December Birthdays

We recently spent some time celebrating December birthdays, Grandpa R, me & Uncle Scott.  Grant thought it necessary to help us blow out our candles, it took a few tries and some assistance but he was successful...a little spit on the cheesecake but still delicious! Ha!

Boxes, paper and bags continue to be the most fun for the kiddos!  Grant kept saying he was in a hot tub with cousin Jake :)

Frank with Francesca and Parker over Thanksgiving

Lastly, Parker surprised us last week with a little white nugget showing through his lower gumline, little stinker, it's TOO early to start teething!!!

We have also safely arrived in Iowa and are enjoying the beautiful sunshine, snowy landscape and "warm" 30's temperatures!

Merry Christmas!

craft time

Grant loves to paint so we broke out the fingerpaints this week since it's a bit cold to be painting on his easel in the garage

This is Grant's first Christmas ornament that was made in his CBS class, I love it!

This week, at our friend's home, we made gingerbread nativity scenes...it has been slighty picked apart by a certain 2 year old :)

Grant has been wearing headphones around the house, we are trying to get him use to wearing them for our flights next week so he can watch a DVD or two on the airplane!

zoo lights

We took advantage of a "warmer" evening to go see the zoo lights and they were pretty awesome!  Grant especially loved the choo-choo train!

We thought of Grandpa & Grandma O in TX :)

Once we arrived at the zoo all Grant wanted to do was go see the elephants and thankfully we got to see 3!  Here the boys are looking in the dark for them, ha!

Our little music man found the drums in "Africa!"

up to

Here's what Parker's been up to these days!

Big bro likes to sit in front of him with his flash cards and teach/entertain his little brother, so sweet!!

cut tree

We (I) were bound and determined to get a Christmas tree up before we travel the middle of this month and so, we braved the cold, at the risk of us all getting sicker, and came home with a beauty!

Two little boys ready to go get cut down our Christmas Tree!  Grant said, "Cut tree! Cut tree! Cut tree!" about a hundred times that day!

Our adorable little Parker Bear ready to find his first Christmas tree!

He brought his own saw!

 Parker was stuck with Mom this year, I'm sure it will be a different story next year!

 Grant and Dad deciding on "the one!"

 Our yearly family photo...this year it was getting dark by the time we finally got out of there!

The two that did the work once home...

 Beautiful I'd say!

the boys

Parker's hair is coming in nicely on the top of his head, I adore his little curls and after it's blow dried from his bath it looks like this :)

Unfortunately, this picture is a bit out of focus but if you notice Grant was telling us he had built a chair out of dominos....where does he come up with this stuff?  It was a perfect chair!

Parker has definitely found his thumb...and usually his entire fist, he likes to suck and chew on all digits!

Giving Thanks

Parker survived his first Thanksgiving!  Unfortunately, this is the best photo I ended up with that day?!  Our goal was to all be healthy for Thanksgiving so we could enjoy the holiday with family and have a fun time at the water park over the weekend.  We managed to accomplish just that but by Monday all four of us were sick with head colds and continue to fight the random viruses this weekend!  Poor Parker has his first low-grade fever tonight but thankfully Grant seems to have turned the corner to recovery and is a bit more like his chipper self!

Parker hanging out with Grandpa R

Grandma R helping keep an eye on Mr P while we all enjoyed the water park!

 Helpful cousin Olivia with Grant!

The big boys just "had" to exceed the weight limit in effort to ride the Howling Tornado at top speeds!

Cousins Olivia, Grant & Parker

Grant in protest to having to leave on Sunday afternoon!

Cousin Francesca having a ball!

Even Grant's buddy Rossi joined us for some water park fun!

let it snow

Guess what it's doing here tonight?  I love it, feels like a little slice of home to me!

4 months for Parker!

Parker, Parker, Parker, Mommy wants you to stop growing!?!  You have been a bit bigger than your brother from the beginning but now it's just getting ridiculous, where has my baby boy gone?!  At the risk of repeating myself for the thousandth time, TIME FLIES!

We had Parker's 4 month appointment on Friday where he tipped the scales at 16 lbs, 11.5 oz (85%) and he was 27 1/4 in for length (way, way off the growth chart for a 4 month old)!  The Dr said he was average for a 9 month old, ha!

Parker, you are a sunny little guy, just like your big brother and we all adore you!  As in the second picture below, you have your hands in your mouth more frequently than not these days and I'm fearful you're already beginning to teeth by the amount of drool that spills down your chin daily.  You're not one for the pacifier so I think we're going to just avoid it altogether and that way we have one less thing to try to wean you of later :)

You giggle and laugh quite easily especially when your brother starts acting goofy for you; it is the most adorable thing to watch because you both just giggle and giggle and giggle at each other!

We put you in the nursery a few weeks back during church because you have gotten to be quite vocal.  I remember Grant staying with us until 8 months, you my child, are a different story!  You have also officially spent your first night in the crib, last night!  Grant was excited for you to have it in your room, I was a bit leary of what he would think when it magically appeared in your room but he was a champ about it and even "helped" Daddy take it out of his room and re-build it in yours! 

Tummy time is still not your favorite but you are getting better at it and tolerate it more frequently.  You are, however, allowing me to roll you from your front to your back and then back over again, a little trick from the pediatrician to try and coax you into rolling over on your own one of these days! 

We can't imagine life without you and are blessed beyond belief to call you our little boy!  We love you peanut!

Love,

Mommy

 A cute craft from Sunday School, notice how nice and neat Grant's is.....and how big Parker's is! Ha!

 This is what you do when you're 2 and waiting for it to snow outside! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!

We had a fun week celebrating Frank's birthday!

Grant's painting in it's beginning stages...

 Nearing completion and I have to note that Frank loved it since it was created especially for him on his birthday last week!

You can see Grant trying to help Frank blow out his birthday candles from across the table, ha!

 My 3 boys!

This weekend Great-Grandma Billie and Grandpa and Grandma R came to visit for Frank's birthday too!

Happy Birthday Honey, we LOVE YOU!!

new tricks!

Parker has a few new tricks to show off! 

He will tolerate the Bumbo chair but only for a few minutes at a time! 

Grant "helps" Parker play

We typically put the ball in Parker's hand for him and then he just stares and squeels at it but this afternoon he managed to pick it up off the floor all by himself!