18 Months

Well, we made it to another half-birthday! We are exhausted but having fun - we love watching them learn new things and communicate in new ways. We also love Baby Einstein, Baby Signs, and Sesame Street DVDs so that we can grab a couple of minutes to eat or do chores. They are busy every second of the day


Typical toddler photo shoot (the outfits that Uncle Dane got for them on their birthday still fit - great shopping instincts!)

What's that song about monkeys jumping on the bed? :)

Well I guess the photo shoot is over


Lucas - giggly, cuddly, loves music and books, and eats like there's no tomorrow!

He really wanted one of his sisters' hairbows. His outfit came with a snazzy plaid hat but I couldn't wrangle him into it.
"How do I get this bow in my hair?"

"Is it still there?"

Still interested in the bow


Abby - laid-back, good at sharing, loves to sing, says her name constantly

More interested in her hair bow than the camera

Say cheese!


Zoey - silly, determined, already showing an interest in potty training

Can't believe I got a picture of her smiling!

Trying to grab the camera from me


They are saying some new words and signs, as well as making some up. Zoey came up with a new name for Grandpa Gene - "hat-dad" - she makes the sign for hat while saying da-da. It must be because he's always wearing a baseball cap. Clever girl.

Other tidbits - we are finally shifted to one nap a day (we think) and are trying to be more consistent about their nap time (most days). They love playing outside, and, sadly for the one who has to do the cleaning and laundry, did not mind playing in the mud and rain last week. We are still working on transitioning from bottles to sippy cups for milk, and they still have pacifiers for sleeping. Some things aren't worth the battle yet! They still love Max the dog, which is a good thing since he can be quite a handful.

Their 18 month well visit isn't for another week, so you'll have to wait to find out all their height/weight stats.

Aquarium

On the Friday of our vacation, it was cool and rainy, so we went to the aquarium. The babies were glad that GM & GG had bought them matching Duck, NC sweatshirts, since I hadn't remembered to pack any warm clothes for them. They had a good time running around and looking at fish, and thankfully we got there right when it opened so it wasn't too crowded.

Entering the aquarium - we only brought the single stroller in, and the crew took turns getting in and out of it while the others either ran around or were carried.


"Resting" with the girls


Look how small I am next to this sign!


Catching a ride


This was the one moment that Lucas stood still outside


Abby loved picking up pine cones


Last look at the outdoor water features before leaving


It was fun to introduce them to a new place, and we were proud of them for being the least whiny toddlers there! :)

Beach days

We had a few days of really good weather during our trip. We got into the routine of going to the beach early (8:30ish), then the pool (10ish), then home by 11ish to do baths, lunch, and nap. It was certainly not the kind of beach vacation where we could just lie in the sand and read, but it was fun to watch the babies discover new things.

By the third day we really had to chase after Abby on the beach



One day we dug a hole for each of them to sit in

they loved it when we gave them pails of water to pour on themselves





Playing nicely together


Zoey needed some time to hang out in her backpack

Our Accommodations

We were able to take the trip thanks to my parents' time share - they reserved one unit for themselves and one for us. It was great to have our own space but still have them nearby for help.

The unfortunate part of the time share was that our unit was on the third floor. We carried the babies up and down those stairs so many times that week. By the end of the week we let them climb up the stairs. They did fine - no splinters and no falls.


We put the booster seats on the barstools. They enjoyed their new perspective on the world.

Aftermath of a meal.

"Did we do that?"

Other uses for a wine glass rack.


Trying to enjoy our deck, but it was crazy hot.


Due to the layout of the unit (2nd bedroom was in a loft up many stairs), we gave the trio the master bedroom. There was room to fit all three pack n' plays, and they proved they could all fall asleep together at the same time (at home we often put them down to sleep in separate rooms and then move them later). These faces greeted me after nap one day.


Helping Mom with the dishes

Helping Dad with his arm exercises



Pile-up in the tunnel


Who knew that barstools could also be jungle gyms??

We're back! Did you miss us?

We just got back from a trip to the beach with my parents. It was the babies' first time at the beach, and our first time taking a full week vacation with the trio. Thank goodness my parents were there to help! I wouldn't call it "relaxing" but it was fun!

I'll try to do several posts this week about the trip, since we took so many pictures. This set of pics is from their very first view of the ocean - it was cloudy that morning, and I wasn't sure how they'd react to the sand, so we didn't put their bathing suits on.

A little perplexed - where are we?


Toys!


Abby got right down to business and started shoveling sand. Notice the sand in her hair?


On the other hand, Zoey was not a fan of sand. Notice she is not sitting all the way down.


Lucas getting brave enough to walk around.


This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip

Happy birthday to me

Today was my birthday and my regular day home with the babies. We had a pretty good day, even though their nap schedule was kind of wonky and the dog was driving me nuts with his energy by 4pm. My parents came over this evening to babysit so Jason and I could go out to dinner. Before we left we attempted to get a picture of me with the trio. Let's just say that this picture series pretty much captures our daily juggling act.









And the moral of the story? Don't attempt a "mom's birthday" picture right before bedtime and right before date night!