The holidays crept up on me this year and like most years, it was a whirlwind. With two kids - one in school and other activities - work, holiday parties and festivities; it felt like we barely had time to sit and breathe. Though the holidays are my favorite time of year, they sure are crazy. All four of us got hit with a major sinus infection that put us out for about 3 weeks which was not fun but thankfully it was over before Christmas. Avery has been thriving in school and really enjoying it. She had her first school holiday concert, in which she stood there smiling the whole time and looking adorable, but not a single note out of that girl's mouth. In true Avery style. Though I have to say, I was very proud of her because there was a crap ton of people at this thing. Like way more than I thought were going to be there. Everyone and their uncle, seriously. So for a kid who absolutely protests performing, she stood there nicely with her friends and afterwards said "Mom, there were A LOT of people out there". Maybe by the end of the year she will sing at her Spring Concert, but if I know my Avery, that's a big nope. She was off for the holidays but just started up again and she could not wait to see her friends again. Her current hobbies are puzzles, coloring, playing with Oliver, anything purple, the number 3, jumping on the couch, snacking, and playing pretend. She likes to be Andy from Toy Story since she got a Buzz and Woody doll for Christmas. She also likes to be the teacher and play school, as well as pretending to be a dog where she does tricks and gets "treats" (usually m&ms). Avery is such a joy to be with. She is so funny and smart...and sometimes super sassy. My favorite part of the day is having conversations with her because you never know what is going to come out of that girl's mouth.
Oliver is growing like a weed. The child is massive. We have nicknamed him "Tank" and "Little Moose". His size doesn't stop his mobility however. He is crawling all over the place and getting into EV-ER-Y-THING. Certainly keeping us on our toes. He has the biggest, sweetest heart. He is always happy and smiling. He is waving hi and bye now and gives the best hugs and the wettest kisses with his slobbery mouth. Which, speaking of, he went from having 2 teeth to 8 teeth in under a week. So THAT was fun! He is such a good boy. Always looking to his big sister for a smile or guidance. Oliver has been such a blessing. He always reminds me to slow down and soak all of this craziness in. He is growing so fast right before my eyes. I blinked and he is almost 3/4th of the way to his first birthday. I remember when Avery was a baby and worrying about a sleep schedule, worrying about her milestones, wondering when she would get to the next stage. Now that I am a mom of 2, I soak in every hug and kiss from them both, study their fingers and toes, smell their hair, try to say "yes" more than "no", hold them in my arms and carry them (even though Avery can very much walk on her own and they are both so heavy), rock Oliver to sleep when maybe I should be laying him down awake, stay in Avery's room "just one more minute", give in and let her have a Hershey kiss before breakfast. Because here's the truth: life is short. These kids are growing WAY too fast. It's true what they say: my first born made me a mommy, my second born made me a better mommy. Not that I feel like I was a bad mom before I had Oliver, but I certainly have learned to live in the moment, not sweat the small stuff and just love on my babies as much as possible. Maybe it is harder to see the bigger picture with your first baby because it is such a huge life change and you're just trying to figure it out. Heck I am still trying to figure it out. Maybe it's just me and my motherhood journey. But I love these two something fierce and I hope they always know that.
