Thanksgiving 2011

I'm sad I didn't snap more pictures of our Thanksgiving this year. We hosted and had aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandmothers here. Our home was filled with love and gratitude for 3 days. I was able to step back at one point and just listen. The sounds of the cousins playing and giggling, the chit-chatting from the adults, it was all very comforting and heart-warming. We were so pleased to have hosted and loved seeing almost the entire family (missed you Aunt Gretch, Wayne, and Jack as well as Uncle Aaron).









During this month, we made a gratitude turkey and added people, things, places we are thankful for. Ava loved making her own feathers and adding to the turkey each time.

Ava Loves Inchimals

I found this activity from a blog I follow and the Easter Bunny brought it to Ava earlier this year for Easter. While she liked playing with the animal blocks, she didn't quite catch on to the activity. So I put it away for later use. About a month ago we came across it and since Ava has shown an interest in Math, I reintroduced them to her. She took off! We measured things around the living room, practiced writing numbers and before she knew it, she was writing simple equations. It's a great activity to share some quality one-on-one time, also.

The Respiratory Virus of October

Man oh man, this virus was looooong! It seemed to stay around for 2-3 weeks from start to finish. And it doesn't help that a week after Ava had it, Griffin caught it. It started with a fever and sore throat, followed by a persistent cough that lasted almost 2 weeks. I would't wish it on anyone, as it's one of those where you are home-bound for quite some time: no school, no fun, no extras. But, we are thankful for our overall health and have overcome the respiratory virus of October. And as a precaution, we took Griffin to the urgent care since he might be prone to respiratory issues when he catches these viruses. They weren't concerned this time around. We went ahead and gave him breathing treatments 3 nights in a row just to calm his coughing attacks and make sure it wouldn't start the wheezing that he experienced at 10 months. But, he did great and never had wheezing issues.

Halloween Revisited with Block Party Pics

Happy Half, Griffers!

This month, Griffin turned 18 months. A year and a half. How does that happen? I don't know, but I am trying to slow down and take it all in the best I can. The more he talks, the more I find myself getting sad that my baby boy isn't such a baby anymore. Oh, but he is and always will be to me. This boy, my Griffers, is such a clown. He loves attention and will put on a show for anyone watching. He is friendly, flirtatious and overall just a joy to be around. And that's not just his momma talking. ;)

Stats:
will update in a few weeks after dr. appt

Food:
Griffin is still on an alternative milk source due to his milk intolerance. We alternate between almond and coconut milk.

His favorite foods are avocado, raspberries, crackers, peanut butter, and eggs. He is turning out to be a great eater.

Diapers:
I have stopped cloth diapering at this point because it's not, um, as easy since he's eating a TON more food and well, what goes in, must come out. I don't have the stomach for it. He is in size 5 dipes now and those keep him leak-free throughout the night.

Clothing:
He is wearing size 12-18 months, with a little 18-24 months mixed in. The latter seem to be a bit too big, but he should be into them in a matter of months.

Teeth:
He is getting his two-year molars as we speak. I haven't seen them for sure, but I can tell they are either really close to cutting or have a tiny bit already. He has proven to be a fast and furious teether. The good news is that from start to finish, it's a pretty fast process. We are waiting for him to cut all 4 molars and we will start weaning from the pacifier, hopefully. That's the plan anyway.

Favorites......
Games:
He loves finding people he knows and pointing. Like when we say, "Where's Mommy?" He loves that game. Only now, he loves finding everyones "bib-o", or belly button. "Where's mommy's beebo? He makes sure he doesn't miss anyone when he goes around looking for our "bib-ohs" and announces it with great pride.

He loves hiding and playing peek-a-boo behind an object. For example, he'll hide behind the ottoman and pop up and say "Boo!" over and over and over again waiting for us to ask, "Where's Griffin?"

Objects:
He loves his "baba" or pacifier. We started by calling it a "pa pa" (short a) b/c it was passed down to us by the Christians, but Griff has adapted that name and given his own spin to it.

People:
Griffin loves Ava and vice versa. It's a neat bond these two have. Ava goes in everyday to greet him after nap and they spend at least 10 minutes in there giggling and talking and playing. Griff also likes to lay in Ava's bed with her and read a book, just the two of them.

Words:
"Uh-oh" is the one we hear most often, lol. "Mama" and "Dada" (which sounds like gaga)are a close second. Some other frequented words are: "Gaga" (Ava), "Boo" (cat), "Kick", "Ball", and "Bye Bye". Oh, and "Thank you" is his newest which sounds like "tink ew".

Activities:
He loves playing outside and exploring. Also, he likes to write and draw. He has an amazing pencil grip perfected and can focus for long periods of time and draw with Ava.

Songs:
We must sing "Twinkle, Twinkle" no less than 5 times at night. He halfway does the hand expressions along with it. "Hush Little Baby" is a new favorite of his. I try "You are my sunshine" and he tells me no every time. ha!

Wordless Wednesdays: Coloring

A Boy, His Cat and Spaghetti

The weather in the mornings has been beautiful lately, so we spend a lot of time outside. The other day, while sissy was at school, Griffin and Boo were hanging out outside. While cleaning the pantry, I had accidentally spilled some spaghetti noodles. Well, waste not want not. I decided to give them to Griffin and Boo to see what would happen. They enjoyed playing, breaking, stomping and batting at them. Fun for all!

Orange Belt

Don't let the serious demeanor fool you, Ava was SO proud of herself for earning her orange belt. She did work really hard, going to classes 2x a week and listening to and engaging in what the instructors had them work on. She is a strong and serious girl!

However, since this is a contractual activity, we will be taking a break from Martial Arts to pursue other interests. We just couldn't justify a year long contract for a wishy-washy 4 year old. She rocked her classes, it was just the getting dressed and getting there part that was like pulling teeth for mommy. So, Ava is (temporarily?) retired as an orange belt in Martial Arts and she is darn proud of it!

Pure Joy!

Griffin is in that cute phase right now. He has such a great sense of humor and can hang with playing and teasing with Ava, as if he was her peer. He totally gets her and they play so silly together. He is a smart little guy and can follow multiple step directions, even if he has few words, he knows exactly what is being said. He throws tantrums that can be knocked out with a little distraction, so it's almost comical to see how quickly he gets over things like not being able to walk around and/or play with sissy's scissors. I just look at him and realize what a big boy he has become, yet he is still so little, toddly and sweet; an age I would like to freeze forever. I love it!

Halloween!

These were taken the night before Halloween going to our neighborhood block party. The Toy Story fam, as chosen by Ava.