Be Mine...

It was Mallory's 2nd Valentines Day! It's hard to believe it was a year ago that she was wearing her "My First Valentines Day" outfit and not even 7 months old! This year she had fun enjoying all her treats from Papa & Grammy and Grandma Montesano. She received books, a balloon, crayons and markers! Valentines Day is also Grandma Montesano's birthday so in the afternoon Mallory had fun playing with her cousins and celebrating grandma's birthday in Arlington Heights!

I had fun with the camera capturing pieces of the day at the Montesano home....

The Joy of Crayons

Mallory received jumbo crayons in her Christmas stocking but it wasn't until recently that we pulled them out for her. She absolutely loves them! She gets so excited when I ask her if she want me to get her crayons and she takes each one out of the bin and colors a line or scribble onto the paper. Actually the "onto the paper" part we're currently working on....on occasion she's attempted to color on the rug and her clothes but I'm well aware this is all part of the discovery process.

As I watched her hone her artistic skills it occurred to me that one of the best parts of being a parent is getting to relive the wonders and joy of your own childhood through your child. Who doesn't remember the feeling of possibilities and pure bliss from a box of new crayons and paper!

Did I mention that not only is she scribbling but Daddy taught her some algebra as well.....she caught on pretty quickly....:)

Welcome to Toddlerhood.....

It's official we have a full fledged toddler in our home! Although technically they're considered toddlers when they turn a year Mallory just started walking this past month so reaching this milestone seems to have moved her that much further away from babyhood and straight on into being a toddler.

Mallory started taking steps on her own just after Christmas, at 17 months. She was very unsteady at first and was very hesitant but we knew it was just a matter of time before she took off for good. Now at 18 months she's officially walking everywhere and we love seeing her go! We knew she would master this milestone in her own time and she's proven us right!

Everyday we count our blessings and we know how lucky we are to have such a fairly easy going kid. Although I'm bracing myself for the terrible twos, I'm also relishing my time with her in all her early toddler ways: her ever growing vocabulary, her developing sense of humor, her huge belly laugh, her love for books, and the overall joy she shows as she learns all about her little world!

Some of her first steps