Summer

Summer has come in full force at the Dominguez home. My mom and sisters family came down from Washington over the July 4th holiday, which was wonderful. Nothing beats a parade, food, fireworks, live music, and family. Braedon and Reilly absoultely LOVE fireworks, so everything went off without a hitch.

Now it's just me and the boys...and the dog. I thought it would be a little tough to get used to trying to entertain them all day, but it has actually been easy and really wonderful. It turns out Reilly has become a bit of a snuggle bug with his mom. He enjoys sitting on my lap, giving me kisses, and always making sure I am close by.

Last week Reilly started talking on his own, without any prompts. You can't understand any of the words, but babbling is the first step to talking. It was amazing to see him sitting on the floor with his toys and talking. I'd never seen that before from him. Even now, he'll say any word I do. It isn't pronounced the same, but he is trying. How great is that?!?!

There was a time I wondered if Reilly would be nonverbal. It's a big blessing from God that I can hear his voice. Now, if I could potty train him... ;-)

Braedon has been loving being home with his mom. He is my homebody. He loves to stay at home and play, watch TV, and just hang out with me. He is also rather good at helping make cookies. Braedon is all about rules and organization. He likes rules. They dictate what he will and will not do. Reilly is all about living life to the fullest. As the wind blows, so Reilly goes. That combination can cause some problems, especially when making chocolate chip cookies. I get the ingredients out and all set up in little bowls. The kitchen aid is pulled down and both boys pull in two chairs to stand on and help. Braedon likes to slowly pour the ingredients into the mixer and watch them blend. He waits until I hand him the next ingredient to continue. Meanwhile, Reilly is trying to put his fingers into everything and eat the batter. Braedon is yelling at Reilly to stop and I'm trying to get them both to stop. It usually ends ok, but not without Braedon and Reilly getting into it at least once.