Watch Out Jilly & Jenna: Momma Has it on Video!

I got it! I'm doing a victory dance! Why? Because I finally got a video of some of the funny things the girls do. You may see their sweet faces on camera and video and not think much about it, but in reality it is quite hard to get a decent picture of them (they are exceptionally wiggly) and even harder to get a video. They are much more interested in seeing what I see on my side...behind the camera type girls you could say.

Anyhoo, both girls have been really mimicking and copying others around them lately. They put each other in time out, they have "phone conversations," and they even check each other for dirty diapers. The later is what I have a video of.

Let me explain: The girls aren't potty trained yet. They are showing signs that they are ready; however, we haven't begun any actual *real* potty training, I've been waiting for this fall and a 4-5 day stretch at home to tackle the deed. We have been asking them to potty on the potty before bath and letting them sit on it when they want, but we haven't been focusing on it. Anyways, the girls have begun telling me when they go more than tinkle, for those with queasy stomachs we will simply call it Poo Poo. I know! That still isn't the best word but if you are going to watch the video you have to get used to it for now. :) Moving on, there are still times though that they don't tell me when they've gone Poo Poo, and I either catch Shelby furiously sniffing their backside or I catch a whiff of something unpleasant. Once that happens I do what we will call the "Mommy Peek and Check." I basically pull their diaper back, peek, pull farther if needed, and check for poo.

Well, it has become a game for them to mimic this Mommy Peek and Check routine we have. The other day I caught them taking turns telling each other they were "Poo Poo" and letting their sister peek and check. It really was hilarious. I tried to get a video but as soon as I pushed the button to record they were wanting to see what I was seeing and we all know that won't work. Well, lucky me they were back to playing this fabulously funny game last night.  So... pause the music (either at the bottom or to the right depending on your screen) and turn your volume up a tad and get ready to chuckle as Jenna plays Mommy and Jilly plays herself in the Mommy Peek and Check game (don't fret...no actual Poo Poo is seen on camera):

No worries, while Jillian was in fact Poo Poo (it isn't always the case when they play this game) I did change her

right after I stopped recording. :)  Therefore, no babies were forced to stay Poo Poo for longer than necessary. ;)

Not much more to report on our end. I am hoping to get a video of them singing some of their favorite songs soon. That has been a toughie to capture, especially since I am usually singing them with them.

Oh! CLICK HERE to see all the latest pictures. They start around the end of July and go up until now.

More to Come,

Carbon Copies

When Jared and I found out that we would be blessed with twins we both agreed that we wanted to give them the opportunity to be individuals; that was especially the case once we got the news we were expecting two babies of the same sex. All throughout the pregnancy I read books on carrying twins (pregnancy), raising twins, preparing for twins, etc, etc. I also watched all of the twin TV shows I could find...mostly Discovery Chanel things but occasionally a show or two starring twins. Anyhoo, here are two things that stick out the most in my mind from that time:

1. Twin siblings have a tendency to be extremely competitive with one another. More so than regular, non-twin, siblings.

2. Remember those cute little twins from that TV show Full House...Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen? Well, around that time they went through a whole thing where they didn't want to be Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen anymore. They wanted to be individuals and be called Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen. They are separate people ya know. ;)

So, before the girls were born I began making intentional decisions regarding their "twinness," if you will. Jared and I decided not to dress them exactly alike (although I will say they are easier on the eyes if their outfits don't clash). We decided we wouldn't ask for or buy two of every toy, we decided that if the girls showed separate interests then we would indulge those interests individually (not putting them both in dance if one would rather play soccer).

Anyhoo, you can officially throw all of those ideas and plans out the window. These days Jillian and Jenna desire to be exactly alike. They want to wear the same outfits, have their hair the same way, play with the exact same toys, hold the exact same babies, and participate in the same activities. They are reveling in their "twinness" so to speak. So now I am left to wonder if some day they are going to be those twins who still dress exactly alike even in their 40s (gag!).



Two princess, two princess dresses, two night caps. Go figure. :)



Jenna laying on the floor in the kitchen with a blanket (we only have one basketball)

 

Jillian laying on the floor in the kitchen with a blanket



Two girls. Two pairs of plaid pants. Two moose shirts.  



 



Two girls.Two moose shirts...Jillian's pants got juice on them so we took them off. Jenna had to have hers off too.



There has been an unexpected positive outcome from girls' decision. I hardly get asked anymore "Are they twins?" Uh...yes. They are both girls, both the same height, hair color, eye color, weight, etc. Plus they look pretty much identical. DUH! Yes, they are both twins. You can see the feelings I have from that question.... Just for the record though, if Jillian and Jenna Winter decide later on to be Jillian Winter and Jenna Winter again, I would happily answer the "Are they twins" question just for them. :)

I'll leave you with my Bean...



