Charlie is Potty Trained!

Charlie is officially potty trained!! He was very resistant for a long time, and being such an agreeable kid in all other aspects, it felt wrong to force him into it. I don't think he was scared, just not ready. Then right before Thanksgiving, he agreed to give it a try, and we have been diaper-free ever since. 

I was hesitant to start the process right before the holidays, but he did awesome. Dry through the night almost immediately and it only took a few days to get the hang of it in the day. I'm sure being almost 4 made a big difference, but either way we are still proud of him. Last week he picked out a little voice changer from the Discovery Center gift store as a reward for 10 days of no accidents. You're a big kid now Charlie!!

Griffin at 18 Months

Our little guy is growing up and does his best to keep us all on our toes! Griffin gets into everything, all day long and can't be redirected or distracted. He can grab knives from the dishwasher with lightning speed, thinks all tables are for climbing, and has made it his life mission to eat every chapstick in the house. His favorite word is "no" and he says it often, even when he really means "yes". 

He's also the snuggliest bug you ever did see and has a smile and laugh that melts us every time. He loves food and often out eats his siblings at dinner, both in quantity and variety. He adores his family and can't wait to run out to see them each morning. He is full of energy, mischief, drama, and joy. We sure love this sweet boy!!

...and he's done

Griffin is Walking!

 After standing and cruising for several months, Griffin started taking real steps and walking meaningful distances on June 1st, the day after turning 14 months old. That makes him the slowest of all the kids, but he matched their speed in no time and hasn't slowed down since. This milestone is always so fun and the other kids loved cheering him on as he practiced. 

Video clips of Griffin learning to walk

Griffin's Birthday Celebration

It was so fun to celebrate our little Griffin! He turned one on a Wednesday, but we actually chose to delay his birthday "party" a few days so we could hold it on the weekend when things wouldn't be so rushed. This is our family's last 1st birthday celebration and I wanted to savor the moment! I even ordered a cute lion smash cake from a local baker for the occasion. Sadly he actually wasn't feeling great once Saturday rolled around, but once he saw the presents and cake he was able to muster up some happiness and get excited about being the center of attention. You are the cutest little guy, Griffin, and we sure love you!!

Present opening took a long time. We let him go at his own pace and he took his time ripping off little shreds of paper. We actually let him open a couple on his own before calling the other kids over so he could enjoy the experience without the "help" that he would inevitably receive once they arrived.

As a fourth child he didn't really need anything, but that didn't stop us from spoiling him just a little. He got some new jammies, a book, play food, rainbow blocks, a musical caterpillar and a push toy.

After three other birthdays in March I was feeling a little burnt out, so I went against my nature and placed a custom order from Simple Little Sweets. Best idea ever!! Not only did it look good, it also tasted amazing, and didn't even cost a fortune. I may never bake a birthday cake again.

Really pleased with the offering we put on his high chair

He was a upset that we wouldn't let him touch the lit candle or the cake while we were singing

Rather than serve the kids up separately, I told them to just gather around the high chair and dig in. It was already going to be messy, so why not have some fun! I think Griffin also enjoyed having them close by to share the moment.

He really went to town, smashing and eating his cake like a pro

Well done little buddy!

 Clips from Griffin's 1st Birthday

Griffin's is ONE

Griffin turned ONE at the end of March! How did that year go by so fast?? I swear with each kid the time seems to pass a little quicker. Our cute little guy now has a head of blonde hair, 4 teeth, and is always on the move. He loves people and attention, hates his car seat, and has the cutest laugh when tickled.

With his birthday, our family is now officially out of the infant stage for good, which is a sentimental transition for sure. I love my babies. I love their tiny clothes, the sweet baby laughs and gummy grins, their squishy thighs, cheeks, hands and snuggles and it hurts to think we will not do this again. BUT, I am extremely excited about the years ahead when our family will soon have no more need for high chairs, pack n plays, car seats, nap schedules, strollers, and more. Just think, in two years we may be diaper free!!

I know know I can't keep you little forever Griff, but I sure hope you don't grow up too fast! 

