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We are beginning to call this beautiful little lady our flower child because she loves to be outside and run in bare feet and fix our hair with sticks. 

And this is our chill dude, supporting mom's hometown team and practicing his roll. 

I cannot begin to express the gratitude felt today as we honor and celebrate those men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Today is but a pause to remember what we live everyday as a result of their selflessness.  Happy Memorial Day!

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Seriously, my child is lightning fast. Turn your back for less than a minute and she's in a chair, on a bench, cheesing it up. 

And this other child of mine is growing lightning fast.  4 months old, weighs 16 lbs and is rolling like a champ. It happens right in front of my eyes and I still don't understand it...

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Big girls and big boys. Don't they just look like they've grown in just a week!?

Harper thoroughly enjoyed our Mother's Day lunch, sitting in a big chair and eating all colors of macaroons. 

And Cy thoroughly enjoys his sister. 

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I cannot believe we have had 2 years with Harper-babe. She has a mind of her own and is a light and a joy. She obviously enjoyed her birthday breakfast of donuts and chocolate milk.

I said I would never have a thumb-sucker. As a wise (er...yeah...) person once said, "never say never." He won't take a paci and is a master at getting both arms out of his swaddle. So I find my son in this position quite frequently these days. Excuse me while I eat my words...

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Harper discovered fingernail polish... She almost made it on the fingernails. 

Cy spent his first afternoon in the bumbo! Can someone try to reason with him? He really should stay this small and cute forever...

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Harper graduated swim class this week. She wanted to take the lessons on her terms which led to a couple of days of screaming, but mostly she loved it. Check out my Instagram (@abigailegriffin) if you want to see her in action.

Bubs has been refusing to sleep in his bed for some naps. But he'll sleep in my arms. I am not complaining (that much) because I already miss his newborn days.  

Did You See Me?

Did you see me today? I was the crazy lady with a baby strapped on the front and a death grip on her toddler's wrist. 

If you don't live in Baton Rouge, or weren't at Town Center, let me paint you a picture. 

I took Harper (almost 2) and Cy (3 months) to return some things. At an outdoor shopping center. Without a stroller. I didn't think it would take very long so I let Harper walk, holding my hand of course. Well, holding my hand lasted until she saw the accessory rack right inside the door. I tried to quickly pick out my exchange items and get in line. And then the person in front of me had a complicated transaction... At this point Cy was letting me know he was tired (read: crying) and Harper was licking a hanger and I was beginning to sweat. The second store was similar except it included Harper running through the store with little boy shoes and then taking off her own while I questioned my intelligence.

But it was in the second store that someone saw me. 

I was checking out while Harper emptied our shopping bags. (Have I mentioned yet that I will not go shopping without a stroller again?) As I began to gather our things and the kid, a woman said, "my, you have your hands full." I smiled and replied, "yes, ma'am, I do." She smiled, too. And then she said something that almost brought me to tears. 

"Can I help you with anything?" 

She saw me. Crazy mom without a stroller and a toddler with only one shoe on. She looked at my chaos and then offered to help. I was so grateful. A complete stranger was loving me. 

And it made me wonder, how many people have I not seen? How many chaos moments have I walked past without even noticing (or worse, caring)? And how can I love people if I'm not even seeing them. Maybe it's a stranger at the grocery store who needs help with their bags or a friend dealing with a significant loss or a marriage crisis. I want every person in my reach to know that they are seen, but more importantly that they are loved, right where they are. Because everyone needs more love and I have it to give.