A Living Jungle Gym

I know I need to post pictures. Let's face it: pictures are the real reason people go to these things; the stories are just a nice narration. But in the meantime, let me write a few more things that the babies are learning.

Abby climbed up in her crib for the first time yesterday (meaning she used the bars and pulled herself completely up to a standing position -- and then got really frustrated when she couldn't get back down and cried for a good fifteen minutes before she got rescued). She still HATES falling. She's just a dainty little girl.

One problem Abby is having is the fact that - well, as her daddy puts it - her head is half her weight. Yes, my daughter was born with and continues to have a large head. So when she falls, her head swings and she topples over. . . usually hitting her head first. Consequently, she has a rather large bump on the back of her head. Fortunately for all involved, she is learning all of this at Aunt Monique's where there is actually carpet to fall on and not just hardwood floors! She's getting better, though, and I am noticing more and more that her cries are frustration that she can't do more rather than hurt because she fell. And she's doing better at problem-solving and trying things over and over again. I myself have become her personal Jungle Gym. I am learning that she isn't climbing up on me and all over me because she wants to be held, because if I hold her she just pushes me away. No, she doesn't want to be held, she wants a safe target for her experimentations and explorations in climbing. Good times, good times.

Isaac has discovered the fun of carrying things around in his mouth while he crawls all over, either enjoying the thing he is covering, filling, and otherwise drenching with slobber or looking for an alternate object to put in his mouth and carry around. He really DOES look like a puppy dog sometimes -- a VERY determined puppy dog. His favorite of all things suckable (besides his or anyone else's pacifier) is a small rubber ducky that Monique has in the toy collection. He sticks the head in his mouth and that's that. Yesterday Monique actually took it and shook it to show him that it was filling with his slobber and is "GROSS." Guess what? He doesn't care! She tossed it away and started -- well, with dogs it is referred to as "Go fetch!" With children we say it is cause and effect.

The other thing Isaac is doing now in his path to complete walking independence is pulling himself up without using anything to "pull himself." Two days ago it was the wall -- nothing but the wall. He also stood by himself for a full 15 seconds before sitting down hard! This is all very exciting.

In other news -- they are VERY good eaters. We have fed them black bean quesadillas, tuna casserole, spaghetti, green beans, ham and cheese, chicken stir-fry, popcorn (kind of, still careful with the kernels), yogurt, oatmeal, grapes, watermelon, canteloupe, peas, cottage cheese, ice cream, pretty much everything we are eating. And so far, I have had NO rejections. It's fantastic! In fact, they are almost to the point that they won't eat unless they can feed themselves. Messy, messy independence. But really good most of the time.