Baby It's Cold Outside

It has been a little chilly in the morning and as required a hat. They hate them but are more than happy to put their arm out to put their jackets on!

Kellen, Liam, and Monkey

Stomach bug

We are on the mend but the boys have a stomach bug. Hopefully they will be fully recovered soon!

Clockwise: Kellen playing with 2 of his bottle caps; Liam napping with bear and monkey on the floor; Kellen sleeping; Liam's profile.

The Drama

Kellen made all these faces in about 3 minutes. He wanted the phone as he knows he can watch videos on it.

And then there is Liam. He didn't want the phone, he wanted mom as usual.

PS 1st time blogging from the phone. Something won't go right I am sure!

Handful of Firsts

Kellen, Dad, & Liam at the Cubs Game!

It has been a while but we have been busy, busy, busy! The boys are growing learning many things so fast right now and they are keeping us on our toes. If only they would learn to sleep through the night we would have a little more energy to keep up with all their new experiences!

LIAM

Sweet Liam cheering on the Cubs.

 Liam finally figured out walking two weeks ago. He is trucking all around but just needs to wait for his body to catch up with what he is thinking. He forgets to get his balance before he takes off and so there are quite a few tumbles that happen. He has a couple of black and blue marks as evidence of his learning. He continues to eat pretty much everything (but only when he is in the mood). If he isn't in the mood, he isn't going to eat and you can expect that food to be all over the floor. He has been quite fussy but we think he is getting more teeth. I say I think because neither of us is interested in sticking our hands in the shark's mouth. I know he has 8.  He is jabbering a lot, mostly to Kellen, which is pretty funny. This seems to have picked up after he had his tubes put in at the end of August.

His 15 month stats were not impressive. His head is great and continues to move up on the chart but his weight has leveled off. He was 19 lbs. 7 oz. which is still pretty small. Unfortunately he also struggles a lot with constipation so all the things to pack on the weight we can't give him as often as we would like. He gets a more concentrated formula but I am not sure it is helping as much as we would like. He is almost as tall as Kellen but that isn't saying much because they are short!

Brushing my teeth!

Liam loves to point to things, the bathroom, being outside, and playing with the loudest toys we have. He is an avid reader and will sit and flip through his books (on his own of course...quite independent) until Kellen comes and steals the book from him. He loves pears, carrots, chicken nuggets, and vanilla pudding. We learned that pudding only happens at lunch...never after dinner (the sugar keeps them awake for hours).  Liam loves to use his teeth and prefers crunchy foods like graham crackers and puffs.

KELLEN

Kellen with his big smile.

Kellen is pretty much a full time walker now, which is quite a sight since he looks like Frankenstein when he walks.  He has been walking for the past six weeks, increasing in proficiency (and speed) each day.  The funny thing about walking more is that he positions him higher to see more things that we intended to keep out of reach.  This in addition to his climbing ability has us continuing to baby-proof the house.  While he is developing his fine motor skills, he still does not have a single tooth.  The dentist said to give it two more months before we bring him to the doctor, but quite honestly, we're not sure what the doctor is going to do short of fitting him for dentures.  Despite his lack of teeth he is a good eater - he gums his food to a mushy pulp before swollowing or spitting it all over the place.  As a result it takes him at least twice as long to eat a meal.  Honestly, we think Liam quite likes that since it gives him some time when his bully brother isn't trying to steal his books/toys.

Notice the hair...our little curly hippie is gone... :(

Kellen is funny about his shoes and toys.  He loves wearing shoes, all the time.  Sometimes in the morning he will retrieve his shoes and insist that we put them on him, even if the only other thing he is wearing is a diaper.  As for toys, his favorite (in order) are: 1. whatever Liam is playing with; 2. whatever looks dangerous; and 3. whatever makes a god-forsaken noise that could peel the paint off the walls.  He actually gets really attached to a toy and will hold it exclusively.  If he loses that toy, it turns into a crisis.  We've put him to bed with toys when he gets so attached to them.  He also still loves the tags on blankets.  He rubs them on his face and puts them in his mouth.  He often looks like Linus as he pulls his blanket around the house by the tags.  He has an infectious laugh and is ready to play at the drop of a hat.

Kellen and Liam's favorite nighttime activity is watching YouTube videos with Dad.  Unfortunately, we introduced them to "I'm Elmo and I Know It" first, so now they love videos with Elmo and a party beat.  Their favorites are the Elmo/LMFAO parody, Elmo with Katy Perry, Elmo with Will.I.Am, and Elmo with India Arie.  They also like Psy Gangnam Style, but we are trying to break them of that.

Videos with Dad.

