My kidlets.

Today, I'm going to share a little bit about my mini-me's. They pretty much occupy my entire life (except when they're sleeping). And in my quest for my degree in Motherhood, they are my professors.

Bubby

Bubby will be 3 on October 11. But to most, she is far more advanced than a 2-year-old ought to be. When she was only a year old, she knew her numbers 1 through 10, alphabet, shapes and colors. She is a whiz at puzzles. My mom gave her her first jigsaw puzzle when she was 18 months old. It was a wooden puzzle with 12 pieces. We thought it would take her a while to figure it out, but we were wrong. Within days, she completed the puzzle easily. Her current favorite puzzle is one of a princess castle. It has 48 pieces, and she learned how to put it together in just five days. I kid you not. She also has a puzzle of the 50 states, which she also learned in just a few days. She knows all of their names and most of the capitals, too.

I guess what this means is she has a very impressive memory. She learns the lyrics to songs really quickly. Imagine my surprise when, at just 2 years old, I heard her singing along to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" in the car! She also recites her books. She follows along as we read and memorizes what we say. Then, she quotes the words verbatim.

Bubby speaks well for her age and she is also very tall. So, people are usually surprised when I tell them she's only 2. Sometimes, I find it hard to believe as well.

Bubby is very expressive. When she is happy, she is ecstatic. When she is mad, she is a raging maniac. When she is sad, she throws herself in a pile on the floor and sobs, Disney princess-style. When she thinks something is funny, she laughs hysterically.

Bubby loves family. She enjoys playing with her brother (whom she calls Baby Guy) and thinks it's the best when he smiles at her. She is also very concerned when he spits up. She is a big helper and always does what I ask her to do. And when Daddy comes home, she lights up, runs to the door and gives him a big hug. She has him wrapped around her little finger for sure. She really loves to play with her cousins or visit her grandparents and gets very sad when it's time to go.

Bubby is an outgoing, precocious child and she lights up my life every day. I love watching her learn and grow. She's becoming more of a person and less of a baby with each minute that passes.

The Smush

The Smush is just a little guy, almost 4 months old (a new chair picture coming this Saturday!). He looks a lot like his big sister. But unlike Bubby, he loooooves to be held and doesn't want to be put down for anything. Bubby was content to lay on the floor or sit in her bouncer forever if needed. Not Smush. He gets bored of the scenery after only a few minutes.

Baby Guy is also very big, just like his sister, and he has the fat rolls to prove it. I suspect he's about 16 pounds now (we'll know for sure on Friday, at his 4-month appointment). He can now roll over from tummy to back and he holds his head up well. He also scoots around on his back and ends up in some crazy places.

Smush is a generally happy baby. He often smiles at people. He is quite social and will talk to anyone or anything -- ceiling fans, stuffed animals, pillows ... you name it. All the family members are enamored with his little grin.

Smush is a cat-napper, but he sleeps alllllll night. I'll take the good with the bad, but I do wish I he'd nap for more than a half hour at a time.

He is definitely a Mama's Boy at the moment. Maybe it's because I am his sole food source. But any time he is upset, he'll calm down the second he's in my arms. Melts my heart.

I love my babies. Sometimes, they try me in ways I never imagined, but all good professors challenge their students, right? And in the end, you usually end up appreciating them so much more than you thought you would because they challenged you.

Motherhood is definitely the most difficult subject I've ever studied, but it's by far the most rewarding.