A & P - 18 months

Big A!

You are too cute for words. 

Knocking over towers of blocks, throwing balls, and sneaking off with the TV remote are among your favorite activities.  You often pick up books and turn them as if you are reading to the room, gibber jabbering away!

Recently you got your own Nativity for Christmas.  While the sheep says "baa" and the cow says "moo", you've decided the camel says "wwwwrrrrrooooaaaarrrr" in a very soft whisper.  It so sweet.  If only you understood that other sounds could be made at lower decibels.  You are a hard-wired BOY.

Becoming more and more self sufficient, you love to get your shoes and sock and attempt getting yourself dressed.  Lately you aren't a fan of diaper changes - maybe potty training will be sooner than I think (or maybe that's just wishful thinking).  At this rate its only a matter of time before you will be running out the door to hop on your bike and patrol the neighborhood. 


Big P!

You are talking up a storm!  Most of the time it does not sound like English, but I know you are trying your hardest to tell us all kinds of things.  Your favorite word (besides NO!) is Outside.  You are always asking "umna umna outside?"  We also hear you in the mornings, waking up your brother, yelling "An-rew."

Your new kitchen (an early Christmas present) is your favorite toy.  You love washing your hands so much, that it took a few conversations for you to be at peace without running water in the new kitchen. 

Night time is still one of your favorite times.  You love the 5 Little Monkeys books and wagging your finger as the doctor says "NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED!"  Even though you and your brother haven't quite figured out sharing, you do give each other lots of hugs, and good night kisses.  The last couple of nights after we lay you down to sleep, you actually say "I love you."  It makes your daddy's heart melt. 

Happy 18th Months, boys!  Here's a picture of you with Santa this year.  Please send the counseling bill to your grandparents.

 

Happy Halloween from A&P

The twins dressed up for school today - and were so excited to show their friends the costumes.  Have a happy halloween and stay safe out there!!

This pumpkin looks perfect for throwing...

Puppy and Dino butts

I want this one



Does this costume make my head look big?



Cat says mooo...

A & P are starting to repeat words like little parrots - ok, maybe like parrots after a few Mexican Martinis from Trudy's, but sounds coming from their mouths kind of sound like the words we say.  We're talking beyond mama, dada, ball, etc...

Both are fond of telling us what sounds various animals make - duck say "kack kack", cow (and sometimes cat) say "moo", dog says "oof oof", and cat say "mao". 

Andrew's favorite words include:
"un-da" which means "clean up" (as he tries to sing the clean up song)
"o-e-ya" which means "Olivia" (a cartoon pig & a little girl at school)

Parker's favorite works include:
"peeesss" as he pats his chest, attempting sign language for please (often pointing at the puzzles put up on the mantle)
"ba pak" for "back pack" (which he carries into school everyday)

They both understand far more than they can say, and it's only a matter of time before daddy will see the necessity of editing his humor. 



Lounging in our UT gear

 In other news, we tried on our Halloween costumes last night.  Andrew is a dog and Parker is a dragon (or dinosaur - there is a debate - you tell us what you think).  We also enjoyed lounging in our UT chairs this week...thanks to Grandma's friend, Dora. 

Parker the Dragon

Andrew the Puppy



Pumpkins in the Patch

The little pumpkins went to the local Pumpkin Patch this past weekend.  As you can see in the pictures, we had fun with all the autumn trimmings.  Parker enjoyed gnawing on gourds, while Andrew played with the hay. 

Hooray!  Lots of pumpkins!

Look ma, I caught one!

The fascinating world of hay...

Seriously mom, put the camera down.

Ooo - who's the cutie in the ballerina tutu?

And a random "trying on dad's shoes" picture...

15 months and counting

It's been a busy month in the Cremers' household! 



Andrew and his helmet



Andrew and Mommy in California

Parker and his new toy

We're borrowing a page from Lilly's Pad and giving you the highlights in bullet points...

• 4 molars each (along with their front 8 teeth)
• walking, running, climbing!
• scribbling with crayons
• eating and not overly picky
• LOVES samples at Costco
• Playing outside rocks!
• Wheel of Fortunes biggest fans...no seriously, they run up to the TV and clap when it comes on
• Babbling to each other about anything an everything
• Saying mama, dada, ball, dog, and book
• into everything...

That kid needs a helmet

Andrew is learning how to walk - and as a result, the kid has a black eye and bumps and bruises GALORE!  We've decided he needs a helmet.  He agrees....

Fun times with daddy!

A & P Celebrate the BIG 1!

It's official -  our baby boys are one year old and teetering their way into toddler hood. 

