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Sam and Zoe are generally good sleepers. They always go to sleep sucking on their pacifiers with their blankets knit by Rena. Their cribs contain a few of their favorite books, stuffed animals, and musical toys, and they'll play with these for a few minutes before going to sleep. Sam always sleeps on his stomach. Zoe often sleeps in a crouch position supported by her crumpled blanket. She also sleeps on her side, on her stomach, and on her back like a farmhand on a haystack. They both have gone through stages where they've had more difficulty falling asleep. We used to have to put Sam to sleep by rubbing his back. We also had a stage where Sam was waking up at 5:00 am. Zoe's sleep difficulties can usually be attributed to new teeth, having a cold, or digestive problems. When Zoe wakes up in the middle of the night, she often wants us nearby while she falls back to sleep. Jodi or I will sit on the glider chair, and Zoe will lift her head up every few minutes to make sure we're still there. When she was really upset one night, we brought her into our bed to sleep. The next night she also woke up screaming, but this time she appeared to be "packed" for the sleepover, holding her blanket with her arms outstretched for us to take her.
Sam and Zoe take baths every other evening after dinner. Telva usually bathes them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Mitch bathes them some weekdays and most weekends. Sam and Zoe enjoy their baths. They like to stand alongside the tub and watch the water flow from the faucet. They no longer use bath rings, and can't sit still in the tub for very long. They walk and crawl around the tub grabbing every object within reach. Sam likes to splash and throw the bath toys outside the tub for amusement. Zoe likes to drink the bath water either by pouring water from bath toys into her mouth or sucking water from sponge-like toys or rags. They both like to put toys into Mitch's mouth and watch him spit them out. Zoe also likes to play with the bathtub hardware and sometimes flips the switch to drain the bathwater prematurely. Several months ago, Zoe first noticed Sam's penis in the bathtub. She looked to find one on her body and settled for her belly button. She now knows "where's Sam's wiener?"
Sam and Zoe have a great sense of humor. They love to laugh and make others laugh. They love physical humor, like when Jodi or Rena used to fake sneeze, or when Mitch falls to the ground or fake slaps himself in the head. Sam and Zoe will slap themselves in the head (they learned this from Mitch) or make spitting sounds just for a laugh. Some antics can lead Sam to sidesplitting, gut-busting laughter. Jodi will say "Sam! Come up for air!" Zoe laughs hysterically when she's tickled, otherwise she has a short laugh, or a "heh-heh-heh-heh" Bevis and Butthead style laugh. They love playing peek-a-boo. They'll hide behind the curtains, behind a blanket, or behind a door or wall, and make each other laugh. They love it when we hide as well. A new fun ritual is when Mitch changes their diapers before dressing them for bed. Mitch will sit on the floor and call them with wide-open arms ready to receive them. One after the other they will march towards Mitch with their arms outstretched and then turn away at the last second, laughing at their slyness. Mitch will make failed
