Jude & Sloane | 15 Months

Since Jude & Sloane have check-ups at the pediatrician's office every three months, I figured I'd make these monthly posts more like their first year posts.  So sit back, reheat your coffee in the microwave for the fourth time (just me?), and enjoy...

Jude & Sloane are all over the place these days.  One of the biggest changes I've noticed is they now run in the same direction. Before, I had two circus acts competing for attention and applause.  Now they are a two-person act (still demanding applause).  Lots of giggling, lots of knocking each other over, lots of tears.  It's a beautiful mess.

Jude's stats at 15 months:
Weight: 26 lbs 3 oz (70%)
Height: 32 in (75%)
Head:  18.75 in (75%)
Teeth:16
Words: Mama, Dada, Mmmhm ("moo"), Dat (that)
Sign language: All done (Understands "Eat")
Wears: 18-24 month clothing

Sloane's stats at 15 months:
Weight: 23 lbs 3 oz (55%)
Height: 31.5 in (80%)
Head:  18.5 in (75%)
Teeth:12
Words: Mama, Dada, Dat (that), Uh! (Uh-oh), cat
Sign Language, All done, More, Eat (She is the one who let's me know when it's time)
Wears: 12-18 and 18-24 month tops/dresses; 2T pants (due to leg length)

Both have really slimmed down, but they are still quite the chunks.  While Sloane's legs are now twigs, her belly is bigger than Jude's.  It's adorable.  

EAT
Jude & Sloane are eating strictly table food these days.  They adore fruit!  Bananas, blueberries, strawberries, applesauce (that counts, right?)... you name it.  Sloane is like a chipmunk with blueberries, her tray is empty two seconds after we give them to her.  Jude's hatred towards carrots (remember this video?!) has disappeared and he's now their biggest fan.  Sloane feels the same towards peas.  They also love yogurt, hummus, oatmeal, hamburgers, pizza, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

We're struggling in the food area because Michael and I are not the greatest eaters.  Even though we can eat the same things, we typically feed them organic milk, fruits, veggies, etc., and then we eat Domino's pizza.  Since we're on a pretty strict budget we can only afford the best food for two people.  Michael and I feel our bodies have already been ruined so we give the twins the good stuff. :) We're really working on finding meals that satisfy everyone but won't leave us homeless.

They have whole milk when they wake up, oatmeal + fruit for breakfast, sandwich + fruit/veggies for lunch, a snack + whole milk after their second nap, dinner (varies), and whole milk right before bed.  Water is served with all meals. 

SLEEP
These two are still pretty great sleepers... as long as they are in their cribs.  They wake up around 7a, nap at 10a (1.5-2 hours) and again at 2:30p (1.5 hours).  They go down for the night a little after 7p.  They still require pacifiers to sleep, which we don't love but aren't fighting at the moment.

This past weekend we went to Fort Smith and they did NOT sleep well in the pack n plays.  They haven't in the past but I was really hoping they'd outgrown that phase.  Nope.  They're still excellent car sleepers (sometimes too good--I have to ride in the back after church for fear they'll fall asleep in the 10 minutes it takes to drive home)!

PLAY
Gone are the days of quietly sitting on blankets and playing with a toy.  Jude & Sloane have the shortest attention spans and run from one activity to another.  They love to climb on chairs, windowsills, couches, coffee tables, us, you name it.  Neither have much fear so you better be ready because they will jump off of anything and it's up to you to grab them.  Not so easy when there is one of you and two of them.  We've dealt with lots of bumps and bruises this month.

The most common phrase around here is "Sit on your bottom.  ON YOUR BOTTOM."  Jude & Sloane handle instruction quite differently.  Jude looks at you, smiles, and continues doing exactly what he wants.  He understands "No!" and couldn't care less.  Meanwhile, Sloane is a rule follower.  That  does not mean she is perfect--far from it.  She does everything she isn't supposed to do but obeys you when you tell her to sit, get down, etc.  One day we caught her climbing on the coffee table and told her to get down.  She wanted to be on the coffee table so badly that once she slid off she held onto the table and kept lifting/shaking her right leg.  She just couldn't wait to get up there again!

Even though Jude is rambunctious and full of energy, his absolute favorite thing to do is read books.  He will sit in your lap as long as you'll allow it and listen to the same story over and over (and over) again.  Sloane, on the other hand, loves to sit down and listen to approximately two pages before she's bored. 

