Number five. Sweet Ellie Rose. Despite being the “baby” of the bunch, she acts much like a first born. She is reliable; if you ask Ellie to do something, she does it. She is conscientious and likes things just right. She is a natural caregiver and loves preparing “meals” for her animals, feeding her babies, combing her sisters’ hair and rubbing their backs.
She appreciates structure and can be quite controlling… especially when she’s coloring. Coloring can be quite a stressful activity for little Ellie because she likes to be the bearer of all crayons and tends to be quite the perfectionist. Elliott is very independent, too. Her happy place is alone in a corner with her stuffed kitty and a tag (yes, a tag on her shirt or pants).
Ellie Rose is brilliant; she is our little mad scientist. When she is not organizing toys, enjoying her own home-cooked meal, running laps, or dancing to the music in her little head, you will find her building perfect towers and putting together puzzles. She is a master builder; a 30-piece puzzle is no match for Ellie Rose.
Ms. Elliott we love you bunches and bunches!
Ellie’s Second Year…
If you really want to turn back the clock, check out Ellie’s First Year…
Number four of five. The best word I can think of to define Kali Mae is goofy. You may recall her shenanigans of standing on her head, as well as, crab crawling backwards on her head. Today, she can stand upright and walk, but still runs around like a waddling goofball. She has the most precious smile and the sweetest blue eyes. These two attributes help to get her out of a whole lot of trouble.
She is definitely the little stinker of the bunch. If you ask, “Who did it?” Nine times out of ten the answer will be Mae. Which brings us to her name. We debated the name change as a family and publicly and believe-it-or-not, Theo closed the case. He started calling her Mae and it has caught on. Now, the only ones who call her Kali are Bella and her Mama when she’s in trouble. She also still goes by Monkey, too because that shrill cry is still her signature.
Ms. Mae does have a sweet side. Although she is rough and tumble- and at times looks like she just crawled out of a pig’s pen- she loves to take care of her stuffed animals and her sisters. I have a feeling that her in Theo are going to be the protectors of the V5. Theo is more of the intellect and Mae is the muscle.
I love you just the way you are, Ms. Mae!
Kali’s Second Year…
If you really want to turn back the clock, check out Kali’s First Year…
The “middle” child, Ms. Lillian Grace. She is a silly Lily. She is a long-time resident of “goofball island.” With the blink of an eye, she will start gator-chomping and chasing after her siblings. She is also known to be a sloppy smoocher; watch out for her Lily Make-outs.
Lily is a sweet heart and consistently looks out for the needs of her siblings. She is the best at finding whatever they need or are searching for. However, if it’s meal or snack time, Lily looks out for number one. She is constantly on the prowl for leftovers. She eats much faster than everyone; eating by the fistful. She is going to be a tricky one to convert to mindful eating practices. After dinner, you’ll find Lily under the table seeking out scraps, as well as, a “maybe” or two. She is our family dog.
Lily is the most photogenic quint and is always ready with the perfect “cheeseburger” smile. Her crystal blue eyes can melt anyone’s heart, especially her mama’s. I love you, Lil!
Lily’s Second Year…
If you really want to turn back the clock, check out Lily’s First Year…
Our little Bella jumping bean is turning two! The second born of the V5. She is the pretty, pretty princess of the bunch and certainly believes that she is the “fairest of them all.” A true Daddy’s girl. She has more than just her Dada wrapped around her delicate fingers. All of her siblings are at her beck and call. Whether she needs her blanket (be-be), her snow seal (ar-ar), or anything else out of reach, they are at her service.
Bella has the best rhythm of the bunch and loves to dance, sing and play the egg shakers. When the dinner bell rings, she is usually the last one to the table and the last one to leave. Her slow dining pace, often leaves her victim to the hungry hyenas- aka Lily and Kali- awaiting her leftovers.
She is also our little socialite. She loves a crowd flutters about the room like a true social butterfly. She is our little bossy beauty and we love every ounce of you, Isabella!
Bella’s Second Year…
If you really want to turn back the clock, check out Bella’s First Year…
The V5’s second birthday is just around the corner. Join us in looking back at the many memories and how they’ve grown in the last year.
Mr. Theodore Joseph
Our firstborn. He truly is growing into his big brother role. While he can moan and groan with the best of them, he truly is a little gentleman. I think he takes role call as much as Mommy does; to be sure that all his sisters are present. He allows all of them to go outside, go inside, or up the stairs before him. Even when they get into little scrums, he rarely hits back.
