Thursday, December 20, 2007

Baby Moons

Christmas isn't the reason I haven't been posting. I haven't been posting because I'm on my honeymoon. Or rather, my babymoon. Er, babiesmoon.

You see, the babies have reached the sweetest of the pre-toddler stages. They walk, they're starting to talk, but they don't talk back! They don't throw tantrums. They don't scream NO and run away. Instead they break into huge grins and run into my arms for hugs a million times a day. It's a wonderful stage that's only going to last a few months longer. Then they will turn into stubborn little toddlers. I'm drinking it up. I'm drunk on baby love.

When Avie was seven months and Juna was nine months, I called my friend who is a mom of twins and asked. "Will it ever get easier?" She told me when the babies hit about a year to 14 months, I will wonder why anyone would ever want just one baby at once.

She was absolutely right. The those first few months were... challenging to say the least. Now? Oh, it's amazing. Those two together are a sight, beyond their obvious difference in looks.

The girls are completely lost without each other. When one is napping and the other is awake, the awake baby will wander over to the nursery and stand there, waiting for her sister to wake up. I can't distract her. She just wants her sister. And both of them do this. Then when the sleeping sister awakes and makes noise on the monitor, the awake baby will throw her hands in the air, squeal, and run to the nursery. Juna will bang on Avie's crib until I get her down. Then she will hug Avie and pat her head. Avie will grin at Juna and giggle and the two will toddle off to find trouble to get into.

Juna will randomly find the sippie cup and take it to Av and attempt to give her drinks. She will also try to feed her snacks, but usually ends up missing her mouth completely. Avie will often wander by Juna, put her head on Juna's shoulder, then wander off again.

They are starting to fight as well. They scuffle over toys. Juna usually wins, but Avie is learning to fight back. She will bang Juna over the head with her little fist until Juna gives in. Juna understands when I tell her to give the toy back to Av, if Av had it first. She does, but Av does not understand that concept one bit. If Av takes the toy from Juna, Av will FREAK if I tell her to give it back. If I don't see who had the toy first, I take it away from both of them. Oh the complaining! More slapping each other, as if to say, "You're to blame for this!" I say, "No. Love! Love for your sister!" They will stop slapping and touch foreheads. That's how they show love. Like the SNL Coneheads.

Juna is 6 pounds heavier and one head taller than Avalon. So much for Boo's hand me downs. My 18 month clothes are all for summer. Juna will have to get her own brand new wardrobe. Not that I mind shopping for more baby clothes or anything! Juna is just so tall. She is going to be the tallest member of our family. Imagine that.

The babies are complete opposites in personality. Avie is goofy. She will walk into the room, yell, "AHH HAH!" Then wobble away. Avie is a party girl. She wants to play and have fun and eat and drink and be merry. Juna can be silly, but there has to be a reason and she doesn't get too silly. While Avie want to play play play, Juna wants to figure out how each toy works.

JUna understands everything I say to her. I think that's impressive for a child who has only heard English for six months. I recall Boo was speaking in short sentences when she was 14 months, but she didn't understand what I was saying the way Juna does at the same age. I can hand Juna her shoes and say, "Go into your bedroom and put these on the shoe shelf please," and she will. Every time. I can point to her bare feet and say, "Your feet are going to get cold," and she will say, "Brrrr" and go into the other room to find her slippers. We will be in the kitchen with me putting Goldfish crackers into two bowls. I will hand both to her and point to one bowl and say, "Give this one to Avie," and she will go into the other room and give that exact bowl to Avie. She understands everything. She loves being mommy's helper and follows me from room to room, helping me do whatever it is I do all day. All the while Avie is behind us going, "Yeah! Yeeeeeeee-ah!" And throwing her hands in the air and laughing.

Juna has discovered tutus. The second I put one on her for the first time, she looked down, went, "Ooooh," then began twirling around the room. When I told one up, she will clap her hands and twirl around, then point to the tutu, then to herself. She can only say Mama, Dada, All gone, Bad bad bad bad bad and good good good good good, but she really gets her point across with non verbal communication. She's especially funny when she knows she's done something good. Like when she gives a toy back to Avie, she will say, "Good good good good." Or when she figures something out and we praise her, she will say, "Good good good good." Bad bad bad bad is for the cats. Even if they are being good, they're still bad bad bad bad.

We have three remotes in the living room. One for the DVD player, one for the TV, and the other for the satellite tuner box. Juna will hand me the TV remote and the tuner remote, then start dancing. She is telling me she wants to hear music from the satellite music channels. SHe never hands me the DVD remote because she knows that is useless in getting her music. She does this numerous times per day. If the TV is on a program, she will hand me the tuner remote and dance around, then point at the TV, then the remote. She is telling me to please change the channel so she can hear music.

Avie is starting to show her true goofy personality. She is less baby, more toddler every moment. There may only be two months between them, but Avie is way behind Juna in development, mostly due to Avie's prematurity. I have to remember that Av is actually more like four months behind Juna. That should even out soon. Avie does watch Juna constantly and mimics her sounds and movements.

I spend most of my day watching them, completely in awe. Not much gets accomplished in this house, because I spend so much time with them on the floor, enjoying every moment. Taking care of them isn't as difficult as it once was. It's now an easy routine and much less frustrating and much more enjoyable. Maybe because I'm more experienced. Maybe because I'm more relaxed. Or maybe because it's just easier with two so close in age. While I've always enjoyed motherhood, I never knew it could be this great. I'm going to bask in this blissful babymoon stage while it lasts.

8 comments:

Skywind said...

That's the Best Reason Ever for not posting. I'm happy for you and envious all at once. Beautiful wonderful playful girls!

Natalie said...

Oh, I so hear you on that post!!! I know exactly what you are talking about, the last few days (not nights...) here have been just as wonderful! I can easily imagine the bliss of multiplying it by two! :o)

Louanne said...

Mutha - this post is SO SWEET! I love all the detail as usual in your posts.

Now about these Suichuan girls. Nadia understands so much that it blows my mind. For like 2 months she has been able to follow those sort of 2 step commands with ease. She understands so much that it blows my mind. And I am with you..she has only been hearing English for 4.5 months. And you absolutely CANNOT deter her when she is trying to figure something out. She is so curious and analyzes everything around her. I have been around a lot of babies and have never seen one like her. It sounds like her and Juna are so similar.

Anonymous said...

That sounds like heaven! I love that age.

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing your pleasure with us...it all sounds so utterly delightful.

Ashley said...

I loved reading about all of that baby love! You painted such a wonderful picture of your girls, their personalities, and how they respond to eachother. I loved every word. Best read I've had in days. I have teenage twin boys, and it brought back a lot of sweet memories for me. Thank you.....and enjoy every delicious moment!

J said...

Oh, I remember those days. Sweet babies! My B, at 4 - 2 days, is just coming out of the terrible twos & becoming a really sweet boy again (most of the time).

Mrs. Blevins said...

This post is precious!