearing about all of your success in the years to come.
Thank you:
Sherry,
Megan,
Courtney,
Dee Dee,
Niki,
Brooke,
Lauren,
Jenna,
Stephanie,
Ashley,
and Kathy and the many other teachers at Little Angels Learning Center.

Arrival Duet

Sneaking up, as only two excited crawlers can...

Compulsory

I believe the Messy Babyfood Face photographs are an essential part of every infants Short Program.
Even in Pairs Feeding.
For Technical Skills in Coverage, an 8.9.
For Artistic Impression, Sweet Potatoes!

Ladies and Gentlemen

Dinner, For Big Boy and Girl

Peas and Cheerios are not culinary art, unless you really don't know anything else.
From April 19th.

Sneaking Up

Audrey and Henry, pulling themselves up on things.
Perspective must be very attractive to those who have been on their backs for most of their lives.
They seem to observe each other finding things to pull up upon, and then joining...each other.

Motion Pictures

Henry can move around a room by himself now.
Of course this changes everything.
That doesn't mean we were any more prepared for it.
But it makes me giggle to see how much he enjoys it.
Audrey can't be far behind. She seems to be just a bit behind him in many things: teeth, signing, sitting, crawling. She was ahead of him in clapping. And she is no less happy, in general temperment.
Here's some footage of the crawling for Hank:

Hand Talk

This last week, Henry and, to a lesser extent Audrey, began signing.
Henry really understood "More" when Mommy would sign it to him while eating. Lot's of incentive there, but it really just seemed to click very quickly: bring hands together in front of chest a couple times, Mommy says "Good!" and gives me food.
Audrey seems to understand, but doesn't "say" the word. Her interest lately is lights, and understands the word when spoken to her: "Where's the light?" and she will look for the nearest light. She might be starting to sign light, but she also likes to open-and-close her hands when excited anyway.
Henry has started signing "light" actively and understands it too. We're now working on "All done" with he and Audrey too.