This little guy is truly our boy genius. He is now able to carry on a conversation and is the most articulate member of our household. He can rattle off 3 and 4 syllable words with ease; his favorites being watermelon and helicopter.
His stuffed dog, brown bear, Nana and the color orange all hold a special place in this boy’s heart. He is looking more and more like his handsome Daddy everyday, especially with those striking blue eyes.
I am so proud of you, Mr. Theo! Happy Birthday!
Theo’s Second Year…
If you really want to turn back the clock, check out Theo’s First Year…
I had a moment the other day, where I caught a glance of my son, and I thought when did he become a little boy? Theo was just sitting, calmly on the couch thumbing through one of his favorite books. I was speechless in both words and thoughts, honestly all I could think was… amazing. In pure amazement, I wondered when did my little 29-weeker NICU babes because little boys and girls? Then, I realized they have accomplished a lot in the last three months.
Potty Training Boot Camp
The weekend of May 30th, 2015 will go down in history in the Vanderwall household. This was the week of potty basic training. Frank, Nana and I enlisted the V-5 and Elmo. We knew it was going to be intense, but did not know how exhausting it can be both physically and emotionally. We based the weekend off of Suzanne Riffel’s resource, entitled “The Potty Boot Camp: Basic Training for Toddlers.” We had to adapt it a bit, so one day I’ll released my own boot camp for multiples.
The schedule included four 4-hour boot camp sessions, where you spend 10-minutes off of the potty and 5-minutes on the potty. If there is an accident you have to perform drills, where you walk the child to the accident and then back to the potty 10 times. It is ideal if you can do it for 3 days straight, but we didn’t have the manpower to continue.
After Day 1 we had taken 130 trips to the potty, with 8 “Hits”, 17 “Misses” resulting in 170 “Drills” and 17 wet pairs of pants. Prior to day 2, we honorably discharged Theo and Kali. Day 2 resulted in 9 self-initiated hits, 13 hits and 10 accidents. Moving forward Bella was day-trained, Ellie was halfway there, and K, Lil and Theo were not ready physically. We were unable to sustain the schedule necessary to maintain the boot camp, so unfortunately Bella and Ellie relapsed. At this point, we are confident that they know how to use the potty and therefore when their bodies are mature enough we will all be ready. We are letting them take the lead from here.
First Trip to the Zoo
Our little munchkins love animals. They all have their favorites and are now able to call them by name versus the sound they make. Their favorites are:
Theo: Turtles, Rhinos and Dogs
Bella: Snow seals (unfortunately, this one still known as an “ar-ar”
Kali: Cats and Monkeys
Lily: Sheep and Dolphins
Elliott: Horses and Dragons
The zoo was an amazing experience for them. It was so cool to watch the expressions on their little faces when they saw how big, or heard, the animals in real life.
Upgrade to a Toddler Table
We laid to rest the amazing 6-seat daycare table. We knew they were ready when they were trying to get in and out by themselves. That doesn’t workout too well when the table is 3-feet off of the ground. Now, they not only are able to sit and stand as they please but, they enjoy helping to set and clean off the table. Unfortunately, this does allow them to take others’ food and we consistently have to remind Kali and Lily that it’s not a buffet…poor Bella often retreats to hide her food in the bookshelf so her hungry sisters can’t find it.
Learning How to Use Their Words
At times it feels like we live in a household of parrots. Theo and Lily are truly the best parrots, or perhaps its because they can be the loudest. Kali, Bella and Ellie tend to be very quiet and only talk when they are in small groups or one-on-one. Theo, however, will hold on a conversation with everyone from himself to the mailman. The development of their language has also allowed us to offer them choices and explain consequences of their poor decisions. I love being able to offer them two choices for a variety of decisions. I am confident we avoid a large number of tantrums this way. Also, their understanding of language at this point allows us to sit with them in a quiet place and explain why certain behaviors are wrong and thus warrant consequences and others are awarded. We are trying to use this approach more so than time-out. Time-out is now reserved for little ones who need to be removed from a situation for their safety or the safety of others. I have to say that Frank is awesome at helping the kids understand why their behavior can help or hurt others.
What’s Next?
It’s hard to believe that the V-5 turn two next month. We continue to practice a military-like schedule with lots of active play. We have figured out how to incorporate learning into these active times and as a result the kids have mastered:
A common question I receive is, what are the V5 up to?
