The most sentimental thing on my extensive, ever-growing "To Do" list is to write in the Baby Books of each of my three wee ones. It's something that is so important to me for a number of reasons - so that we can always remember these special moments that we've had, and to document the milestones that they're having at the blink of an eye (since my brain can't seem to remember them all), yet I cannot seem to rank it high enough on the list to actually sit down and do it.
So, my readers, few that you are, you get to have an inside look at the growth patterns of identical twin girls at 18 months and their 4 year old brother. Enjoy; I know I will!
Quinn:
Quinn turned 4 on January 9th. Every year on his birthday, I have read back through his birth story, OUR birth story really, to remember each detail of how he got here, all that I went through for him to be born; the five days of contractions leading up to it, laboring in the hospital, the emergency c-section, holding him in my arms for the first time...
We celebrated his birthday at the Discovery Museum in Acton, along with his sisters, our friends from when we lived in Watertown, and most of the children in his preschool class. It was such a great afternoon - he had a Disney "Cars" theme, we had a party with cupcakes and favors first, and then unleashed the sugared-up children on the museum, which we pretty much had to ourselves because it was a slow day, but that was perfect.
Quinn has achieved many milestones over this past year.
+ He was officially potty-trained by Thanksgiving, in that he was completely done with diapers, even overnight (Yay, 1 out of 3 ain't bad!).
+ He started at Sunny Hill Preschool last fall, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and continues to thrive with his teachers, his classmates, and all the topics that they are covering.
+ Suddenly around Christmas, Quinn started outputing all the handwriting and letters that he'd been digesting for a couple years - he was suddenly able to write his name, write every letter of the alphabet, and was constantly asking "how do you spell" this, that, everything, and then proceeding to write it down. I'm so proud!!
+ He continues to dominate at soccer and just loves playing it, watching it, anything. He is mainly a leftie kicker still, but is getting better with his right foot and feels so proud when he uses it, too. He's also interested in other sports and really just wants to learn everything. Our mission this summer is Jump-rope (T-Ball was last summer, Frisbee the summer before when we lived in Concord)
+ We moved his bedroom upstairs, and he started to finally sleep all night in his own bed (not everynight, but we were off to a good start!). He's still in his twin bed with rails that we started him on when we moved to this house in August 2010, but he sleeps against the rails so I think those will be staying put for the time being.
He is so smart and is becoming quite the little conversationalist. He asks intelligent questions, seems to be thinking of bigger concepts... It's amazing to listen to his conversations with friends and family, how he is getting bigger and is figuring out the world around him, he's a mini-adult in the making, leaving the baby stuff behind and becoming quite the little man!
Sierra:
Sierra is a little mother, such a great helper and so loving and caring toward others, especially her brother and sister. She blows kisses to animals on our walks and to anyone she is saying "Goodbye" to. While she might cling to my side, she's quick to return a smile or a wave, as long as I am right there holding her.
She has a sly little smile sometimes, when she's feeling playful, and she loves to come up behind me if I'm on the floor, wrap her little arms around me and growl like she's "getting me".
For fun, Sierra loves to read books - her current favorites are Caps for Sale, Madeline, and Bunnies Noisy Book. She will often bring a book over to you, hand it to you, then turn around and back up to sit in your lap. She loves to swing on the swingset, and will literally sit in it for 20 minutes. She loves to climb, especially any set of stairs and the ladder of the swingset, to go down the slide. She loves to play "ball" and can say it, too, and she has fun pushing her little pink car around and making the noises.
She must have her binky and her blankie (a certain size burpcloth) in order to go to bed.
Sierra is so smart, she knows what I am saying or telling her to do or not to do - she gets very sad when reprimanded, and she helps me keep the other two in line by telling them "No No No" and shaking her finger at them if they're doing something they shouldn't be. She hears an airplane and points to the sky, even indoors, and makes a plane motion and sound. She can say various words, though most sounds are still coming. She likes to whisper "Poppa", which is what they call my father, having seen him again a couple weeks ago over Easter. She also likes to say "Mana", which is what they call my mother-in-law.
Sierra does have a temper, and can be very clingy and fussy sometimes. If she gets mad, she'll fall on the floor, throw her blankie a couple times, and then come running to me to be picked up. Somestimes if she falls, though doesn't get hurt, she pretends to cry and comes to me, tapping her head as if that's where she got hurt. Once she gets some love and attention, she'll run off with a smile on her face.
She is such a good eater, tries everything and is so happy to get up into her highchair and have food delivered to her - she can sign and say "more", or she finds that yelling "mama, mama" gets her what she wants. She absolutely loves grapes and apple slices, is crazy about cous cous, and just loves feeding herself, very expertly, with her fork. She getting less interested in baby oatmeal, but doesn't like regular oatmeal yet; she loves to have bites of whatever Daddy or I is eating, or her own little bowl of our cereal in the morning.
Sierra is such a loving baby and has the sweetest little face, you can't help but want to hold her close often and kiss those cheeks. She's definitely Mommies Little Girl!
Kelsey:
Kelsey is definitely the baby of the family, such a true sweetheart, and a little comedian. Kelsey has two looks that she goes between - one where her tongue is hanging out of her mouth, or a grin where she bites her teeth together and smiles away. Sometimes you have to earn a smile from her, but once she flashs you one, it is so worth it! She likes to tease that she's coming to hug you, then stop short or run away laughing.
For fun, Kelsey loves to sing and dance, and is almost able to leave the floor when she jumps. She loves looking at books, especially Good Dog, Carl, God Loves You, and Madeline. She loves to go around picking up blocks, toys, anything, putting it into a bucket, and carrying it around. She loves her blankie and has a babydoll that she likes to sleep with, but she will pick up any stuffed animal, really, and hug it to her and say "ahhhh", loving it.
Kelsey is so smart - she knows what I'm saying and is saying a new word almost everyday. She can say "moon", "ball", "duckah" for the neighbor's dog Tucker, "booboo", "more", "waawaa"... several others. She has been shaking her head 'No' for everything, even if she means 'yes', but recently she has started clapping if we guess what she wants. She calls for her "Poppa", sometimes in a whisper like her sister does. She also asks for Mimi (my Mom) and Mana (MIL). If she's looking for something, she turns her palms upward and holds her hands out, as if to say "where is it?".
She is a little bit of a picky eater; only likes certain crackers, will sometimes eat strawberries or grapes, but then spits them out the next time I give them to her. I think she's just being dramatic, making her whims known, but she's very sweet about it. If she starts to get fussy, she can usually be distracted from it with a tickle or a smothering of kisses, though if she is truly upset, she will go on extensive crying jags where her face gets red and splotchy and she can't stop; sometimes fresh air is all that will calm her down.
Kelsey is such a little darling, with winning, playful smiles, and such a joyful baby. She is a real cuddler and so affectionate, she's impossible to resist.
It's a beautiful thing to watch my babies interact with each other, all three of them. The girls are more and more aware of each other, and of their brothers motions and presence. They are getting to be such good friends, playing together, seeking each others attention and affection. I know as the years pass, they'll be even closer, not without the usual ripples. I know the girls will look up to their brother, as they already do, and Quinn will always be protective of his sisters. I'm so happy that they have each other, and I'm happy that I can be home with them.
My babies are all growing so fast. I want to remember every moment, I don't want to forget these magical times while they're little, because I know, having watched Quinn these past years, that they grow so fast! I try so hard to be in the moment and enjoy things as they happen. I truly treasure getting to be home with them everyday, getting to see each one grow everyday, watching them learn about the world around the, everything big and small - I just want to hold them so close today, to enjoy our time together, as these moments are passing in the blink of an eye!
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