Oh Baby! Where'd my Baby go?

Xander is 14 months old now. He is talking, walking, running, jumping (well if the effort he puts into it counts, then he is), and talking more and more. He is getting SO BIG!!! What happened to my little baby?

My awesome neighbor had her little baby last week and seeing a brand new baby makes me get all gushy and overflowing with all those sweet, sweet memories of holding my boys when they were brand new. Those memories almost overpower me with the love and awe that I felt in those early days. Then I look at my kids (who really look like giants in comparison to the size they were when we first met) and am just amazed...

What an incredible thing to watch these kids grow!

Xander loves to try and do anything and everything Eli is doing. He asks what EVERYTHING is about 10 times to make sure you are consistent in your answers before he files that little tidbit away. He is saying Mommy, Daddy, Eli (pronounced eee-iiii - similar to e i e i oh in Old Macdonald) kitty, bike moon, ball, balloon, water, bath, splash, cheese, this, that, go, shoes, hi, hello, phone and some others I am not remembering right now.

He is so SWEET! He loves to give hugs and slobbery kisses. He is so affectionate and loves to snuggle and 'read' books to us (he is very confident in his babbling and turning pages).

He, like everyone else in this household, is happiest when outside doing things, anything, especially if it involves water.

We just completed two weeks of swimming lessons and both boys are fearless fish. We are going to be frequenting the pool quite a bit this summer, mostly driven by the need to be out doing something but it is just too hot for little kidlets to just walk the streets all summer.

As for Eli, he is POTTY TRAINING! He has done so dang well! I must admit that this has been my least favorite thing about being a mommy, second to sleep deprivation. It is just messy and inconvenient - you just can't get around that. However, it will be SO very nice once we have achieved the end result of this venture! Stickers have been a great source of motivation for Eli. What a wonderful invention.

I just can't get over how much I love these kids! They never cease to amaze me or melt my heart (and try my patience). Such amazing creatures! They will teach you heaps and loads about yourself...