Crisp Autumn Eve 3 Column from TCBOTB

Sunday, February 1, 2009

15 months.......and Sick Boys Again.....

It's been a while since the last post and a lot has been going on.... where to start. Currently the boys are about a week into some sort of cold bug. Started out with fevers and on MacKay first, and a couple days later Oscar started up too and so did the coughing and amazing amounts of mucous drainage. WOW... we can hardly keep up with it. Their appetites took a major hit this time too..... MacKay didn't eat anything solid (except for maybe a spoonful of yogurt or peas we were able to sneak in once a day) for almost 3 days straight. All he wanted was his milk - and believe me, he DOWNED that. And just last night before I went to bed I went to check up on the boys and smelled something quite rancid..... turned out Oscar had vomitted a bit. So we quickly got him and his bed changed and got him back to sleep. I don't think it is flu stuff, just probably an upset stomach and related to the coughing to the point of gagging that they do (just like mommy). Aside from that, they seem to be much better today and are actually eating something - which usually is a sign that we are on the upswing. So let's hope that is the case.
Let's start with MacKay.... I have been keeping notebooks on the two of them, so I am referring to them since my last post was OVER 2 weeks ago. So here are some of the hightlights of things that have happened since 1/12.... We've noticed that the boys seem drawn to certain toys and especially certain Little People figurines. They have 3-4 different LP sets so they have a lot of animals and figurines to choose from.... but it seems that MacKay ALWAYS has one of the lions (there are two different ones)... and Oscar ALWAYS has one of the leopards (there are 3 different ones). They will actually pick them out and walk around with them for long periods while playing with other things. Interesting. MacKay, tho naughty at times, seems to really understand us when we are telling him "No" and disciplining him. Not saying he complies ALL the time... but he does for the most part. We tell him to "get Down" from the couch or the coffee table and he usually does it. MacKay also understands how to "play nice". For a while there he was being a little rough with Oscar and Angus (I don't think intentionally all the time though)... so I showed him how to touch more gently and taught him "play night". Now whenever I say "play nice" he immediately pets either Oscar or Angus or gives them a big hug (sweet) ... AND has started saying "Baah Biise" when he is "petting" either one of them. Smart little guy there. Though he still uses biting as his weapon.... just the other week he bit Oscar for stealing a toy from him.... even left a mark (on Oscar's chin). I've also noticed MacKay LOVES satin. He has a Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy that he got from Gma Bonnie and Gpa Dean for Xmas last year that he LOVES to walk around with.... mainly cuz the under side of the dog's floppy ears is satin and he likes to rub that against his mouth/lips. He also has this doggie blanket thing that we keep in his crib as a bedttime toy where the underside of the blanket is all satin.... we constantly find him holding that and rubbing the satin side on his face and mouth. Funny enough, my brother was the same way..... he had a teddy bear that he couldn't live without when he was young... turned out it wasn't the teddy bear, but the ribbon (his "ibbon") tied around the bear's neck that he loved - he did the same thing, rubbed it against his lip. He still is quite the aper/mimick too..... last weekend while Gma Chris was up visiting and feeding them dinner, I blew my nose and was using a tissue to clean out my nose... only to look over and see MacKay staring right back at me with his finger stuck WAY up his nose. I guess we need to watch ourselves now... :)
Let's see.... what can I dig up on Oscar? Oscar is still loving to share and bring things to you...which works well for us when he is playing with something he shouldn't - a simple "Oscar, can I see that" works well and he brings it right to us. He also has been saying what sounds like "Thanks you" when he gives something to us - I think because we are always saying that to him when he does that. Though his version sounds more like "Ta-To". Other than that though.... Oscar has become the much more naughty of the two. He is constantly testing us and though I think he understands what he can and cannot play with, he continues to go for the stuff that will get him in trouble and doesn't listen when we ask him to stop (for the most part). He's CONSTANTLY climbing up on the couch and coffee table, playing with the TV plug outlet and surge protector etc. And has started throwing temper tantrums when we discipline him when he won't listen. He's actually got a new cry now too.... before his crying was more like whimpering and whining. Now he screams when he cries and makes a big to do about it. And lately has become very needy about that and will cry at EVERYTHING. He will trip and fall (not hurt) and cry and carry on like he just cut open his head, if MacKay takes a toy he throws a tantrum as if the world just ended. Unnnnghh. But you can't help but love that sweet little face... especially when every time he cries like that he wants to be consoled by a big hug (which I love to give and receive)... but I'm trying not to coddle too much, eventually he needs to learn that not everything needs to be so dramatic :) He's also understanding a lot too... for a few weeks there every night at bedtime after we would say "Good night Oscar, I Love you" he would stick out his bottom lip and whine - knowing that it meant we were going to leave him and it was time for him to go to bed. Oscar had a first just last weekend while the Hehir's were visiting (and Gma Chris was up helping while Daddy was on his fishing trip).... he did his first summersault, though not entirely intentional. Both the boys love to look between their legs when they are getting up into a standing position ... basically they are bent all the way over and like to view the world upside down between their legs. Well... Oscar kept inching his feet closer and closer to where his head/hands were and eventually was folded like a taco and toppled over and did a summersault. He had the most shocked look on his face lying there looking up at the ceiling and all of us cheering and clapping.
Some general stuff about both the boys...... They both love to empty out the new toy box we got for them the first chance they get. Our living room is a disaster area within minutes of their arrival. They just dump out the bins and tear everything out of the main compartment. Trying to teach them how to put things away, but the minute you try to clean up they come over and grab the stuff you are putting away. They have, on occasion, followed suit and helped in putting things into a bin.... but pretty quickly want to dump it out again like it is a game. I can't wait for the day that I can say "OK, time to clean up" and they actually know what I am talking about and comply..... what age will that be again? :) They also do a lot of playing together still.... chasing each other and hiding and jumping out at each other, hugging, fighting over toys here and there. I really think having two of them has it's benefits, and this is definitely one of them. They have a buddy for life in each other. Just last weekend we moved the boys into wearing their new 2T PJs. Mainly cuz the 18 month ones are just not long enough for them... and the PJs I have in the next size (24 months) are short sleeved. So I skipped ahead to some 2T ones that are long sleeved.... and they fit. Sure they were a little baggy but they fit a ton better than the 18 month ones. They are just getting so big.... and too fast. Other than that they still wear 18 month clothes for the most part... tho a lot of 24 month shirts. And I think in the next month or two we'll have to move to their 24 month pants. We brought the boys into the Dr. for their 15 month check (and shots) on Thursday but they were both under the weather so we held off on the booster shots ..... but as always they were within a pound of each other. MacKay at 24lbs 9oz.... and Oscar at 25lbs 9oz..... same height, same head circumference too. Other than their bad eating habits due to illness.... they've tried some new foods too like tater tots and battered fish tenders which they gobbled up. And I've been watching this for a while to see if anyting changed with it..... but we're pretty certain that Oscar is going to be a lefty and MacKay a righty. When eating MacKay uses his right hand primarilly.... and Oscar is the complete opposite using his left hand. Even during play, they might use their other hand to pick something up, but quickly pass it over to their dominant hand. Apparently left handedness is common in twins - has to do with the excess hormones the mother is producing etc. But then again, Gpa Dean is a south paw too - so it could be hereditary.
Not much else to write about (you guys are probably wanting me to shut up by now and post some pictures anyway). We're excited though, cuz tonight the Hehir's are coming over to watch the super bowl with us... and the boys ALWAYS love to see their Auntie Jolene and the rest of the gang. Last time they were over Uncle John and Brandon emptied out the bins/drawers to their toy chest and sat the boys in them and pushed them around in them... even setting up races between the two of them. They loved that so much that after John and Brandon got tired and stopped, MacKay threw a fit and kept bringing one of the bins over to John to do it again. So maybe we'll set that up again tonight since they liked that so much.
Well, here's the pictures. Will try not to go so long between posts again.... hard to keep track of all the stuff that goes on when I do that.
First off, HAD to share this...... this is the hat that my good friend Susie made for me. I received it about a week ago and have already worn it numerous times. I LOVE IT. I am just going to keep plugging her handy work - she is so talented and creative. (susieknits.blogspot.com)