Probably one of the most gratifying sights has been seeing the two of them react to each other.  They are truly opposites, but are absolutely brothers.  They don't spend much time apart, as you can well imagine, but on days when one of them has to stay home because they are sick we are told that the child in daycare seems lost and a little lonely without their partner in crime.  To see them react to each other when they are reuinited is priceless.  Their little eyes light up and their faces have big smiles and laughing as they run to greet each other.

So this entry is mostly about firsts, which we have experienced a lot of recently: first Cubs game, first haircut, first run with Dad, first tooth-brushing (for Liam anyway), and first steps.  There are also some other assorted goodies that we couldn't resist posting.

Family picture at our first Cubs game.

Mommy rocking Kellen and Liam in the glider.

This picture completely shows their personalities.

Kellen's New Do.

Liam's New Do.

Morning exercises. Notice the new haircuts...

Our first run together

Kellen and his floppy, hippy-dippy hair enjoying the baby swing

Watching Curious George while waiting to go to school.

We Hate Milk.

So I spoke a little too soon. The boys didn't take to the milk very well. Let's just say we went through a lot of diapers for about a week. So now we are going to try toddler formula for the next month and try again. We still had some neosure so we haven't tried the toddler formula yet. We are trying it tonight. I hope it works as we get twice as much formula for the price.

We should really invest in Similac.

School Pictures!

Kellen and Liam recently had their picture taken at school. I totally forgot that day but luckily they had a bath the night before. Not sure I would have picked such contrasting outfits but you don't even notice as they are just so cute you don't even notice that they completely clash! I wasn't going to buy them since we just had their pictures taken but Dad is a sucker and couldn't pass them up! So here are the first of many cheesy school photos!

Liam & Kellen smiling for the camera!



Liam




Kellen



One Year Stats

Kellen are Liam are doing well however I think we have come to accept that they are just going to be small but hopefully will catch up a little bit more!

LIAM

Liam is little there is no doubt about it but he has become the daredevil. He loves to be upside down, crawls into just about anything he can, including the bottom shelf of the changing table at daycare. This shelf also holds toys...he fits right between the top of the toys and the next shelf. Reminds me of where I am sometimes stuck when we are packing a moving truck.

• Continues to love food. He really likes animal crackers and they are helping him figure out how to chew. There is still a lot of gagging but he is getting there. He just watches when Dave and I eat and sometimes cries until he gets to try something too. He seems to like pizza!
• Has 2 teeth in and is cutting a third possibly fourth right now. 
• Is getting much better at pulling himself up on things. He is starting to scoot a little around furniture. 
• Liam is fast and curious. Sometimes his hands can't go as fast as his legs and he ends up falling forward and bumping his head. It is kinda funny to watch as he still has a crazy crawl. 
• Liam is still very much a momma's boy. I think he would have me hold him all day long if he could.
• We are trying really hard to break him of his bouncy seat. He absolutely loves it. Every time we get close, he gets sick again or we end up having to travel, in which case we fall back on the old standby.  
• Kellen is a bit of a bully and steals just about anything Liam wants. As a result, Liam has developed a bit of a defense mechanism where he very quickly uses his feet to turn in circles away from Kellen. It's pretty cute because he is using only his feet and seems to turn effortlessly.  He uses his little trick in other ways too. Today a ball rolled in circles around him and he started turning in circles to follow it. Imagine a dog chasing his tail...hilarious. 
• He has almost figured out clapping.

Liam at the park loving the swing!

Weight: 17 lbs 3 oz 

Height: 27 Inches

Head: 48.3 cm (I am pretty sure this is not right at all)

Added Bonus: Ear Infection

KELLEN

Kellen is just a happy one year old...usually. He is loud and talks all the time. He has a lot of sounds, noises, and facial expressions that he makes. He can even whistle though it is completely on accident. 

• Although he really doesn't like food it is getting a little better. He just doesn't eat if he isn't in the mood for it. He does well with most fruit but bananas are still first choice. He takes a bit of work when it comes to new food.
• He has lots of hair and some great sideburns. I have no plan to cut it anytime soon, though his father disagrees a little.   Dave insists that he is starting to look like a hippie.
• Kellen loves tags (the kind found on stuffed animals and blankets) and has grown attached to his pacifier. He has always been very tactile so I am not at all surprised about his love of tags. Since his hands are busy with tags he has taken to using his head as a third hand to feel things. Sometimes it doesn't work out well for him and he ends up bumping his head.
• He DOES NOT wake up well. He cries and cries. There is no consoling him. Great way to start the day. Usually he cheers up once he sees Liam, which is quite sweet, though Liam doesn't really want him to love on him that much when he first wakes up, especially since Kellen is usually the reason he is awake.  
• He has zero teeth and it does not appear that he is cutting any.
• He has figured out how to turn on and off the TV and is working on the computer. We are not so happy about this milestone.
• He has learned how to clap and will give you 5!

