Finally, Addison and Fischer have some "real" shoes. They got their first pairs of tennis shoes yesterday, and they are so small and adorable.  

Fischer is still sick, and now Addison is too. This is to be expected since they share everything.  The Doctor recommended trying some Benadryl since it sounded like allergies. They both got some of that, and it didn't seem to help at all. I'm thinking they have colds rather than allergies, so I'm waiting on a nurse to call me back to see if she has any suggestions for their coughs and congestion. Luckily, they have stayed fever-free, and aren't too terribly fussy. They just aren't sleeping as well because they are so congested.

They are enjoying their time with Grandma and really enjoy getting held more than usual. :)

Here is Addison with her beloved sippy cup, and Fischer taking a little rest from playing in the baby jail. 

Things are staying busy around here. Scott left for Japan this morning, but my mom is here helping me out!

It seems that Fischer either has a cold, or bad allergies. The pollen has been so bad, so I'm thinking it's the allergies rather than a cold.  He doesn't have a fever, and doesn't seem to feel too bad. His nose is really stuffy, which is also making him cough. He hates when I wipe and suction his nose, so that is making him a little fussy. I plan to call the doctor first thing tomorrow morning to see what I can do to help him.

Addison had a pretty fussy day yesterday. She cried a lot, and was very unhappy whenever I would leave the room. Luckily, today, she was in a better mood.  It seems that her fussiness was due to teething - her 5th tooth is about to break through the gum. It's one of her top middle teeth, which were the hardest so far for Fischer also.

They both continue to do many new things. Addison has started dancing more, doing a sort of side-to-side sway.  Fischer has started copying how I sit on the floor, and putting his little legs in the "indian style" position.  Each day, they do more things that make me realize how closely I am being watched.

We have some fun outings planned while Grandma is here, so I will try to post pictures soon!

I think I mentioned in a previous post that things are a little crazy around here, but I didn't elaborate.  Things are super busy because we are moving! Luckily, we don't have to move until the end of April. Between now and then, we are having a yard sale, Scott is going to Japan on 2 separate trips for a week each time, and we are having visitors. So, things are just a bit busy... and don't forget all of that fun packing we have to do. Add in taking care of Addison and Fischer and my days are pretty much full!

Taking care of Addison and Fischer takes up the majority of my time, but it's also the most fun part of my day! I feel like they might be having a "cognitive growth spurt." It seems like some things are just clicking and they are learning so much.

I mentioned that they can now point to their heads. Well, now they can also point to their mouths!! And, if I say "Oh no" about something, Addison smacks her hand to her head, while Fischer gently touches his. That started yesterday - it is so funny.  They are also both bouncing up and down whenever I say "bounce" to them. Also, today, Fischer kept kissing Addison, so later I said "Kiss Sissy" and he did it again. So, he knows who "Sissy" is. He is also trying to say "Sissy" although it's coming out more like "ZaZa." :)

They are both still walking a lot behind their walkers, and are now going from room to room. They are getting faster with them...sometimes they go so fast it looks like their legs can't keep up with the walkers.

They are still eating well, although our windows to feed them are becoming shorter and shorter. They are wanting to get out of their highchairs sooner now, and become easily distracted. I think they want to go play rather than eat, but they always eat a decent meal for us!  And, they are both completely formula-free now. WOW! Addison is drinking about 18-20 ounces of soy milk a day, and Fischer is drinking the same amount of whole milk. That seems to be working well so far!

I've also noticed that Addison is becoming quite the little copy cat. If Fischer throws food off of his highchair tray (which he does when he's had enough), so does she. If Fischer crawls over to the fireplace, so does she. The list goes on and on, and it's pretty funny to watch them watch each other, then do the same thing. They've also been caught putting food that they don't want on the other tray... they are sneaky little things. :)

More to come soon... need to go pack now!

Ready or not, it was time.... to cut Fischer's hair. The back of his hair had grown into a little rat tail, so it was time. I held him, while Scott cut his hair.  It was hard because he is squirmy and active, so given those circumstances, Scott did a great job! He also cut the front, which was a little more challenging because of Fischer's 2 cowlicks. His hair doesn't lay straight, or flat, so it looks pretty uneven. It was about to grow into his eyes though, so at least now he can see.  Next time, we may try to go to a professional to see what they can do with it!

