18 Months

Today Allie and AJ are 18 months old. They are suddenly becoming these opinionated little people instead helpless babies. Both of them are learning and using a whole variety of words now. Our favorites are "Alright", "I don't know" and "Are you serious"... In the last few days the have pretty much decided it is no longer fun to let me feed them at all, they want to do it all by themselves. Although this creates unbelievable messes at times, I know it is important for them to be independent. Both of them love animals right now. They love looking at pictures of animals and making their sounds. Lucky for us they still love books and spend a lot of time looking at books and listening to us read. Lately we have been reading those simplified scriptures with pictures in the evening. They love to look at the pictures and point out "Jesus" and "Josie" (Joseph). They have also taken up an interest in TV. Somehow we happened on this cartoon called "Olivia", its about a pig, anyway, they beg for "piggy" whenever the TV is on. A few days ago they both figured out how to climb into their high chairs alone and now that is the most fun thing to do. Alberto has also been trying harder to use Portuguese when he talks to them. They are both starting to recognize certain phrases and know a few words. As always they love being together and overall get along really well. When one wakes up in the morning or from their nap, the first thing he or she wants to do is go get the other one. It is pretty sweet.

Playing dress up. AJ trying to put a clip in Allie's hair.


I like to call Allie our "mother hen". She is always trying to make AJ feel better when ever he is sad. If he is crying, she says "SHHH, don't cry" and will find toys or his binky and try to give them to him. She also likes to boss AJ and our cat around. If the cat is on the table or AJ is on a chair she will say "get down" and wave her hand at them, just like me. Her new thing is to go look at herself in the mirror in my room. She turns from side to side just like I do, as if checking to make sure her butt doesn't look big. It is crazy how observant she is. Lately when she gets excited she gets this big cheesy smile and does this little giggly dance. It is cute. She is still an avid thumb sucker. In fact, her thumbs are currently chapped and cracked. She calls them "ouchies" now. Last night I put some ointment on her thumbs and then put socks over her hands. I thought for sure she'd hate that, but in fact, she loved it. She slept with them on all night. She is one funny girl. I feel a little bad for Allie because she is the only kid her age I know who doesn't mind sharing. Both AJ and Allie are pretty good about sharing, but AJ does take a lot from Allie and she rarely fights for it or whines. When they are playing with other kids she lets everyone take stuff from her and doesn't bat an eye lash. I guess she is my little peace maker.


AJ has always been my more fussy child and as of late he has discovered the dreaded temper tantrum and man-o-man, he is good at it. Luckily, they don't happen too often. AJ still loves his binky and his snuggle puppy. When he gets hurt instead of crying for me he cries for his puppy. He calls his binky "muna", what ever that means. Even though he can throw a mean tantrum, he is overall such a sweetie. He has the biggest smile and gives the best hugs. When he says things like "I don't know" he makes these cute hand gestures, you just want to squeeze him. In addition to animals (specifically cows) AJ also loves cars. He likes to look out the window when we're driving and see the cars and he loves the movie "Cars". Everyday when we are eating lunch a school bus drives past our house and we can see it through our front window. The kids both say "bus" and now AJ likes to get on the love seat and look out the window for the bus. AJ is also learning to tease Allie. He used to take her a cup of milk or a snack, but now he will take his and hers, eat or drink most of one and then give her the whats left and keep the full one for himself. He also loves to take her baby away. That is the one toy she will fight for and he knows it. He is a typically big brother...