They both love puzzles,  rocking horses, the tunnel, noisemakers,Violet/Scout the dog, their Dog guitar, and the garbage man.  They also love hugging and kissing their stuffed animals.  When I was first teaching them about hugs and kisses, I would always clap wildly and say, "Oooohhhh, sweet SLOANEY/JUDE" every time they hugged a stuffed animal.  Now I tell Sloane, "Give me a kiss" and she comes right up to my face and says, "Oooohhhh..."  It's perfect.

We've also introduced television.  They watch a whopping 5-10 minutes a day.  I'm more relaxed on tv time now but neither are very interested so 10 minutes is their limit.  Most of the time they get bored and Jude brings me a book.  I can't help but smile when that happens.  I know there will be a day when all they want to do is watch television or play games on our phones.  I don't want that day to be anytime soon.

QUESTIONS FOR THE DOC
It is really, really hard not to compare twins.  Actually, it's impossible, at least for me.  If Jude does something, I immediately think, "Why isn't Sloane doing this yet?" if it's good and "Why is he doing that? Sloane isn't doing that!" if it's bad.

Jude has a temper.  If he does not get his way, he runs until he gets as far away from you as possible (it'd be hilarious to get in a fight with him on a football field) and throws himself down.  He went through a biting stage, which has lessened dramatically, and is still in a head banging stage, which hurts greatly.  Meanwhile, Sloane whimpers for a few seconds if she doesn't get her way and then she's over it.  Apparently both reactions are normal. 

My other concern at their 15-month appointment was their word count.  These two talk all the time.  They use inflection and hand gestures but it is complete gibberish.  I always talk back to them (using actual words) and we've had quite lengthy conversations.  But when it comes to real words... not so much.  The doc did not seem concerned so I'm not concerned.  Well, I'm trying not to be concerned.  I have an issue with repetition--it drives me crazy.  So while I should be saying, "Ball.  This is a ball.  Ball. Ball. BALL.  Hand me the BALL," I end up saying, "This is a ball.  Oh you want to play in the tunnel?  Great!"  Patience is a virtue.  Apparently I am not very virtuous.

Dear Jude,
My little blondie.  I can't get enough of your cuddles and smiles.  You are the emotional twin with lots of highs and lows.  Fortunately, the number of highs far exceeds the lows.  You are quite the observer--you want to understand how everything works and you won't leave something alone until you've figured it out.

I'm constantly surprised by you.  My mom and I were working diligently to teach Sloane the cow sound, not realizing you were close by listening intently.  A few days later I casually said, "Jude, a cow goes..." and you gave your perfectly adorable (and not at all close to) "moo" sound.  It has since stuck and you love it when we ask. 

Your favorite spot is in our laps or on the windowsill.  I think you love to sit a little higher than everyone else, plus it gives you a great view of the cars and garbage man.  Your laugh is still one of the sweetest sounds and absolutely contagious.  You also have a new face that takes "Judgy Jude" to an entirely new level.  You furrow your brow and purse your lips and everyone who sees it laughs.

You had your second haircut this month and while I think she cut it way too short, your hair managed to get even blonder and you now look even older.  Slow down, sweet Jude. 

Your dad and I are so proud of you.  You give us so many reasons to smile and we absolutely adore you.  I am so excited for you to learn more words because I can't wait to talk with you.

 

Dear Sloane,

My little sweetheart.  While you are still so sneaky, you are so thoughtful.  You are Jude's second mommy, always making sure he has enough to eat as well as his pacifier.  Unfortunately, he doesn't reciprocate yet, which means he mostly steals your pacifier after you've given him his.  I know he'll come around, but until he does, what a good example you are!

Little one, you are ALL girl.  You don't walk, you prance.  You don't flex, you point.  You love when I put bows in your hair and you grin when people tell you how cute you are.  I was a tomboy for much of my childhood so this will take some practice on my part, but I must say it's far easier than I thought: I cannot WAIT to enroll you in ballet!

Right now you're all about trading.  You don't take things.  Instead, you bring us something and want to exchange it for what we're holding.  This is especially true with Poppy's glasses case.  You would give him the moon for that case.  It's hilarious. 

You have become quite needy this month.  You get a little anxious when I leave the room and you love to be held (by anyone).  You typically wake up before Jude and constantly want to know where he is as well.  This hasn't caused issues yet (we're still able to leave you with family/friends) but I'm curious to see if it escalates.  Just know we'll always come back for you.  Always.

You, my darling, light up our lives.  You make the room brighter with your presence and bring so much joy to those around you. 

I love you, I love you, I love you... Love-Mama

For more pictures from our twin meet-up, visit Amber's blog!