Catching Up...

The start of our Spring...

Rhys has made good use of our fire pit...

He'll stay in that position for at least 30 minutes at a time...oh, to be young again...and be able to squat like that for that long and be able to get up! :) While on that note, what I would GIVE for some of this precious child's energy!!! I could actually clean the house AND have dinner on the table! Oh well, I'm thankful that my family pours out grace toward me!!

Sweet Caleb...In less than three months, he's had a single ear infection that took two rounds of antibiotics to heal, then two double ear infections, along with a couple of viruses. We're looking into tubes. He is so sweet through all of his discomfort and all the meds. Poor little fella... (actually, he's not that little...This week he hit 21 lbs.)

He's mastered sitting; he's moving on to learn how to crawl...

We've had some good visits with my family...

We call my dad "Baba," my mom "Mama Nili" (my maiden name is Nilipour) and my sister "Aunt Rye" (that's Rhys' version of "Aunt Soraya").

And I got to take the boys over to my parents' house for dinner and a good visit one evening. This picture turned out great with my dad and Caleb.

Grandmom & Pappa came for a good visit over Easter weekend and brought us this fun pool!

Caleb watched Rhys splish-splash from the exersaucer...

and activity mat...

Then, Daddy let him have a try...

Pappa LOVES his boys!!!

Grandmom does too!! :)

And, just for fun...

Rhys LOVES his chocolate ice cream!! :) When he finishes, the first and ONLY word that comes out of his mouth - NONstop - is "More. More. More. More..." :) to which I say, "All done." :) Am I mean, or what!?!? :)

Rhys' Current Passion

I love that boys are such BOYS in the things they love! Like TRUCKS, TRACTORS, CARS, etc. Rhys' day just about starts and ends with some request, comment or conversation about one of the above! :) We were at the library last week, and we came home with this book, "Construction Zone," which Rhys points to EVERY night, saying, "Daddy, read! Daddy, read" Of course, Daddy obliges... {pardon the rattling you'll hear in the background...that's Caleb playing with one of his rattles :)}

Rhys' New Ride

Rhys is doing great these days! He's 2 years and almost 3 months old, and he is into EVERYthing at FULL speed! His day starts some time in the 6:00 hour, and he doesn't slow down, except for a good 2-hour (most days) nap. Then, he's up and at it again until bed time, which is typically around 7:30. His newest addition to his car-tractor-truck collection is this new 4-wheeler that Daddy surprised him with this Sunday morning...

Of course, he was on it and all over the yard in no time! He was so worn out from all of his early morning fun on the 4-wheeler that we picked him up from his class at church, and he was ASLEEP in one of the ladies' arms!!

Here's a short clip of him riding...{sorry for the bumpy footage...evidently, I was trying to walk - and dodge pine cones, sticks and tree roots!! - while recording}

Happy 8 Months, Caleb!!

Sweet Caleb, happy 8 months to you!!!

Here are some updates on how you're doing...

-You are officially on formula, as of two weeks ago (and Mommy feels SOOOOOO good!!! :)), averaging a 6 to 8 oz bottle/formula four times a day
-You enjoy your oatmeal with apple sauce & french vanilla yogurt for breakfast

-You're GREAT at eating finger foods...graham crackers, cheddar cheese puffs, veggie puffs, fruity puffs, yogurt bites and baby cookies!! Your hand-to-mouth coordination is really developing!!

-Your naps are nice and LONG! "Thank YOU, LORD!!!!"

-You still LOVE to bathe in your little bathtub!! I'll fill it with water and then fill the actual bathtub with water, and you joyfully soak in your tub while big brother has fun in his little 'water park.' :) You both love to splash each other, and neither of you minds the other's splashes! I love to see you interacting SO much these days!!!

-I LOVE your head FULL of hair! People comment on that and your LONG eye lashes and BIG blue eyes!
-You've gotten so long/tall, too! You weigh 18lbs 14oz.

-You're sitting better and better each day...almost unsupported!! :)

-Oh, and I should mention that you do so well in your independent play time in your playpen! You get that 2-3 times per day for about 30 minutes at a time, and that's great for Mommy to have time with Rhys or take care of things around the house or even do NOthing but rest for a bit! :)

-You still sleep like a champ through the night, for which I PRAISE THE LORD and sing, "Hallelujah!!" We put you down around 7pm, and you'll start cooing sometime in the 5:00 hour, and almost to the minute, one hour later, you start letting us know (ie, crying! :)) that you're READY to be up and get your bottle! So, you're up any time between 6:15/6:30 to 7:00ish.

-You have had a rough last couple of months with sicknesses, poor guy! Basically, since you were 6 months old, you've been sick! You had an ear infection and had to be on two rounds of antibiotics until it cleared up. Then, you had a stomach virus, which lasted about a week. Then, you had another virus of some kind, which lasted a week and ended in a lovely DOUBLE ear infection, for which you're on antibiotics right now. I pray pray pray that you get well and STAY well thru this Spring and Summer, sweet Caleb!!

