The Scotts: Eleanor Laughs and Bradley Slides

Eleanor laughs when I sing to her.

Bradley has been coming over to her while she's in her swing and he says "rock, rock" while pushing the swing back and forth and I'll sing Rock-a-bye Baby loudly to both children and grab Bradley at the end and cover him with kisses. I'd been doing this for a few days and I guess Eleanor decided that it was fun times whenever Mommy would sing so now she lights up and smiles and often laughs when I sing her a song. No child has ever gotten so many songs, what a wonderful incentive to get Mommy to sing to you!

Eleanor adores Bradley, she loves to watch him as he's running around. The interest is mutual. Believe it or not, sometimes my son hollers at me and points at Eleanor because he wants me to put her down so he can play with her.

Checking each other out

Nose!

Loves. It's really good Eleanor likes this because it happens OFTEN.

The kitties have been getting in on the action as well! I have a quest for the perfect kitty plus child picture and with a bit of effort I was able to get one the other day!

We had a little trouble posing at first

And then our photography subject had a fit of the giggles

Great success! Look at how happy Meg is that we went to all this work to get a kitty plus baby photo!

We still love our kitties very much but they don't get anywhere near the amount of affection they did before the babies joined us. Sometimes it feels like they are watching me ...

Sometimes it feels like they are desperate to get as close as possible, regardless of if this means a baby is involved in the cuddles ...

Sometimes they try to forget that a baby is even there ...


Naughty Layla

I am lucky to be so loved.

Bradley has been getting to go to "Toddle Time" at a local community center on a fairly regular basis where we steal toys from all the other children and run around like a maniac and have a grand 'ol time.

Thanks to Grandpa Dan and Grandma Kati for the adorable Boise State outfit! It finally fits him and it's soooooo cute!

Other rotten parents bring snacks for their children and feed them in front of my child. A complete stranger offered to share some of her child's snack with my whiny son the last time we went. Sigh. Poor Bradley, I cramped his style and said no thanks. My nightmare is this kid thinking he can get food from anyone. Once the begging starts it won't stop. Why don't I bring him a snack? Because this kid doesn't understand snacks, he understands meals. Once you start eating why would you stop before you're stuffed?

He's so fun to watch at play, here is his take on the toddler slide:

Hysterical. This kid cracks me up on a regular basis.

And I'm afraid his imp status is firmly established at this point. He has a deflated Thor's Hammer toy that our friend Christine sent us that never properly inflates anymore because the little dickens has chewed on it and there's a hole in there somewhere. But he really loves it and wants to have it blown up so he'll come over to me and press the air hole right against my mouth repeatedly until I grab it. I'll ask him what he wants me to do and he'll push it against my mouth again (Mommy is so dense sometimes). So I'll start to blow it up ... and he'll grab the still deflated toy out of my hands and swing it around, laughing. Then he'll push it back directly against my mouth. It is possible that I rev him up a bit by laughing whenever he does this and laughing harder when he grabs the toy away from me. I started to do giant inhales to get ready to blow into it and he'd grab it away before I could even have the opportunity to blow it back up for the little guy. We had a jolly good time. How does a one and a half year old just GET me so completely?

Bradley has also taken to raiding the drawer in my nightstand. There isn't anything of note in there besides some hair ties and some cards that don't need to live in my wallet but he LOVES my chapstick. He'll run up to my room every morning and grabs it (with me two steps behind) and when I seize the chapstick we have an understanding that I will put some on his mouth for him. He usually says yumyumyum as I do this. Love this kid.

Bradley is also SUPER into tv shows these days. He's been getting to watch a bit more because of hot weather and a mother who needs him to be distracted while she takes care of an infant. So far Kung Fu Panda has made him laugh the most out of anything. Apparently my child takes delight in watching goofy falls or when someone is hurt in a funny way. Highbrow snobs we are not!

Watching a show. Of course Eleanor is smiling. This little girl is amazing.

Have I mentioned how much of an easier time Nathan and I are having with kid #2? Partly because she sleeps like a champ and we're not constantly sleep deprived, but also because we have a far better idea of what we're doing this time around. I am so happy that while we get to have a wonderful time with Bradley in this sweet, fun phase he's in, we're also able to devote a good amount of quality time to our adorable daughter.