My husband is a weirdo when it comes to names. He's straight up rainman - I kid you not. It's weird how gifted he is in that area. I, on the other hand... well... here is an example of a conversation that has been had many times in the Salmon household...

Rainman: "I ran into Joe at the coffee shop today."

Me: "Oh that's nice! Who is Joe?"

Rainman: "Oh you know Joe." Pause...

Me: Blank Stare

Rainman: "Joe! Joe Shmoe!"

Me: Annoyed. "Who the heck is Joe Shmoe?! Do I know him? Have I met him?"

Rainman: "Of course you have! We met him last fall at ____________ [insert a myriad of random locations, because when an extrovert marries an extrovert... the possibilities for where we meet people are endless] & talked with him beside the ______________ [insert the exact detailed location like the toilet paper aisle or outside the bathrooms at church, because again, my husband's memory is ridiculous]. Brit, remember?! He's a plumber, married to Jane, they have 3.5 kids, a dog that suffers from seizures, and they live in the green house with yellow shutters behind the Wal Mart." All of this he gleaned & retained from a 2 minute conversation of course.

Me: Blank Stare...

At this point, he's convinced I have dementia and I'm convinced he's the rainman. Either way, I don't worry about it too much because I'm hoping I'll forget this conversation by tomorrow.

Baby Brain is a real thing yall. And once that wears off, sleep deprivation is equally real. AND WHOEVER PROMISED 8 HRS OF CONSECUTIVE SLEEP AFTER YOUR CHILD IS SLEEP TRAINED IS A LIAR. And that post is for a later date, but for real... Sleep Training authors - I'm coming after you & your false promises.

All that to say...

My memory isn't as sharp as it once was (understatement of the year). And there is so much about this stage of parenting that I don't want to forget. I wish I could capture all of the joys and hardships of motherhood into one memory, but I know that there will be some little things that slip through the cracks of my mind. So I wanted to jot down a few things about our girls for me to remember (& for them to know one day!).

So without further adieu, here are a few things from 18-23 months that I want to remember:

- Your mad dance skills. Girls, you love to dance. Your favorite song is Happy by Pharrell Williams. And whenever you hear a tune, you shake your head back and forth and shift your shoulders. Then you jump up and down, and drop it to the floor & bounce to the beat all the while smiling.

- You're passionate little boogers (READ: You have impressive temper tantrums). You feel things deeply - and before you think of that as a bad thing - let me tell you something, it is a beautiful gift baby girls. I'm praying that as you grow, you'll learn to harness that passion and find out where exactly God will have you to use it for His kingdom. Tenacity isn't a bad thing when used correctly. But for real... this video... AHAHAHA. This was taken after you got to hold a baby duck, but had to return it to its mama. You were devastated by your loss of a new friend.

- I love it when we have babysitters. Every time they leave they always report that you were good, but "Man are they busy! They never sat still." And it's true, unless there is food in front of you... you're not chill babies. Right now, you don't walk anywhere... you run/prance. It's hysterical. And just so you know, I'm already praying that if God blesses you with children, He will give you babies that are just as busy as you. You're welcome for that.

- Your favorite friends are a stuffed dog and hippo, affectionately called "Doggie" & "Po"

-And speaking of doggie, you love animals! Especially dogs. Every morning we get up, you drink your bottles, and when you're done you prance on over to our breakfast nook and look out the window for the "nunny" (That's bunny for all of you who don't speak toddler).

-You're talking now, and it's adorable. Some of your favorite words are "daddy, light, more, please, thank you, no, & good girl."

- You're picky eaters. You're on a no meat kick - although like a good Salmon, you love bacon. Weirdos. Your favorite foods are yogurt, fruit, and veggie straws. Oh and you also love "cooooookies." I have to avoid the bakery section at the grocery store because when we pass by, you two both start yelling "COOKIES PEAS! PEAS! COOKIES!!!" all the while doing sign language for "more" (which you use for more & give me that). And after seeing the video above, I assume you know what happens when we pass the cookies without getting one. haha.

- You love to help me in the kitchen... especially if we're baking cookies.

-Your twin language is still here, but it's starting to go away as you are learning new words. But you still fight in twin language - which makes me and your dad laugh really hard.

- I absolutely LOVE the way you call each other "Seeeessy" (sissy).

- You both are extremely loyal to each other. Don't get me wrong, you fight and are horrible at sharing with one another, but you also love each other. We're just starting to see that twin bond become even stronger. You really are becoming partners in crime & are starting to really play well together. If one of you is upset, the other will go get paci, doggie, or po & will bring it to calm your sister. Just this weekend at the lake, I was disciplining Felicity and she was throwing a temper tantrum so I put her at the end of the hall way, away from everyone else so she could work it out. While she was in time out, Noel went and got Doggie & brought it to Fe, and then threw herself down on the floor beside her to sympathy cry with her. Yall... we straight up lost it. And sure enough, a few seconds later both twins came toddling down the hall happy as could be. No one is going to be able to mess with your sister... unless it's you of course. And in that case... it'll be on like donkey kong.

- Felicity, you like to tinker with things and figure out how things work. You're curious about everything and love to put things together and take them a part. You also LOVE jewelry & things that sparkle. We're convinced you'll be the girliest engineer ever. Noel, you LOVE animals so much and like to chase birds, squirrels, and bunnies around our yard. You love to dance and sing. Your daddy & I always say that you seem to have a song in your heart at all times.

- You climb EVERYTHING. Tables, Countertops, EVERYTHING is fair game if I turn my head or decide I can take a 2 minute bathroom break.

- And lastly, you need to know that you have a family that absolutely adores you. Your grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins... they all love you deeply. From the moment you were born and until you take your last breath, you must understand that you are so dearly loved. It is our absolute joy to be your parents, and although it isn't always easy, it is ALWAYS a privilege and source of happiness for us.

Much love,

Things I want to remember: 18-23 months