I have been remiss in posting about funny conversations and
developments of the kids lately, and now that I have managed to kick
Lola out of the house and have a few spare minutes of peace sitting at
the dining table, I thought I'd fire away a little character sketch of the boys.
They are one day away from being 5 months now - how the time has flown! I look back on my maternity leave and it's just a blur. It truly feels as if time has expanded and contracted simultaneously to allow lots of things to happen but also not much of anything to happen at once.
They both drool a lot nowadays, and I am pretty sure they are teething. They get very angry and frustrated if, as they are sucking on various things, they cannot get it into their mouths fast enough. Al tends to like Sophie the giraffe, Skiphop toys, and plastic rings, while Teo's favorite is the softer crinkly bits (like the fabric ears of the koala, the squeaky wings of the Skiphop orange bird, or the crinkly panda pad). They both love musical toys with lights, such as the Vtech square, walker, or Baby Einstein guitar and handheld musical player.
Earlier this month, they both discovered that they could use their feet to stand (with a lot of assistance of course) and love to push down on their legs as a result. They do not seem as flexible as their sister, but with a little coaxing they can also grab onto their toes or feet. They both love lying down on our laps, staring at our facial expressions, as we sing and make funny faces and "exercise" their arms and legs. They have both started drinking water this month, sometimes from a bottle but increasingly from a spoon, in anticipation of starting solids next month.
Mr. Charming Squeaky Wheel
Al is a gregarious little man - always laughing and cooing and giggling, trying to entice you to pick him up or play with him. He is very loud and vocal - sometimes you can hear his shrieks and shouts from one end of the apartment to the other. I swear his steady, wide eyed gaze is often communicating, "Love me, love me, I am so cute!"
Al is also usually also the first to fuss to be picked up, and generally does not tolerate sitting in the bouncer or lying on his playmat or in his crib well. Very early on, he was the one who, despite appearing perfectly content, would start crying and complaining if he saw his brother being picked up first. His complaints are very clear, voiced in a tone that is almost as if he were speaking: "What about me? Why are you picking him up first? Don't leave me behind!" He has also affectionately been dubbed the lazy one, as he hates any kind of exercise. The complaining and wailing he does when forced to work out is, well, actually kind of familiar, because it reminds me of me when forced to do the same!
Mr. Chill Until He Blows His Stack
On the other hand, Teo is usually the picture of contentment and chill. He can entertain himself for a long period of time, and usually wears an expression on his face of slight disbelief when Al is acting up, as if saying, "What's his deal?" But Teo is also more active and energetic, usually willing to exercise for longer and try harder at various activities. I say "usually" because Teo has a crazy hot temper when riled. When he is really hungry or uncomfortable, it's as if he is a little kettle that has reached his boiling point and has no shut off valve. He can scream and cry until he is nearly black in the face, and at the point of gasping and choking for air. It's scary. This past weekend, Michael whisked Teo out of the warm and welcoming arms of Jovie after he had just woken up, and tried to play with him. I've not seen Teo scream and cry so loud in a long time! It was shocking.
I joke that Teo is also a bit more discerning with who holds him. Like Al, he is also very good at making all kinds of gurgling and cooing sounds to entice you to pick him up and cuddle him, but he won't just smile at anyone. Teo is also at the point now where he has a sense of stranger danger - the other day he also cried when someone he didn't recognize tried to hold him. I try to hold Teo a little more when possible, because he is disproportionately in the bouncer or in his crib or on his playmat for longer than Al - simply by virtue of the fact that he is so patient and calm, and not as melodramatic as his brother!
They are one day away from being 5 months now - how the time has flown! I look back on my maternity leave and it's just a blur. It truly feels as if time has expanded and contracted simultaneously to allow lots of things to happen but also not much of anything to happen at once.
They both drool a lot nowadays, and I am pretty sure they are teething. They get very angry and frustrated if, as they are sucking on various things, they cannot get it into their mouths fast enough. Al tends to like Sophie the giraffe, Skiphop toys, and plastic rings, while Teo's favorite is the softer crinkly bits (like the fabric ears of the koala, the squeaky wings of the Skiphop orange bird, or the crinkly panda pad). They both love musical toys with lights, such as the Vtech square, walker, or Baby Einstein guitar and handheld musical player.
Earlier this month, they both discovered that they could use their feet to stand (with a lot of assistance of course) and love to push down on their legs as a result. They do not seem as flexible as their sister, but with a little coaxing they can also grab onto their toes or feet. They both love lying down on our laps, staring at our facial expressions, as we sing and make funny faces and "exercise" their arms and legs. They have both started drinking water this month, sometimes from a bottle but increasingly from a spoon, in anticipation of starting solids next month.
Mr. Charming Squeaky Wheel
Al is a gregarious little man - always laughing and cooing and giggling, trying to entice you to pick him up or play with him. He is very loud and vocal - sometimes you can hear his shrieks and shouts from one end of the apartment to the other. I swear his steady, wide eyed gaze is often communicating, "Love me, love me, I am so cute!"
Al is also usually also the first to fuss to be picked up, and generally does not tolerate sitting in the bouncer or lying on his playmat or in his crib well. Very early on, he was the one who, despite appearing perfectly content, would start crying and complaining if he saw his brother being picked up first. His complaints are very clear, voiced in a tone that is almost as if he were speaking: "What about me? Why are you picking him up first? Don't leave me behind!" He has also affectionately been dubbed the lazy one, as he hates any kind of exercise. The complaining and wailing he does when forced to work out is, well, actually kind of familiar, because it reminds me of me when forced to do the same!
Mr. Chill Until He Blows His Stack
On the other hand, Teo is usually the picture of contentment and chill. He can entertain himself for a long period of time, and usually wears an expression on his face of slight disbelief when Al is acting up, as if saying, "What's his deal?" But Teo is also more active and energetic, usually willing to exercise for longer and try harder at various activities. I say "usually" because Teo has a crazy hot temper when riled. When he is really hungry or uncomfortable, it's as if he is a little kettle that has reached his boiling point and has no shut off valve. He can scream and cry until he is nearly black in the face, and at the point of gasping and choking for air. It's scary. This past weekend, Michael whisked Teo out of the warm and welcoming arms of Jovie after he had just woken up, and tried to play with him. I've not seen Teo scream and cry so loud in a long time! It was shocking.
I joke that Teo is also a bit more discerning with who holds him. Like Al, he is also very good at making all kinds of gurgling and cooing sounds to entice you to pick him up and cuddle him, but he won't just smile at anyone. Teo is also at the point now where he has a sense of stranger danger - the other day he also cried when someone he didn't recognize tried to hold him. I try to hold Teo a little more when possible, because he is disproportionately in the bouncer or in his crib or on his playmat for longer than Al - simply by virtue of the fact that he is so patient and calm, and not as melodramatic as his brother!
