Addison and Fischer had their 18 month check up yesterday. It went great, and they behaved so well while we waited!

It took the nurse a few tries to get accurate measurements (squirmy toddlers made it tough!), but she finally succeeded. Here are their stats:

Addison:
22 lb 15 oz (20th %)
31 inches (25th - 50th %)
18 inches for her head circumference

Fischer:
22 lb 8 oz (10th %)
31.75 inches (25th-50th %)
19 inches for his head circumference

I really thought Fischer was going to weigh more than Addison this time, but I was wrong!

The Doctor said everything looked great and they seem completely healthy! We don't have to go back until they are 2! I can't believe it. We will go back in October for flu shots, but that will just be a quick visit with the nurse. Hopefully I can get their weights again then.

During the appointment, the Doctor asked us questions about their sleep, diet, words, play, etc... And, we happened to be in the fish themed room, so she got to hear over and over that they can say fish (or as they say it, "shi").

In other news, we decided to transition to one nap a day. They were napping at 9 and 2, so we will do one in between those times. Today was our first try, and it went ok... Addison only slept 30 minutes, and woke up crying, so I had to take her out of the room when it became clear she wasn't going to settle down. Fischer slept about an hour and 15 minutes.  I know it is quite a change in their routine, so it will take some getting used to.  It was time for the change though, because their 9:00 naps were becoming more of a challenge lately. So, just like with all of their other changes, I just need to remember it's for the best when I get frustrated. If I can deal with taking pacis away, I can certainly get through this change, right?!

I am officially in my 30's. I had a wonderful birthday yesterday - complete with a night out with Scott!

Yesterday morning, we took Addison and Fischer to a trial class at My Gym. They went to the Waddlers class, which is for 14-22 month olds. They seemed to enjoy all of the play time, but did not care for the structured portion of the class, where we all sat in a circle and did a few things. The teacher assured me that it usually takes them a few classes to get used to the structured part and that I shouldn't worry about it. Luckily I had Scott there with me to help contain them during the circle time. He went since I wasn't sure what to expect the first time. I decided to go ahead and sign them up, so we will be attending class each Monday morning! I think it will be a great thing!

One of the activities they do within the hour is "separation time." They put a bunch of toys out in the middle of the room and ask the parents to step away while the children play with each other and the 2 teachers. I really thought Addison would keep coming over to us, because she is somewhat clingy.  She barely gave us any thought though, only coming over twice to bring us toys. I was so happy that they enjoyed playing on their own like that! They also got to play on a trampoline, several different swings, a balance beam, slides and many more fun things.

Here are a couple of pictures of them playing. Their favorite, by far, was the ball pit. The last picture is of them playing during separation time.

Yesterday afternoon, we played in the sprinkler for a little while. Then, Scott and I got ready for our date night! The sprinkler playing would explain my hair - I got soaked, and had no time to shower, so it just went up in a quick ponytail. Oh well. :)

We had a great time, and Addison and Fischer did great for Jim and Dianne (thanks again!!).  I'm looking forward to a fun year! :)

This was the last weekend of my 20s... and it was a great one!

Friday night, my parents came to visit and we all went out for a nice dinner. Addison and Fischer behaved so well, and even got to try several new things (including veal, which I didn't have until I was at least 25).

We got home, and had some play time outside before baths. In the picture, notice that Scott and Fischer are both wearing button up shirts with their sleeves rolled up, and khaki shorts. So cute! :)

Then, Addison and Fischer talked Grandma and Grandpa into watching Sesame Street with them before heading to bed.

Saturday was game day!! South Carolina played Georgia, and since it was a noon game, we did a lunch/tailgate at home. Scott grilled up some yummy food so that we could eat lunch right when the game started.

While he cooked, Fischer practiced his football moves...

And Addison practiced a couple of cheers...

Then it was time to head inside for the game! Addison and Fischer got a special treat - they got to eat at their picnic table while watching TV!

The Gamecocks won, which was a great birthday gift! :) We decided to celebrate by getting ice cream at Sonic later in the afternoon, which was delicious.

We spent the rest of Saturday playing and watching more football, which is, in my opinion, the perfect Saturday.

