OMG! Our sweet little baby boys aren’t babies any more. Last night we kissed them good night for the last time as 1 year olds. Today they are big boys turning two years old. It’s convenient because “two” is the only number Henry knows. If you ask Henry how old he is, he proudly says, “TWO!”
Every day they continue to amaze us and make us laugh. It’s crazy how the smallest and silliest things are hilarious over and over again (both for us and for them). For example, one of Henry’s funny phrases is “Oh shoot”…and we make him repeat it ad nauseam.
Both boys have the best laughs and giggles…but in their own different ways. Joey definitely has a sense of humor…it’s just that nobody else gets it yet. But he will find certain things hilarious and laugh uproariously at them. He also loves to crack up his brother and on the rare occasions that he actually acknowledges Henry as someone other than an obstacle between him and toys or Mama, he will make him laugh and laugh.
Joey has suddenly decided to learn most of the letters of the alphabet, and he will proudly announce the letter “B” whenever he sees it (he knows other letters, but “B” is his favorite). Henry mostly knows the letter “O”, and he is quite excited to share his knowledge with everyone else. Joey loves reading books, and Henry is very into puzzles. They are both obsessed with their Magna-Doodle (although we suspect Joey’s interest in that toy is bolstered by the fact that Henry loves it).
Somehow, even with meat-appreciating parents, Henry and Joey have decided to be vegetarians. It’s possible that Joey has been influenced by the late Steve Jobs to become a “fruitarian” – he loves all kinds of fruit and eats other items only when cajoled. Henry is a very picky eater and other than breakfast sausage, turns his nose up at most meat. Even when we assure him that it is free-range, organic, and also that he will get a cookie if he eats it. Both boys love pancakes and waffles.
Henry loves his sister Sophia – he gives her hugs and snuggles up to her in her bouncy seat. Joey, on the other hand, mostly seems to view his baby sister as an occupant of Mama’s lap when he wants to sit there himself.
Henry is very concerned about his brother and is always on the lookout for him. The first thing Henry calls for in the morning is not “Mama” or “Da”…but “JOE!” He will bring Joey’s bear(s) to him when he finds them, and loves to point at Joey and shout his name. However, Joey has yet to learn how to say Henry’s name, and refers to him as “Eh”. Seriously.
Both boys love to run and spin and be physical. Joey has recently learned how to jump up and down, and is one strong little dude – he can hang from a bar and pull his legs up on an “L” shape. Henry, on the other hand, would rather run back and forth or walk around on his tiptoes. They are both enjoying one on one time with mama and going to gymnastics classes at My Gym.
As you might expect, a household with twin toddlers can consist of a lot of the word “no”. The boys are very much in a “testing” phase, especially Henry, who thinks sitting on the “naughty step” is a game. They also (obviously) don’t understand consequences, and if we say to one of them “If you do that again, you are going on the naughty step”, they will go directly to the step and sit down.
Joey is much more helpful than Henry, who tends to disappear whenever it is time to pick up the toys. Joey is also very concerned with throwing things in the garbage, and if he gets very upset if we don’t let him throw things away.
The boys had a wonderful Christmas and although they didn’t quite get it this year, they definitely enjoyed getting new toys and unwrapping presents. Henry loved seeing pictures of Santa and calls him “Ho Ho.” When you ask Joey to say Santa, he likes to whisper “Tanta.”
Even though we know this year will bring the terrible twos in full force, we are so excited to see what each day will bring. We can’t believe that just two years ago they were teeny tiny little peanuts. And just one year ago, they weren’t walking or talking and Joey had no hair! And next year they’ll be reading, writing, doing simple algebra and probably riding a two wheeler. 
Henry and Joey bring so much joy to our lives. Their silliness makes us laugh and their love makes us melt. We are very lucky parents to have these two boys to remind us to slow down and enjoy all the little things in life.
Happy Birthday Henry and Joey. Your mama and da love you more than you’ll ever know. We hope you have a wonderful year continuing to learn and grow everyday!
