22- 23 Months Old

Quick peek at life with our 22 (edit: now 23) month olds:

• It finally happened- I didn't get my act together in time to write a monthly update while they were 22 months old. I started this list several weeks ago, and they just turned 23 months a couple days ago. So, a combined 22-23 month list. I seriously can't believe my babies are almost 2!
• I am regularly amazed at how well they understand what we're saying. Last night we played a game for about 15 minutes where I just asked them to point to or bring me random objects- the slide, the couch, chairs, a giraffe, a truck, a telephone- and they didn't miss a beat. Our smart little cookies.
• Their language is also exploding. More and more they are starting to string together 2-3 word sentences. They love to randomly shout out and sign words, too. Lately we're on a kick where they sign and say Mama, Nana, Dada, and Papa.
• I think their favorite word right now is "No". Any time we ask them to do something, the answer is no. "Do you want to share that with your brother?" "No." "Do you want to brush your teeth?" "No." About the only thing that they will say yes to is going outside to play.
• Trucks, cars, and tractors are still their favorites. They have also started acting interested in bikes, which is funny since they don't have one of their own. The sign language DVD that we watch taught them how to say bike, and now the like to pretend to cycle by turning a shopping cart on its side and straddling it. We would like to get them balance bikes for their birthday- I think they would LOVE them! The question now is- do we get one for them to share (and inevitably deal with screaming tantrums when the other 2 can't use it) or get them all their own (and risk having one of them make a break away if we get distracted by the other 2)...these are the tough decisions triplet parents have to make! 
• They've also recently become interested in "panes" and will actively search for airplanes in the sky when we are outside.
• All 3 of them are getting better at using their fine motor skills. Every night when I am putting on their PJ's they love to help me zip them up, and then cheer and applaud their success. :)
• Their morning wake up is getting earlier and earlier. Boo. In the past, they would sleep solidly until about 7:45 or 8:00 each morning. Lately, though, they've been up and atem anywhere between 6:30 and 7:00. Fortunately they are content to hang in their cribs and play with each other, but I have a feeling 7:00 AM is the new 8:00 AM in this house.
• We are trying to get them outside to play in the backyard as much as we can these days. They truly love nothing more than exploring the yard. We look for bugs (or bums, as Cooper calls them), sticks, rocks, golf balls, birds, trees, leaves, grass, and air planes. They are endlessly entertained by the golfers who drive by, and I think they equally entertain the golfers when they run up to the fence and yell "hi!" as they pass by. Almost every time we go outside we find at least one golf ball in our yard- those are prized possessions. One afternoon a golfer saw one of the boys carrying around a ball, and when he saw that the other 2 didn't have one, he dropped a few more off with us. People are quite charmed by our little men. :)
  
  

  

  These 2 love climbing

  
  

  

  Sweet smile

• Griffin is our biggest explorer outside. He loves digging in the dirt and will often run around with a stick in one hand and a rock (or several) in the other. He knows exactly where the rocks are in the landscaping and will make a beeline for his rock stash as soon as we let them outside. I do periodic checks to be sure he's not eating any of the rocks- he's gotten good about opening his mouth very wide and showing me his tongue when I ask him to show me his mouth when we are outside.
• I think Will is going to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a golfer. The kid loves to play with golf clubs and is getting pretty good at making contact with the ball! We were outside the other day, playing with our newly found golf balls, and I caught Will using a stick to try and hit the ball. I foresee lots of daddy/Will time at the driving range as soon as he's old enough to have his own set of clubs!

  

  Kid loves his golf!

• They are getting very good about acknowledging each other by their names. Will is still the easiest name for them to say. Griffin is still "Der" and Cooper is still "Per" for now. 
• Tantrums are becoming more and more of a thing around the house, especially for Cooper. Will and Griffin can both carry on with the best of them, but they are still easily distracted if you redirect them. Griffin can usually be calmed as soon as the offending brother hands him back his truck. Cooper, though, has entered into the stage where he will scream and carry on for what feels like forever, and nothing can calm him. Last night he was mad because he didn't want to eat his grilled cheese and broccoli tots for dinner. So he screamed for the ENTIRE meal. Ugh, it's exhausting. Thankfully he is very capable of being a sweet, happy boy, too...most of the time.
• They are still obsessed with books, and have many of their favorites memorized. We're at a point now where we can stop mid-sentence, and they will finish the line for us. I'm looking forward to lots of library story times this summer!

  

  Reading with Aunt Cari (Terri as Will calls her)

• We're not there yet, but I think potty training is on the horizon. They increasingly show interest in the potty, and are definitely starting to show signs that they are almost ready to take the training plunge. I've started putting them backwards on the toilet as their bath water fills up. No one has gone in the toilet yet, but I want them to get used to it. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We have started working on counting, currently the number 2 is their favorite. Will happily yells out that he is "TWO!!!" when you ask him how old he is, and they all love to point out when they are holding two of anything. 

  

  How Will eats pancakces- stack 'em up

  
  

  

  3 peas in a pod

• Speaking of counting, we have been giving them a countdown lately- "one more minute until bedtime". They have taken to asking for "one more" minute now, especially when it involves getting to stay outside for a few extra minutes! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Probably time to face the fact that they won't all fit on my lap any longer!

  
  

  

  I caught Will and Cooper sitting like this at the computer the other day