Andrew

What a joy you are!  Smiling and giggling all the time, you are content with almost any setting.  You easily warm up to new people and places.  The watch and wait approach you take to life has treated you well. You enjoy the helicopter toy you got for your birthday, taking a cruise in your Cozy Coupe, and exploring all of the items in your toy box.  Patty Cake is by far your favorite hand clapping game!

You are a fan of almost all foods and love your milk cup.  No more bottles or formula for you - you made the switch last month and have never looked back.  Your favorite foods include fruit crisps, daddy's pancakes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, ham, Nana's spaghetti, and yogurt smoothies! 

On the move - you are crawling and cruising EVERYWHERE.  I've heard rumors of you standing up in the middle of the room, but I haven't seen it yet.  I'm sure it's just a matter of time before you are walking and then running.  All of this moving does tucker you out - and you take one 2-2 1/2 hour nap each day. 

Twiddling your thumbs - it's what you do when you are in your car seat.  SO CUTE!  We love you sweet Andrew!

Parker

You are so smart!  It amazes me to watch your little mind work at problem solving.  Your persistence will serve you well in life, and your flirtatious grin has already gotten you superior table service at restaurants.  You love books, and the Trucks book with the sliding doors is your current favorite.  Music is so fun for you - wheels on the bus, and the bubble song are your favorite hand motions.

The big change from bottles and formula to milk and cups was a breeze for you - it's almost as if you didn't notice.  You are a pro with straws and have such a proud big-boy look on your face when you get to drink from one.  Nana's sspaghetti, Cheerios, zucchini, sweet potatoes, graham crackers and yogurt are among your favorite.  Most foods you will warm up to, once you get past the texture. 

Stairs - they are your new favorite physical challenge.  We let you climb up on the way to bath and bed.  The first time you went up the stairs, you had one stair give you trouble - you just grunted and got even more determined - that's my little Persistent Parker.  You are just days away from walking on your own.  Daddy is your favorite jungle gym.

One of my favorite moments of the day is carrying you into your room for bedtime.  You get so excited about nighttime kisses and your lovey - you wiggle and giggle and get the biggest grin on your face.  We love you so much, little Parker. 

Happy Birthday Big Boys! 

Splitting Hairs

This morning, we had breakfast at Dan's resturant and the twins went to see Mike the Barber in downtown Buda.  Grandma and Nana joined us on our visit.  Mike was the barber who gave Jeff (the twin's daddy) his first haircut! 

Afterwards we enjoyed our first splash in the big neighborhood pool.  Aunt Terri, Jack and Jamie came to swim too.  After a lunch of grilled cheese and strawberries, the babies are napping.  Fun Saturday!

Here are a few pictures from our barber shop adventure...

As you can see, Parker was not a fan.  Too bad since the kid has so much hair!

Andrew took it in stride!

Cabinets, cords, and doggie doors...

The boys are moving around like crazy, and getting into EVERYTHING and ANYTHING.  Mobile life in the Cremers household has been challenging to say the least.  I could see keeping an eye on one kid, but two brings twice the curious brain power - often traveling in different directions.  Parker certainly blazes the trail.  Some of his favorite activities include, sitting in the race track, looking out the window into his garden, and opening the china hutch cabinet doors.  Andrew is a little more cautious.  He watches Parker and then joins in - I am sure this "wait and see" perspective will serve Andrew well in life.  Both kiddos like playing with bouncy balls.  Parker has quite an arm and Andrew loves rolling the ball.

Andrew is practicing walking and pushes his favorite toys around the room.  Parker is in the same "walking any day now" mode. 

Both boys are rock stars with their sippy cups.  We have cut out bottles completely and mommy & daddy couldn't be happier.  They are eating almost everything we eat, and enjoy yogurt and grilled cheese sandwiches the most.  I am amazed at how many veggies the twins consume (and grateful).  Andrew has grown fond of feeding the doggies from his booster seat.  Maybe that's why Turbo is constantly sniffing around Andrew as if he's hunting for his next snack?   

The twins are fantastic sleepers.  Each night, they know the routine....starting with bathtime, then PJs, read a few books and then bedtime with their lovies (little elephant blankies).  Every now and then we'll hear a small protest, but for the most part they just wiggle around to settle in and are asleep for the night.  Bedtime is at 7:30pm - which means wake up is around 5:30 or 6:00am.  

Nap times - Miss Dana at school is fantastic with the boys.  They have gotten down to one nap a day in most cases (usually 11:30am - 1:30pm).  On the weekends we still take an hour nap in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.  Someday soon we'll be down to one nap a day on the weekends too.   

Music makes the world go round - or at least that's what Andrew and Parker think.  Anytime you start singing song, they both stop in mid-stream and join in with clapping or hand motions.  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Wheels on the Bus, and Patty Cake are among the favorites. 