Again too many week have passed without posting… our days continue to be filled to the brim with work, learning and play. It’s quite difficult to believe that in four short months we will have 5 two-year olds running around and attempting to run the place. It is clearly evident that they are bound and determined to learn and explore all that is in their world. This may go without saying, but this exploration certainly includes investigation includes Mommy’s and Daddy’s boundaries. They have become quite the experts at pushing Mommy and Daddy just far enough to see what will “get our goat.” Yes, the “terrible twos” are upon us. These days are characterized by the stereotypical symptoms of this dreaded stage of toddler development:
Mood swings (See Exhibit A: “Lily Light switch”)
Temper Tantrums (Exhibit B: “Kali go boom” in the local Target when the cashier needed to ring up our bananas)
Conscious defiance (Too many exhibits to mention)
It would be easy to stay “here” in this perspective, and honestly dread what each day may bring. But, I prefer to challenge my thinking and explore how this stage can become the “Terrific Two’s.” When I remember that I do not have five malicious monkeys roaming about my home, but instead curious children who are learning how to navigate emotions, social situations, and new passions it is easier to remain engaged in the process. I welcome tips on how strategies to help my kiddos through this stage.
Kali’s 1st Ponytail
As we ride this theme of exploration, the Vanderwall 5 have started to explore potty training. Isabella and Elliott have shown clear signs of readiness:
Physical coordination to be able to remove pants
Can sit down on the potty for at least two minutes
Mental recognition of when they need to urinate
Great disdain for wearing a wet and dirty diaper
Intrigue and interest in others’ bathroom habits
Demonstrates a strong desire for independence
Understands simple instructions related to potty training
Theo, Lily and Kali are still in the “Exposure stage,” where they are interested but not ready. As those who have potty trained before know, this process is not for the faint-of-heart. We have thought about trying potty training “boot camp” for a weekend (read more here), but can’t wrap our heads around how that would be realistic for 1) kids at different stages of readiness and 2) from a public health safety and sanitation perspective. We will mostly have to increase the intensity of our training with Bella because it is nearly impossible to keep that cute little butt of hers in a dirty diaper.
Theo’s 1st Hair cut
In other fun news, we are working our way towards the majority of two-year milestones.
Movement Milestones-
All of the munchkins have similar physical capabilities. All can walk, run, stand on their tip toes, carry several large objects while walking (toys, siblings and laundry!), kick and throw a ball, crawl up and down the stairs, and climb on and off of furniture. Yes, the five little monkeys jumping on the bed story is a reality in our home. We are still working on going up and down the stairs while walking with assistance.
Ellie loves beets!
Fine Motor Skills-
All are able to scribble spontaneously when they want to. Most prefer to explore the variety of flavors that come with each color crayon. We are still working on drawing a straight-line.
They are great at picking their toys up and building towers. They are also progressing in feeding themselves with spoons and forks (we are moving on from the feeding trough days and now are using bowls and silverware… oh, sophistication). We are practicing fine motor skills with a fantastic pinterest activity where you practice inserting pipe cleaners into a colander. The kids love it and it keeps their attention for 20-30 minutes. They are experts at building block towers, too.
Language Skills-
If you spend any length of time in our home, you may mistake it for a zoo. The V5 do not cease to amaze us in their acquisition of new words, especially animal sounds. They are able to recognize and impersonate over 30 animals. My personal faves are horse (ney ney) and fish (Kali has the cutest fish face you’ll find). They are able to recognize and point out a variety of objects and people by name. We aren’t able to say phrases, yet, but they can rattle off a variety of 2 syllable words and are quite the parrots and thus attempt longer words that they hear. When they can’t find the word, or the sign to communicate what they want or need they quickly resort to pointing and screaming… this staged-approach appears to be quite effective.
Cognitive Milestones-
The children are able to seek out and find hidden objects; this is a game they love to play with Nana B! They are great at sorting like objects and pairing shapes. We are still working on sorting by color. We even have a few who have begun make-believe play. Kali and Ellie love to sneak away into their fantasy worlds.
Social and Emotional-
As noted before, all of the kiddos are demonstrating an increased desire for independence and when they do not get it tantrums ensue. They don’t tend to show any signs of separation anxiety, but this is often because they always are with a primary caregiver, or each other. They love being with each other and recognize each other as separate from themselves.
All in all, we are so very proud of how our five little miracles continue to grow, learn and develop before our eyes!
What is the product of (time change + full moon + molars + exploring physical, emotional and mental boundaries) x 5?
