18 months old!

On July 2nd the girls hit the ol' 18 month mark. I love this for many reasons but one of them is that now I can say they're a year and a half old when asked their age! I always cringe when toddlers ages are referred to in months.

The biggest change I've noticed over the past month is the increased vocabulary in both girls. We joked with our Pediatrician at their wellness check when he asked if they could say five words....Um yes they said five works at a year old. They can say a hundred (actually I'm pretty sure Rasa has hit the 200 word mark). Adia picks up new words every single day and uses them in context. Rasa is saying two and three word sentences on a very consistent basis now. It's really neat to see her use my and I when referring to something she's doing. We're still doing new sign language because they enjoy it so much and I know that having that foundation is the reason they are advanced in their vocabulary.


Rasa Bea also referred to by Adia as RaRa & Sissy

Rasa Rasa Rasa. Where to start. She definitely has the "first born" tendencies. I know she's only 1 minute older but let me tell you, she was meant to be born first. She follows the rules, enforces the rules "NO NO NO NO Sissy!", "Uh Uh Uh Oh", "Momma! Sissy!!" while running into the room pointing for me to follow. It can only mean one thing, Adia's up to no good and she's always right. Rasa is also the mother hen and likes to take care of all of us and every baby doll that lives here. She makes sure I have a blanket when I lay down, pats my face and gives me good night kisses, hugs Adia when she cries, and gets very concerned if we start eating without Adia in her highchair.

Rasa loves me to give her foot rubs and sticks her feet in my face every night before bed. It's the only way I can get her to sleep. Since she has the most edible little toes I personally love this request.


She loves books, kitties, puppies, babies, Nanna and waving and saying hello to strangers. She's coordinated and loves to climb and RUN. She can run like the wind. Strangers even comment on it. It's those long beautiful legs. Speaking of which she's shot up to the 75-90% for height putting on another two inches in three months! She's in the 40-50% for weight and is a very very good eater. She reads more than she does anything else. We seriously have 200+ books and she knows them by name. Her current favorite is "Gossie" and she likes to say all of the names of the other animals in the book.

Rasa is now making her stuffed animals stand up and talk. She'll hold them upright and dance them around while making them talk in a different voice!


Adia also referred to by Rasa as Sissy

To say Adia is a little clown would be a huge understatement. She loves making people laugh and she does it quite well. She's mischievous and likes to tease her sensitive sister. Rasa will want something Adia has really bad and Adia will wave it in front of Rasa's face and act like she's going to hand it to her and then pull it away right as Rasa reaches for it and then laughs hysterically. Naughty naughty! On the flip side Adia can crawl into any tiny little space and when Rasa drops something or a toy rolls underneath something she will climb or crawl under to retrieve it for her.

She's BUSY BUSY BUSY and moves non stop all day long. She likes to be given tasks to do like picking up toys and putting them in bins or picking up something to put it somewhere else. She follows directions incredibly well and loves to help. I think she's going to be a workhorse like her Papa Greg. She's got the tiniest hands and fingers but she's very coordinated and likes to use them to pull things apart or untie things. She likes to flip things upside to see what's inside and spends a lot of time trying to figure out the inner workings of things. She's my little engineer.


Adia's been busy growing too and shot up an inch and a half in three months and put on two whole pounds! She's still in the 10 - 25% for weight but is now in the 50-75% for height. She's still a tiny peanut in size 12 month clothes.

Adia loves books, music, maracas, animals and BABIES. Oh she loves babies. She can't control herself when we're out and we run into a baby or she sees a picture of a baby or a drawing of a baby. She likes to push her own baby in the baby stroller, take her out to burp her and put her back.

The girls are in a music class each week and she loves it along with the CD of the songs we sing for at home. Her and Rasa will say "DANCE!" and it means they want to hear their CD so we can all dance. My Mom bought them maracas and they love to shake them and dance to the music.

Both girls are affectionate and loving to each other. Adia loves to sit on Rasa's lap and Rasa loves to pat Adia and kiss her head. When an "accident" happens between the two of them they know how to "say you're sorry" by giving a hug and kiss and amazingly it still works to calm both of them down. They immediately get over it and move on. A lesson most of the grown ups I know could use!

Royce and I have noticed how much independance they've now got from us. We'll be pulling them in the wagon and they're not paying any attention to us or our conversation. They're busy having their own conversation. They play together - really play with each other, not just next to each other. They have SO MUCH FUN together every single day.

The competition is on. Not so much that they want to out do each other but they want everyone around to do the same to each of them. If you kiss Adia and tell her good job, Rasa demands a kiss and a good job. When their Dr. was listening to Rasa's heart Adia yelled and patted her chest for him to do her NOW! When Adia climbs on the table and tries to jump off Rasa must follow and do the same. I've said before I do everything twice in a row and it's never been more true than now!

These girls are the breath that keeps me alive. I don't know any other way to express how much they mean to me. Every time I think of them I'm completely overwhelmed with love and affection. They are so deeply rooted into my heart and so much a part of me I can't remember what life was like before them. I appreciate them as much as any Mom ever could and as they grow, as I grow too, I can only imagine the things they will do and the things we will do together. The lessons they'll teach me and the beauty and talent that will continue to mature. I will never take lightly the responsibility of raising them, teaching them and loving them.

Adia and Rasa, you are my heart and soul and I love every single bit and piece of you. In my wildest dreams I could never have dreamt up two more amazing and beautiful daughters, inside and out.