Twins Update...TWO YEARS!!!

*Apparently I am just running a month behind in bog posting for 2017.

...We kept your 2nd birthday celebration simple. Cake, ice cream, and presents with some family. It was perfect. I can't believe it's been 2 years since you were TEENY TINY 3 1/2 lb newborns. God has brought you and our family so far. It's beautiful and bittersweet to watch you grow.

• Stats: 
• 22 1/2 mo. adjusted!
• Mostly 12-18 mo. clothing (depending on the brand), still some 6-12 mo.
• Size 4 diapers 
• Both of you are drooling like crazy, and Hazel, you put your fingers in your mouth all the time- so I'm thinking those 2 year molars are just around the corner. 
• Both of you are still on the adjusted preemie chart...
• Hazel: height:  32%tile at 32.9 inches, weight: 22%tile at 22 lbs 6 ounces, (5%tile on reg. chart) head: 77%tile
• Scarlett: height:  32%tile at 32.9 inches, weight: 19%tile at 22 lbs 2 ounces, (4%tile on reg. chart) head: 65%tile
• In summary, you're both tiny with big heads. Just like big sister. Your 2 yr stats are almost identical to Grey's. 
• Schedule: 
• 6:45-7:30 Wake!  Your are pretty content to hang out in your cribs still, and big sister has started going in to entertain you both. It's perfect on Saturdays because mommy and daddy get to lay in bed a little longer before starting the day. You go down for between 7-7:30.
• On work days, I wake you up at 6:15 and you are ready for bed at 7!
• You both take one long nap in the afternoon now. Usually going down between 12:30 and 1.
• Eating: 
• You occasionally drink milk, but we are all water here now!
• You will eat pretty much anything, but definitely are toddlers and like one thing one day and hate it the next. 
• Some favorites include: any and ALL dips (RANCH, ketchup, Chick-fil-a sauce), pickles, pancakes or waffles, sweet potatoes, sausage, crackers, and Chick-fil-a (We started going here most Thursdays before Grey's dance class back in April and it's been a lovely little way to eat lunch once a week!)
• Hazel, you still hate most fruits, but will eat anything savory.

• Sleep: You both continue to bless me more than you know! You continue to be rockstar sleepers! Scarlett, you used to cry every time we laid you down, but now, we cover you up and you don't make a peep. Hazel, you are now the one that wants us to stay in there forever and rub your back. :)

• Potty Training: I'm posting this late, so I'll include that on August 1st, we did a mini-potty training attempt. Hazel, you show every sign of being ready, but you're still so young. It was a great attempt, you sat on the potty 7-8 times and LOVED wearing panties, but you hardly drink anything and didn't like juice, so you only peed once from 8-11am, and of course I missed it because I was helping Grey fix a toy. We'll try again soon when daddy is home or can take your sisters away. Scarlett, you're not as interested as Hazel, so we haven't attempted for you yet. I think once Hazel starts, you won't be far behind because you two are the biggest copy cats!! I'm in no rush in this area, but not paying for diapers does sound lovely.
• Personality:
• Nicknames:
• Scarlett: Scar, Scarly, Scarletta Gene, Scarlett Genie, Little Lett, Lettie Lou
• Hazel: Hazel Pie, Hazey, H.L., Haze-elle, Crazy Hazey, Happy Hazel
• Hazel- You are the happiest of toddlers!!! Goodness, your happy-go-lucky attitude is contagious. Not much gets you down, but when something does...well, you're very passionate about it. You can scream louder and higher pitched than anyone I know. Also, you LOVE pink, like must have anything around that is pink.
• Scarlett- You are still just as sweet and sassy as can be. You make the funniest faces at us all the time. You wear your heart on your sleeve and your mood is always easy to assess.
• Your fits have slowed down as you have learned what it means when I give you "the look" or threaten timeout. You also can communicate better, so that helps a ton.
• Friends/Relationships: 
• Same- You both love your mommy, daddy, and big sister. You are super leery of strangers and do not like change. You're comfortable going to your class at church, but still scream bloody murder and take a death grip when a babysitter comes into our house.
• On the Twin thing: It's still every bit as amazing to watch as the days and months before. You can fight likes cats and hug and kiss all within 10 seconds. You laugh and giggle together and...pretty much everything you do is so sweet. You still really haven't been apart for more than a few hours (aside form sick days at school). I really can't imagine the day when you will have different teachers and different lives. Ha!
• Discipline: 
• We are still using time outs, but threatening you with timeout at this point seems to help stop the behavior.
• Play: You both love dancing, singing, coloring, BEING OUTSIDE, trying to do what sister does, climbing on everything, playing with buckles/latches, and BABIES!!
• Speak/Communication: You are both talking machines!!! I'm not sure if you've developed faster in this area because of having an older sibling, or what...You have many, many words, and speak in small sentences. Some of our favorites to hear you say: "Where ___ go?" (while holding up your hands in wonder), "I want ___," (down, walk, pink) "Help me"...
• Development and Learning: 
• Scarlett, singing E-I-E-I-O is you favorite thing in the world, quickly followed by Twinkle, Twinkle... 
• You both have excellent receptive language and can follow commands (when you want) 
• You love trying out anything the other is doing, or big sister.
• Other big events: 
• I had Gigi cut your mullets (or trim them up) long before your 2nd birthday, they were just too terrible.
• Parent Struggles: I think the flat out refusal to do what we ask you to. Specifically at eating times.
• Prayers: Father God, we pray for these little lives. That you would work in their hearts and that seeds would be planted for them to begin understanding your love for them. Help Jared and I model what it means to follow you. Amen.