My sweet Jenna Bean, who can resist a sleeping baby? :)



A Glimpse

Just a glimpse into the world of sweet yet sassy toddlers. Starring Jenna and Daddy. :)

We're Melting

Oh my jeez... In all my years I don't remember a summer that has been this hot for so long. Today is something like our 20th day in a row with triple digit heat. We haven't had rain in FOREVER. Jared, the girls and I have literally melted into our coach cushions just trying to keep cool.  And since the computer is in a different room I've had a hard time peeling myself away to post anything. It is good for you the girls woke up over an hour early from their nap so that it would motivate me to leave them in my bed with the TV while I sit and type without any two year olds around. :)


Anyhoo...


We've been trying to keep busy in other ways. The girls and I found a really awesome city pool (not in our city) that is only about 10 minutes from the house. I am not revealing the name because I would like it to stay one of the best kept secrets around. They have a mini lazy river, a pre-school aged pool with water guns, fountains and slide, and three different sprinkler/spray ground areas. The best thing? It is only $3 to get it...for all of us. :) The girls are free! Can you say, pool please? The girls do...everyday. :) Lucky for us they have a blow up pool in the backyard from Aunt Anne so that they can splash whenever they please. I mean...we can't go to the city pool every day. :p


The girls really do love swimming though, especially at the city pool. Even though it takes Jenna a bit to warm up each time we go. She is going through a "Mommy I'm skeered (scared)" phase that is honestly driving me bonkers. She is scared of everything for some reason right now.


Jared and the girls also joined me for the day at Six Flags when the summer program at my job was there. The girls had an absolute blast! They rode some many rides, I was so proud! They rode most of the rides without us by the way....many of them Jared and I wouldn't fit on. :) There was only one ride that was a bit too much. Jilly probably wouldn't ride again but clearly didn't enjoy it. Jenna screamed at the top of her lungs until it stopped, and come to think it...that is when that whole "Mommy I'm skeered" bit started happening. Whoops, my bad. :( Perhaps I should have put my foot down on that ride even though Jenna asked to ride it. Hmmm....

Jilly and Jenna giving the Tea Cups a try at Six Flags

They loved it! In fact, each time a ride they liked stopped they would start to cry.



Grandpa Winter will be proud the girls liked riding in the airplanes so much. They couldn't figure out how to use the stick to get the plane in the air but that was okay with Mommy and Daddy. :)



The swings were next and Jenna and Jilly LOVED them



See?
































Daddy and Jilly on the BIG ride together

 

Jenna decides to ride with Aunt Anne (mostly because Mommy was too scared to ride the kiddy ride)



Going Up....


 


And not so much...

 

Jilly didn't seem to mind :)

Whoops...perhaps 2 is a little young for thrill rides

Anyhoo, not much else to report. The girls are talking in sentences. They like to sing. Caillou is their favorite show followed by Toy Story 3 and then The Princess and the Frog. Jillian has started to casually use the potty before bath time. I am hoping to potty train in September!!  Other than that it is regular routine in our house...and you know we are home because the instant you step outside you get smothered in what feels like nuclear heat.













A Time to Bowl



Jilly and Jenna watching for balls



Jilly gets a helping hand from Daddy

Fun times! Jilly and Jenna cheese for the camera

Momma helps Jenna out while Jilly looks on

We took the girls bowling yesterday and it was surprisingly fun. Jared LOVES to bowl and before the girls came along it was something the two of us did together quite often. We even have our own bowling shoes and balls! Ha!

Anyhoo, the girls loved it. Jillian liked bowling a bit more than Jenna but both girls loved going up and down the stairs and patting all of the balls lined up along the racks for picking. In the video above Jared is helping Jillian with her turn. She was such a hoot to watch. After each turn she would race back down the lane to me with excitement and sometimes screeches of joy. I was able to catch the screech for you. :) Sorry for the shaking...Jenna planted herself in my lap after she fell down with one of the bowling balls. She was a tad wiggly. :)

PS: Sorry the video is sideways...I forget it translates funny to my computer when I don't hold my phone right. :p

Hold the Pacis, Please

Big news at our house! After 3 weeks, 1 bedroom move, lots of tears and lots of TV, we are now 100% pacifier free. Woot woot! The kicker? Jared was out of town on a fishing trip during those first days and we did it cold turkey. I know....I'm insane.


I've always known that the pacis wouldn't be with us forever, but for the last year or so I've been anxious about the girls' attachment and ability to give up their beloved piece of rubber. I've read lots of articles on when and how the paci should go and I was confident that "when the time was right" the girls would naturally -and on their own- give up their beloved pacifier.

Oh...excuse me, I have a knock on the front door.............I'm back, it was Mr. Reality letting me know I was kidding myself.

