Kate: 15-Months Old

Weight: I’m not sure which is why I’m looking forward to next week’s wellness appointment. I guess 18-19 lbs, but everyone has been telling me that it looks like she’s been filling out a lot lately so it might be more. She is wearing size 12 month clothes (some 9 month pants/skirts/shorts because she has a tiny waist), and size 3 diapers.

Feedings: Kate has been the same as Carson…exclusively cow’s milk or water. I stopped giving her juice. She eats three meals a day and one afternoon snack. We need to increase veggies and decrease fruits.

Favorites: Lucy the pink bath duck (her sleeping companion), “This Little Piggie,” Beanie Weenies, breakfast cereal bars, drinking my drinks, messing with the TV remote, being tickled, having her hair brushed, brushing my hair, packing and unpacking, kissing herself in mirrors, and climbing (me, the stairs, and attempts at the sofa, window ledge and exersaucer).

Least Favorites: Being told ‘no,’ Carson being anywhere near her toys, bath time (this is new), pasta (this is new), watermelon, sliced cheese, and getting in trouble for playing in the dogs’ water bowl.

Issues: She has been a very picky eater lately, and she tries to hold out for just fruits or crackers.

Personality: This has been her happiest month. Aside from mini meltdowns when Carson steals a toy from her, I really can’t think of any big tantrums this past month. There has been a break in her teething, and I think that has a lot to do with it. As always, she is feisty, fearless, and funny. Kate is becoming more and more independent every single day.

Areas to Work On: She isn’t comfortable with “practice walking” (when I hold her hands and help her walk). Dropping and throwing food needs to stop. We also need to use less bottle and more sippy cups.

New Things: Laughing at the cartoons on TV (at the appropriate times), more teeth, sleeping through the night (AMEN), more table food, more hair, faster cruising, and babbling more (and louder).

Comparison: Kate is absolutely fearless when it comes to exploring; Carson is more timid and won’t try something new unless I am there.

Randomness: Given her overall personality, most folks might be surprised to know that Kate is usually passive when Carson steals something from her. Sometimes she will try to take it back from him, but the majority of the time she just lays down and cries.

Carson: 15-Months Old

Weight: Around 23 lbs. He has his wellness appointment next week, so I will know his weight then. He is wearing size 18 month clothes, and size 3 diapers (but they are getting snug).

Feedings: Carson exclusively drinks cow’s milk and water, but he enjoys taking a sip of whatever I am drinking too. His feedings are all over the place — some days he eats a ton of food, other days he doesn’t. He definitely doesn’t seem to be a breakfast person — which he got from Mark — but he does love his morning slice of cheese (I call it Carson’s coffee). I’m not sure how many ounces of milk he drinks in a day, but he drinks several full sized (8 oz) bottles on any given day. Our meal routine hasn’t really changed — breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, & dinner.

Favorites:Egg rolls (the cabbage inside), crackers, cheese, breakfast cereal bars, biscuits, playing in the bath tub, cuddling with Mark, chasing after the vacuum cleaner, doing “This Little Piggie,” sitting outside, being kissed, giving kisses, and Tigger & Pooh.

Least Favorites: Veggies, confinement, mac & cheese, taking medicine, me walking out of a room, and having things taken from him (i.e., something dangerous he is about to put in his mouth).

Issues: More and more frustration tantrums, throwing/dropping food on the floor from his high chair, spitting out food he doesn’t want, & continued toy stealing and fighting with Kate.

Personality: He is still my sweet boy, but he is a aggressor when it comes to Kate. He will quietly crawl over to her and forcefully take her toys — even if he is playing with a duplicate of whatever she is playing with.

Areas to Work On:We need to work on feeding both of them more veggies. The twins seem to be on a veggie strike, and it concerns me that they only want fruit, carbs and some meat. We are still working on the sippy cup (seriously, how many months have I said that?). Carson is getting better at it, but he isn’t as good as Kate with the cup. I am also going to start working more with him on walking and standing unsupported.

New Things: Carson recently got his second tooth, and tooth #3 (top front) is starting to make it’s way too.

Comparison: Carson is scared of the stairs, and Kate is completely fearless. He will only go up one or two steps and then cry.

Randomness: Carson loves to dance and has great rhythm.

Mother’s Day in Houston

The twins and I had a nice Mother’s Day weekend with my mom. We went to a Chinese restaurant, and the twins (by way of my mom) gave me a beautiful amethyst bracelet (the twins’ birthstone). (They also gave their diabetic mom some sugar free chocolates and treats by way of Mark. Yum.) We finally got on the road home at 4:30. I will spare everyone the nightmarish details of the ride back, but it goes down in the record book as the worst car trip so far.

Today is all about moms. Mother’s Day has me thinking about my mom, my mom’s mom, and my own role as mom. I have been so very blessed to have my mom and my Granny (my second mom). Both of them have been such influential role models in my life, and are both remarkable women in completely different ways.

I hope I will have such a positive and loving impact on Kate and Carson. It helps that the “good mom” gene runs strong in my family.

Kate and Carson have been such a wonderful gift to me. Every day they amaze me in a new way. It’s cliche, but I love how I can look at each of them and see a little bit of me, a little bit of Mark, and then all of these little things that are distinctly just them.

I have been called many things in my life — wife, daughter, friend, etc — but nothing is as sweet as being called Mama.

Happy Mother’s Day to all…especially all of the new moms and twin mamas!

Here are my sweet angels fighting it out like two cats in a paper bag over a silly plastic egg!