I Have Two Boys

Yes, it's true. I have two furry boys. That's not who I'm referring to though.

In August 2010, Jenn and I were on vacation in Cape Cod with some friends. For fun, I went to see a palm reader. I had never seen a psychic before and quite honestly, didn't want to spend the money on it. This palm reader only cost $10 so I figured, why not. I told him nothing about myself. Literally nothing. He quickly started saying very specific things about my life. It was eery. He then asked me about the twins in my family. I don't have twins in my family, I told him, completely forgetting that my grandfather had a twin sister. Hmm, he said, puzzled but still sure of himself. Well, you're going to have twin boys, he then tells me. He goes on to say that October is going to be a very big month pregnancy-wise. Hearing that brought a sigh of relief. I know, he's a $10 psychic. We had already done four inseminations with no luck so I was willing to grab onto anything. October first rolled around and I took a pregnancy test. Positive. Our fifth insemination had worked. October twenty-something rolled around. First ultrasound. Twins.

Long before the $10 psychic, I just knew I was going to have boys. I started babysitting in my early teens. I babysat a ton of boys. I loved it. We would build forts and obstacle courses. We would play road hockey and baseball. We would roughhouse and have wrestling matches. As the years went on and I thought about having my own kids one day, I always pictured myself with boys.

Imagine my surprise on New Years Eve 2010, when the ultrasound tech told us that we were having two girls. To be clear, I was surprised but not disappointed. I was having two beautiful, healthy babies and that was all I cared about.

So, what's with the title of my blog entry? I have two girls who are so much like boys. If you have boys, please don't be offended. I'm simply playing on the stereotypes of little boys. For the record, I know many little boys who don't do any of what I'm about to describe!

1) T&Q eat like stereotypical boys - grabbing massive handfuls and shoveling food into their mouths. We were in the park the other day with my friend and her twin boys. I offered the boys some grapes from a bowl. They carefully took one at a time. My girls then shoved their way in to grab as many as their little hands would allow. [This has happened with my friend's daughter as well]
2) They are pushy and rough! Quinn, especially, will push anyone out of the way to get what she wants. They love to roughhouse, climbing all over Jenn or me or each other.
3) They never stop moving. Parents of little boys will often tell me that their son(s) are exhaustingly active. A trip to the park is no longer restricted to the blanket that I've laid out. On some days, I'm counting the minutes until afternoon nap time.
4) They get into EVERYTHING. Ok, I know that most babies are like this. But, based on what I've seen with our friends' children, mine do this more than most. Within minutes of being at the park with friends, Teagan had taken everything out of her diaper bag and proceeded to rip the wipes out one by one in order to put them in her mouth. She then moved onto the stroller, throwing out everything that was in the basket underneath it. At the same time, Quinn was stealing her children's food and hoarding it like I never feed her, while attempting to also steal the utensils that her son was holding.

Regardless of whether they sometimes act like little boys or not, I will be just as happy if they end up doing ballet and dance (or figure skating, if my Mom has her way!). I find it so interesting that I could feel so sure about something and have it go the opposite direction...but not really. It really doesn't matter. Teagan and Quinn are so full of life and personality. I couldn't be happier with my two monkeys!

Adventures in Food: 1 year+

If you have a food allergy or you've ever gone on a restrictive diet, you can probably appreciate how challenging it can be to eat healthy meals at a restaurant and on the go, but also at home. It takes planning and preparation. The girls eat a dairy and wheat-free diet, which takes time on my end.

Teagan and Quinn now eat three solid meals per day. They also breastfeed morning and night, as well as after their two naps. Each meal includes a protein and a veggie or two. Usually, I will give them some fruit as dessert.

Watching them eat is fascinating. They eat off of 3-sectioned plates. I will separate each food out. It is interesting to watch the order in which they eat. For instance, despite fruit being on her plate, Teagan will eat eggs first. Tonight, Quinn devoured the fish on her plate before anything else.  Quinn also adores carrots and will usually polish those off quickly. They both love berries, especially blueberries. Teagan isn't a fan of asparagus, but fortunately, that is the extent of the dislikes. Asparagus makes your pee smell anyways! Overall, they are fantastic eaters, which is a joy to see considering I spend a good amount of time planning and preparing their meals. When their meals are ready, I will sign eat and ask them "Do you want to eat [breakfast, lunch, dinner]?" They usually come flying over to their high chairs anxiously awaiting their meal.

As I mentioned earlier, the girls are dairy-free. They breastfeed four times per day so they're getting lots of milk in that way. I also make sure they get plenty of calcium and fat (the reason that cow's milk is heavily pushed on toddlers) from other foods. I shared my thoughts on dairy in a previous post. Wheat is so heavily processed these days, it is virtually void of all nutrition. While Jenn and I are not wheat-free, we do not eat a ton of wheat products.

Even though they're dairy and wheat-free, this doesn't mean that they will never get to enjoy an ice cream on a hot summer day or eat a delicious homemade grilled cheese sandwich. I can't and won't control what they eat when they go on play dates in the years to come. Quinn tried wheat about a month ago when she stole homemade zucchini bread from her friend's hand and shoved it in her mouth like she hadn't eaten in a week.

Right now, my goal is to develop their palates for healthy, whole (not processed) food. I want them to try lots of different foods and hope that they remain open-minded in the months and years to come. I use a variety of spices, as well as fresh garlic and ginger. I try to make different ethnic dishes each week. They eat with such gusto, usually making "mmmm" noises while they munch away. I absolutely love it and can only hope that that never changes!

13 Months Old!

"The days go slowly but the years fly by." Many versions of this quotation have been said to me in the last 13 months. I get it. The difference though is that my days also fly by with these two.

• The biggest happening in the last month is Quinn officially taking off as a walker. I took a video on Monday and even since then, her walking has drastically improved. She's practically running now. Teagan is close. I just know it. She can stand easily without using something to push herself up. It's just a matter of her gaining the confidence to take that first step. Soon enough :)

• There is definitely a bit of "twin talk" developing between these two. The other day I caught them standing face to face in their cribs chatting away. 

• Teething is a constant in this household. Quinn has 6 teeth now. Teagan still has 4, but it looks like 2 more top teeth are on their way. 

• Quinn is a bully. She is the most determined and strong-willed 13 month old I've ever seen. She will push and stove any kid, big or small, in order to get the toy that he/she has. She is constantly pushing her sister around. She's lucky that her sister is so easy going, most of the time! 

• Teagan is the queen of independent play. She will entertain herself in the corner for 30 minutes with something as simple as a block. She also adores books and will happily sit in her reading chair flipping through a book. She definitely beats to her own drum. 

• They continue to be fantastic eaters. I won't say much about food because I'm working on a post (coming soon!). Teagan adores tofu, but also loved my homemade beef meatballs. Jenn is happy that her daughter isn't too "crunchy." I took offense because I love tofu and am somewhat crunchy myself! They have huge appetites. I don't know where they put it all. 

Happy 13 months my girls!