Gwendolyn and Lawson are going to be closing in on six months soon. We are working with them diligently on areas of development, such as rolling from back to front, and sitting unassisted, but what is so remarkable is those things that the babies are doing and progressing on all on their own. I am so impressed and proud of them as they grow. Here are 5 totally normal behaviors/changes that blow me away as a new parent.
The babbling.
This is totally normal and it’s supposed to happen. Does that make it any less impressive to me? No! I love their little coos and sounding things out. Lawson in particular loves to play with his range. He hits these high pitches when he is happy and just playing around that make my day. He also seems to use his hands sometimes to make his tongue cooperate. Gwendolyn started later because of her tongue, but she babbles a lot now too.
The playing.
They used to hold and squeeze their plush toys, like Mickey, Minnie, and Teddy. Now, they grab for and play with different types of rattles and textured toys. Today Gwendolyn was playing with a green ball until I rolled an orange one in her direction. within seconds, she tossed the green ball aside and picked up the orange one.
Standing.
Okay, I actually don’t know how normal this one is. Lawson cannot stand on his own, obviously. What surprises me is that he seems much more interested in standing than sitting. He needs our help for balance, but we honestly don’t have to do much. He holds himself up pretty well. Besides that, we found that very often when he is crying, putting him in a standing position will cause him to quiet down.
Attention spans.
I am surprised at what they will lock onto and keep focus on. At just three months I was able to keep Gwendolyn’s focus with minimal effort for an entire flight from Burbank, CA to Portland, OR. Their ability to focus has always been a little bit surprising. What also surprises me is how often they are able to entertain themselves and each other while awake. Recently they have become crying machines. The level of intensity and frequency of the crying is reminiscent of around three months when they really started to show growth. Their level of awareness really jumped up during that time, which I believe is due to the travel and exposure to all of the Stimuli at the Disney Parks.
Touching.
Gwendolyn specifically has always been the most tactile between the two of them. She was the first to really play with things and respond to textures. We did a little playtime experiment with paint and ornaments and she really rose to the occasion. Lawson is not as interested, but I have seen in both of them the desire to touch and experience different textures. Lawson now understands the purpose of a “Touch and Feel” book which is really cool.
The twins are really growing before our eyes. They are able to sit up for longer stretches and are preparing to be more mobile. This has been an especially hard week, though. For whatever reason, they each crave constant attention and cry whenever they are put down. For as much as I carry the two of them, I should be totally ripped. Alas, I am not. I even have kind of a “dad gut.” How is this a thing? I don’t know. What I do know is that these babies are so much more fun now than ever, so I’ll take the crying fits.
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