The boys have become quite the little characters recently.  Their vocabulary has grown tremendously in the last month, especially Liam, which could be the cause of all their recent cuteness.  Here are just a few.

We've always done basically the same bedtime and nap routine, story just before nap or bedtime.  Now that the boys are talking a lot they decide when it's 'nigh-night' time.  When they're done reading their stories or when they think I should be done reading they say 'nigh-night' and they're off my lap and ready to get in bed.  Normally they're actually ready, but sometimes I think they just get caught up in being able to talk and enjoy 'controlling' the situation.
Like today, they were ready for their nap after 1 short story so I put them in their beds and left.  A few minutes later they were up and talking.  I go in to their room I see that they're both standing.  As soon as I walk in they both lay down.  I go over to cover Liam back up and tell him it's time for sleeping.  I turn to Coen and see that he has his eyes closed.  I go over and talk to him and cover him back up and he doesn't move. His eyes are now squinted shut.  Silly guy is acting like he's sleeping!  Where would he have picked up on something like that?  I guess children do naturally learn things... including pretending to be sleeping I guess!

Also because of their expanding vocabulary, they will often tell me what they'd like to eat for breakfast or lunch.  It almost always consists of cereal or pancakes for breakfast.  (Pancakes being their absolute favorite food.)  Then for lunch they will frequently ask for quesadillas.. or 'dilla!'  Their favorite being plain cheese.

Along with all their cuteness comes the 'terrible-twos'.  They have developed quite the tantrums.  Coen has picked up on some of Liam's antics and vice versa.  Some of the things they'll regularly do when frustrated or throwing a fit are:  Running to their room.  Burrowing their face in the nearest object like a couch, pillow or blanket... sometimes just the floor works fine for them.  If they are sitting, they will throw their head backwards.  Liam has this weird thing where he'll take his hand and squeeze his mouth/face while he screams.  Not sure where that came from, but I really don't like it.  And then you have your typical screaming/crying/hysterics.
(Their fits are much less often than their cute moments.)

To add to their cuteness they've been learning to ask for help if they're getting frustrated with something.  It's usually while they're whining, but at least they're asking!

They also play really well together.  I read articles stating that children won't actually play cooperatively together until they are older, but I guess that's a perk with twins.  They do great playing together and keep each other entertained.  Of course you have the brotherly moments where one will steal a toy, but for the most part they love being together and playing with each other.

That's about it for now.  More later!

It's been just over a month since I started training with Coen and he is a champ!  We've had a few rocky times but overall I think he's taken to it much better than Liam.  Mostly because he will poop on the potty regularly.  He rarely poops in his 'sleeping' diapers and Liam ONLY poops in his 'sleeping' diapers.  (They both still have diapers for sleeping and occasionally will wake with dry diapers.)

Coen will have the occasional accident when he's wearing pants... especially if he's playing outside.  He simply won't tell me if he needs to go.  So I have to make sure I'm checking with him frequently.  Otherwise he's really doing great!


Also, about a month ago I wrote that I had bought 2 large boxes of diapers ($100 worth).  Normally that amount would have only lasted maybe a month, but it's been over a month and I just opened the 2nd box.  It is so nice not going to the store every few weeks and dropping chunks of cash on diapers.  What a relief!

Today is day 5 and Coen is doing a fantastic job!  He's had a few accidents and is/was having trouble linking poop to the potty.  (He was going on the floor instead of trying or saying that he needed to go potty.)  Today I was walking room to room gathering things and he said potty so I told him to go to the bathroom.  I followed since I was headed that way anyway and he sat down and was acting different than his normal 'pottying' self.  He was pooping!  This is the first time pooping on the potty and he took himself!  I am amazed.  We still haven't reached this with Liam.  Once Liam took himself to the potty when he had to poop, but he still has too many pooping issues I guess.  (He still waits for his bedtime diaper to go.)
Coen is doing so great.  Yesterday we went out for breakfast at IHOP and he did great there too, he said he needed to go twice and he did.  Then we visited my sister and were gone for about 4 hours and he didn't have any accidents (except spilling his water).  I was worried that he'd have an accident since it was only day 4 and his first time wearing pants since we starting potty training but he surprised me and did a fantastic job!

Also, he's had 2 naps where he's been dry upon waking!

I would say that Coen was definitely ready this time.


(Side note:  I just bought almost $100 worth of diapers and wipes which is fine because I'll still use them for sleeping.  With them both in diapers that would have lasted just shy of a month.  With Coen in diapers and Liam only using them for sleeping, they would have lasted almost 1.5 months.  With them both only using for sleeping I'm guessing over 2 months.  Wow what a savings!)

Day 2 is complete and I think he's still doing well.  He did have a few more accidents, but I was far more distracted.  We had someone pick up some furniture from us and I was outside for several minutes and along with cooking dinner and being preoccupied he had accidents.  But I still think  he's doing great.  And he's still using the potty on a regular basis.

My only concern is I remind him a lot.  I did it with Liam because I was paranoid, but Liam would tell me if he needed to go, but with Coen he's less likely to tell me if he needs to go, or that he is going.  My concern is I don't want him to just rely on me to remind him to go, I'd like for him to rely on the urge to go instead of me.

So we'll see how day 3 goes. 

Recently Coen has been asking to go to the potty and has even taken his diaper off and gone on his own once, so I thought it was time to try training again.  I've discovered I think he only asks to go potty is for the M&M reward afterward.  I know this because he'll go potty, get his reward and immediately sit back on the potty and say 'chocolate!'.  LOL.  However it is seeming to work very well this time around.  He only had 1.5 accidents on the first day.  He pee'd in the corner of the living room after he had been wildly playing for a long time.  Then the .5 accident came when he needed to poop and he left a 'droplet' behind before I could get him to the potty chair.

So all in all, day 1 was a huge success.  1.5 accidents and the rest of the day he used the potty!  He even woke up with a dry diaper after his nap.

On to day 2, hoping it's just as successful!