Babies

I cannot believe that May is over and we are full-swing into June.  For some reason, I feel like both of my babies have grown-up far too quickly in the past month.

Mid-May marked the end of elementary school for Hope and it was such a busy time for our family.  There were tests and parties and forms and meetings.  It didn't really hit me that my baby girl was growing up and entering a new phase in her life:  Middle School.  It didn't really hit until I went by the school office to drop off an updated vaccination record and the school was chaotic.  It was the second to the last day of school and that school was having an "honor walk" for the fifth graders.  Basically all the teachers stood in the hallways and the fifth graders walk through the school with Miley Cyrus music blasting and everyone cheering.  I saw Hope with her little gaggle of friends.  Her blonde hair stylishly swooping over her face, her giggly grin, her sheer happiness.  She looked so.... grown-up.  It hit me that my baby girl is now a young lady and I stood in the school office, looking out the office window, and weeping happy, proud, bittersweet tears.  Later that day I told Hope that she has grown to be such a young lady and she replied "but, mom, I'll always be your baby."  Then she crawled up into my lap and gave me such a great big hug.

She has changed so much... her life is filled with friends, a first crush, nail polish, music, and fashion.  She'll be playing the trumpet in band next year with her best friend Brianna and she has a summer filled with roller skating and swimming.  Even though she seems so grown-up now, she is still my Hope.  She is silly and sarcastic and smart and the sweetest girl ever.  I know she is going to make her mama proud.

Her little brother is also filling-up my days with equally bittersweet moments.  Atticus is seven-months old and has been growing-up WAY TOO FAST!  In the past few weeks he has experienced his first round of antibiotics for an ear infection, mastered crawling, said "Da-da", and he has started pulling up.  He is a chubby, happy, funny little boy.  He is almost always laughing and chattering.  He will most likely be a class clown -- he loves making silly faces and blowing raspberries.  The stage is so delightful and fun, but a part of me still wishes he was a snuggly, newborn.  The photos  are blurry because this little man is always on the go.



Yup.  Both babies are quickly growing; all I can do is squeeze in plenty of hugs and cherish each moment.