I see two in there...: Almost two!

We had a very busy summer with lots of weddings and other long weekend trips, and all of a sudden it is October! Fall is my favorite season because the changing colors, smell of cider and orange pumpkins all bring back such clear memories of waiting for the arrival of Jack and Madelynn. On bedrest for four plus weeks I had little to do besides take in the sites of the changing season. I also drank a lot of apple juice and decaf pumpkin spice lattes. Now that Jack and Maddy are almost two it is amazing, and bittersweet to look back upon the past two years and realize how quickly time goes by. When I look at them now, I see two happy, healthy, bright, energetic little children. They are no longer babies and are becoming so independent in so many ways. There are still moments when they want to be carried, and held in my arms and I treasure those little moments because it is often hard to slow them down these days. As we approach two, they (especially Maddy) have learned the word no. They are very particular about which color of sippy cup they get, and being handed the wrong color can sometimes send them into an inconsolable state of crying and in Maddy's case, hand flapping. It is hard not to laugh at these theatrics, and sometimes, hard not to rip my hair out.

Jack continues to be our little laid back man. He is however, very physical and often plays a little too rough with Maddy, us, or other kids. Typical boy. He likes to run, jump, climb, explore and play out in the yard with Chloe. He never forgets about his dog--making sure she has plenty of water and an ample supply of food, and in addition, all of his leftovers.

Madelynn is a strong willed, independent little lady. She is so smart, and learns new words and phrases every day. They both do, but she chooses to talk a lot more then Jack. He is much more soft spoken but definitely completely aware of what is going on. Jack loves music and he loves to dance. Madelynn loves to read books. Her first sentence has been "pick a book." She will go over to her shelf, say "pick a book," and then bring us book after book to read to hear. She has learned a few letters also, completely to my surprise! She calls Jack, "Jackie," and often tells him no even if he is in the other room. He pays no attention to her trying to control him, but he also certainly knows how to push her buttons. He will run up to her, take her beloved stuffed horse "may-may," and chuck it behind the couch. Whenever the other one gets hurt, they are both quick to come to the rescue, give tons of kisses and Madelynn will rub Jack's back softly and say "poor Jackie." She makes sure to get him a bandaid and often if one has a boo boo, the other one magically has a boo boo in the same place and needs a bandaid too.

As with every stage of raising twins, some things get a little easier and some new challenges arise. We are thankful that for the most part they sleep well and are starting to be able to communicate their needs much better. The older they get, the more independent they become, and taller and stronger and more curious. We are excited to see what is in store for being two!