Alyssa's visit

Alyssa spent almost a week with us and we loved every minute!! Lyla had so much fun playing with her and she cried when Alyssa got on the shuttle to go home. We went for walks, played outside, cooked, watched movies, danced, and talked. I love being with Alyssa and am so grateful that we are so close. I can't believe she is starting college in a few weeks- when did she grow up??

We went to the zoo one day so Lyla could show off her favorite animals. Lyla and I actually got a picture together when she is actually smiling! It's been difficult to take many pictures lately because any time we get our camera out, Lyla starts doing everything she can to get it from us and there's no chance of her smiling or doing anything else cute.

Here's a shot of my growing belly...

These are Lyla's 18 month pictures. She's changing by the day and learning so much. She loves talking and tries to repeat everything we say, although it doesn't always come out right. She can be a great little helper by putting clothes in the dirty clothes, getting her diapers out, throwing trash in the garbage, helping me cook, combing my hair, picking up her toys, etc. The tantrums have continued and her new favorite thing to do when she gets frustrated is to dive face first to the ground. We've had some challenging shopping trips when she is screaming and kicking in the middle of the checkout stand and I'm trying to hold her and calm her down which is getting harder as I get bigger. She still insists on being carried more than she should so hopefully we can change this habit in the next two months. Some days lately have been extremely hard for me because her behavior wears me out, but overall I love spending so much time with such a sweet little munchkin!