our family twleve times | may

(This post was inspired by Tara Whitney.)

May | At a glance

-- One of the main objectives of these monthly posts is to capture a photo of our entire family at least once a month. So... month five was unsuccessful! I think June will be a new beginning.

-- After three back-to-back weddings and a week with two sick children, I took the weekend off. We spent it cooking out and swimming... and it was perfect. So, this post is a bit late... but better late than never!

-- Disclaimer: Along with being late, this post also runs the risk of being more aptly titled "The things that Maggie said." If you have a talkative two-and-a-half year old, you understand that I just can't help it! The things that come out of her mouth often leave Tim and I laughing for days.

--Tim and I have decided that we should try to enroll Maggie in a tumbling class. She has made it her personal mission to jump off of every piece of furniture in our family room. Miraculously, she almost always lands on her feet. She has also taken to jumping on the last word of any sentence that she's really excited about. For example, "Mommy! Today we are going to the fwimin' pool!" (That final jump really does help to emphasize her excitement.) Maggie also likes to dance in front of her reflection in the television, and after one particularly high kick the other day, she turned to me and said (very seriously), "That's my best move."

--Caleb has started to sit up a bit more, and he is officially the most laid back baby of all time. He's content to play on a blanket for long periods of time, and his whole face lights up the minute you engage him. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by the fact that I could never give him the same attention that we gave Maggie when she was his age. He also has less of a schedule and spends a lot more time on the floor entertaining himself. I've come to realize, however, that being the second child is not a negative thing, and Caleb is doing just fine. I think the time that Tim and I have to divide between the two of them is made up by the excessive affection that Maggie showers on Caleb. I'm glad she's pulling her own weight.

-- This month I said goodbye to my favorite show of all time. I have been anticipating the LOST finale all year, and I have to admit that I loved it. I also admit that I'm a huge nerd. I sat on the edge of my seat, cried several times, and kept exclaiming things like, "Can you believe that?!" and "Yay! I'm so happy!" And that final scene? Good grief. I couldn't get that out of my head for a week.

-- Our house redecorating is coming along... slowly, but surely.

-- Tim is such a great dad. I don't know what happens to Maggie when Tim gets home from work, but it's crazy. She often waits by the door and screams when he walks up the front steps. And those first thirty minutes are always devoted to ridiculously silly games and plenty of screaming. I really love watching Caleb during all of the craziness because he's such a quiet observer. He just watches. And smiles. It's so sweet.

-- Last week, when Maggie realized that the rain had cleaned some bird poop off of our window, she said, "I love it! Thank you, rain!"

-- Caleb has started staring at his hands in wonder. It's so adorable. He'll often wave his hand in front of his own face and just stare until another sound grabs his attention. He's also started to respond to his name, and I love the smile that he gives when you say "Caleb!" really loudly and startle him into attention.

-- My mom saved all of my old Berenstain Bears books, and Maggie has become more than a little obsessed. Sometimes, Tim and I will channel our inner Bear Family when we talk to her. For instance, I've actually heard myself say, "Maggie, do you have a case of the gimmies?" and "Remember how brave Sister Bear was when she visited the doctor?". But the funniest thing is how much the books affect the way that Maggie thinks about things. Right now, her favorite book in the series is The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food. She calls it her "Junk Food Book". Now, whenever she eats something, she asks, "Is this healthy, Mommy?" And no matter what I say, she responds with "Good. I looooove [insert food here]." Knowing whether or not it's healthy does not affect whether or not she chooses to eat it. It the knowing, really. She just needs to know.

-- Wedding season began! This past month, I photographed three fabulous weddings. I can't wait for the season to continue!

Thanks for reading! Check back soon for several adorable portrait shoots!