And We're Back... With Updates!

So here we are again, almost 3 months from my last post. I sadly keep falling behind on posting. Mostly because my days are so busy now having 2 under 2, that when the day finally ends and I get both the babies in bed, all I really have the energy to do is shower, and watch something I've DVR'd before getting in bed myself before Hawkin's first waking. I'm going to try really hard to get back in the groove of things!
I'll hopefully be quick with some of the updates of everything that's happened in the last 3 months- starting with Thanksgiving... Harlow and Hawkins made some Turkey shirts with their own little hands and some paint! They turned out so cute :)

Harlow's love for the outdoors continues. She never wants to leave the park, or really anything that is happening outside. 

It pleasantly makes me think of my dad every time and how I know they would just love their hikes together and picnics outdoors with Henley. Here is a very cherished picture of my nieces and nephew with my dad doing one of the special things he loved to do with his grand-babies outdoors. It pains me to see them have these memories with my dad, that my children won't ever get to experience. It just means they're going to have to share these stories and memories with my kids so they can know exactly what kind of grandpa he was.

We finally got our first family picture of the 4 of us that I totally intended on using for a Christmas card... which not surprisingly, never happened. Here is another vow to send some out next year :)

Christmas was so fun with Harlow this year because now she actually likes to open presents... and her obsession with the Bubble Guppies made for one special gift to be extra fun watching her open. 

Hawkins, at 4 months old fit into his stocking this Christmas. It's going to be so cute to look back on when he's older, remembering when he was so small to fit inside his stocking on Christmas!

We had a snow day here in January and Harlow just loved watching the snow fall. She kept saying SNOW and wanted to go outside. She would cry when we would come in to warm up a bit, because she just wanted to be out there all day.

Although some days are very exhausting, I can happily say things are going great! Every single day I see all these advancements in both of the kids development and processing.

Harlow is a major chatterbox. She talks, talks, talks... All. The. Time. It is the the most darling thing to see her personality come to life and see her growing and learning. She mostly talks in her own mile a minute language, with 'real' words scattered about. Which makes it all the more amusing when she goes on rants about something, with full on voice raising, finger pointing, and hand waving attitude.
Right now, she is starting to repeat everything we say, and then will proudly shout the word of something as we're doing it.
Examples: I'll put her cup together and she shouts STRAW! We bag up the trash and she shouts GARAGE (garbage). She finishes breakfast and runs into the living room shouting GUWEES (her favorite show Bubble Guppies). If I am talking to Adam while he's at work, I'll let Harlow know, and she'll say DADDY, WOO (work)! Whenever leaving a room or doing something new, I always say, 'Okay, let's go', which Harlow has now shortened to just SCO as she leads the way to a new room. There are a million more, but I'll leave her toddler talk at that :)
It amazes me how just 1 year ago, she wasn't even walking yet... was actually barely crawling. And now my baby looks like a little GIRL, sitting at the table eating her organic cereal in the morning with a spoon.

This girl also doesn't nap... She is learning so much and wants to be in-the-know about everything, so she has no time for it ;) She has been known to occassionally fall asleep face down on the floor or the couch. That is the only nap she will take... 

Or if we're riding in the car. It's my lucky day if I get them both asleep at the same time in the car like this cherished moment: 

Hawkins is a major sweetheart and is the sweetest baby ever. For the most part, he is super chill and relaxed. We've been in many situations where I remember Harlow would freak out or fuss, and he just hangs out. I was praying for that, as Harlow was and still is, my super high-needs baby. With that said, I also hoped he would still have her same enthusiastic, happy and silly demeanor. So far, Hawke seems to be showing signs of both as his personality continues to unveil itself. Harlow is a bit high strung, intense, and passionate, while Hawke is a very chill and easy going dude, but they both seem to be happy, silly and talkative! Harlow didn't really start 'talking' a lot until around 10 months and closer to her 1st birthday. Hawkins, at 4 months, started talking and making noises all the time.

Besides watching them grow individually and come into the people they are and are going to be, it is an absolute joy to watch their relationship grow and bloom. Harlow is the best big sister. She just adores Hawkins so much. She just wants to kiss and comfort him all day long. This also includes hugging him while he nurses, giving him hot chocolate kisses and adorning him with jewels :)

She has also picked up a lot of mommy skills. She has began trying to nurse her baby dolls and favorite stuffed animals... which as a nursing mother and breastfeeding advocate, it warms my heart to see her 'nursing' her babies instead of holding a bottle to their mouth.

She tries to give her baby dolls and stuffed animals a paci, as well as pit them in their stroller or Hawkins car seat, complete with a swaddle blanket.

The other day, we were at a play center and there were a few other kids there. One of these kids was a little boy who was probably somewhere approaching the age of one, but wasn't walking yet. He was sitting on the ground playing and Harlow held his hand, only to notice he was drooling... which then promoted her to come over by me, get into the diaper bag, get a wipe out, then proceeded back over to the little boy to wipe his mouth and clean him up :) She is going to be such a great mommy someday!

I am so thankful every day for my Rainbow Babies and many days I wonder how Lyla would fit into the mix. What would her personality have been like?
We spend so much time during the early months half hoping time would speed up a little bit and get out of the hard phases of new routines, figuring out the new little being at home, and getting to a point where we can actually get a full nights sleep, eat a full meal, or just have a moment to clean the house with both hands. But while time feels like its going slow sometimes, its actually flying by us. Unfortunately, the majority of the time, we don't realize it until we're looking back on those moments and they've already become a thing of the past. I've been hyper aware of this recently and I think I've been doing a good job of living in the moment...something that's always been hard for me to do, as I'm always looking into the future- dreaming and planning. I don't want another day to go by where I'm missing out on moments in the present, just to wish for them back down the road.