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! :)}

Brothers {a Four-Month Stats Comparison}

Caleb is looking more and more like Rhys, so I wanted to post a comparison on the boys...

At four months, Caleb's stats:

weight: 15lbs 6.5oz

height: 25.5 inches

head circumference: 16.5 inches

Looking back at Rhys' stats when he was four months old:

weight: 14 lbs

height: 24 inches

head circumference: 16 inches

They just look SO much alike!! :) Except for the eye colors. Both boys are perfectly made, and we praise the Lord that they are both doing so well in development and health, etc. This was just a fun little post for perhaps my own curiosity! :) It's just fun to watch the boys grow!

I praise YOU, O Lord, for these boys and ask that you continue to guide Russell's and my steps as we parent them and their steps so that they come to know you as early as You will allow. This is our prayer. Amen.

Happy {very belated} 22 Months Rhys

I got so wrapped up in our family Thanksgiving that I missed Rhys' 22-month post! So, here's a quick one...

Rhys is still VERY much into tractors, trucks, Jeeps, cars, anything with wheels...especially if they make lots of NOISE! :) If you need a smile - perhaps even a laugh :) - watch this short video! Rhys has some super smooth moves! ;) {Takes after his daddy, for sure!}

Rhys has been enjoying waffles for breakfast {and sometimes for dinner}, and Zeke sits there waiting/begging for a bite! We don't allow it, but Rhys sometimes sneaks it into Zeke's diet. Russell and I are the ones who suffer the consequence!!! When that dog 'toots,' which is VERY likely when he gets any human food(!!!), there's a HUGE GRAY CLOUD hovering in the room, and our eyes literally start watering...it's BAD! :) {TMI? :)} So, when I see Rhys so much as considering sharing his food with Zeke, I almost SCREAM, "NO!!!" Trust me, you would, too! It gets BAD around here!! WHEW!!!

And this is cute...we have a screen for the fireplace that Rhys likes to open and close and walk in and out of...he entertains himself doing that for a good while. :)

Happy belated 22 months, sweet Rhys! We love you so much and enJOY watching you learn so much as you grow!! Daddy and I are so thankful for you, and you are a wonderful big brother to Caleb!! You could be a little more gentle with Zeke :), but that'll come with age and learning.

Love you! XOXOXOXOXOXO

Happy 4 Months, Caleb!!

Caleb is already four months old...time is flying by!!

We've been trying out some new activities...the johnny jump up...

(his eyes are still blue!)

...the exersaucer...

...and rice cereal, his first solid!!!! Yay!!!

Caleb has his 4-month check up this Wednesday, so I'm interested in finding out how much he weighs and how much he's grown! In the meantime, he's doing great! He's transitioning to 5 feedings a day (from 6), two long naps and one short one, sleeps from 7p to 6a with a 9p feeding. He's on the verge of rolling over. He's outgrowing his Miracle Blanket/swaddle, so we'll have to transition him into his sleep sack soon, which I hope is a smooth transition!! I just hope his 'flailing arms' don't awaken him once he's no longer swaddled.

He sweetly coo's and smiles SO much, which is such a treat for Mommy!! He's really easy, and we are thankful!! Such a sweet boy! I'm really enjoying this phase of his life, and I really canNOT believe he's already 4 months! WOW!!!

Happy FOUR months, sweet Caleb!!! Daddy & Mommy are SO very thankful and praise our Lord for you! Life is so fulfilling as we get to parent you and your brother! Love you!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Visit w/Papa & Grandmom

This passed week, Russell's parents visited. We got to celebrate Claudia's birthday..."Happy Birthday, again, Claudia!!" :)

Grandmom got to spend LOTS of good, quality time with the boys...

Papa did, too!

And I think the heat of the fireplace might have gotten to Russell's head one night {Ha!!}...he got to dancin' with Rhys, and I caught some hilarious pictures of their 'dance.' :) This is only one of several pics...

And Daddy caught this sweet moment...Zeke & Caleb having some quality time together. :)

Christmas at Thanksgiving 2010

We started a tradition with the Wright side of the family - exchanging Christmas gifts at Thanksgiving - three years ago. Looking back over the last three years, it's made the month leading up to Christmas so nice because we don't have to spend any time Christmas shopping...that part is done! We can rest and relax, looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, with family and friends over the Christmas holidays!

This passed weekend, we were thankful to share time, great conversation, good food and life with family! It was a fun several days!!! Rhys got to open his Christmas present from Papa & Grandmom...

Papa & Grandmom know this child very well! :) Rhys is into anything with wheels, but especially TRACTORS!!! He couldn't wait to hop on for a ride! PJ's and all! :)

Finally, I coerced him into letting me dress him! :) Below, he's dancing to music while ridin' his tractor. :) Such a sweet boy!

I am thankful for our Lord's provision...for so much WONDERFUL time with our families, for good memories of years passed, for added memories from this year :) (anyone involved in our Thanksgiving has to be smiling), for great food and so much more! What a beautiful spread of food we enjoyed! "Thank You, Lord!!"

We squeezed in some Joker, of course! :)

Aunt Tami surprised Rhys with blocks...

Aunt Kristie surprised Rhys with another fun tractor {thankfully we found the MUTE :) button on it last night}!!

Thank you, Aunt Kristie & Uncle Todd!! :)

All my men, relaxing together...

Papa helped feed Rhys cereal...

Grandmom LOVED on her littlest man. :)

Grandmom, her sister Sue and Caleb...

Caleb and his very own lovie from Papa & Grandmom...

And Rhys, Ritzin' it up :) as our little 'box head'...kids'll do the darndest things in the midst of excitement! :) I'm glad we caught this sweet moment between Papa & Rhys...look at those sweet smiles. They evidently love each other!