These Days

First-borns get 99 percent of the baby books, or so they say. (Totally unscientific statistic, based on verbal reports of slightly bitter grown-up younger siblings.) Everyone else who comes along thereafter gets a motley assortment of unframed, unorganized bits and pieces - if they were lucky enough to squeeze into the picture when the big brother or sister was getting their picture taken. But I bet if all those second-born siblings (and on up) checked, they'd find that their big brother or sister didn't have much added to their baby book after the younger ones arrived on the scene, either. There's just not enough time! For me, who didn't do such a hot job with Rosemary's baby book -- I bought one and never stuck a thing in it - the twins are flying through milestones too fast for me to keep track of. I make a mental note to myself to jot it down somewhere, and then one thing leads to another and I just don't.

So for the record:
Magnolia has rolled over back to front, just once so far. She got really mad.
Sylvia likes to chuckle and chat.
Magnolia is less chuckly, less chatty, but she and I had a serious giggle fest the other day. She just started cracking up for some reason and we kept it going on for a few minutes.
Sylvia likes to stand and will do so happily for quite awhile, and is especially tickled when you only hold her up by the hands, arms extended.
They are both grabbing at things. They can't quite coordinate the all-important skill of getting a bottle to their mouth, but they go cross-eyed trying.
They both think Rosemary is terrific, and she prompts smiles smiles and more smiles.
Sylvie's grown-out crew cut style has worked its way into a sort of Ed Grimley style do.
Naps and bedtimes are becoming a Regular Thing.
Both babies like their tasty thumbs.

Rosie dancing while her buddy Eli works it on the keyboard:

  

Rosemary is all about climbing things and jumping off them, which is especially nice to see since she was once way more cautious.  

R asked the other day if I would put capers on her cream cheese bagel, and when I said, "Of course!" she replied, "Yes! What parent wouldn't want to do what their daughter says?" What parent indeed?

R is all about the in-store sample. At the farmers market there's a stand that always gives away little bits of salty, garlicky sautéed greens on toothpicks. She will stand there and graze until you pull her away. But if you buy the green thing and bring it home and make it, she will reject it outright and be baffled at your bafflement. Even if you serve it as bits on toothpicks. On the sample topic - very cringe-worthy for me - we went into the wine store the other day to buy a couple of bottles, and the table where they often set up wine sampling was empty. R announced LOUDLY, "Too bad, Mom, you missed your wine sample." Ha ha ha, everyone around us, ha ha ha. But I had the last laugh because in fact it was a huge 8 wine sampling in the back requiring a much bigger table! Yes, I know, that's exactly the point.