With just a few short weeks until their FIRST birthday, I thought it prudent to write a summary of their eleventh month before I need to recap their twelfth! It was during their eleventh month that Maddie and Will continued to explore their surroundings and test boundaries. Maddie conquered her fear of the tunnel, and Will came *this* close to walking. They both tried new foods and mastered new "tricks", words, and sounds.
It truly seemed as though some lightbulbs went on for Maddie and Will this month. They suddenly seemed to understand so much of what we said to them. When I say, "Let's go downstairs for our bottles", for example, Will rushes into my arms and Maddie books it to the gate at the top of the stairs. They seem to understand that I typically take Will down the stairs first before returning to retrieve Maddie (Yes, I do wish we lived in a ranch!). Sometimes Maddie may even say "Baba" (bottle?) while crawling towards the gate. Although they can't say many words, they do seem to recognize and respond to several words. If we should ask either Maddie or Will to find "Bucky Badger", they both seem to know what stuffed animal to which we're referring. If I should say, "Let's go eat breakfast", they both start crawling towards the kitchen. And if we should say "no" or "uh-uh" to them...well, chances are likely that we will need to say "no" again. Will, however, is starting to truly dislike hearing "no"; he may respond to such redirection with a crumpled face that is then followed by a fit of tears.
Because they can now understand what we are saying to them and because they can mimic our gestures well, it has been easy for the twins to learn some new "tricks". They give "High Fives" when requested, and are more than happy to show us how big they are. Maddie claps her hands when she is encouraged to do so, while Will does not seem to be a fan of clapping. If holding the comb that came with Maddie's Magical Musical Mirror, both Maddie and Will will pretend to comb their hair if directed to do so.
Though she may not do so on command, Maddie learned to "dance" this month! When music plays (and sometimes when it doesn't), Maddie shows off one of several different dance moves in her repertoire. She twists side to side with her arms clasped together seemingly in prayer or with her arms held out in front of her. She may also sometimes bounce up and down. Maddie does not seem to have a preference for what music she dances to; sometimes, Maddie dances when no music is playing!
While Maddie was busy dancing, Will was working on standing and walking. Will can now stand unsupported for quite some time. He takes the walker on frequent strolls through the living room, hallway, and kitchen. He may even use the kitchen chairs as makeshift walkers, pushing them across the hardwood floor as he walks behind them. Will can walk next to me as I hold his hand. He just hasn't taken those first steps alone yet. Though we encourage him to walk towards us, he often chooses instead to freefall into our laps!
During their tenth month, Will and Maddie seemed to favor "Dada" as a word that they'd babble over and over again. This month, Maddie ditched "Dada" and began saying "Mama" all the time! She said it so clearly that Sue could hear it over the phone while I was talking to her one morning!
Maddie and Will continued to broaden their horizons in the high chair this month as they tried several new foods. While they continued to eat and enjoy some of the foods that they were introduced to during month ten, they tasted the following foods for the first time this month: Peaches, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, waffles/syrup, pancakes, grilled cheese, and broccoli. Maddie and Will both seem to favor macaroni and cheese above all other foods. On their eleven month birthday, in fact, we treated the twins to a trip to Noodles & Co. for a small bowl of their macaroni and cheese. Maddie and Will DEVOURED the bowl, leaving only a small amount left over. We could not put it in front of them fast enough! As much as they enjoyed their meal (and we have pictures to prove it!), they also seemed to enjoy watching staring at the people around them in the restaurant. I suppose we will need to teach them some table manners at some point.
Maddie and Will have both gone through "clingy" phases over the last few months, with this month being no exception. It takes both of them some time to warm up to others, especially those people with which they are unfamiliar or have not seen in some time. In large (5-10) groups of people, Maddie seems less comfortable than Will, who seems to be himself once he has warmed up to the idea of the others. Maddie seems to like knowing that Mama or Daddy is nearby.
Here at home, Maddie conquered one of her fears this month...the tunnel. As documented before on the blog, she avoided the tunnel at all costs for months! She refused to go through it, and cried when she was simply near it! Sometimes it seemed as though she didn't even want to look at it! Then, one day earlier in the month, she suddenly crawled through it as if she had been doing it all her life! Maddie now crawls through the tunnel as though she was never terrified of it. She may even stop while crawling through it to play inside of it!
The twins' eleventh month flew by even faster than months prior! And here we are already, just three weeks from their first birthday, a day that will surely be filled with joy, celebration, and memories (and maybe a few tears for this Mama, too!)!
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