Tomorrow is my actual birthday. To mark the occasion, we are taking Addison and Fischer to their first gym class, then Scott and I are getting to have a date night. I'm very excited! :)

Yesterday, I let Addison and Fischer play with play doh. I was a little nervous, since the container stated in bold "this product is not to be eaten." Since Addison and Fischer tend to put everything in their mouths, I was a bit worried, but thought I'd give it a try anyway. I said right away, "do not put any in your mouth." Fischer put a little up to his mouth, but his mouth was closed. He was just being his little boundary-testing self. Other than that, they didn't put any in their mouths - maybe they understood what I said!

They seemed to have a good time playing with it. They especially enjoyed putting it back in the container, then taking it back out. I'm sure we'll play with again soon! Notice Addison has a rock sitting right next to her play doh. She loves playing with rocks, and I keep finding them everywhere. She is somehow sneaking them inside!

No, we do not have a new pet.  As most of you know, Scott enjoys hunting.  This fox is from one of his hunting excursions years ago, before I even knew him.  The fox lives out on our sunroom right now... We were out there playing the other day, and I looked up and saw Addison with her arms lovingly around the fox's neck while saying "awwww". Yep, she was hugging it. I thought it was gross, but also couldn't help but laugh. She is definitely an animal lover. :)  She and Fischer also like to point out the nose, eyes and ears, as well as try to feed it leaves and rocks.  There's always something interesting going on around here. :)

Speaking of animals, Bo had a great time playing outside tonight. He started chasing one of Addison and Fischer's balls and had the best time! He is worn out now - laying right beside me, sound asleep.  And yes, he did pop the ball, but it was worth the $2.50 to watch him have so much fun! I think it was a bit of payback because Addison and Fischer love playing with the dog toys when we are outside.

Just another random thing... Fischer now calls bugs "lees." I'm not sure where this came from, but when he sees bugs in a book or outside, he very enthusiastically says "Lee! Lee!"  Kids say the funniest things!

We hope you all had a great long weekend! We didn't do too much, but it was nice and relaxing. We played outside. A lot.  Addison and Fischer are now to the point where they walk to the door and say "bye bye," or get extremely excited when they see their shoes.  They also get very mad if we don't go outside right then. So, we have to keep shoes hidden until it's time to go out.

Yesterday was Labor Day, so we decided to go to a festival. We ate lunch there, then walked around for a little while. It was pretty hot, so we didn't stay a long time. Lunch was good though - we shared barbecue sandwiches, a cupcake and some shaved ice. It was fun sharing it with Addison and Fischer. Last time we went somewhere with yummy food like that, they were still on their diet of pureed foods, so they just had to watch us eat. I think they liked sharing better. :)

Our Labor Day afternoon was a lazy one, once we got home. We decided to try out letting the kids watch a disney movie, so we put in Monsters, Inc. They watched it on and off while playing at the same time. They did snuggle a bit with Sully, a character from the movie (who I've had for years!), while they watched.

We've been spending more and more time outside lately. It's still hot, but not as humid, and actually a little pleasant! The mornings and evenings have even been cool... I am ready for cool all day long! I love fall!

Just a few updates from around here.... Addison and Fischer finally seem to be rid of their colds. They stuck around for over a week, but I think they are almost completely gone now. Since Addison wasn't feeling great, we didn't try her on any whole milk yet. We may start that this week. As I said before, we'll just mix in a little whole milk with her soy milk, then go from there. Last time, it just took one tiny ounce of whole milk to make her sick.

Addison has officially caught up to her brother in the tooth department. She now has 16 teeth! Now, we just wait for their 2 year molars... I won't be upset if they wait awhile to make an appearance. It'll be nice to have a break from teething for a little while.

Fischer has been in time-out on several occasions over the past few days. He is all boy, which I've mentioned before, and likes to play rough. Sometimes he takes it too far and earns himself a minute in time-out. It's hard to say if it's working or not, but we are trying to establish some consistency with discipline, and I figured that was a good place to start. It's funny because I never thought I'd be a "time-out mom" but I feel like it's the most appropriate form of discipline at this age.

Addison and Fischer have been much more affectionate and playful with each other lately (it usually starts out nice and then Fischer tries to make it more of a wrestling match). They've been laughing a lot together, and I've even found them hugging. I just love seeing them interact like that!

We may go potty shopping soon. Woohoo! We probably won't actually start potty training right away, but thought that we could have them in the house so Addison and Fischer could get used to seeing them. Addison is still telling me that her diaper is dirty on occasion, but it's definitely not consistent at this point. I don't think she's too far off though!

That's about it for now. We hope you all enjoy your long weekend!