Thankful for a Sunny Day!

We had a beautiful sunny day today, with a high around 68. Very windy but still felt wonderful! After naps this afternoon, we played out in the yard for a long while and then took a walk to the neighborhood playground. We all needed the energy release!

griffin and his "walking stick"

get a glimpse of all those teeth!

avery brooke

pushing his dump truck

doing her "tricks"

my little monkeys

headed off to the playground

One of the Cutest Boys Ever!

Here are a few pictures of what I think is one of the cutest baby boys ever!!

Graham @ 9 months old

Saturday Fun

We have had lots of COLD COLD COLD weather for a solid 2 months now. We are all a little restless...have energy needing to be burned...and are in need of fresh air!

Avery, Kaylee, Katelyn

Griffin and Bryce

So today was perfect! The temperature got up to about 6o degrees and the sky was all blue! We met the Runkles and Fitzsimmons at a local playground to play and picnic. It felt good to be outside and the kids had fun getting to run around and just be together. (and the adults enjoyed a little adult conversation!)

Thanks for the pictures Keri!

9 months old already!

Graham turned 9 months old on Thursday. I truly cannot believe it. The time seems to go by quicker with each child...and I sometimes fear that I don't spend enough time just enjoying Graham, but instead merely drag him around as I care for the older 2. I've really had to make a conscience effort to remind myself to sit down on the ground and do "patty cake" for 20 minutes or sit and babble with him just for fun.

Graham had his check up on Friday - his noggin' is still McBrayer-sized (AKA: large), his height is 28.5 inches (50%), and his weight is 18 lbs, 1 oz (dropped down to the 10%). Other than decrease in weight %, Dr. Cooley says he looks great. Graham has had 3 ear infections in less than 2 months, UGH! I'm hoping that now that we are over #3, his appetite will pick back up...and I'm crossing my fingers that we don't get another one!

We've met some major milestones this month: Over Christmas break, he started army crawling, doing the inchworm, and attempting a crawl on all fours. Since then he has pretty-much perfected his crawl. And then just this week, Graham learned how to pull himself to standing...and is now continually standing. He has virtually ZERO balance, yet thinks he can just let go of what he's holding onto. Needless to say, he currently has 3 bruises on his forehead.

As he has become more mobile, the time he tolerates the jumper and exersaucer has greatly diminished! He still enjoys them, but only in short bursts...which makes my life harder since I need to be focused on him and within arm's reach when he's loose! I've also had to move to constant "floor patrol" - making sure no polly pocket pieces or plastic bolts or whatever else the older 2 are playing with are left for Graham to discover!

Graham is loving finger foods and seems to prefer feeding himself to being spoon-fed. Its become a challenge to get enough in him. But he will eat as many puffs, yogurt melts, graham crackers, cheese, and banana pieces as you'll give him! But if you come at him with a spoon, he's bound to swat you!

This little man is still all smiles and he loves to flirt with strangers! He is extra entertained by Avery and smiles the second he sees her! He laughs at everything she does and she seems to thrive on his giggles! Griffin continues to be my main helper and loves to retrieve toys or pacifiers or diaper or whatever I need.

We're looking forward to the months to come!

Graham's Latest Trick

I left Graham in his room tonight while I went to get the bath ready for him...and look what I found when I returned!!! (I realize his face is, um well, dirty - but we were headed to the tub...)

getting started

almost up

I made it!

getting brave

Dinner with Friends

This Parnell clan had a really relaxing, 3 day weekend this past weekend. For the past 2 months, Brent has spent a lot of his free time studying for boards so this was the first non-work, non-study weekend in a LONG time...and we enjoyed it!

I got to sleep in a little (does 7:45 really count as sleeping in?) and get a pedicure on Saturday (while enjoying a Starbucks and some gossip magazines...). Brent and the kids got out in the yard some and did a little work. Saturday night we made a pot of chili and had some friends over to spend the evening. We met the Fitzsimmons through Avery's preschool class last year - and have enjoyed their friendship over this past year. Kaylee is one of Avery's best friends and Bryce is Griffin's best bud.

The girls spent most of their evening playing dress-up.

and here are the cutest super heroes ever - holding hands!!

getting "in" on the action!

Our weekend continued with church Sunday morning and then a quiet afternoon. We met the Runkles for some BBQ for dinner and enjoyed getting to catch up with them. And then Monday night, Brent's boss had us over for a dinner party. We enjoyed the childless night out!!

Happy New Years

We stayed at the cabin through the weekend so we got to celebrate New Years there. I must confess (with much embarrassment) that Brent and I went to bed, while my parents stayed up to ring in the new year!!!

Nina and Big Daddy cooked us a wonderful, gourmet dinner - standing rib roast, stuffed tomatoes, steamed broccoli, and sauteed corn/red peppers, zucchini. It was delicious!! After dinner, we played some major games of Yukor and Sequence.

here is the rib roast - Mike covers it in icecream salt before baking. It is sooo good!

Nina and Big Daddy

sitting down to our meal

My handsome boy, enjoying his "bideo game" by the fire!

Sissy and Big Daddy

dazed and confused, watching the grownups enjoy dinner