Notes on Peter:
Peter finally decided that he wants to do baby signs! He squeezes his hands together for many different wants and shakes his hands out in front of him and says "all done." He folds his arms and mumbles things when we say prayer. He can keep his arms folded the whole prayer! He has started to do the actions to certain songs like Popcorn Popping and Book of Mormon Stories. He says "hiii!" in a high-pitched sweet voice to everyone all the time - including to people in pictures. When he sees a picture of Jesus he says "Hii Jeee!" He is still the sweetest little baby and showers us all with kisses. He is empathetic and gets concerned when Benjamin is upset. Even when we're frustrated with Peter (trying to get him asleep sometimes) he looks up at us, smiles his jack-o-lantern grin and says "hiiii!!"
He drives cars on the floor and makes car noises. He finally started eating some foods while I was in the hospital (see note on that later). He can inhale an entire banana SO fast and loves yogurt and watermelon. He is also a fan of ice cream. He will not eat: oatmeal, potatoes, rice, applesauce, anything with texture and anything without texture ;-). He turns his head away and absolutely will not eat things. If you trick him into a bite in he scrapes at his mouth and spits every last bit out. If you put food in front of him he will swipe it off the table onto the floor quicker than you can blink.
He doesn't like to sleep with a poopy diaper. He will wake up at 2 a.m., 20 minutes into a nap...whenever, and scream hysterically until I change him. He also doesn't like baths very much - he's done after 5 minutes in there. Benjamin will spend hours in the bath when I let him (I just clean the bathroom, fold laundry and do my computer work in the bathroom with him).
Peter loves dancing - he bobs his head and waves his arms around in the air whenever he hears music.
At 12 months old Peter walks with a walker and cruises, can stand alone when he isn't paying attention, can say a few words (including thank you!) and is starting to follow commands.
Notes on Benjamin:
Benjamin is still totally infatuated with superheroes. Each day he is some different superhero. He says things like "If you need me, call for Captain America." His pants, socks and shoes have to match the costume of whomever he is that day. He is very creative with a costume and nothing can get him to change (think knee high, unmatched socks with a pair of too big gray shorts he has to hold him with his "batman shoes" (too small gray shoes) and batman top Santa got him for Christmas).
He is working towards his twinkle recital this summer on cello. He has to be able to play all 7 twinkles. Most days he only does 4-5 because his arm gets "tired." So we have a ways to go, but he can play them all!
In April he showed lots of interest in reading and could read the first 7 Bob books, but in May his interest went away and he only wants to play. I haven't even brought it up because I want him to enjoy reading, not see it as a chore, especially since he is only 3.5. He spends most days totally wrapped up in imagination land and I try to let him stay there whenever I can. We'll see when he comes back around to reading!
I have my reading time in the morning before the boys are up. Sometimes they get up early though (early means anytime before 8 a.m. ;-) so they play while I do my reading but they (Benjamin) can't interrupt me. I'll read scriptures out loud so they can hear but usually there isn't much interaction from them. The other day, though, Benjamin ran out of the room and I kept reading out loud for Peter. Benjamin came running back in and said "Wait! I missed those words! Will you say them again?"
His competitiveness has only increased. Everything is a competition and he can do it better, bigger, faster, stronger etc. One quote sums it up quite well. He told a friend of mine "I am FASTER than number 1!!" No longer is #1 even good enough.
Benjamin had been begging me to do a puzzle with him. When I finally came and picked up a piece he took it out of my hand and said he actually didn't want me to do it with him. When I asked why he said, "Because I don't like when people are in my way!" Spoken like a true D personality.
Now that Peter is getting around he loves to play with the train sets, towers, cities and everything in Benjamin's toy world. All day now there are screams of "Peteeeeeeeeeer!!!!!!!" When I put Peter down for his morning nap Benjamin still throws a tantrum every day because he doesn't want me to take Peter from him. Peter goes right down without a single cry in the morning and Benjamin is out in the living room screaming like he's the one going to bed. This morning I actually snuck Peter into his bed without Benjamin knowing and couldn't bring myself to tell Benjamin when he came and interrogated me where his brother was.
He still has a hard time with sleeping and doesn't go to sleep til 10-11 p.m. Even if he's in bed til 8:30 he will toss and turn for HOURS. The other night he was awake 2.5 hours in bed. I feel so bad for him. It must be why he's so smart - he has lots of thinking time. I was walking by him the other night (he has been lying in our bed til Peter is asleep and then goes in their room) and he called out, "What day is it?" I replied "Wednesday." "No, the number of the day." He was lying in bed thinking about the date!
Benjamin's affectionate side hasn't quite developed yet. I've always heard of little boys saying they are going to marry their moms and Benjamin finally said it in his very Benjamin sort of way. We were talking about marriage and I told him when he was grown up he would marry somebody too. I asked him who he would marry and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I dunno. Maybe you?"
