11 Months

11 Months... there are precisely 30 days left until these girls have been terrorizing with us for a year.  We've almost survived ;)

10 Months has been challenging.  Teeth are sprouting left and right (Aeralind has 2.  Bronwyn has 3 and another that should pop any day now).  Nap times have been erratic.  And, my goodness, these girls can move!  Hardly 20 seconds will pass after you enter a room before they are twined around your ankles.  Oh the madness!

However, 10 month may also bring some of my favorite times so far.  Clapping and hugging.  High fives and squealing. Pushing one another on the tractor.  Beating each other up and laughing hysterically.  I think my daughters are the best :)

Aeralind Grace

Thankfully, your fearlessness has subsided some.  You're still all about moving about on your own terms, but you've begun to understand limits.  Maybe nose diving off the bed and landing between the bed frame and nightstand had something to do with that...  However, you're constantly making the above "rawr"ing face and you squeal and growl in response to us or your sister.  You look quite fierce!

This month your snuggly side has been exposed.  You love to give hugs.  You snuggle right up wrap your arms around us and just soak it all in.  You'll also walk right up to one of us sitting on the floor (your sister included) and tackle us.  Not to be mean, but just so you can enjoy that physical connection. Fortunately, your sister thinks being tackled is the funniest thing ever. It always gets her to laugh (even when we can't).

You've developed particular opinions on how your food should be served.  Any pureed meal like chicken and pasta must be heated.  I may not stick food in your mouth unless using a spoon or unless we're not at the table.  Anything deemed too hot will be spit out.  If I'm unloading the dishwasher and you run out of food shrieking ensues.  If you see me slicing up fruit, you're immediately done eating everything else (even if you like it).  And by all means if you hold out your little hand during a meal, I had better hurry up and kiss it or give you gooey high fives!

Aeralind, I hope you continue to be so snuggly.  I love your affection.  I love how tenderhearted you are.  If I have to discipline you one time is enough because it upsets you so much.  If your sister or a little friend is crying, you stop what you're doing to make sure they're alright.  I love your happy squealing morning self.  I love your head shaking at the table self.  I love your oooh mommy said walk excited self.  I really just love you!

Bronwyn Hope

For awhile there, I honestly thought your sister was going to be my strong willed child.  Now I'm pretty sure I was wrong.  You are so much more strong willed than I am sometimes.  You'll start yanking books off the shelves or crawling onto the top of your picnic table or up the stairs and I'll tell you no.  You know what I'm saying.  Yet you grin at me slyly and lift your hand to continue you at it.  If I discipline you, you scrounge up your nose, growl at me, and repeat your action.  We've gone through the discipline cycle 4-5 times on the same offense recently.  You do not surrender easily!

I think the positive of your strong will is that you are so meticulous.  Meticulous about testing my limits, obviously, but also about everything you do.  You've mastered crawling up the stairs and over, under and around your picnic table.  Each move is calculated and precise.  You've even managed to sit down on the table's bench all on your own and you can get down too, which is pretty impressive considering your legs just dangle over the bench.

Your meticulous nature extends to how you play too.  While your sister is flitting around from toy to toy, you just sit and study one thing.  We just got one of these as an early birthday present and you will sit for 20-30 minutes and just move the beads around or open the little door or move the animals on top.  Or you'll crawl under the futon and occupy yourself with the computer cords.  Or you'll stand next to something and bounce up and down while grinning at us.

Bronwyn, with your strong will, I'm going to have to remind myself daily that you thrive on praise and slapstick humor.  A cry of "Good Girl!" has you beaming and squealing more than anything else.  But at the same time, you're a sucker for slapstick humor.  Recently I've taken to cleaning your sister off after meals first.  I drop her over the gate which she promptly pulls up on and then after you're clean dangle you over her making 'rawring' noises.  You practically collapse in giggles.  Tonight Derek and I had you in the pool and we're playing 'Kung Fu' babies.  Every time you were smashed into your sister you grinned so big that we could see your huge tooth that's about to pop through.  And then you'd giggle and shriek with glee over and over.  I can't get enough of that happy giggle.