Now where were we?

It's been a while since posting.  I haven't forgotten about you.  Every time I sit down to write I get interrupted.  Can't imagine why....  There are so many things I have wanted to say and I doubt that I can think back to remember them all.  Too bad because I certainly don't want to forget.  So here is my attempt at remembering some of those things.

      A Fistful of Cheerios:

Levi likes his cheerios.  A lot.  "Like" is really an understatement.  If he sees the box or hears the crinkle of the bag inside then he gets very excited.  The eyes open extremely wide, the back stiffens and straightens, the arms quiver, the fists are rolled tightly in a ball.  Then the mouth lets out an intense shriek of delight followed by the smile.  Did I mention it was loud?  Yeah, loud enough to make you plug your ears.  That kid needs a volume button.  Or mute button.  Either way would be helpful.  His level of exuberance even tops that of Williams if you can imagine.

He sure is cute though.

     Cold Inside and Out:

I see that old man winter decided to finally pay us a visit.  As well as the colds and stuffy noses that go with this season.  Levi had it first but it lasted all of two days and wasn't all that bad.  William on the other hand had it for much longer and was worse off.  Actually he had it for a couple of days and then it seemed that it was gone.  Until he had his flu shot.  That night he had a fever and then the cold came on worse than it was before.  I pulled so much snot out of that tiny nose.  I kept the tissue box close by so I could keep his nose clear.  That is until Levi discovered the box and started eating the tissues.  Gross.  Williams cold is gone now thankfully.

     Late Night Delirium

These kids are quite the challenge to get onto a good schedule.  They like to be up late at night but that doesn't work so well for the mommy.  It's pretty sad when they have so much energy and there I sit contemplating what it would feel like to use toothpicks to hold my eyelids open.  Seriously where does that energy come from?  It is wasted on youth.  I think that the older you get the more energy you should have to get things done.  But the older I get the more I want to sleep.

Midnight is not my idea of a proper bedtime.  Unfortunately that was what they were doing for several nights.  Or if I did get them to go to bed at eight then they would be up at midnight and go back down around three-ish.  So far my solution is to get them up around six am and aim for bed around eight.  They get a two hour (max) nap in the morning and a half hour nap in the afternoon.  Yes, I wake them up from their naps.  I think it is helping because I am having an easier time of getting them to bed around eight.  Well, more nights than not they go to bed by eight.

Unfortunately they have both been restless at night so I don't get any solid sleep.  I haven't figured out what is bothering William at night but he sure has been tossing and turning.  Levi may be teething finally.  I know I have said that before but this time I think I am right.  There are two bumbs on the bottom gums.  He had a fever the other evening and he has episodes of unconsolable crying and only calms down after I give him some Tylenol.  I hope those teeth break through soon but it looks like they have a ways to go yet.

     Cruisers and Crashers

Those boys crawl around here like it's cake.  They are speedy little bugs.  I have to be quick about getting the gate put back up when I go through so that they don't sneak through it too.  They are not satisfied with things at the floor level anymore.  It's all about up.  Climbing up to stand at the gates, chairs, tables, walkers and anything else they can get half a grip on.  Even my legs are a target.  I'm going to need to buy a belt soon because I don't know that my pants will stay on much longer with the amount of pulling they do.

They have been pulling themselves up to the walker to stand on its base and play with whatever they can reach.  Well sometimes when they lean on it, it will of course move.  Both of them have been very good about being able to hold on and follow it.  I think this has been giving them the strength and confidence to cruise the other furniture.  They aren't fast by any means but very slowly they will walk from one side of a recliner to the other or from the recliner to the coffee table.

Levi has been the more cautious of the two.  After falling a few times Levi decided that he didn't want to take the risk of getting down on his own.  He would get up but then whine and cry for someone to help him back down to the floor.  It wasn't worth falling and getting hurt anymore.  I would pull his hand down to the floor and he would then be fine.  After a few times he was able to get down as long as he had someones hand to hold onto.  Now he gets down on his own without any hesitation.

William is the risk taker.  He doesn't think much about consequences for letting go.  It's pretty evident in the fact that he gets so many bumbs and bruises.  I think he forgets to hold onto furniture or the walls and the oops! there he goes.  Yesterday he managed to sit up on his knees and he was so happy that he started bouncing and wasn't holding onto anything.  Then he crashed forward and hit his head on the corner of the wall.  Now he has a neat little line on his forehead.  Poor kid.

     Mah-mah!

One evening last week William started looking for me and saying Mama.  My mom and I are both convinced that he knew what he was saying.  We think that they both know what "kitty" is and William definitely knows what "no" means.  Levi not so much.  When we say "no" to him he just laughs as if we are playing a game with him.

    Clappity-Clap

William has spontaneously started clapping.  I haven't not knowingly clapped for him prior to this.  He just started doing it one day while I was changing his diaper.  Then he did it most times I changed his diaper and now he does it whenever.  I encourage him and copy him.  I tell him to clap and then show him and he will respond back with a clap.  He gets the biggest grin on his face when he claps.  So much joy in that little boy.