Two and a Half Years Old

On December 2, Jaden and Cody officially turned 2 and a half. It sounds a bit silly to say, but that sure seems a lot older than just plain 2. The boys seem so much older than just a few months ago. They continue to grow like weeds AND their language is progressing so quickly. The increased communication is likely the main reason why Jaden and Cody seem more grown up. Mommy and Daddy love hearing what's going on in their little minds! Here is a brief 2-and-a-half-year-old interview so you can see and hear for yourself...

Here are a few random photos of them at 2 and a half. In this first photo, the boys are showing off their new hockey jerseys (gifts from our friends at LAMP ministries in Canada). And, yes, Cody has a huge gash in his neck from falling into one of our end tables! Thankfully, he handled it well, and it healed quickly.

This picture makes me crack up every time I look at it. These are the cheesy smiles the boys will give us whenever we ask them to smile for a picture. It also makes them a bit harder to tell apart! (Jaden is on the left.)

We squeaked out smiles that were a bit more natural for this next one (although Cody looks like he's plotting something...). These photos were taken prior to our Thanksgiving Day service. The boys' adorable tops were gifts from Grandma and Grandpa.

Here are a couple of individual shots. Cody's goofy smile first..

and then Jaden. I was SO excited when I found this shirt for Jaden at a garage sale this summer. He wore the exact same shirt (in a different size, of course) when he was 5 months old. Now these pictures definitely show a lot of growth!

So what is life like with 2-and-a-half year old twins? Quite honestly, it's been a bit of a challenge recently. Our boys are opinionated, extremely particular, and short-fused (I guess that probably goes with the territory of being 2!). Many days, I tell Jason that I love both of our boys immensely, but I don't exactly love having twins at this stage. The toy battles, sibling fights, and double tantrums are exhausting!

Most of the time, Jaden and Cody are arguing over stuff (toys, cars, books, animals, etc.). Whatever one boy has is exactly what both boys want! Other times, Jaden and Cody's battles result from a difference of opinion (whether the dinosaurs should be IN or OUT of the tent; whether we should have the basement lights ON or OFF while we play; whether Mommy should play UPstairs with one boy or DOWNstairs with the other; whether the radio should be ON or OFF in the car... you get the idea). Still other times, the boys purposely seem to push each other's buttons (stealing snacks out of the other's bowl; taking a toy right out of the other's hands; pouring blocks right in the way of brother's Cozy Coupe; retaliating by lying down right in front of the other brother's Cozy Coupe; etc. etc. etc.).

Sometimes, these battles result in a physical response, like hitting, biting, throwing toys, or pulling hair. Other times, the result is just a full-out wailing tantrum from one or even both boys (you can imagine how fun THAT is!). This next picture shows the boys nursing some kind of battle wound with ice packs. At least they look somewhat remorseful...

As tiring as these challenging days can be for Mommy and Daddy, we're trying to remind ourselves that it probably is tough for our little boys to be a twin at this stage. I'm sure it's frustrating and tiring to have to share everything, all the time, from the very moment you're born. Being 2 is hard enough work on your own! We continue to pray daily for wisdom and patience as we try to guide our boys through this challenging stage...

So, yes, we've had a lot of tiring parenting days lately, but, yes, God has also blessed us with some joyous moments too. Cody and Jaden have had some wonderful accomplishments recently-- most importantly, getting potty trained!! Jaden was a faster learner (showing confidence after just over a week). Cody took a bit longer (nearly a month to be successful at both types of potty-going). Still, we have been SO proud of the boys' progress, and to this day (other than our 1st week of learning), neither boy has yet had an accident away from home. Woo-hoo!! :) They LOVE flushing toilets in public restrooms and hearing the "big noise."

Here are a couple of precious potty-time pics. The boys loved practicing potty-going with their stuffed animals (thanks for the helpful idea, Aunt Kim!). Jaden read many-a book to his piggie while waiting for him to go. :)

Some days, one boy (like Cody pictured below) would take it upon himself to entertain his brother while on the potty. (Moments like these are God's way of reassuring me that having twins can still be a joy!)

