The girls

The last few posts I've kind of dodged actually writing an "update-on-the-girls" type post. Our days are relatively routine, but filled with things that make them, them. So I find myself caught between wanting to share all of these sayings and doings that are unique to them, but that also fall completely in the realm of ordinary. And since I don't post daily, I end up with a stockpile of happenings and thoughts that are *potentially* worth sharing that I think to myself, "I'll include that when I do my "update-on-the-girls" post." The draft has been in the vault for weeks. The motivation is finally here. Here is your post.

Daily the girls say things that make smile, and when there's an envelope, or Post-it or Microsoft Notebook near, I try to jot them down, because somehow my brain is very sieve-like when it comes to retaining their adorable words. Most are Olaiya's as currently anything Naomi says is cute and remarkable (to me), if not particularly clever, because it's often the first time she's put those words together in a sentence:

I blonded it out. (Olaiya on her hair days after her DC salon experience)

I always know what color Daddy is. (spotting Daddy exiting his building from afar)

This would be the perfect shape for a picnic! (noting a shaded area of grass as we left the park)

Put this in your hair. (to me, her client, as we're playing hair salon)

Kept and wept rhyme!

I love Mommy and Daddy, and even Naomi.

I have dress - be careful. (Naomi, warning Daddy about her day's wardrobe)

And I'm noticing a phenomenon.

With Olaiya, a.k.a our firstborn, I knew exactly when anything "new" happened. Noticed every achievement when it first occurred.

"Mom! Dad! Olaiya counted to four today!"

"Olaiya, ¿Qué dice el gato? ¡Muy bien!"

In my eyes, her vocabulary grew word by word. Her abilities singularly appeared.

One day Naomi was babbling. The next day she counted to eleven.

Unless you're an only child, you know that as the number of children in a family increases, the pictures/records of each subsequent child decreases. I chalk this up a) after Round 1, the normal things are less novel and b) attention is divided and there's simply more ground to cover.

So there's that, which I sort of already knew, but hadn't experienced personally.

But there's another side to same thing about the second. With Olaiya, it was all about the new things, noting all the developments of her becoming a "big girl." But as Naomi becomes more and more "girl" and less and less "baby", I've found myself clinging to her quickly evaporating, but still present, baby qualities.

• Her "knuckles" are still only indentations.
• She still crosses her legs in the fetal position when I'm changing her diaper and she's cold.
• She still lays her head on my shoulder sometimes when I carry her.
• She still likes to be cradled in my arms.
• When she's purposefully going somewhere, she still does her quick baby scamper.
• She still has her baby cry.
• Her skin is still baby smooth and soft.

Despite the afore-alluded "divided" attention, having two children I feel like I more fully appreciate them individually.

Naomi...
chooses to sit with Mommy and cuddle.
puts her hands on the sides of my face to get my attention.
plays with my hair.
is a fearless climber.
much to my chagrin and joy, is the definition of "water off a duck's back".
very much loves to play with, and be like, her sister.

Olaiya...
is very compassionate.
is a good listener.
loves to dance and mimic moves.
loves to make things and do things for people she loves.
has a very soft heart.
wants to do the right thing.
in a proud moment, runs up with open arms to celebrate with a hug of approval.
can turn any two objects into characters that interact with each other.
impressively adorns and ties together (read twists and crosses many, many times) things with ribbon and string.
easily memorizes lyrics, lines and stories.
always finds things to do throughout the day, as though leading her very own Montessori/play-based program (which makes Mommy feel like less of project-deficient slacker).

So that's this mama's current take on her two little girls. Perhaps my updates will become less "state of the union" and more "here's what happened today"...perhaps.

Naomi blissfully monopolizing the princesses during Olaiya's bout of strep.

p.s In case you found yourself thinking, "I didn't really get to feel like I was there - I'd like to see more of the girls' birthday party bash" or you're just looking for a reason to spend more time surfing the friendly Internets, more birthday memoirs are now posted on our Shutterfly page.