Kellen snuggling on bear. (This is a full picture of bear. We are on the hunt but haven't had any luck. If you see bear at your local Target...buy him...we will pay you back!!!)

 Weight: 18lbs 12 oz

Height: 27" (pretty sure this is wrong as that is what he was at his 9 month check up)

Head: 44.7cm (his head is not smaller than Liam's)

The best part of our one year appointment, other than the boys being pretty healthy...

NO MORE OF...

Good bye Similac...we will NOT miss you! You are on your way out of our house!

And now some more pictures of some cute boys!

Please note the coordinating outfits. :) It does happen on occasion.

Unfortunately how Liam wakes up some mornings. Kellen deciding he needs to be in the bouncy chair at the same time.

Liam put himself in his own baby jail. He had a bit of a difficult time getting out as he went under those chair bars to get under the table.

Looking at this you would think bath time is a favorite. Kellen actually doesn't like it much. Liam could stay in there all day long as long as the water is warm! Can you guess who is who?

This is one of my favorite pictures of Liam. This is the look he always has on his face.

Looks innocent enough doesn't he?

Look Who's One!!

Kellen & Liam just turned one! It is so hard to believe that a year ago we were still in the hospital waiting to bring these little guys home.

Birthday Boys!

For their birthday we had a few friends over to see what they would do with their 2nd round of cake. They had a bit of cake early over the holiday weekend. Unfortunately as you can see the result was the same both time.

Liam had no problem digging in with both hands....

and promptly putting it in his lap. He was a mess. Nothing got in his mouth. Perhaps funfetti is not his favorite kind. 

 

Kellen on the other hand didn't really get into the cupcake...as I have mentioned...he hates food. He pretty much was uninterested after the candle was blown out and removed. He did touch it with one hand and patiently waited for someone to come and clean off his hand. Hello Mini Dave....

For their birthday we got them a giant bear, a toy and a couple of books. Bear was the big hit. They have seen Bear every time we go to target and always seem to love it. It was also true when they saw Bear at home. This is their reaction to Bear.

They pretty much have that reaction every time they see Bear. Unfortunately Bear had to go back to Target and we are still on the search for his replacement.

More posts coming about their 1 year stats and some weekend fun!

Movin’ and Shakin’

YEAH! I am so happy to be off the ground!

Am I not the cutest, most innocent looking baby?

Happy, drooling baby.

If I can get just a little closer I know I can get that camera.

My Turn...too hot for clothes!

What do you think will get more water...my mouth or my bib

Baby Jail.

Kellen and Liam are growing so fast! Here are a few things they each like and hate....

• Liam LOVES to eat. He especially loves fruit but will eat everything with ease other than green things. They don't seem to be his favorite.
• Kellen HATES to eat. He is perfectly content drinking formula. He will tolerate food every once in a while but it is a good 20 minute battle to even get something in his mouth. Liam usually gets Kellen's leftovers.
• Teeth= Kellen-ZERO, Liam-2 on the bottom he has had since February.
• They both LOVE a stuffed monkey right now. Luckily we have two but it makes them laugh and they cuddle with it first thing in the morning and when they get home. Liam will hug it with all four limbs while Kellen has it on the floor and crushes his face into it. It is pretty precious.
• Liam claps with his feet when he is happy...which is a lot.
• Crawling everywhere. Liam had a crazy crawl for a while but is doing much better. It is a lot easier for them without their socks in order to get some traction on our floors. Right now Kellen is really interested in trying to get Liam to chase him.
• They love each other. They laugh at each other all the time.
• They love peek-a-boo (but you have to be crazy and almost scare them) and Itsy-Bitsy Spider.
• They are both a little clingy right now which makes it difficult when we are not playing two on two.
• Kellen is pulling up on everything and getting a bit braver in how much he is holding on. Liam wants to and is trying but it is taking a bit more time.
• Both, Kellen moreso, talk a lot. There is a lot of mamamama, babababa but I really don't think they know what they are saying. So no first words yet.
• These babies are not big. We are in 9 month tops but can still pull off a 6 month pant...and sometimes 3 month pant.   Liam current weighs in at a whopping 16# 10 oz and Kellen is 17# 15oz. We haven't measured height in a while but Liam looks like he is about an inch shorter than Kellen.

It is hard to believe that they will soon be a year old! We will see how ready we are to begin the toddler phase but we are TOTALLY ready to end the formula stage!!!