The kids are getting big. Ouest is really easy these days. She plays good, is imaginative, talks and talks, says please and thank-you without prodding, and all sorts of things that make her seem less like my baby girl and more like my big girl. Today we went on a quick run to the store where she had juice and a muffin for a mid-morning snack. On our way home I was staring at her in the rearview mirror, marveling at this little person that we’ve created, when she caught me looking, gave me the most genuinely living smile, and said in her beautiful sing-songy voice, “Thank-you Papa.” I swear that’s all it takes.

Lowe is the same way. It’s just the little things he does that make all the hard baby-raising moments go away in a flash. He’s got this shy smile he does sometimes that you’d have to be an ogre to not melt over. His only two words are Mama and Papa. A good kiss to the neck makes him laugh hysterically and kick to get away from. Then the moment he’s free he’ll throw his head back exposing that baby soft neck for another round. He loves his mama more than anything else in the world too, just like all boys should. He’s great.