Mama and Dada are the current words of choice, but both boys know dog (or "duh"), and have started mimicking uh-oh and ta-da.  Let's just hope Jeff doesn't teach them to say "ta-da" after bodily noises. 

It's hard to believe the babies are almost a year old.  I guess we'll have to starting thinking about them as toddlers sooner than later.  Oh, and some folks have asked what to get the boys for their first birthday...they have more toys and clothes than they need (although either will certainly be appreciated).  Board Books would make fantastic gifts. 

Well, that's it for now. 

Bubbles

A&P have discovered the joys of bubbles.  So fun!

Happy Flag Day!

Ok, so Flag Day is really tomorrow - and people don't generally celebrate it.  BUT - the twins have the cutest patriotic outfits, so we needed an occasion to wear them (besides 4th of July).   The pictures are not the highest quality (from my iphone) but the cuteness still comes through.  

I'll post some more this weekend as the boys celebrate being 11 months old. 

Enjoy!

The Birthday Parties Galore!

 Our friends Lilly and the twins Cameron & Chelsea turned one this week.  Last weekend we had fun celebrating with them.  While I know children are born throughout the year, this time of year seems like it's Birthday Party heavy, which is fine by me.  It's so much fun seeing the kiddos enjoy friends, bubbles, a swimming pool of balls, eating grass, swings, and cupcakes.  The moms went all out with decorations, and party themes...everything was so cute!  Here are a few pics for your enjoyment...

Sunday Fun!

The Buda Wiener Dog races were lots of fun today.  Of course there were short legged, long dogs racing towards the finish line, but there were also lots of other fun things to do.  The Oscar Meyer Wiener Dog mobile, the BBQ cookoff, state fair type food, and a slew of booths dedicated to selling all things Dachshund.  We went with The Corrigan's (A&P's cousins) and everyone enjoyed the morning. 





 Once we got home, we were hot, and dusty (Central Texas is in the middle of a draught in case you didn't know).  Jeff and I decided it was time the boys enjoyed a little front yard pool action.  So, we slathered the twins in some sunscreen and in they went!  The water was cold, but A & P had a great time and Jeff got in with them.  Maybe next time we'll try the big neighborhood pool...

A & P in the kitchen

With all the toys we have for them, a plastic red spoon was the winner today.

Happy Easter!

Couple quick picks...


With the flowered cross at Church this morning




Party Animal...




This is a picture of a picture (hence the poor quality).  Andrew and Parker met the Easter Bunny on Thursday....



A&P 10.0

It's hard to believe Andrew and Parker are 10 months old.

Both babies are moble now!  Last weekend, it was like a switch flipped for Andrew.  He had been happy just hanging out, being a baby.  But all of the sudden, it was if he realized his brother was doing things he couldn't, and he was determined to change that.  By Tuesday he was crawling, and pretty soon he'll be pulling up on his own. 

Teeth, teeth, teeth!  The twins are cutting multiple teeth up top.  I'm amazed they are in such good spirits, considering how uncomfortable that must be.  Pretty soon they will have chompers galore!

They are starting to really enjoy being with each other.  It's amazing how different their personalitles are.  For Parker, the most interesteing toy is the one in Andrew's hands.  Andrew thinks it's a game when Parker takes toys from him, and Andrew will just laugh and laugh.  Once Andrew decides it's his turn to take the toy back, Parker pitches a fit.  Oh, how I hope this is not a sign of things to come.  Ha!

They are both eating table food like champs and drinking from sippy cups.  Only three bottles a day, now....much easier than the 8 a day they started with! 

Here are a few recent pictures...including my favorite blue bonnett picture. 

Look at those pearly whites!



These are the bluebonnet moments parents rarely share.



Love love love the swing!

mmm...sippy cups

spaghetti is so fun...

Coo Coo CaChew

That's all for now!

Baptisms, Blue Bonnets, Babies, oh my!

Andrew and Parker were baptized on Sunday, March 27th.  As you can see, the twins dressed up for the big day.  Our dear friend, Ann, got these Hawaiian shirts while on a trip to the islands.  She couldn't be present, but we wanted to include her somehow - thus the babies were baptised in Hawaiian shirts! 

We decided to throw a big party to celebrate, and lots of friends and family came for the big day.  It felt like a first birthday party, which if you think about - it was a sort of first birthday party.  

It was really special to have Grandma Lucy, Nana and Popi (Trish's parents and Grandmother) in town from Florida for the big weekend.  The boys had a great time playing with Grandma Lucy!  We love you Grandma!

This weekend we decided it was time for blue bonnet pictures.  Now or never since they seem sparce this spring.   Below is the only picture that I've been able to upload - not my best work, but I'll upload more later.