Here are the boys dressed in the outfits that their Gma Diane got for them for Xmas this year. I love comfy sweat pants like these .. and the hooded sweatshirts just top the outfit off. (check out the pic of them fighting over the ball.... love the headline on the TV in the background)

The boys LOVE to interact when eating. They laugh at each other all the time, even share food (put stuff on each other's trays) and hold hands. Snapped a couple pictures of them doing that.

Just had to put this in here too - Chris is just a big kid at heart. He LOVES the boys' new piano and xylaphone from Gma and Gpa Hoglund.... they both even came with color coded sheet music so he has been learning new songs. I even taught him how to play "The First Noel" on them at Xmas time. Here he is plucking away at them..... now if only he would let the boys play with their toys.

Like I said earlier..... MacKay LOVES satin. Here he is with his Laugh n Learn puppy with the satin ears.... notice how he is rubbing it against his mouth.

The boys playing on their teeter totter they got from Gma Chris for Xmas (THANKS A LOT MOM, for bringing that up here - like we needed yet another huge toy to take up space) :) No really, the boys love it. They can use it alone (sit in the middle) or together (one at each end) and they really get the gist of leaning forward and back to get it to rock.


MacKay and Oscar racing around (courtesy of Uncle John and Brandon) in their toy box bins. GREAT, now they have yet another reason to dump those out....

Here is Oscar and Seth on the teeter totter. Seth is the neighbor boy who comes over a couple times a week when he rides the bus, until his parents get off work and pick him up. He's SUCH a nice kid... and great to have around cuz he arrives right when the boys wake from their nap and they LOVE Seth.... infact when Seth has to leave MacKay cries every time.

Random pictures: Not one of Oscar's better looks, but just HAD to show you what we are dealing with lately. He is SO drooly - partly due to the illness lately, but also cuz of teething. Oscar recently got all 4 of his 1st molars... and is working on one of his front bottom teeth as well. But we have to change his shirt about 3x a day due to drool - he gets himself just DRENCHED within about an hour of being changed. And this is just a sweet picture of MacKay in one of his new size 2T PJs playing with his favorite ball.

Check back again in a week or two..... hope you enjoyed.

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