Henry 16 Months

16 Months old.....where has the time gone?  Our little Buddy Boo has had a great month.  He's been enjoying lots of outdoor play.  He particularly likes climbing anything he can, going down slides (does not really like to swing much), playing with dirt, sticks, mulch, etc, and just crawling around exploring. He has been swimming in a pool for the first time this month and while he loves the water, he's still not too sure about the big pool.  He prefers the kiddie pools where he can be more independent and doesn't care for being held or in a flotation device in a regular pool.  He's continuing to get more steady on his feet and can stand for periods of time alone, but still has no interest in taking that first step!  He has been learning some new words including "bobble" for bottle and "no."  He loves to say "hi" to any person he sees, even to the cars passing when we drive or to pictures of people in books...he waves and says hi to all of them :-)  He remains a very social little guy.  When he hears a phone ring, he puts his hand to his ear and says "hi" again.  He is actually extremely talkative all day, seeming to carry on lengthy conversations with us, only in baby talk!  He seems to know exactly what he is saying...it sounds so cute and interesting....I only wish I knew what it was he was saying :-)!  He now has 8 teeth and wears a size 18 months.  He knows the animal sounds for sheep, duck and dog.  His favorite book is "Where is Spot?"  While we read it, he cracks up each time he opens a flap and another animal is there instead of Spot the dog.  His sense of humor is really starting to show...he is all boy....laughing hysterically at the silly mischievous things his brother and sister do or anytime some drops or is loud or crashes.  His temper is also starting to show, for when he doesn't get his way, he has started dramatically throwing himself on the floor, sprawled out and crying, for a few short seconds, only to then look up to see if I am watching.  Oh my!!  He balances that with being a wonderful snuggler.  He is so easy to put to bed because as long as you hold him snuggled on your shoulder for a short while, he goes right down.  And he loves to give kisses and hugs spontaneously or whenever you ask for them.  It's so exciting to see what next month will have in store for our sweet Henry!  We love you sweetheart!

Father's Day

In our house, on Father's Day, we count our blessings.  Shawn and I are each so thankful to have fathers who have surrounded us with love, guidance and faith since childhood.  Now, I couldn't be more proud of the father Shawn has become for our children.  Not only does he work hard to provide so well for all of us, but stands as a loving, faith-filled role model for the children.  They love their Daddy time, because he always fills them up with love!   Thanks for all the great fathers out there!

The kids love their time with Grandpa

Tickle fun with Daddy

Two Peas in a Pod

Lately Nicholas and Grace are such great buddies.  They love to play with each other so much so that Nicholas starts asking when Grace is going to wake up from her afternoon naps because he can't wait to play with her again.  And Grace, well she practically worships him, which is shown by how she imitates EVERY thing he says and does.  They have developed all kinds of silly "games" on their own, some which are sweet, like the "sharing blanket game" (pictured above), and others which are not, like the "kicking the seat game" in the car.  They also have all kinds of little inside jokes that only they really think are funny.  Such as they love to say "JJ" and call different people that name and think it is hilarious.  They've also made up silly little songs that they like to sing and dance to in each other's closets.  Henry apparently has the same sense of humor as them because he laughs at all their silliness too, especially the mischievous kinds it seems!  I admit we just roll our eyes at many of these silly things, but it really does warm our hearts to see their true love for each other as brother and sister!