-You don't have any teeth showing just yet, but I'm sure they'll start popping out in the next couple of months...it sure doesn't stop you from enjoying some yummy foods! :) I'm thankful for that!

-You are such a cuddle bug! You like to sit in anyone's lap! You love to be held, and you giggle and laugh when we love on your neck! You are so ticklish! I appreciate your smiles and laughs SOOOO much, sweet boy! A mommy needs to know that her baby is content and happy!

-You also LOVE the outdoors! It's interesting 'juggling' both you and big brother at times, but we can all be outside, and you're so content, you hardly need any attention! You'll just play or even just sit and rest in your exersaucer or activity mat and be your 'cool cat' self, while I give all my attention to Rhys! :)

Well, sweet Caleb, I could just go on and on! You are so much FUN, and we ALL adore you! Daddy and I pray for you each night as we put you boys to bed, knowing that you are a gift from our Lord, Who we praise for getting to parent you and live life with you! It's a JOY to get to spend my days with you, son!!!

Our Days In Pictures...

I don't take much time to blog these days, so getting pictures posted is doing great for me! :) I 'heard' that certain family members :) were WAITING and WAITING for the last posts, so I'm going to try to do better! This is a great documentation of our days in picture form...

Rhys & I hit the play-doh a few days a week...

Caleb is practicing sitting!!! Yay!!! (Holly, recognize the outfit? :) It's fun to see outfits on Caleb that Rhys wore not too long ago!! :))

Caleb in his bouncy seat...

And , now that the days are warmer, we spend as much time outside as possible! Daddy bought these cool shades for Rhys... :)

Now, isn't this sweet... Rhys wants to share his shades with Zeke. :)

One morning, I looked out on our deck, and I saw that Rhys had pulled ALL of his trucks, tractors, etc. out of his room onto the deck! My first thought was, "Great...look what we're going to have to clean up!" It was too cute though...I had to snap a picture...he's even wearing Daddy's hard hat! :)

And this precious smile keeps me going! He enjoys his outdoor activity just as much as big brother!!

Who couldn't love this face of joy and thanksgiving for this FUN play time?!?!?! The first thing Rhys asks for EVERY morning is "Daddy? Daddy? Daddy?" The next thing is "Play? Play? Play?" :) So, we hit the deck running!

And a sweet face to leave you with...

Happy 7 Months, Caleb!!

Oh, Caleb! Happy 7 months, big guy! Every time I look at you, I think, "You are BEAUTIFUL!" God gave you the most beautiful blue eyes that everyone - and I do mean EVERYONE - asks about..."Where did he get those big blue eyes!?!?" My answer remains, "The Lord because we sure don't have blue eyes!"

Caleb, you are so much FUN...playful, content, full of giggles once we get to ticklin' on you :), and you absolutely LOVE to put everything in your mouth! Any toy goes from hand to mouth in an instant! You enjoy your tummy time, rolling from back to front and front to back, laying on your back and playing with all the fun toys dangling from your activity mat, banging on and sucking on all the fun toys around your exersaucer and, although you haven't quite figured out what you're supposed to do in the Johnny Jump Up, I take heart in knowing you'll get it soon! :) You also love to just watch your very entertaining brother! You just smile and smile as you watch him run around and talk and talk! :) Thankfully, you boys play really well together!!

Ah...and moving on to the subject of eating...you're a pro! I am thankful! You've eaten all kinds of fruits and veggies! Even had some avocado for the first time last night! Yum!! I'm starting to muster up the courage to let you feed yourself some yogurt bites, baby cheese puffs and other baby finger foods. You haven't complained about any foods yet. Yay!! You're just about as laid back as they come, Caleb...you must take after your Daddy, and I could learn from you!

Oh, and you weigh about 18 lbs. I'm just so thankful that you're healthy and so content!!!

We love you so much and wish you a happy 7 months and many more happy months to come!!!

Love, Daddy & Mommy

XOXOXOXOXO.......

Happy 6 Months, Caleb!!

Wow! How is it possible that you are already 6 months old, sweet boy???

You have been such a JOYful addition to our family!!! I LOVE getting to hold you, play with you, hear you giggle and laugh, and you're just so very pleasant! I am so thankful for you and your sweet, easy-going temperament and can hardly wait to watch your personality continue to develop!

Some things to remember...

-You've been sleeping through the night since about 2 months of age; your bed time is 7p, and since about 5 months, you sleep until sometime between 7a & 8a. Mommy still feeds you a 'dream feed' around 9:00p just to 'top you off' and assure that you'll sleep as far into the morning as possible. :) You nurse GREAT!!!

-You've been eating solids since the day you turned 4 months...started out with rice cereal for breakfast and dinner. Now, you eat a variety of veggies and fruits with either oatmeal or rice cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you enjoy it!! Yay!!!

-You've been napping, since 4 months, from about 9a to 11a; again, from about 1p to 3/3:30p; and most days you need a short late afternoon nap, too, from about 4/4:30 to 5:30/6p, which I think you'll be dropping some time this next month. You nap GREAT!

