Life with Declan and Inara

Life with a 2 1/2 year old and a 9 month old is fun. Well, not every day is fun. And on good days it is typically not fun all day long. I am definitely not going to pretend that it is all sunshine and roses, because let's face it...some days just SUCK. There are some days when I cry. There are some days when I call my husband, frustrated and upset. And then there are the days when the moment Sean gets home I say, "Dinner is ready, help yourself. I am going to take a shower,"  because I just need a few moments of peace and quiet. But all in all it is a really fun life, and I am SO very blessed by the children that I have been given.

There are a few things in particular that Declan and Inara have been doing together lately that make life with them especially fun. Such as, playing well side by side. They are too young for interactive play (especially Inara) but they both seem to thoroughly enjoy each other's company as they play by themselves. They also LOVE taking baths together. We do a bath every night as part of our bedtime routine and I think it is their favorite part of the day. The splash and laugh and almost become different children while in the water. It's adorable.

On individual levels, Declan continues to advance in his speech, especially sentence structure. He loves running and playing outside, collecting rocks he finds along the way. He is also exploring imaginative play, mimicking things he sees us do, which is really neat to observe. He enjoys washing dishes, helping Dada make pancakes on Saturday mornings, doing arts & crafts, and is a silly, sweet & loving boy. He adores his sister and gives her lots of hugs and kisses throughout the day.
Inara's personality is really starting to develop and come out, it is awesome to watch. She is a very silly girl who will laugh when we laugh, stick her bottom lip way out when she is upset, and clap all the time, especially when she hears clapping. She says, Dada, Mama, Thank you, Up, Uh-Oh, Elph, Hi, and she is trying to say Declan. She just learned how to give kisses. OMG. SO precious. And lately she has been putting things (mostly blankets and clothes) on or behind her head. She thinks it is really fun and will squeal in delight each time she does it. I even saw her trying to crawl with a towel over her head. She is also standing for periods of time all by herself and we are holding her hands so that she can practice walking.

So, like I said, fun. LOTS of fun, which helps balance out the times that are not so fun.