New type of head banging

Daddy has lost his bedtime privileges.

I’m not taking it personally though, its one of those things. It’s kind of weird. She’s super excited when I come home from work. We play and rough house. But the last few nights when I sit down in the chair for our nightly routine she screams bloody murder and mom has to put her down. Is it the over stimulation and lack of sleep she’s had the last few days? Could it be that her teeth are painful and she wants the comfort of mom? (She’s practically sticking her whole fist in her mouth now and the lower molars are working their way out.) Or daddy has a new role. We’ll well see how the next few days pan out since I am finally on vacation and will be home in the mornings too.

This past week day care was closed. The Moms traded taking care of the girls (Hannah & Stella). It was interesting to be able to directly compare personality traits. I’ve always admired how Suzanne and Daniel could show such insight to the personalities of the twins. Stella is Stella we have no other point of reference. But this week we did. But then the question is where is your reference line? How do you compare?

I could make a blanket stereotype statement that Hannah is a hog. A downright cookie monster. She devours everything in sight. Stella doesn’t even have a chance to grab any food. But it also could be that Stella isn’t as assertive…nah we know she goes after what she wants. Or maybe it’s that Stella continues in the line of very slow eaters. We do have to beg her to eat sometimes. Who knows but it is a fact that after Hannah left the other day, Maja brought out a snack for Stella so she could have some food too.

Stella doesn’t have a sweet tooth. Often she’ll want a cookie, take a bite and want nothing more to do with it. Usually sneaking it to Holly. Stella received a red Christmas boot for Nicolas day stuffed with all sorts of wrapped chocolate bon bons. She has had this boot for two weeks now. She loves carrying it around, taking the bon bons out and putting them back in. Just playing. Then Hannah came over. Before Maja could say anything Hannah downed 2 bon bons, needless to say the boot is now empty.

The two are also funny, copying each other. Whatever one is doing, the other has to do it too. Their favorite game is still by far sitting on the piano next to each other banging away. I see duets in the future.
Stella loves the game of scaring you or being scared. She’ll hide around the corner then stick her head out. She has this funny little grin, sticking her bottom jaw out, drawing her lips tight. Holding her hands clasped together and squinting her eyes at you, she’ll throw her head back and give a quiet and ghostly “boo”. Then giggle with joy as you act startled.

This evening Stella wanted to be put in her bed. Not to sleep but to play. It was as if someone has wound her up and then let go. She spun around, running back and forth. Throwing herself to the ground, moving her animals from one end to the other. Having so many close calls with banging her head on the sides that made mommy and daddy cringe. I almost couldn’t watch any more. And of course the main activity, grabbing the crib rail and jumping up and down like a hyperactive chimpanzee on speed. Yes, the mattress will be lowered tomorrow.

She had us rolling on the floor with laughter. She took her teddy bear and had him jumping up and down, just like “the monkeys on the bed.” Then all of a sudden she smashed his head on the bed railing. She then paused as if in reflection and then said “Owa” And with that he fell to the mattress arms and legs sprawled in every which direction. Maja said, yes you hurt teddy, you need to blow on his booboo and give him a kiss to make him feel better. And with that she bent down, picked teddy up and blew on his forehead. Then she put teddy down and after prompting from Maja, she covered the teddy with a blanket.

This was only a momentary lapse in activity because she promptly started running from one end of the crib to the other
again. Spinning and throwing the animals out of the crib. She threw a fit if we tried to get her out. However, her laughter was infectious and we all had a good time.