Griffin at 12 Months

• At his one year check up he measured 30.5 inches (75%) and 20.09 lbs (30%). He finally passed the 20 pound mark! He is still our smallest baby and is just starting to move into 18 month clothing, which is what Davey and Charlie both wore around 6 months old. 
• His words at one year include Mama, Dada, Uh-Oh, Wow, and Hat. He is not a quiet child, and although he's the youngest, he wants to be part of the conversation. He is always babbling, yelling, or crying. 
• His naughtiest moments usually involve the toilet. He loves to splash in the water and play with the cleaning brush or plunger. It's an especially bad activity when paired with Davey's habit of never flushing after he uses the bathroom. I have done so much mopping over the past couple weeks. The dishwasher is also a target. If it's not all the way shut, he can pry it open and then always goes for either the knives, kitchen scissors, or glass pot lids. 
• He loves active play. Being tossed, swung, flipped around, or rolled always bring a big smile to his face. If you put him on the bed, couch or trampoline he will start bouncing up and down. Every morning he likes to wave around his arm at Dave like a sword fight.
• We are completely done with night feedings, and after a couple weeks of traumatic sleep training, he has also stopped his 10 pm parties. It was rough on both of us. Some nights he cried for 2+ hours, and I wanted to give in so badly and go to him, but now that we've made it through we are both happier and more rested. 
• Griffin is a great eater. He does well with fruit, veggies, cheese, meat, and snacks. The other night he ate more chicken nuggets than Davey and Charlie combined. His only flaw is that he is so incredibly messy. We have to feed him naked because he loves to squeeze the life out of his food before eating it and then rub it through his hair. We're lucky that he enjoys bath because he gets to take lots of them. 
• I am still nursing 4 times a day, and don't have plans to wean anytime soon. If he chooses to be done I will let him, but since he's my last baby I will let him continue for awhile longer if that's what he wants to do. 
• He is a big time momma's boy and is constantly wanting me to hold him. If I'm not around, he is perfectly content to sit and play, but the second he sees or hears me the whine begins and he'll wander over and starting crying at my legs to pick him up. 

He's still got big, dark brown eyes like when he was a newborn, but now he also has a mischievous personality to counter his sweet side

There was a time a few weeks before his birthday when Griffin had one top tooth, and one bottom tooth. He looked ridiculous! I've never seen a baby whose teeth came in this way, instead of in pairs. 

Griffin got a haircut a few days before his birthday because he was starting to become a complete fluff head, and I wanted him to be a little more presentable in his pictures. 

 

He looked much better afterward!  We all love his blonde hair and wonder how long it will stick around

I took this photo of Griffin after a challenging day at church. He was being so loud! I took him out in the hall three times that day, but Dave said he could still hear us even when we walked to the other end of the building. The pinnacle was when he ripped off my mask during the sacrament and let out a banshee scream to celebrate his victory! 

He stands real well and can cruise the furniture like a champ, but shows no signs of walking yet. He is a super fast crawler, so I don't think he feels very motivate to try something new. I am torn between wanting him to figure it out (outside play is difficult with a crawler), and wanting him to stay little and slow :)

Enjoying an Italian style lunch of pasta, mozzarella, pepperoni and grapes! Overall he is a good eater who will try, and enjoy most foods.

This little boy is so loved!

Happy first year Griffin!

Sophie's Baptism Day

Sophie was baptized on March 27th, the week after she turned 8. We are proud of the choices she has made and the strong, smart, beautiful girl she has become. Her baby days feel like they just happened, and yet here she is looking all grown up. She is an amazing helper and example to her younger brothers, has a generous heart, is a great friend to those around her, and always tries to choose the right. We are excited to see the great things she will do with her life

Our beautiful girl

Sophie has been reading the Book of Mormon with Dave every night for the last couple years

Both of her grandma's gave a short talk and her grandpa Howe and Liz gave the prayers. The bishop did not show up, so Dave (as the EQ president) conducted in his place. I played the piano, and we let Emery conduct the music.

Dave and Sophie also sang "A Child's Prayer" together for the special musical number. Sophie usually gets a little stage fright so I was proud of her for being brave enough to perform.

A covid baptism, complete with extra masks just in case anyone forgot theirs

Our whole family is so proud of Sophie!

Liz was on Griffin duty and did an excellent job keeping this little guy happy during what should have been his morning nap. 

We were so blessed to have both the Howes, Liz, and Grandmari able to travel to Amarillo for the event. We do not live in the most accessible part of the country so we are always grateful for the time and effort people make to come see us!

