Twins

My precious girls turned 16 months old today.   I’m not sure where the last two months disappeared to.  We’ve been sick a ton: ear infections, colds, bronchialitis (nasty stuff), and more ear infections.  I seem to be functioning on just the bare minimum of sleep most weeks 🙂  But despite all our health struggles, my little babies have fully evolved into sweet little toddler girls.

Aeralind Grace

I can’t get over how much this little girls loves to be dirty.  Within moments of exciting our home, she will have dirt all around her mouth from chewing on rocks or sticks or whatever interested her at that moment. Ironically, Aeralind is the more traditionally girly of the two.  She love her dolls and carries them around with her.  She helps me sweep.  She comes near to ask for snuggles.  So the dirt just cracks us up! We’ve taken to calling her “Mud Princess.” 

Aeralind still love to manipulate objects.  She can use her spoon and actually get the food in her mouth.  She can both pull outlet covers out of the electrical outlet and put them back in.  When I forget that the basement bathroom door is open, I will always find her in that bathroom meticulously lifting cat food piece by piece into a separate dish.  She’s giddy with excitement that she’s figured out how to close the reused-as-a-bath-toy margarine container.

Aeralind weathers sickness pretty well.  She sleeps extra long.  However, when she’s hurting she’ll let you know with some of the most heart rending shrieks possible.  Then she snuggles right up to you until the pain passes and lets you place her happily back upon her pillow where she drifts off to sleep.

Bronwyn Hope

Bronwyn Hope is a determine scrappy little thing.  She will climb anything.  She has no fear.  She wants to be able to do what she is thinking about in her head as soon as possible.  When she sets her heart on doing something, just about nothing will stop her.  Not even if she falls.  After a good cuddle, she’ll go right back to try it again. 

Bronwyn doesn’t stay still for more than 5 minutes unless she’s playing with the piano or being forced to receive a nebulizer treatment.  In less than 10 minutes she’ll climb onto the trunk, then the couch and repeat 10 times, push a Cozy Coup across the room with her sister riding in it, empty three drawers, climb on top of the computer desk, and call China on my cell phone (well the last part is hypothetical…but believe me, she’d attempt it!).  This girls is busy!  But her laughter and her enthusiasm for life is so infectious.

Bronwyn does not deal with being sick well.  My stubborn non-stop ball of motion becomes a mopy clingy whiny stubborn girl.  She wants one thing and one thing only: to be near mommy and daddy.  She has whined 2+ hours on two different occasions in the middle of the night, just because she wanted to sleep with us.

I love you my sweet toddler girls! 

I think the hardest part about being a mother is wanted to freeze time.  Oh, to be able to bottle up the essense of these beautiful children!  I hope somehow that the photos and stories here capture some of their spirit.

Aeralind and Bronwyn are officially toddlers. 

They walk regularly and they enjoy getting into trouble even more regularly.

 Those impish smiles and sheer curiosity cause at least one unforeseen clean up each day.  Between using toilet paper already torn off to the roll, to drop everything baths, to wondering where the bolt cover cap on my toilet will appear next, to being amazed at how they work together to create each mess, I can hardly stay a step in front of them.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aeralind Grace isn’t quite walking yet.  She can take about 11 steps if she wants to, but she’s all about perfection and efficiency.  Walking is not perfect yet and crawling is wonderfully efficient.  Especially if I’m trying to beat sister to the coveted toy.  Her perfectionism surprised me this time around.  When she was learning to crawl she practiced with such regularity and determination.  She mastered the skill in less than 3 weeks before her sister had even thought of it.   But with walking, she’s embarrassed at every fall even if we praise her non stop!  It’s fascinating to see this part of her personality evolve.

She might not be walking, but Aeralind is a master at manipulating objects.  She put toys and cheerios into containers.  She empties boxes and crawls into them to play.  She is working hard to master using her spoon.  She loved to hit anything with her drum stick.  No on and off button can deter her.  Digging in mulch at the playground (which she is not allowed to eat) to find that one delightful acorn (which she knows she is allowed to chew) is by far her favorite pastime.   This child is covered in dirt all the time.  I love how meticulous and purposed she is.

Bronwyn Hope has been walking for about 2 weeks now.  She decided crawling was not very cool and just went for it.  She face planted all the time, but wasn’t deterred.  It was so exciting to be doing something new!  This weekend we’re moving her up to the toddler nursery. She is just so thrilled to be able to move a million miles a second (and believe me she does!)

In the early days I though Aeralind was my fearless child, but I think she’s more curiously meticulous.  Bronwyn has no fear (as long as someone she trusts is near her).  She climbs up slides.  She’ll slide down a slide backward all by her self.  She’ll approach small dogs to pet them.  She climbs on couches.  She picks up boxes bigger than she is.  She flirts with every person she sees.  It’s so beautiful to watch her develop into this securely attached person who just loves exploring her world.

Oh, my sweet wiggly people, I am so proud to share this journey with you.