Two by Two

On Monday, I took Eloïse and Anderson to their two-year and two-month check ups, respectively. Probably not the best way to spend her birthday, getting shots, but Eloïse was a trooper. Now that we are a couple of months in to being parents of two, I feel like I am getting a real sense of Anderson's personality and the dynamic between the kids. Eloïse has also really blossomed in the last couple of weeks, talking our ears off and learning all sorts of new skills (building blocks, climbing up her crib rails, sitting still enough for a pedicure..) And Anderson, just consistently surprises me. I expected him to be roughly the same as Eloïse was, wearing just slightly less pink, yet the two of them are distinct in so many ways. Time for a little compare/contrast. Eloïse weighs in at a petite 21 pounds, 9 ounces. Anderson has nearly doubled in size, reaching over half his sister's body weight, at 13 pounds, 6 ounces (Just for reference, he has already grown out of some of the clothing Eloïse was still wearing at 5 months.)

Eloïse stands at 2 feet, 8 inches tall.
Anderson is a 1/2 inch shy of 2 feet long.

Eloïse is 18th percentile for height and almost bottom of the chart for weight.
Anderson is 70th percentile all around, our little beefcake.

Eloïse sleeps from 7:30 pm to 7:30 am, plus an afternoon nap.
Anderson sleeps 5-7 hours on a good night, plus unlimited naps.

Eloïse has minimal blonde hair.
Anderson has minimalist dark hair.

Eloïse's eyes are bright blue.
Anderson's are deep navy.

Eloïse looks like Papa, loves Legos like Papa, gets red-cheeked in the heat like Papa.
Anderson looks like Mama, has a Lego-shaped head, and seems to sleep better when he's sweaty.

Eloïse smiles when her Papa comes home, and when he agrees to a round of "Up and Tickle."
Anderson will smile and coo at pretty much anything.

Eloïse eats pasta, fruit, peanut butter, avocados, nuts, dried cherries, and pretty much any other thing you give her.
Anderson drinks milk, lots of milk.

Eloïse's favorite places include the courtyard, the library, museums, and parks.
Anderson's favorite place is being held by Mama.

Eloïse loves to wear sunglasses, hats, scarves, and necklaces.
Anderson loves to wear jammies, plaid button downs, and his own spit up.

Eloïse's nicknames include Little Munch, Munchy-kins, Baby Cakes, and E.
Anderson goes by Micro Munch, Chubbers, Chunky Monkey, Cuddle Bug, Buddy Bear, Guy Smiley, Beef Supreme, or any other such reference to his enormous size.

Bonus: A Little E-Speak

We are encouraging her to speak in sentences, so if she wants more of something at dinner, she knows to say "Can I have more [food] please?" Although it often comes out,  "Can...have it...more...[food]....pwease."

Instead of just saying, "no" when she is upset about something, she repeats "No baby, no baby, no baby" as if the suffix "baby" is a required part of saying "no."

My parents tried to teach her to say "Yummy in my tummy" when she eats something that she enjoys. Instead, she announces "Yummy tummy!"

Other common phrases around the house include, "Mama read it," "Bin da lovey" (somehow means "put away the lovey"),and "Change-eh di-uhper."