18 months 7 days

I'm so proud of my son today! At 16 months old (the day after tomorrow, biologically), Emmy peed into the potty twice today, when it was the very first time ever that he sat on it. Good job, young man! Tammy sat on it the first time a few days ago, but she didn't do anything. Way to go! Emmy had been pointing at this diaper at times, though it wasn't always dirty, which is why I got the potties out.

It is usually approaching 4 am, when I go to bed. Last night I hadn't fallen asleep yet, when Sammy started crying just after 4 am, which is when Randy's shift starts. He usually gets to sleep. He was feeding Sammy, when Emmy started crying who had also woken up because of the noise, and so I gave him a bottle. Tammy had had one at 3 am. I know that at this point they don't need the milk, but it's just a habit. Because of the that milk, they slept longer this morning, and it was 8:20, when we woke up and looked at the clock. After feeding them, cleaning them up and dressing them, I was holding Sammy, while Randy took made his breakfast and took them downstairs. Then I got to go back to bed.

My alarm woke me just over an hour later at 11 am, so I could get up and make lunch for everybody, that is the five of us plus Sonja, who arrived at 11:30. Sammy woke up in the process, but it was time to eat anyway. Tammy and Emmy ate all their food, and then had yoghurt and fruit. Emmy got a whole banana and successfully bit off of it.

Then I put Tammy to bed; her rabbit gives her some comfort. She's the only one who has formed a little bit of an attachment to a doll or the like. Sonja went downstairs with Emmy, and Randy took Sammy to her as well, once he was done. We had all eaten our food at the same time as feeding them. Still, we both enjoyed our break upstairs, me in bed with my phone and paper, and Randy sitting in the kitchen with his phone. After half an hour or so I got Emmy and put him to bed as well, and he fell asleep right away. So Sonja was alone with Sammy downstairs. She does so great with all the kids. She has became their surrogate Grandma, as there is no other (hardly ever) around. I love watching her with Sammy who is so comfortable with her like he is with nobody else but us. I never heard him cry the whole time he was alone with Sonja.

Emmy woke up first and didn't want to sleep any more, so I took him downstairs to Sonja. One hour wasn't much for the only nap of the day. Tammy woke up at 2:20 pm, ten minutes before it was time for their afternoon meal. Everybody came upstairs, and we fed them at the table. Again they had fruit after their cereal. Sammy takes longer to eat, and both Tammy and Emmy were running around having fun, and it was so hilarious, I never stopped the video I was taking. It ended up the longest video I have ever taken, and I have already uploaded it. I think it's one of the best ever. It was so sweet how they were picking up the toys that Sammy dropped and gave them back to him.

Then Emmy and Tammy went downstairs, and Sammy went to bed for his second nap. Randy stayed upstairs, but I was downstairs with them. It's the second day they have the swing, and they still want to be in it all the time, and don't want to wait for their turn, so they get to be in it together. Later this afternoon Tammy actually sat in it alone reading a book.#

Them being in the swing gave me a chance to turn the computer on and do some work. After they came out of the swing, they came to me and were pretty active around me, but I wasn't doing anything where I couldn't be distracted, so I didn't mind, and had fun with them. They got out all the too-little-clothes and played with them, and Sonja put it on their heads. And they got some empty boxes out, sat in them, and Sonja pushed them, which they thought was fun. They also did some drawing. And some going round and round on the old office chair. Emmy was a little cranky (tired), so I had to hold him a couple of times, when he'd fall for example.

At 5 pm Randy came downstairs, and I went upstairs to get their dinner ready. Half an hour later they all came upstairs, and we sat down to feed them. Emmy ate little, Tammy ate more, but in the bathtub they finished their food. I was holding and feeding Sammy in the water, while Sonja was feeding the other two. And then Emmy went to where his brother's plate was, picked up some fruit, and put it into Sammy's mouth. How precious! He's been really sweet with Sammy. He repeated it a few more times. And Sammy has really been enjoying his brother's attention and always reacts with so much joy. It's beautiful to watch.

I had to get Emmy out of the water early as he had slipped a little and was crying. At least being so tired meant he went straight to sleep. Sammy was crying again, and I had to hold him a little bit again, twice. Tammy was happy to have me around, but did let me leave before she was asleep.

Then it was time to eat, and get to work. The cleanup in the kitchen and dining room takes me about an hour every night. Randy is the one doing the laundry. Tonight the washing machine was going while they were in the bathtub, and I had to stop it, as Emmy was freaking out, because it was in its final minutes, when it starts spinning like crazy. Randy got to go to bed at midnight, which is a typical time for him, while I was still cleaning up. Not it's nearly 2 am, and I'm still gonna do some office work. We have a busy day tomorrow, including having to get up a little earlier than usual.