Milo is Four!

How did this tiny, newborn baby...

...turn into this adorable one year old...

...turn into this "cheesing" two year old...

...turn into this candle blowing three year old...

...turn into this awesome four year old?!

Obviously there are huge changes with each passing year, but I feel like three year old to four year old was a huge year. Milo really seems to have turned into a full blown kid this past year. Like, 'what do you mean that you're not totally interested in listening to what I'm saying and being extremely agreeable most of the time' kid. But also, 'you are so funny and creative and silly and you know so many big words and you understand so much' kid.

Some fun Milo facts that these photos make me think of:

1. Milo is still wearing his amber teething necklace. He just likes and it doesn't want to take it off. So...he's pretty much had it on non-stop since he was 8 months old.

2. Milo has never had a haircut, not even a trim. He loves his "tangly, crazy" hair.

3.  See that car hat that Milo's wearing when he turned two? He still has and wears that hat. It's finally getting a bit tight, and a lot worn, so I think we will say goodbye to it soon.

We love this big four year old so much! Happy birthday Milo!

♥elycia

Family :: Holding Hands

I really just had to put this somewhere. Lately, when we are in the car, Olive puts her little hand out for Milo to hold it. Then she smiles and does a little happy wiggle. The evening this photo was taken, they both fell asleep holding hands. It was so sweet and I'm glad I grabbed my camera and took a photo.

I think I've mentioned it before, but being with two kids all day everyday is one of the hardest things I've done. I don't know how other people cope with it but for me it's intense. I feel really lucky that I am able to be a stay at home mom but that doesn't mean that I love every minute of it. Moments like the one captured in this photo definitely take the edge off the moments where Olive doesn't want to be bothered in the car and Milo won't keep his hands to himself. I have no idea what it's like to have a sibling and I'm realizing that it is leaving me a little confused sometimes about how to handle these (I assume) normal sibling interactions. I'm sensitive about being teased and bothered in the ways that I've observed siblings teasing and bothering each other so it's kind of a trigger for me when trying to keep both kids optimally happy. Feeling like I need to keep both kids optimally happy is a whole other thing that I have to let go of. I'm slowly trying to figure it out and trying my best to be patient with the kids and myself in the process.

This photo is lovely, as are so many parenting moments, but I also wanted to take some time to acknowledge the hard parts that don't get captured in photos. Parents out there...this is hard, and we are all doing a great job.

♥elycia