Another fun accomplishment is that the boys have recently taught themselves how to do somersaults. I'm pretty sure it happened accidentally the first time Cody rolled over, so he ended with a surprised and playful "Ow!" The name stuck. Now the boys will say, "Play ow!" whenever they want to do somersaults together. :)

Other accomplishments have been learning to independently climb the rock wall on our playset and (for Cody) sticking a green pea up his nose! Unfortunately, we only figured this out when the pea finally dislodged itself after 3 uncomfortable days! I guess Cody learned his lesson. The next time we ate peas, he promptly said, "No pea up nose." Good boy. :)

As mentioned before, the boys' language development has been so fun to witness. They regularly talk in basic sentences like "Mommy go hide" or "Cody turn now" or "Jaden say boo." Some of our favorite toddler comments include:

• "Cue me bruthah/door!" ("Excuse me" when running past people or even inanimate objects)
• "Mommy pokey" (when sitting on Mommy's lap and she hasn't shaved her legs in a while!)
• "Daddy hold you" (when you want to be held)
• "Funny name" (Cody's comment, full of giggles, when he hears a new word or name)
• "New-new" (noodles)
• "Ear-go bruthah!" (Jaden's comment on a happy-sharing day: "Here you go, brother!")
• "Medicine lotion on" (Their request for Neosporin after any injury.)
• "Bagel and mummin" (Their name for 2 types of blocks. The thick square blocks are muffins. The similar square blocks, but with holes inside, they call bagels. Creative!)
• "Thank you, God, for this food. Amen." (Not quite said this clearly, but their regular prayer before every meal.)

Jaden and Cody both love imitating phrases from Mommy and Daddy, things they hear on the radio, or random phrases in church. They're usually fairly good at filling in the blanks for stories or songs, like the "This Little Piggy" rhyme in the video below.

During playtime, the boys absolutely LOVE their cars, trucks, planes, basically anything with wheels. They'll roll their cars on the piano bench, on the table, on the couch, on the fireplace, on their new car mat from Grammy and Papa, anywhere! Sometimes, they'll just hold a car and look at its features for quite some time.

Jaden and Cody's other recent love is their hoard of stuffed animals. They usually pile all 15-20 of them in one place (like their play tent or in Mommy and Daddy's closet) and then "swim" around among all the animals. Other times, they'll take them one at a time to the back bedroom for a nap, lovingly tucking them in, saying good night, closing the door, and then retrieving them after just a few seconds. Both boys have picked out a favorite "piggy" puppet that has become their most treasured "lovey." They both carry these pink leg-less pig puppets around everywhere!

Other favorite activities include watching football (for a few minutes, anyway) with Daddy...

playing hide-and-seek (if they're together, the boys will hide quietly in a totally dark room for several minutes before they're found!), watching home videos of themselves, using Dry-Erase markers on the easel, flipping through books, using play-dough, watching Baby Einstein videos, dumping their tub of blocks on the floor (though rarely choosing to actually play with the blocks...), and playing catch (Sometimes they can be quite accurate! Check out the video).

Unfortunately, our playtime fun doesn't typically include snowy adventures yet. We're still working to toughen up these boys into true Montanans! We did have one successful day of sledding in the backyard (although Jaden looks absolutely terrified in this particular photo). We made at least 5 or 6 runs down the little hill in our yard and a few pulling-tours around and through the playset. 

Most days, though, the boys are quite stubborn about putting on boots and winter coats, so when they request to "stay in-ide," Mommy usually gives in. Progress in baby steps. :)

The boys also enjoy our weekly library storytime outing. They don't always sit still for all of the librarian's books, but they seem to love the craft-time that follows, especially when they get to use glue sticks!

Jaden and Cody are very energetic and curious little boys. These little 2-and-a-half year olds definitely make our life an adventure. Even on the tough days, we absolutely love having them in our lives and are very thankful for them both!