Clapping, Waving, No-ing

We've been pretty busy lately chasing after Alexis and JJ...  We uploaded pictures and videos to dropshots a couple of weeks ago but haven't updated the blog in a while.  Over the past month or so, JJ and Alexis have continued to grow and develop.  It goes by way too fast.  Alexis has started taking steps, which we knew was inevitable (since everyone walks sooner or later), but which we (meaning Alechia) was not encouraging.  Although JJ hasn't started walking without support yet and in fact will go and push Alexis over when she's standing (which I know is a discipline-worthy offense but I can't help but think he's just trying to help me out).  Alexis is definitely getting pushed around by JJ, both literally and figuratively.  JJ actively takes her toys and/or pacifiers now and Alexis is pretty nonchalant about it--she occasionally keeps the toy out of reach or gets her pacifier back, but more often than not she just goes with the flow.  JJ also has tried using Alexis herself as a toy.  One of his favorite things to do is push his toys around the house (sort of as make-shift walkers)... Apparently, he thought Alexis would make a good walker: one afternoon while Alexis was on all fours, JJ stood up and bent over with his hands planted firmly on Alexis' back and proceeded to push her around the room.  Poor Alexis.  She really is a good sport. 

They love to show off their tricks now: Clapping, Waving and No-ing.  They started mimicking these actions couple of months ago, but shortly thereafter we realized that they responded to the verbal "command" alone.  We'll say "Clapping" and they'll stop what they're doing and look up and start clapping.  Then we'll say "waving" and they start flapping their hands and of course when we say "no-ing" they shake their heads (we think they like this one the best).  They like showing off these skills to visitors and employees at Target (thankfully, they don't show off their whining skills as often).  The other night when JJ and Alexis had been put down for the night, I was watching JJ on the video monitor and he was even practicing his "skills" in bed.  In the order that we usually do it: clapping, then waving, then shaking his head.  It was pretty cute... he'd even laugh at the end and start all over again.  It's amazing watching them learn.

Alexis has become quite the talker (not in a language we can understand yet, but we're pretty sure she thinks she's getting her point across.)  They got sick recently, so we dealt with a couple of weeks of congestion and poorer-than-usual eating habits... As we said earlier, "no-ing" is something they love to do and boy do they do it while in their high-chairs.  Thankfully, they're getting better--we can only take so much mucous!

We're heading to Utah next week so we'll upload more photos and videos when we get back.