Why time outs don't work in our house....

...at least for Zach.

I have only put Zach in time out twice. The first time Emily went over and sat with him.

Today I put Zach in time out and this time Emily took him some legos (one at a time) for him to play with.

You must be kidding me!!! While I totally adore her watching out for her little brother, it makes his time outs a little rewarding for him. What kind of time out is it when you get a friend to hang out with AND she brings toys to boot?? What kind of punishment is that?? Thanks Emily.

When do I get to be in time out???

The cubs are 18 months old today!

It is hard to believe that the cubs are 18 months old today. Unfortunately that also means 18 month check-up and immunizations. What a way to celebrate.

Here are the stats:
Emily now weighs a whopping 25 lbs 13 oz. She is one heavy cub. She also tops the height chart at 34".

Zach now weighs 20 lbs 12 oz and is 32 3/4" tall.

Discipline is becoming a fun topic. Zach had his first taste of time out. He threw a bit of a fit until his big sister came over and sat with him. Thanks Emily. Is it really punishment when you have someone to hang out with? I guess she is already a bit overprotective. It's so hard to be serious when you're laughing on the inside. They are so stinking cute sometimes!

Knock on wood -- every piece I can find

I'm almost afraid to say anything for fear of jinxing a good thing. Zach's eating has been great recently. We have gone 15 days without "an episode" (spitting up his entire stomach contents)....knock on wood....I can hardly believe how well he's been doing. He takes his bottle without a big fuss, and he generally finishes it in under a half hour. Both of these are huge accomplishments for our little man. And he's still eating his solids. WOW! I am so proud of him!

Poor Emily rarely gets mentioned when we're discussing feeding issues. That is because the girl doesn't have any issues with feeding. If it comes within a mile of her mouth, the girl is going to eat it. She is such a champ!

There has been a lot of hair-pulling going on. Mine included! I am pulling out my hair because they are pulling on each other's hair. Emily must be jealous of Zach's hair. He has blonde curls and it has always been longer than Em's. She loves to reach over and grab a HANDFUL of hair. And PULL!!! And the screaming begins. YIKES! Now Zach is starting to fight back. Earlier this week I caught him with a handful of Emily's hair. The look on Emily's face was priceless and it was so hard not to laugh. How do you explain to two 12-month-olds why they shouldn't pull each other's hair?? You think the fact that it hurts would be enough. I guess I had better go consult the parenting book before they both start getting bald patches.

They both definitely understand the word "NO!". And Emily is getting to the point where she starts crying if you look at her wrong. I have perfected "the look". There are times I don't even have to say anything. I give her "the look". One glimpse of "the look" and Emily drops everything, puts her hands behind her back, and gives me the innocent "who me??" face. While very cute, I seldom fall for it. Until she comes over and tries to give me "the make-up hug". **SIGH** I'm a sucker for that every time!