Happy Baby

This baby is always full of smiles.

I just can't get enough of him.

You can't fake this kind of happy.

You Capture: Happy

Happy Baby

Look-Alikes

Can you tell they are siblings?

Wordless Wednesday

Look-Alikes

My Little Love.

Dear Tadpole,

Shhhhh, let me tell you a secret.

On Sunday, you turned 8 months old. But I didn't say anything.

I guess I thought that if I didn't tell you, we could just pretend it didn't happen. And you could stay my little 7 month old.
But of course, it doesn't work like that.

You're crawling now. Well, you do the butt-scootch. It gets you around.

You're eating solids, and lots of them. More than both your sisters were at 8 months. But you still love to nurse, love that down time when we sit down together and touch base again after all that crawling around.

You have just a small bit of separation anxiety. Or maybe it's just that you love being held so much. You crawl over and wrap your arms around my legs, looking up at me with that look. How could I not pick you up? I swing you up into my arms, and your literally wrap your arms around my neck and hug me. You give kisses, too.

You are by far my snuggly baby.

You have so much joy within you. You're so mellow and calm and happy. I take you everywhere I can, and you sit in my lap and go along with whatever.

And you are such. a. flirt. Tilting your head to the side, you give a confident grin that melts any one's heart.

Eight months old, my little one. And you are not so little anymore. Something I am not ready for.

I adore you, my little love. Happy eight months.

My Little Love.

Good Chaos

I didn't blog at all last week. Things were so chaotic.
Not the I-just-want-to-leave-some-Doritos-out-for-the-kids-to-find-and-lock-myself-in-the-bedroom chaotic. A good kind of chaotic.

Chaos that was full of a whirlwind of smiles, laughter, joy, and plans. Lots of plans for the future. Lots of exciting things happening, and more exciting things that are right at our fingertips.


The kind of chaotic that wakes you up at night, not with worry, but with a smile and a girl giggle of anticipation for things to come.
And of course, in the midst of all this, they are there: smiling with their beautiful smiles, adding more joy to the pile.

So please forgive my absence. The Joy was overwhelming.

Good Chaos

The Third Wheel

We drop the girls off at their grandparent's and use our Christmas gift cards to go on a "date".

The Tadpole tags along, but cute as he is, he makes a fun "third wheel."

And The Knight and I talk. First it was mostly about the past, but it has gradually shifted to talks about the future. Plans we are making that involve us staying together, our family intact.

We've learned to listen to each other. To pause and think before responding in anger. To re-phrase our wording, so our talks have less blame and negativity in them.

Is everything perfect? Far from it. But, it's getting better. We've had arguments, but....they are different from the ones we had before we filed for divorce. Before, we would yell, lash out, try to hurt with words sharpened like barbed spears. Now, when we have an argument, our voices may rise, but we don't yell. There are lots of pauses, lots of thinking, lots of concessions and compromises.

Our date nights are enjoyable, we laugh together. Like before. And when we leave the restaurant, he slips his hand into mine as we walk across the parking lot and I think, This almost feels like it was when we first got married. Almost.

When we first went to counseling and discussed with the counselor what had happened between us, she told us that it was one of the hardest things for a marriage to survive...but if the marriage did survive, it would be stronger than ever. Secretly I mocked her. But now, I am thinking that she was right.

But there's a lot of hope in that statement, too. I hope she was right.

The Third Wheel

Doorways

The previous owners of our house had some cats, and they "installed" a cat door in the door leading down to the basement stairs. Soon The Tadpole will be crawling, and we will probably block it off. But when I saw this week's You Capture challenge was doorways, I couldn't help but give it a nice send off through photos.

You Capture: Doorways

Doorways

Almost There

The Tadpole is so close to crawling!

He tries so hard, he wants so badly to be mobile.


I cheer him on, but in my heart, I tell him to take his time. Let's not grow up too quickly.

Wordless Wednesday

Almost There