My Sunday Hat & Language Explosion

So, my sister-in-law (Timo's sister) is pregnant, and is due in May. Her baby shower was this last Sunday, and the theme was Garden Tea Party. Everyone was encouraged to wear their "best" Sunday hat - and there would be prizes for best, and most outrageous, hat. Well, I figured since it was a garden party, I would wear a garden on my head. Making this hat was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and the greatest part about it is that the pinwheels move when I walk. I actually tore it apart today and made a flower arrangement in a basket out of it for my table. But, it was really fun to make, wear, and just to look at it on my table.

Dario & Raymond are now 17 months old. We haven't done professional pictures since their birthday, but we plan to do more pictures in a month when they turn 18 months. They have changed so much in the last 5 months, I was looking at their 12 month pictures last night. They are having so much fun, and they are really developing. Raymond is finally saying some words and learning new signs. He is having a language explosion - if you call 2 new words and 2 new signs in 2 days an "explosion". I do, at least for Ray. He of course knows mama, dada, and bye bye, but he is now saying "shoe" and "amen" and "ball" (he also signs ball). He also signed "cracker" for the first time today, and has been signing "book" this last week! He is regularly signing "milk" when he wants to nurse (after looking down my shirt, that is), and signs hat, and sleep. He also signs more, that was his first sign around 12 months. What a champ.

Darios words include mama, dada, daddy, he sings e-i-e-i-o when he looks at the Old MacDonald book, amen, shoe, cracker, bucket, duck, he knows the duck says quack quack quack, cheese, and he knows the signs for shoe, cracker, milk, please, cheese, more, ball, waves (and says) bye bye. He has also been mimicking words these past few weeks. Timo said "football" and Dario said "foo - ba", Timo said "pocket" and Dario said "poc-ket". Our amazing boys. Now I really need to watch my language before mommy says "sh*t" and Dario says "sh*t", or some other bad word.

Anyway, here's a recent pic of our boys.