-Your 6-mo check up is next week, and I think you'll weigh in around 17 or 18 lbs! You are a BIG boy!!! Super healthy and super content, for which we praise the Lord!!

-You coo, laugh, giggle, etc.

-You're about to roll over from back to front, not looking like you'll roll over from front to back any time soon...that'll come in time. We're practicing sitting up, but, again, you're just not all that interested...that, too, will come in time.

-You LOVE to watch your big brother with a big SMILE on your face!!! I think you will be best friends and wonderful playmates! I pray so!!!

-Daddy noticed that you are so expressive these days...he's right! I love your expressions and interactions with each of us!!!

-You play so well on your activity mat, in your exersaucer, and you enjoy your bouncy seat! I think your favorite activity is playing on your activity mat, laying on your back and playing with all the fun, soft, hanging objects, pulling them toward you and sticking them in your mouth. :)

Sweet boy, we praise our gracious LORD for your life and that we get to enjoy these WONDERFUL years with you! Happy 6 months, Caleb!!

Love you, Daddy & Mommy
XOXOXOXOXOXO

Squeezing in Some "Mommy Fun" :)

This is what I've been up to when I can squeeze it in!!

TWO!!! Happy Birthday, Rhys!!!

We celebrated Rhys' 2-year birthday with cinnamon rolls this passed weekend.

He saw a train applique earlier last week that I had made for a friend, and he kept saying, "Train! Train! Train!" so I made him a train t-shirt for his birthday. He is definitely all boy!

Some stats:

Rhys is 27 lbs and 33 inches tall, developing well according to his pediatrician. We are thankful!!

Below is a good picture of what my days look like...I love every moment with these wonderful boys!! {Even the tired moments. :)}

Happy birthday, big boy!!! You are such a gift to our family, and we look forward to many more years with you!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Daddy & Mama :)

Rhys branches out to new fruits

This is just a very short, cute video of Rhys eating an orange...he's all of the sudden discovered that he likes all kinds of fruits...apples, oranges, tangerines, grapes, figs, raisins, prunes, etc. Surely because they're so SWEET! :) Well, some are more tart... (just ignore the background music; we admit, we like The Band Perry around here :))

Christmas & New Year Memories

These are some random pictures of our holidays for our family to remember in coming years...

Rhys is quite fond of Zeke. We have to remind him to not sit on or play too rough with sweet, Old Zeke! :)

My sister's been coming for good visits with the boys. Soraya's visits truly brighten our days!

My friend, Ashley, brought her boys, Nathan and Luke, for a good play date during the holidays...

The Lord blessed us with a WHITE Christmas!!!

I took pictures from INside, while the boys played OUT in the snow. :)

We got to have Christmas lunch AND New Year's lunch with our gracious friends, the deVilleneuve's. They know how to put an amazing meal together! Good times!!! "Thank you, friends!!!"

Shrimp fetuccini, fresh green beans, yummy appetizers, breads, etc.

Rhys & the boys keep busy, which is great leading up to nap times!! :)

Caleb & Hutson are fast becoming buddies and may very well lead the pack one day! ;)

Papa Pete & Yaya came for a good visit one evening over dinner, as well. It's always such a blessing to get time with such a wonderful, encouraging couple!

And this week, my sweet friend Carrie, her mom Kathy and baby girl Victoria came for a good visit before heading back to Hawaii!! Wow!! I'm still humbled and amazed that they were so sweet to spend SO MUCH time with us when I imagine Carrie needed to be packing and doing last minute things!!! "Thank you, Carrie!!! Love you, sweet friend!!!! Kiss sweet again Victoria for me!!!"

I snapped this picture one morning...Russell and Rhys were dressed alike {not planned! :)}, and it was too cute to not snap a memory! :) These boys are too kind to put up with me and my craziness!

And, finally, my sweet man, Rhys! I'm just so proud of him, using his spoon like a big boy!!! He's been eating his morning oatmeal, grits and other foods on his own, which is super helpful for Mommy!!!

We had WONDERFUL holidays and hope you did, too!!!!

Pictures with Santa Chet

I just ran across these pictures from about a month ago! Our sweet neighbor, Chet, 'plays' Santa, so he came over one night and invited us to bring the kiddos over for pictures.

Caleb, too young to have a clue :), was just as laid back as could be...

Rhys, on the other hand...well, let's just say this is the best smile we could get from him, and it took Daddy getting into the picture, too! :)

We've since been getting to know our sweet, new friend...he's invited us to his church...we got to go with him this passed Sunday morning, and he came over for dinner and a good evening of fellowship and stories of his life that same evening.

As you can see, Santa Chet loses the "Santa beard" after Christmas, and Rhys was a bit more inclined to befriend him...

How sweet is this...

The Lord has once again blessed us through a good, sweet neighbor, and we are thankful! {And I'm not talking about his role play as Santa! :)}