In addition to family, Sophie had her primary teacher, the primary president, our neighbor, her friend Ethan and his mom, my friend Erika, and Emery and Tayson there to support her

These two are the very best of friends and never get tired of being silly together

I did my best to make the refreshments covid friendly. Everything was in it's own container so there was no cross-contamination. We had a few no shows, so there was extra food, but the kids did not complain one bit about having to eat some additional brownies at home that night!

Grandmari spoke about the "Three Bears of Baptism" so for our favor we had little bags of gummy bears with a card attached to remind everyone about the covenants we make at baptism

Sophie with flowers Grandmari got for the entry table

Sophie is EIGHT!!

Sophie celebrated her 8th birthday this month! At this moment in time Sophie is an athletic, smart, ocean-loving, music blasting girl. She loves all living things and wants to work with animals someday, either as a vet or wildlife rescuer and is really hoping to get a bearded dragon for a pet sometime soon. She loves to play Kidz Bop songs on her CD player or Alexa, knows all the lyrics, and sings along loudly. It's always a party at our house! Her 2nd grade year at school has also been great. She loves her teacher, Mrs. Cano, and has breezed through her math fact quizzes and spelling tests. On the weekends and holiday breaks she is often sad that she doesn't get to go to school. 

We didn't have an official party for her this year because covid is still around, but her special day was much better than last year when quarantine protocols were just being implemented and she had stomach flu. It's hard to watch your little girl grow up, but every year older means we are a little closer to having a babysitter in the house! Sophie is going to be a phenomenal babysitter in a year or two, and already runs story time, showers Charlie, entertains Griffin, keeps Davey in line, and much more!

Sophie at 8 Years Old

• I'll get her official stats at her well visit in May, but she has definitely grown. I've started adding a few 10/12 clothes to her drawers and it shocked me a little when they fit just fine. I've also been swapping out all the kid hangers in her closet for adult ones - sad day. 
• We've started a job chart that she has complete ownership over and for each item she crosses off she can earn 10 cents. Her jobs include keeping her room clean, combing out her own hair, setting or clearing the table, practicing math, emptying the trash cans, helping her brothers, and not complaining about dinner. That last one has made a world of difference, as her opinions heavily influence Davey and Charlie, and I am happy to reward her setting a good example.
• She loves to read and probably finished 200 books over the last year. Her latest report from school put her at a mid-4th grade reading level. Her favorite books often involve talking animals, mysteries or fantasy/adventure themes. 
• Soccer continues to be her preferred sport and she is very good out on the field. She stops as many goals as she scores, which is a lot. Sophie also loves swimming and we may look into swim team at some point. 
• One thing Sophie has not mastered is riding a bike. It does not come naturally to her, and we haven't put in much practice time to help her out. It is on the goal list for this year!
• Her favorite dinners are steak, Hawaiian haystacks, and rotisserie chicken. She also loves Nutella sandwiches, macaroni, top ramen, and all desserts. We have started working on cooking skills and the first food she learned to make was toast. 
• Her best friend is Emery Taylor. They are soul sisters and could literally play 24/7 and never get tired of each other. We have our fingers crossed hard that her dad's job situation will work out and her family will not have to move. 
• While she actually plays really well with her brothers, she does enjoy alone time and we let her keep a lock on the door for times when she wants privacy. Her favorite solo activities are reading, building Legos, playing with her Hatchimals, stuffed animals, Barbies, and Twisty Petz, or coloring. 

I had already purchased a birthday balloon for Sophie, but then she found this mermaid/narwhal one at Walmart and LOVED IT SO MUCH, so how could I say no. I ended up giving the other balloon to Davey's friend who had a birthday a couple days later.  

Sophie was a little disappointed with her birthday gifts last year. She loved them all, but they weren't "fun," so this year I focused more on things she could use and enjoy that day and I think it was a success! She got Legos, a snorkel, a game, crafts, a Barbie, a book, and a new scooter.

For her birthday dinner we went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse, where Sophie got lots of rolls and some pink and black meat - her favorite!

Sophie requested a turquoise narwhal cake and I did my very best. It wasn't perfect, but at least it was recognizable and tasted good :)

We hope all your wishes and dreams come true!

Video Clips of Sophie's 8th Birthday