Our Everyday Twins

Most of the time these days, I catch myself only pulling out the camera to take pictures of new events and milestones or special occasions. Lately, I've been trying to remind myself to capture some of the boys' everyday occurrences. Their daily habits and mannerisms become so commonplace to Jason and me, and yet we don't want to forget them because they make up such a unique part of who our boys are. 

So... here is a random collection of pictures and videos of our boys at home.

Our family recently enjoyed a beautiful Montana day by playing with bubbles (thank you to the Boll family and to the Hansons for the bubble gifts!). Notice Cody itching his leg in both shots. Our poor little guy has issues with eczema/sensitive skin, so it's not uncommon for him to be scratching at his leg or chest. We have to be vigilant with the lotion and the doctor-prescribed ointments for this little fella. On this day, the bubbles were a great distraction!

One of our boys' favorite places to play lately is behind the door in Mommy & Daddy's bedroom. They LOVE closing the door and then climbing up to see themselves in the mirror. Yes, occasionally the fun (especially for Jaden below) involves biting on the mirror frame or even licking the mirror itself.

For naptimes and bedtime, we follow the same routine every day: put the boys in their sleep-sacks, read them books, say a prayer, and rock them in the glider while singing a couple songs. Then, we lay the boys down in their side-by-side cribs. No matter how tired our boys are during this process (rubbing their eyes, squirming, or closing their eyes entirely), as soon as we lay them down, they almost always bounce right up. Even wearing their sleep sacks, they will instantly crawl towards each other, stand up, and start giggling or babbling back and forth. Thankfully, our boys have learned to put themselves to sleep, so after a few minutes of this noisy playtime, the silence DOES eventually come!

Ah, yes, and then there is the daily playtime... or perhaps the more appropriate term is destruction time. It's amazing how quickly the boys can turn a tidy room into a tornado-strewn zone. Mommy is particularly ready for the day when her little destroyers can help with the clean up process, too!

Now that our entryway contains a soft foam padding on the floor, this area has become a favorite hangout. We especially love how Jaden and Cody seem to enjoy playing near each other and often end up giggling back and forth.

More giggles as we are getting ready for a walk...

A number of times we have referenced Cody's "speeches." His best performances are given in front of our bedroom mirror, following bottle-time. Our little orator regularly makes us smile with his animated hand motions and his intense grunts and babbles.

Often while eating in their high chairs, our twins will reach over and try to grab at one another. Sometimes they will even laugh back and forth with mouths full of food. On this particular day, Jaden tried to take the role of the Pacifying Twin.

And finally, our walking boys are showing great improvement. Within the past week, both Jaden and Cody have let go of furniture and started walking on their own accord. It's still quite a shock for Daddy & Mommy to turn around from something and see the boys upright, independently toddling across the room. Not surprisingly, the increase in walking has meant an increase in falling, which has greatly heightened the number of bonks, bruises, and even fat lips we've seen lately! In general, though, a walking boy equals a happy boy in our household. Here, Jaden demonstrates his walking skill.