Here are some before and after pictures...

And here is a picture from yesterday - Happy 13 Months!!

Well, we had an eventful weekend with several more "firsts" for Addison and Fischer.  To start, Fischer is completely formula-free for the first time! Addison is just getting 1 ounce of formula per feeding, and should be formula-free by Wednesday when we will most likely run out of formula.  It's so strange!

On Saturday, we went downtown to walk around and enjoy the near-perfect weather.  We decided to take Scott's car now that he has 2 car seats of his own! Also, in his car, the seats are facing forward. So, Addison and Fischer got to ride facing forward for the first time. They seemed to love it, and I loved being able to turn around and see them so easily.  In my car, they are still rear-facing, and we have the mirrors on the headrests, which is how I see them.  The doctor gave us the OK to turn the seats around, but I wanted to wait another month (until the end of March) to give Fischer a chance to bulk up a bit more. :) So that means soon, we'll be turning the seats in my car around too.

Here they are in the seats... Fischer was much more excited than he appears to be in the picture.

Saturday night, we were all playing in the kitchen.  Scott and I have been trying to get both Addison and Fischer to take some steps by holding their hands and encouraging and/or bribing them to walk.  They both normally sit down and crawl to us instead.  Saturday night, however, they BOTH took steps while we held their hands for a little extra support.  Fischer was the first and took about 3. Addison didn't want to be outdone, so she took around 10 steps! They are also both showing much more interest in their walkers, so I think it's only a matter of time until they have enough confidence to take some steps on their own!

Here are some pictures from the weekend. Addison loves playing with Scott's hats...

I can hardly believe that Addison and Fisher are 13 months old today. I feel like they are looking more and more like "kids" instead of babies everyday!

Along with Addison and Fischer's latest developments have come some challenges.  Some are potentially dangerous challenges, and some are funny challenges. It's all entertaining though, and keeps me on my toes for much of the day.

I'll start with a funny one... Now that Addison and Fischer are much stronger, they pull up on anything and everything. This obviously includes legs... one day I was wearing some pajama pants that were a bit too big. Addison and Fischer both started pulling up on me, which caused my pants to be pulled down (not all the way, thankfully!). Those pants have since found a new home at Goodwill. :)

Addison and Fischer's strength has also made them want to climb things, which can be dangerous. Addison, especially, is trying to climb anything and everything. I see her trying to put her leg up and over things all the time.  Fischer even tried to climb out of his crib the other night. Thankfully, they can't quite do that yet. Wednesday, I was getting something out of our refrigerator. Addison decided she wanted inside so she tried to climb in by getting one leg on the freezer door handle (our freezer is the bottom drawer pull-out style). I had to pry her hands off of the bar in order to stop her from falling backwards onto her head! She's quite determined to become a little monkey in the very near future.

Fischer has started getting very frustrated with things lately. I think he wants to be more independent, and gets frustrated that he can't quite do certain things yet (like walk). In order to let us know he's frustrated, he has started throwing himself down on the floor (from the sitting position) and crying, and sometimes even banging his head on the floor. Most of the time, I try to ignore him and he will eventually stop. But sometimes, when he is REALLY frustrated and banging his head hard, I have to make him stop.  He does this a lot when he sees us getting his breakfast, lunch or dinner ready because he usually wants to eat NOW!

They have both started making diaper changes harder. Sometimes, I feel like I've just wrestled an alligator trying to change a diaper and/or clothes, and then I have to turn around and do it all over again. After "wrestling" with Addison the other day, I was actually sweating by the time we were done!

Oh, and I have watched Addison undo a child lock on the cabinets in our kitchen twice now. She shoves her tiny hand in the tiny opening of the cabinet door, pushes down the latch, and opens the cabinet. She must have watched us do it, then figured it out for herself. This is why there is never a dull moment around here. :)

These are just a few of the new challenges we are facing.  Each day brings a new challenge, but it's so fun watching them grow and develop!

Here they are showing me their heads... Fischer taps his very lightly on the side, while Addison excitedly slaps her hands to her head.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! :)

It's pretty much impossible to get a picture where Addison and Fischer are sitting together and actually looking at the camera. They have better things to do. :)

Here they are a year ago!! So much changes in a year!