2 Year Olds

I'm having a really tough time not calling Avery and Grayson "the babies". I have referred to them as the babies since they were born. It's kind of hard to break the habit but they really aren't babies anymore. Part of me can't believe it and part of me just doesn't want to face the fact that they are getting so big so fast. I do however feel incredibly fortunate that those tiny little preemies that decided to surprise me with such an early entrance are thriving, healthy little two year olds!

We had their two year check up on Wednesday . Avery insisted on bringing Minnie Mouse in with her and Grayson insisted he must bring his flash light (Yiy-Yite). We have definitely entered the persistent toddler stage.

Avery:

23.2 Pounds

32 1/2 inches

Grayson:

23.0 pounds

33 1/2 inches

Their vocabulary has exploded over the past month or so. I cannot believe some of the things they say these days. We have definitely entered the parrot stage and need to watch what we say (or maybe we should have been doing this for awhile now).

Avery is a constant chatter box that loves to go on and on about things we don't always understand. Sometimes we understand exactly what she is saying. and other times it's kind of a puzzle to see if she is saying something intentional or just blabbing on about nothing just to talk. She also loves to sing and dance, play with her baby dolls and read books.

Grayson has a bigger vocabulary than he wishes to consistently use. We've noticed he will spit a word out on his own time but doesn't choose to blab on and on like his sister. Grayson loves to dance as well. When music comes on they literally start bouncing and swaying. It is so darn cute. He also has a slight obsession with balloons, balls, his new trains and train table and really just anything boy and destructive. It is insane to see how very different Avery and Grayson are. Every time I turn around he is trying to ram Ellie or any one in his way with whatever push toy he can find. The boy also has a pretty decent arm for his age. Watch out if he has a ball in his hands because he hasn’t quite learned when it’s appropriate to throw and when not. Avery prefers the calm pretend play. She is constantly rocking her baby, trying to feed her baby, dressing and un-dressing her baby and so on. I’ll even find her talking to her baby.

I love watching the clear bond these two already share. If one wakes up before the other they ask where the other is. In the rare occasion (which I need to do more often) that we take or do something with them separately they ask for the other. They now call each other by name. Avery has (finally)dropped  calling Grayson “Sissy” and calls him “Esson”. Grayson still calls Avery “Sissy” occasionally but mostly calls her “Abey”. It is by far one of the sweetest things I’ve heard. Avery can even say her own name when you ask her what it is. Which is also “Abey”. They play together all the time which I believe is one huge benefit to having twins as they keep each other entertained. They love to hug each other and hold hands. Avery is constantly patting Grayson on the back over something. However, we also see the other end of the spectrum. We are currently working on eliminating hitting and/or biting as a reaction to something they do not like. They definitely know how to set each other off, but even their fighting can be a bit cute sometimes.

We are slowly beginning to work on potty training, more so with Avery as she is acting ready. We hope Grayson will take note and jump on the bandwagon. I am ready to get rid of double diapers!

They still eat pretty much everything we offer. Avery has decided to be pickier when it comes to vegetables and doesn’t want to eat them when other, more interesting items are on her plate (aka carbs). However, we’ve learned to hold back the bread and offer it as a treat if she eats her vegetables. My carb loving daughter usually obeys. Their absolute favorites are yogurt covered raisins and pops (vitamin lollipops) that we take advantage of and use as treats when they do something like clean up their own toys or use the potty.

It’s hard to remember all of the words they are saying these days but I’d like to remember where they were when I read back so here goes my best shot at their current vocabulary:

Dada

Mama

Mom

Abey – Avery

Esson – Grayson

Eh-eee – Ellie

Nana – Banana and Nana Hatcher and Nana Gurley

Da-Daddy – Grandaddy (one of my favorite renderings)

Poppy

ShiShi - GiGi

Eh-in – Devin

Book – Book and Brooke

Ba-boon – Baloon

Ball

Duck

Cow

Pig

Seebra- Zebra

(Countless animal sounds)

Shish – fish/ goldfish crackers

Shag – Jag

Oatmeal – Camile

Andy

RoRo – Rosemarie

More

Please

Doo Doo – Thank you

All Done

Night Night

Yiy-yight – Flash Light

Buhsh- Brush

Potty

PeePee

PooPoo

PeeYew

Tuck – truck

Baby

Chain or choo choo – Train

Buh Bye

No (wish I could stop this one)

Yes

Mine (really wish I could stop this one)

Onj- Orange

Apple

Meelk- Milk

Shuice – Juice

Pees – Peas

Tees – Tree and Brocolli

Feef - leaf

Wawa – Water (everyone confuses this for the convenient store wawa).

Keys

Eat

Snack

Teet – Treat

BooBoo (at which point whoever is around MUST kiss the boo boo and more so than not they create booboos).

NeeNee – Mickey and Minnie

Daisey

Foofey – Goofey

One (even though Avery refuses to start counting with 1 and always begins with 2).

Two

Tee – Three

Foh - Four

 

The more words I sit here and try to remember has me realizing these kids will pretty much say anything now. My favorites are some of their interpretations of peoples names like Oatmeal for Camille.

 

We are beginning to work on numbers, letters and colors. They amaze me every day with where they are and all they are learning. Avery refuses to start with number one and usually repeats "two, free, two, free" when counting things on her own. When she counts with someone she will count along with you beginning with two. She also loves to call everything pink when she can't remember what color it is. I think she may have a favorite color already. If you can keep Grayson interested long enough he will count with you as well. However, he usually runs off mid counting or color naming to throw a ball at someone or jump on something.

They are showing their true toddler colors through their strong will and typical two year old temper tantrums. We get the all out, throw yourself on the floor, flail your arms and legs and shout at the top of your lungs two year old every now and then. Sometimes it makes us want to pull our hair out. Other times we kind of laugh and move about trying to figure out what exactly they are trying to express. None the less we are making it through this stage trying to enforce rules and how to handle feelings the right way. I'm sure by the time we tackle this phase we'll enter another one.

 

Every day with these two munchkins is a new adventure. They literally make us laugh every single day. The past two years have without a doubt been the most interesting, exhausting, exciting and life changing years in Kevin and I's 10 years together. We could not possibly imagine our lives without both of these two crazy little monkey's. Considering all we've done in the past year I have no doubt the year ahead will be full of adventures. Happy 2's Avery and Grayson! We love you to the moon and back!