Time keeps flying! There is so much I am grateful for in this season of life. It can be exhausting, I sometimes feel like I have days where I do not get a moment to myself, and I often feel like there is not enough of me to go around. That said, I do love always having the girls around. I miss them when I am away for too long. I love how excited they are to see me, it warms my heart. I love how Leah will spontaneously tell me she loves me or gives me a hug.
The girls are starting to interact with each other. Many times, it is very cute and sweet, other times, Leah really knows how to pick on Shea and make her cry. Here are a few of the things the girls are doing that make me smile and I hope to remember down the road.
Shea
Clapping: it took days (weeks) of careful study and examination, but Shea learned to clap! Anytime someone says “YAY!” or speaks in an excited voice, she is happy to bounce up and down and clap her hands. It is amazing how much joy a baby brings into the world.
Balancing on her side to look over at you: A signature pose for Shea. It always cracks me up. If you call her name or talk to her while she is on her tummy or crawling somewhere, she will pause, and balance on her side with her bottom arm stretched out under her head and look over you in total seriousness (and a double or triple chin.. too cute!).
Hugs: You know, this week or so, I really noticed that Shea is starting to give what feels like a true hug. She can wrap her arm around my arm so tightly when I hold her and bury her face in my chest. Just the dose of affirmation I need most times!
Crazy hair: Shea’s head of hair is growing at all different paces. The hairs right over her ears are growing the quickest, and the hairs in the back are staying quite short. We put her hair up in top buns or pigtails to keep it out of her face most days, but when her hair is down and laying “naturally” in every which direction, it really is a sight to see and a face I will remember forever.
Leah
Happy/sad: I’m not sure where she picked it up from, but with most activities, Leah likes to label them as making her happy or sad. “That makes me happy.” “Does that make you happy?” “That makes me sad.” “Does that make you sad?” Things that Leah has said makes her happy – coloring, painting with mom or dad, berries, walking/hiking, climbing rocks, eating dinner together. Things that Leah has said makes her sad – telling her we need to keep moving, turning off a show, when her sister has a toy she wants.
Painting: Leah is our little artist and it makes me so happy to see her enjoy it so much. I love seeing her become more controlled with her drawing and painting skills. She is always asking to paint and we recently painted a garden rock frog together.
Frogs and garden creatures: A neighbor has had a little glass frog out by her balcony since we moved here. Lately on walks, Leah gets so excited to say hi to the frog, “feed” the frog rocks, sing to it, blow kisses to it, etc. The same neighbor loves seeing how happy the frog makes Leah and she has now put out a butterfly for Leah to find, a new frog, and a little rabbit. All of which “make Leah happy”.
Using the potty: We are in the season of learning to use the toilet. She does great almost all of the time now, with a few accidents around school days. I’m not sure what more to say on this topic, but it certainly a season I’m sure I will look back on and think about.
Fruit snacks (vitamins): As rewards for using the potty, we used fruit snacks because David had a bunch and she seems to like them a ton. She refers to them as vitamins, which we should probably start correcting, but it is just too sweet.