How far we've come

I hate to jinx myself but the last few weeks have been more pleasant than any I can remember since Max was about 13/14 months old. He is just talking so much and I can have a full conversation with him which means I can kind of reason with him and he doesn't just go around whining all day long. Don't get me wrong, he does still whine plenty and do things to push my buttons but its not constant and there might even be more smiling than crying these days. I have to admit, I've been spending more time with him and singing and playing and really rolling around on the floor more than usual and I do see a difference. He doesn't have to be bad to get my attention when I'm already down on the floor playing with him. He is also eating more. Peanut butter and jelly is one of his favorites and so is pizza. I'm thrilled! Thats a big improvement from living on cookies. This is a really fun age for both of them. Max is so funny and independent and remembers every single thing we say and is just hysterical. Mallory is crawling around and pulling up on things and can entertain herself (when Max allows her to play with a toy for more than 5 seconds). Shes still such a happy girl. I'm on my spring break which is why I've had a little more time to really be with them. I know Mallory is still a baby, well they both are in the scheme of things, but its starting to feel like we really have our own little family now and they are my "kids". When I'm home all day with just Max and Mallory I don't feel like I didn't do anything all day. I feel like I hung out with my kids and laughed and talked and did stuff with them all day. Its nice. Sometimes I get upset thinking about how they are growing up so fast and I love the baby stage and all of that. But I'm starting to realize that every stage is special in its own way and just as fun. We might be heading out of the infant/toddler stages but I'm looking forward to all the kid stuff....soccer practice and ballet recitals, school, camp, being able to go out to a restaurant as a family and order off the menu and not carry around a diaper bag with all the "just in case" items. Not changing diapers...is that really going to happen at some point? I know all of that seems like far away but the way things are flying by, it will be here before we know it! I'm looking forward to it all but trying to still soak up this time too. Here are some things we've been up to...

lots of wagon rides


Dinner with the Perlins at California Pizza Kitchen. A stressful but fun time!

We got ANOTHER box from Aunt Eileen and Lisa filled with cousins Chloe and Sofia's clothes. So for the next 5 years, whenever you see something that looks like it might be too cute to be found in Target, its probably from them! This skirt was theirs (so is the dress above)



Passover, we had a small seder at Gigi and Poppops with Brian and Missy and us. It was perfect!
We spent alot of time with Grandma and Grandpa the next day at our house but we forgot to take pictures! I took the kids to storyville by myself today. Its an exhibit at a library about 20 minutes away. They had alot of fun and I'm proud of myself for getting through something like this on my own. Its always a risk...

Crawling through a log today
and sitting in front of that same log almost exactly 2 years ago!

Shopping:

And the best photoshoot we've ever had. Max was being soooo good and acting like such a big brother saying "I want Mallory to sit next to me!!!"

Look at their hands!




And I love how in this one he's hugging her like "aw little sis" and shes like "ugh get off of me you're embarrassing me in front of my friends!"


I am nowhere near ready for her to be doing this:
I literally just took down the gate that was at the bottom of the steps a month ago. I guess its going back up!

Its supposed to get really warm and nice the rest of the week so I'm sure I'll have alot of outdoor pictures to share. And guess who is turning 30 for the second time next week?