Not only were the girls no where near giving up their paci on their own, but it seemed as if they were both becoming more and more attached to it as the days went by. We had started restricting the pacifiers to nap time, car time and bedtime. Well, it got to the point that Jillian was completely happy in her crib during the day just so she could have her paci. It wasn't nap time, she would just sit in their and suck on that paci until her heart was content.


So, at that point I knew it was time to intervene. Besides, if I wasn't constantly on the prowl for a lost pacifier, or crawling under a crib at 2am to find one that dropped, I was playing referee between two girls stealing each others pacifiers and making each other cry. The routine was becoming old enough to make me want to sacrifice my own sanity and sleep to help them kick their habits.

One of the last pictures of the girls with their pacis. They were snuggling together in Jenna's bed after nappy time. :)

So one night I just decided that "tonight was the night." Unfortunately, I was have a delusional moment of insanity...I decided to do it the night before Jared left home for a fishing trip to Canada.  Using the Paci Princess method (from Supernanny) I sat the girls down just before bed and showed them a picture of the Paci Princess and then a bunch more pictures of babies with pacifiers in their mouths. I told them how the Paci Princess takes the pacifiers that the big girls leave for her and gives them to the babies that need them. We had the pacis in a pile, the special gift bags, and magic sparkles. They willingly put their pacifiers in the bag and then put the magic sparkles (confetti) in the bags and we left them on the counter and I put them in their beds for the night.


Jenna's pacis ready for the Paci Princess

Jillian's pacis ready for the Paci Princess

Amazingly enough, Jenna only cried the first night for about 5 minutes. She talked for almost 2 and a half hours but eventually fell asleep on her own. In typical fashion, Jillian cried for over an hour and I was so happy when she was finally asleep 2 hours later. They actually slept really well, all through night, and the next morning both girls wanted to see if the Paci Princess took the pacis. Success! Not only had the Princess taken the pacis, but she left the girls gifts for being so brave.

The Paci Princess

The next several days were really rough. Nap times were hard and almost non-existant, night time was hard, in between time was hard. They were extremely emotional and sensitive, they asked about their pacifiers quite a bit. I would say within a day or two of Jared getting back home they were finally starting to get on track with normal nap and bedtimes. Of course, that was only after I permanently separated them. Up until now the girls shared a room. They've slept separately for nap time since about 6 months old, but at night they shared a room (they each had their own bed). Well, not anymore. Jenna's crib is now in the playroom and Jillian has their room to herself.

Prizes from the Paci Princess

At some point Jared and I would like them to go back to sharing a room. Not only because of space issues but we feel that sharing could bring them closer, as well as help them to learn how to share, get along, and learn boundary rules more easily. Since the move, they've had a growing attachment to babies. Lots of babies... the more the better. Each girl probably has about 4-6 babies in her bed on any given night. They aren't necesarrily the same babies tho which is fine by me. The less attachment the better in my book. The lovies are still in the forefront by the way, for those wondering. I can't figure out the baby obsession but I guess they just get lonely being in separate rooms now and need the company. :(

Jillian having fun in the pool and not missing her paci at all!

Jenna looks sad but she is just thinking...she is the thoughtful one. :)



Jenna & Jilly enjoying each other, the sun, and their pool

 Anyhoo, it has been three weeks and I haven't been asked in at least a week about a pacifier. It was really neat though. Every time one of the girls did ask me about a pacifier I would turn it around back to them. They were able to answer who took their paci (princess) and where she took it (babies) each time I asked. :) I will say the girls are much less cranky without pacis (now that they've adjusted that is). They sing a lot more now too which is really fun! Hopefully one of these days I can get a really good video of their singing talents. They are such hams that every time I turn on the camcorder all they want to do is say "cheese!"


More to Come....



PS: click HERE to see all the latest pictures











Fruit Salad...Yummy Yummy

So the girls sing now. :D Twinkle, Twinkle, Zacchaeus, and Ring Around the Rosies are some of their favs; however, one of our favorites for the girls to sing is a Wiggles song called Fruit Salad. I know, right? Like we don't get enough of those guys already? Seriously though, Jillian does an amazing job at part of the chorus of this song. Tell ya what....endure just a few minutes of the Wiggles Fuit Salad video here and judge for yourself. I've posted a video below of Jilly's version. :D

Remember to pause my songs below (at the very bottom) so they aren't blocking the sound of the videos. Our home video may be a bit quiet so increasing the volume once you start playing may be required.



Amazing, huh? At only 2 years old people!! :D

Stay tuned for another post from me sometime later this week (I hope! Fingers crossed!). I've gone cold turkey on weaning the girls from their pacifiers and I will give you an update on how it's going...or isn't. ;)





Jenna enjoying nice grass and the warm sun



Jilly and her piggies enjoying some one-on-one time with the grass :)

Love,