29 August 2007

Babies?

The twins are over fourteen months old now. They walk everywhere. Maddie even runs! They have quite a few words in both Spanish and English. They understand more and more of what they hear every day. They eat the same food that I eat, and they only drink from a bottle right before bed.

They really aren't babies anymore.

And yet, over the weekend, we went to a birthday party for a three-year-old. One of the guests was a little girl who is three weeks older than the twins. She, too, walks and talks and eats grown-up food. She's the same height as the twins and was interested in the same toys and activities.

But if I'd seen her out and about with her parents, I would have guessed that she was months older than Maddie and Riley.

It's so hard for me to adjust to the fact that they are so quickly moving beyond babyhood. I celebrate each step they make as they grow up, and I don't feel particularly nostalgic about leaving the baby stage behind. It's a mental disconnect. I used to be able to reliably identify babies of the twins' age when I was out and about; now I often think that kids just under a year are the same age as mine. In my mind, I stopped aging when I was around 30. For the twins, I've stopped aging them at about ten months. I wonder when I'll make the leap?

Here they are, in all their glory: Toddler Maddie and Toddler Riley.

31 comments:

Sarah said...

Good heavens, but they are cute!

scarp said...

Definitely very cute :)

I've been realizing lately that I need to stop thinking of, and referring to, my 23mo old nephew as a baby boy. It can be hard to move past that stage in your mind.

~ Jolene said...

they're beautiful! I love how Maddie looks like you and Riley looks like his daddy. At least in my opinion. I am 29 years old and according to my mother and father, I'm still their "baby." So will Maddie and Riley be to you. :)

Aimee said...

Wow. They are beautiful! I agree with Jolene... she looks like you and he, his father.

FWIW, I'm in the same boat as you. I've just started to see that my 3 1/2 year old daughter isn't really a toddler anymore, but rather is a little girl. Ouch. It goes by too quickly and I'm with you... I'm in no hurry to see them grow up, and I enjoy celebrating each new milestone.

These days pass quickly. Soon, you'll see you have a little boy and a little girl, too.

Robin J. said...

They're absolutely gorgeous ~

Yankee T said...

They both share parts of each parent, but she is so you and he is so John. And they are stunningly beautiful, both.

I so understand getting stuck at an age with them. It's natural, but I'm not sure why.

Sending my love to you and the babies-er, toddlers.

Klynn said...

AWWWWW! Just too adorable.

Just wait. Boog is really bad lately when I slip up and call him "baby". He gets angry with me and says "I not a baby! I am a BIG BOY!" Hee hee. And he is. He slept in his big boy underwear last night. I've given up my security blanket - aka pull-ups. I can't believe how fast they grow up.

My other "baby" is 14 going on 41, stealing my clothes and my shoes and my makeup. *sigh*

Suz said...

They're adorable!

Lucky said...

Genetics has made them stunning. But they look so happy and healthy, which is all because of you being an amazing mom.

B.E.C.K. said...

OMG, cuteness overload! And they look so happy, too! What beautiful kids you have. :-)

Rev Dr Mom said...

Omg, they are teh cutness! And what Yankee T said about who they look like--so true.

They grow up so fast!

Snickollet said...

They are cute, aren't they? I never get tired of hearing people tell me that they are cute.

About who they look like . . . I think it's interesting that the consensus seems to be that Maddie looks like me and Riley looks like John. To me, Maddie looks very much like John's mother. Granted, most of you have ever seen her, but I really think Maddie is cut from the cloth of her Korean relatives, although she does have my smile and my coloring.

Riley, on the other hand, looks like no one but himself to me. I don't particularly see myself or John in him. He has always been his own little man. But he does have a mammoth head, just like his dad. 95th percentile!

Tiffany said...

I hate how quickly the little ones grow up. You get so excited when they start doing new things. I have recently turned into mom not mama or mommy but mom - and Mikayla is only 2!! I do miss the baby days but I love the 2 year old running around, walking on rail road ties and decided to give the dogs a treat all my herself.

Anonymous said...

They are too cute.

I stopped aging at 16. Hmmm.

amber said...

i just let out the biggest "ahhhhh!" your babies are just precious. thanks for posting these pics :-)

soralis said...

They are so cute.. I called my boys babies until their sister was born and they were 23 months old! I hate letting go of the baby stage!

winecat said...

They are SO cute. I love this chubby cheek age.

Anonymous said...

They are just gorgeous! I love both of their big, gaping smiles too. Beautiful!

L said...

They are so cute.
My best advice as a mother of a six-year-old is to savor that babyhood for all it's worth. I couldn't wait for my eldest to reach all those milestones. But now he is six and there is no trace of a baby in that boy.
And I miss that baby. *Sniff*

Aimee said...

You children are beautiful! I love your blog and have been following your story for quite sometime. I just wanted to say HI!

Kris said...

they are both so gorgeous!

Angela said...

My son will be 2 next month and I don't know how he got so old.
When people ask me my age I have to stop and think for a minute.

Tulip and Turnip said...

Beautiful, beautiful babies.

Anonymous said...

Oh Snick, they are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Jill

Kim said...

Those are two adorable kids you have! My little man is going to be 2 in 2 weeks and I'm a little choked up about that! And there is nothing wrong with big headed kids LOL I remember at my ultrasound near the end when they told Morgan's head was in the 98th percentile... and his legs in the 50th! HAHA And how he's super tall - he's only been on the chart for height and weight once in his life and other than that, he's been charted in the blue area. So at least he has a big body for his big noggin! LOL

buggsmommy said...

They adorable...and looking like such toddlers! Amazing.

Um, I notice Riley has that snack cup (the one where he can get things out, but they won't fall out...) Is that a good purchase? Just wondering :)

The Momcaster said...

they are GORGEOUS! thanks for sharing!

uberimma said...

They can still be babies! My 16-mo is walking and starting to talk, but he's still totally a baby to me. I don't see any need to declare them toddlers just because they're walking. Let them stay babies a while longer... it only comes around once.

And they're gorgeous, of course! :)

Liz Miller said...

They are so beautiful and happy and healthy!

Anonymous said...

Wow! They look even more toddler-like than when I saw them a couple weeks ago. Such cute kids you have.

Leslie M-B said...

So. damn. cute. Especially the little teeth!

We still refer to my son occasionally as "the baby." He turns 2 today.

Wah!