18 Months!

It is rather baffling to me that Archer and Lyla are a year and a half old already!  I really have a hard time comprehending that these two sweethearts have been around for 18 months.  My bond with them grows stronger every single day, which is a very good thing since their orneriness seems to grow each day too.  

They are both so active and energetic.  They run around the house all day long.  However, they will stop to watch Sesame Street or flip through their books.  These cold winter months have been a bit challenging.  We will all be happy when the temperatures warm up enough to play outside on a regular basis. 

I try to get out and about each day, which makes both kiddos happier.  We go to stores with carts, which they enjoy standing up in and dancing to the music playing in the stores.  I've just recently gotten brave enough to let the kids walk from the car to the store.  It's a complicated song and dance to get both out of their car seats without one of them running into the parking lot, but we've got a system down that works for us.  I take Archer out first and then put him onto the floor of the car on the side that has Lyla's car seat.  I get Lyla out of her car seat and them put her down in the parking lot while maintaining a death grip on her arm with one hand.  Then I wrangle Archer out of the car while maintaining a death grip on his arm.  Luckily Archer is pretty agile and can climb out the car pretty easily.  Then we ever so slowly make our way to the door of the store.  It's pretty ironic how slowly they trudge through the parking lot given how fast they can move.  They have both mastered doing the opposite of what I'd like them to do.  Once we're inside, we go straight into a cart.  They would have everything knocked off the bottom shelves in about 30 seconds flat if I let them wander freely.

In addition to Target and grocery stores, we also like to hit up story time at our local library.  I recently concluded we need to start going to toddler story time instead of baby story time and it's been a little hard for me to accept.  I can't believe I have toddlers now instead of babies!  There's an open gym time we've gone to a few times, which they love.  We also like to hit up the play area at the mall and the pet store.  I'm always on the lookout for new adventures, especially if they are free.  It really is so much fun watching Lyla and Archer discover new experiences. 

Archer and Lyla really are best buddies.  Archer typically wakes up in the morning and from naps well before Lyla.  He is constantly asking for her or trying to yell loudly outside her door to wake her up.  They are almost always in the same room at the same time.  If they go upstairs by themselves, they'll both go in the same room.  If one leaves a room, the other will almost always follow.  It's pretty sweet.  I will also hear them giggling and screaming with delight together.  Of course as soon as I try to take a video they stop. 

But they do have their scuffles.  Lately Archer has been pushing Lyla down with a swift one-handed shove.  If they don't know I'm watching them, she'll shake it off.  But if Lyla knows I'm watching, she'll be quite dramatic.  But Lyla can give it as good as she gets it.  She's figured out pulling handfuls of Archer's hair really gets to him.  They also take turns laying on top of each other and not getting up.  I try to help them understand that they need to be nice to each other, but they quickly lose interest in the middle of my explanations.  Fortunately they seem to understand they can't do what they do to each other with other kids.  They are typically nice and kind and enjoy sharing with other kids. 

Archer is very verbal these days.  He has a very large vocabulary, but his favorite word at the moment is "NO-ooooo!"  He enunciates his words rather dramatically.  Adam and I get a kick out of him trying to repeat things like "porcupine," "applesauce," and "octopus."  He has good balance and can climb up and down the stairs on his feet as long as he holds onto the wall.  His arms are getting quite long and he can take all sorts of things off the kitchen counter.  He still uses a pacifier at night and has some satin-edged blankets he's very attached to.  He's been waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 each morning and not sleeping very long during his naps. (Yawn!)  Archer enjoys a snuggle when he wakes up and I am more than happy to comply. 

Lyla has been into dancing and swaying to music.  She gets especially happy when the Sesame Street credits come on so she can dance along to them.  She has a couple baby dolls that she loves dearly.  Lyla's favorite thing in the world are "nacks."  She asks for snacks constantly throughout the day and is rather persistent until I give in.  This explains why she's in the 90th percentile for weight.  She's a champion sleeper and is happy to chatter to herself in the dark in her crib for a good hour before she falls asleep most nights.  As long as she has her "night night" (any muslin blanket), she's a happy girl.  She says "hi-iii" and "buh-bye-eeee" to everyone and I adore it. 

They both love taking a "ba" (bath) each night that Dada oversees.  They are both good at fine-motor activities like shape sorters.  They still constantly put everything in their mouths (crayons, plant leaves, toilet paper, any random thing they find on the ground....)  They both have healthy appetites and like trying new foods, though Archer is getting a bit pickier.  They enjoy using forks when eating and dipping things in ketchup. 

I feel like I am getting into more of a groove and am getting better at anticipating their needs.  We've got our routines down and I am head-over-heels in love with my sweet toddlers.  I am excited to see how they continue to grow!