The cold, dark days of winter made the twins' tenth month one of our longest. After a busy holiday season that took us from one festive gathering to another, we spent most of the babies' tenth month at home, venturing out only to go to Dakota's birthday party, to a couple doctor's appointments, or to frolic in the snow in the backyard. Otherwise, the cold and snow kept us indoors. Maddie and Will didn't seem to mind our hibernation as much as we sometimes did; they are content to play their days away!
If I had to sum up the twins' tenth month in one word, I would choose 'exploration', for it was during their tenth month that they explored their surroundings in ways they never had before. It was though their eyes were opened to areas of our home that they had never previously noticed. Their tenth month found Maddie and Will crawling over and under chairs underneath the kitchen table, pulling books and magazines out from the bottom shelf of the bookcase in the den, and knocking over the picture frames on the bottom shelf of the table in the front hallway. At one time, we were able to keep Maddie and Will on a blanket in the living room. Now, we don't even bother with a blanket, as the twins go where they want to go when they want to go there. There's no holding them back...except, of course, with baby gates and safety locks, installed just in the nick of time! Jim was a babyproofing machine this month, anchoring furniture to walls, and installing locks on everything from doors and drawers to cabinets and toilets. It seemed that as soon as Jim finished a babyproofing task, one of the two would put it to the test. Poor Jim could hardly keep up with them!
It was difficult for anyone to keep up with Maddie and Will this month. They've become faster on all fours. Gone are the days of the army crawl, and Will's unique swim/crawl is ancient history! Walking isn't too far into the future for Will, who now "walks" back and forth across the living room with the support of his walker. Such mobility has made it difficult to keep the twins out of trouble, as both of them seem to know exactly when Mama is busy with the other so that he/she will have the opportunity to play in Bailey's water bowl or open up the Diaper Champ. We have actually begun to "discipline" Maddie and Will with stern voices and redirection. Maddie generally responds to our "No's" and "Uh-oh's", but Will...not so much. In fact, he will crawl right back to what had gotten him into trouble in the first place right after being "redirected".
For as mischievious as they can be, Maddie and Will sure are adorable! They have mastered the wave to bid someone hello or goodbye, and frequently wave to each other while seated in their high chairs. Will loves to wave to people who may or may not be passing by the house in their cars at the living room windows, and will even wave goodbye to Jim and me as we are leaving the house. Unprompted, Will waved goodbye to his therapist as we were thanking her for her services and support on Will's "graduation day". Along with the wave, Will and Maddie both utter a sound that closely resembles, "Hi"/"Bye".
As for other "words", Maddie and Will both favored "Dada" during their tenth month. Whether it was with intention or not, they said it constantly! I thought that the tide was turning in "Mama's" favor when I heard Maddie say "Mama" as I entered the bedroom to pick her up out of the Pack n' Play after a nap, but the incident must have been a fluke, as I didn't hear it again during the month. After learning a few signs from Renee, Maddie and Will both seem to know the sign for "more", with Will even signing it when I pull him away from his toys (He's either signing or clapping...the movements are similar!).
Maddie and Will both love their toys! They both love to rifle through our many baskets of toys, pulling out one after another until the entire floor is covered with rattles, balls, stuffed animals, and blocks. It now takes much longer to clean up at the end of our play sessions! Maddie has a difficult time moving away from play, crying hard if toys are taken away from her. Oftentimes, she "smuggles" toys in her hands as we carry her to her high chair or crib. With all of the toys in the house, one would think that there would be plenty of toys to go around, but Maddie and Will occasionally have difficulty sharing. Will frequently spends days chasing Maddie around, looking to take away the toy that she has in her hands. Sometimes he succeeds, and Maddie moves on to the next toy without complaint. Sometimes he succeeds, and Maddie reacts by crying and angrily throwing her body on the floor. Sometimes...well, sometimes...Maddie beats her brother in the face with the toy that he is trying to grab, as she did near the end of their tenth month. I suppose we all can handle only so much before we break, right?
It has become fairly clear to us, though, that Maddie does have a bit of a temper. She reacts to frustration and disappointment with angry cries and dramatic "tantrums". It can take her some time to calm down after such fits, and when she does settle down, she is often so tired out from her emotional outburst that she remains sensitive for a while. The end of the day is particularly difficult for Maddie; Jim rarely gets to see his girl at her best. Will, on the other hand, is our goofball - always silly, always looking for a laugh. Don't get us wrong - he definitely has his moments! His tears mostly stem from falls these days, especially now that his helmet is gone. Will climbs and stands at every opportunity and regularly finds himself in precarious situations that can only end in injury.
The world of "table food" opened to Maddie and Will during their tenth month. With their doctor giving us the go-ahead at their nine-month appointment, we introduced the twins to "real" foods this month. Just as it was when we introduced solids, Will readily took to these foods, while Maddie took some time to adjust (She may, in fact, still be adjusting to some foods!). In the last month, Maddie and Will have been introduced to Cheerios, Gerber Puffs and Melts, bananas (mashed and diced), blueberries, pears, nectarines, yogurt, applesauce, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, avocado, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, Spaghettio's (Annie's version), ground turkey, and several Gerber Stage 3 meals. Maddie's favorites include pears, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, avocado, and macaroni and cheese. She refused to eat the mashed potatoes and the ground turkey. Will, too, did not care for the turkey (It may have been too dry.). He tolerated the potatoes. He devoured everything else. Will is now at the point that he insists on feeding himself (unless it requires the use of a spoon), while Maddie is still figuring out how to get the food in her hand into her mouth. With the addition of all of these new table foods and with two novice eaters, mealtime has become very messy! Never before have I so appreciated Bailey! He can finally start earning his keep! I don't think that he minds!
It seems surreal that Maddie and Will will celebrate their first birthday in just 7 weeks. I would love for them to pass slowly, but I know that they'll fly by just as quickly as the last 10 months have!
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