Growing pains and simply the beginning of toddlerhood. I try to put myself in their shoes… I have trouble imagining a world where you:
Don’t understand even 1/3 of the words spoken to you or about you.
Desire to do things just like others (parents) but often lack the physical ability or coordination
Can’t comprehend why hitting your head against a hard object or poking your sibling in the eye, or even playing with poop is a bad thing.
Want to tell the world, or even just you mom, what you want but find the best way to get their attention is to scream.
Experience periodic pain (teething) and don’t know why it is happening or how to make it go away.
Have someone else controlling everything in your life from when you sleep to when you wake.
This sounds like a very scary world for me. It is very important to me to help equip my children with both choice and tools for communication at such a young age. I hope that this will help to lessen the growing pains for all involved. So, how do we do it?
Recognize their limits by trying to see life in their eyes.
Be the parent. While we try to empathize, we also need to have boundaries and provide a healthy environment with consequences. We now have a penalty box, which is simply a re-purposed baby gate. They are beginning to recognize that “bad baby” gets 2-minutes for hitting, biting, banging their head, throwing food, need I go on?
Teach them to sign and encourage them to use the words they know. While signing at young children may seem like it is effort done in vain, one day it all clicks. Our kiddos can now sign and say a variety of words, which saves us a tantrum or two.
Maintain a routine. While their schedule needs to grow with them, we try our best to keep meal times, nap times and bed times the same each and everyday. This helps them to know what comes next.
Choice is tricky. We try to provide them options in regards to which books they would like to read, or toys to play with. When it comes to eating, we choose what and when, but they get to decide how much.
While physical growing pains don’t typically start until around 3, you wouldn’t know it around here! The quints are also physically getting bigger! Theo is leading the pack in both height and weight (no surprise), but Lily is just a few centimeters shy. Bella is turning out to be our light-weight partially because she is quite the jumping-Bella-bean. Ellie and Kali were the exact same height at their 18-month visit, with Elliott just a couple pounds less than her.
Elliott: 30.6 inches and 20.5 lbs
Kali: 30.6 inches and 22.8 lbs
Lily: 30.8 inches and 21.3 lbs
Bella: 30.1 inches and 19.8 lbs
Theo: 31 inches and 25.9 lbs
What’s next?
Potty training is the next item on our milestone agenda. We have started introducing the potty and the necessary language. We are waiting for other cues that they are ready. At this point, Bella appears to be in the lead by hiding when she poops and wanting to take off her diaper and help to wipe.
While looking ahead to what’s next, I find it a daily practice to remain present; trying to appreciate every moment that will soon be a memory.
Christmas and New years have both come and gone, and 2015 is upon us. This holiday season flew by faster than in previous years, and I have closed the case on the vanishing holiday season. I have confirmed six reasons why the days seem to pass in the blink of an eye: Theo, Bella, Lily, Kali and Elliott. The sixth reason is a bit more scientific- the “Habituation Hypothesis.” This hypothesis is based on the fact that human brains use an abundance of energy everyday, and as we age the brain looks for ways to conserve energy. One way it conserves energy is by placing daily routines on auto-pilot; these may include emptying the dishwasher, driving to work, or changing diapers. This adaptation makes time seem like it is passing much more quickly since fewer unique moments are being recorded by the brain. When we are younger, everything is new; when you become a parent, everything is routine.
This realization made me want to slow down these special years by creating more unique moments, or “elevating our daily experiences.” The following are a few snapshots of cherished memories of this winter season…
Our Lead Nudest (video)-
Theo & Bella loving their new Teddy’s from Grandpa and Grandma-
Kali’s rendition of Shake it Off and the V5 showing off there physiology skills (video)-
A sneak peek on how we keep our house so clean (video)-
Kali showing off her favorite Christmas present from Uncle JD- Pandy-
A very Vanderwall Christmas morning (video)-
Again too many week have passed without posting… our days continue to be filled to the brim with work, learning and play. It’s quite difficult to believe that in four short months we will have 5 two-year olds running around and attempting to run the place. It is clearly evident that they are bound and determined to learn and explore all that is in their world. This may go without saying, but this exploration certainly includes investigation includes Mommy’s and Daddy’s boundaries. They have become quite the experts at pushing Mommy and Daddy just far enough to see what will “get our goat.” Yes, the “terrible twos” are upon us. These days are characterized by the stereotypical symptoms of this dreaded stage of toddler development:
Bump 2 Bab[y]ies 