One and a Half Years Old!

Eighteen months ago, our lives looked quite a bit different. We probably had a clean house (at the very least an uncluttered floor), dinners filled with adult conversation, free time to spend just as we wanted, mornings to sleep in, and quiet evenings. 

But we were sure missing something. Now, our lives are filled with giggles and games, action and playtime, toys and trucks, kisses and babbles, and the joy of watching 2 little lives develop. The past 18 months have been a flurry of milestones, changes, learning, and growing. We are so thankful to God for our two little Schleicher boys and for all the joy they've brought into our lives. Happy 1 1/2 years! 

Jaden and Cody in their Christmas tees

Jaden & Cody playing on Mommy & Daddy's bed

Twin plotting

Jaden & Cody, brotherly love

Jaden, Cody-- giggles galore!

Jaden and Cody, silly playtime with Mommy's hats

Cody & Jaden, the littlest Lions fans

Here are our latest updates:

SLEEPING HABITS

• Still frequent nighttime wakings by both boys (but more often by Jaden)
• Fall asleep very well at nighttime and naptime
• Sleep with pacifiers and cozy blankets
• Nap for 1 1/2 to 2 hours after lunch

EATING HABITS

• Not quite the same hearty eaters as they used to be, but still eat a fairly balanced meal most of the time
• Love self-feeding with their own spoon or fork
• Cody learned how to drink through a straw this month (first time we exposed him to a straw, he got it!)
• Random quirk-- neither boy likes having food crumbs stuck to his hand or finger, but will whine or angrily shake his hand until the food comes off
• No more gagging at the table!
• Cody's current favorite-- frozen blueberries
• Jaden's current favorite-- mandarin oranges

LANGUAGE

• Still speak only 10 or fewer words
• Love pointing at objects & are very interested in hearing the same words over and over
• Occasionally use a gurgle-babbling language back and forth
• Have an amazing listening comprehension! Can readily follow lots of directions
• Even know the difference between their own sippy cups, pajamas, coats, shoes, and shoes

PLAYTIME

• Newest favorite-- chucking their toys over the gate and down the stairs (lots of new dents have appeared in our walls!)
• Enjoy piling toys or books on the piano, in Jaden's crib, or on furniture
• Like lining up their stuffed animals in a row on the fireplace
• Have figured out how to bounce down the stairs on their bottom
• Enjoy "dancing" to music by flapping their arms or bobbing their head
• Love to wrestle with or climb all over Mommy and Daddy
• Have tried "jumping" by going up and down on their tiptoes
• Frequently run sprints back and forth in the house (and giggle hysterically when passing one another)
• Like climbing onto the chairs and even (yikes!) the table
• Funny imitators! (Jaden pretended to press on the soap dispenser during a bath and wiped his hand all over himself. Cody climbed onto a chair in the dining room and rubbed his hand back and forth across the table as Mommy was wiping it down.)

The Jaden-Man

His reaction when Mommy said to smile!

• Cut teeth #15 & 16 this month
• Started giving sloppy, open-mouthed kisses (tongue included!)
• Dislikes the drawstrings on his pants (will pull or bat at them until we tuck them into his waistband)
• Will cover his eyes for peek-a-boo for a surprisingly long time! 
• Has become more of the toy-stealer this month, runs away when we ask him to return a toy to Cody
• Dislikes change (cried when we moved the furniture to set up the Christmas tree!)

Our little Cody-Boy

• Cut tooth #16
• Freely and happily gives hugs to others whenever we ask (often gives them without being asked, too!)
• Enjoys decorating paper with stickers
• Will immediately return a stolen toy to his brother when Mommy or Daddy asks him to give it back
• Very athletically coordinated! Learned how to catch balls-- multiple times in a row!
• When angry, will throw tantrums by getting down on all fours with his head down
• Will laugh and point every time he sees a dog in a book

We are so thankful that God put you little boys into our lives. We love watching you grow and change!