Smiley Baby Griffin

This is 3 days ago, guys. I'm all caught up now. I have a few pictures to take of our previously mentioned projects and I'll get them posted soon. Sorry for the post overload this last couple days!

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(Jan. 22, 2013)

Griffin was so smiley for me the other day I had to get a few pictures of the cute little guy. He sure smiles easily and loves when you talk to him. He's starting to get bored more easily now... my next challenge is baby boredom... babies just want you to play with them and talk to them and hold them at this stage... any ideas for the fast approaching time I will need to entertain 2 bored babies? We have some toys (bouncer chair with dangling toys, floor mat with dangling toys, bouncy activity center)... hopefully they will be happy just watching Lincoln and Parker play cars from their bouncer chairs...?

 

Smiley Griffin

Parker & Mimi

 (Jan. 14, 2013)

We were invited to dinner at Ashley & Kurt's - yummy taco salads - and I needed a picture of Parker & Mimi - cute, right? Thanks for dinner, guys!

Mimi with Parker

New "Green Park" (a.k.a. Larkspur Park)

(Jan. 12, 2013)

They redid a park playground in our neighborhood which Lincoln calls the "Green Park." Every city park has a color. 

Larkspur Park = Green Park

Vernon Worthen Park = Pink Park (it's actually a faded red..)

Bloomington Hills North Park = Yellow Park

It was too cold for me since I didn't have a coat 

(and I just don't like to stand around being cold... 

I'd rather sit in the warm van) 

so the pictures are from a distance.

Jesse on far left

Parker is on the spin toy to the left, and Lincoln is by the other spin toy in the back.

The spinners are pretty fun - I can't take too much of it though because I get motion sickness...

Lincoln is a Sunbeam!

(Jan. 5, 2012)

The Primary in our ward had a pajama party the Saturday before the first Sunday of the year. Lincoln got to join them because he is now a Sunbeam!  He wasn't thrilled about being there... I think the crowd scared him a little. To get him ready for his new Sunbeam class, I had been telling him this for about a month: "You're almost too big for nursery! You almost get to go to Sunbeams!" 

Well... that Saturday, I told him that... tomorrow he is too big for nursery and he gets to go to Sunbeams. After we arrived at the pajama party, Lincoln told me, "I want to go home. I'm too big for church!" Nice try, Lincoln. Clever.

Lincoln being a stinker. (black jacket)

Christmas Morning

(Dec. 25, 2012)

Here are some pictures from the morning. I can't find my nicer camera charger cord... so all these are taken with cell phones...

Santa brings balloons!

Would you believe it was 8:15am before the kids woke up? And we had to get them out of bed! Griffin & Oliver slept in til 9:00am. Those were AWESOME Christmas gifts, boys!

Opening up stockings

Enjoying a pre-breakfast Christmas treat

Griffin (L) & Oliver (R)

Lincoln asked Santa for "a firetruck, a 'pleece' car, and an 'amblance'"

He also asked for "one pink balloon, and bubbles"

Playing with new cars from their stockings

Dressed in new clothes from Florin & Irina and blowing bubbles out front

Parker riding his new scooter

more bubbles

They ended up ditching all their new toys, and playing with the cement chunks (from a project - post to come soon!).

We had a very relaxing Christmas this year. Yummy breakfast, playing outside with new toys all morning, making pies, Dinner at Jesse's parents, and best of all, sleeping past 7:30am!

We love our Savior, Jesus Christ and celebrate His birth during the Christmas Season. We hope you had a Merry Christmas, too!

Christmas Eve (Pa)'jamas

(Dec. 24, 2012)

I always thought it was fun to open a present on Christmas Eve growing up, so I want to keep that tradition with my kids. I also like the Christmas pajamas tradition other families have, so here you go!

Our boys don't say the "pa" in pajamas... they call them "jamas".

 Parker

Lincoln's new robot 'jamas

Parker's new dinosaur 'jamas

The best picture I could get!

Jesse accidentally opened the card from Adam & Sabrina early, so he stuck it high in the tree. Maybe I should have taken it off before taking pictures...

Live Nativity at Tuacahn

(Dec. 20, 2012)

I think we've been to the Live Nativity at Tuacahn every year since we've been married. Maybe we missed one year... We thought the boys would like to see the real animals, and also maybe the Christmas Story would sink in a little more, too. I need to remember to bring a blanket! Those seats are so cold and hard... They did a great job and of course Lincoln and Parker enjoyed the camel and bunnies and goat.

Lincoln (orange), Jesse, & Parker (green)

By the Christmas Tree plus Some Personality

(Dec. 13, 2012)

It has surprised me how different Griffin & Oliver are. Griffin sits still and studies his surroundings. Oliver looks here, there, over there, here again... and wiggles like crazy. I love how different they are. It has helped me love them more as individuals instead of a "package".  They are starting to show some personality and it's fun to get know them!

Griffin (L) & Oliver (R)

Autumn Leaves

(Dec. 6, 2012)

Lincoln and Parker were pretty excited when I started blowing the leaves into a big pile. It reminded me of raking the Sanderson's HUGE lawn and creating "houses" with the leaves. Kids just love leaves, right? 

A short movie of Lincoln & Parker playing in the leaves:

Parker (L) & Lincoln (R)

Gingerbread Houses (from a kit)

(Dec. 1, 2012)

Lincoln & Parker helped me decorate a little gingerbread house. 

I think this is one of 3 times Lincoln put one piece of candy on the house.

And this is one of 78 pieces of candy Parker ate. Or about 78.

The next day (Dec. 2) Jesse blessed Griffin & Oliver in our Sacrament meeting. He did a beautiful job. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband that is a worthy Priesthood holder. Thank you, Jesse! You are a wonderful father, too!!

L & P Holding G & O

(Nov. 25, 2012)

Sometimes Lincoln & Parker want to hold the babies... and when one holds Griffin, the other wants to hold a baby, too. Here's a shot of my 4 boys:

 Left: Parker holding Griffin

Right: Lincoln holding Oliver

Sweet Sleeping Babies

(Nov. 25, 2012)

Almost 4 months old here. I love my babies best when they are smiling or sleeping. So cute.

 Oliver (L) & Griffin (R)

Oliver

Griffin

Family Pictures 2012

(Nov. 24, 2012)

Since I didn't really like our first family picture... we had Parker Davis take a few family shots. It was pretty difficult... can you imagine keeping all these boys happy and manage to smile yourself?

(Jesse holding Oliver, Mindy holding Griffin)

Some cute shots of Parker

Another family shot

I should have had Parker take some pictures of Lincoln... whoops!
So I tried to take some myself...

Parker wanted in on the action...

So. Cute.

Santa's Train Ride

(Nov. 23, 2012)

I took Lincoln & Parker to Santa's Workshop (Christmas shopping convention) to ride the train. Lincoln was ecstatic and couldn't wait. Parker was very quiet... and almost started crying during the actual ride. It's a good thing the ladies let me ride with the boys so Parker could sit on my lap.

 Parker (L) & Lincoln (R)

 

Before the train ride: (a short movie clip)

More PIctures... plus a WONDERFUL Surprise

(Nov. 15, 2012)

When Griffin was just more than 3 months old, he started sleeping through the night! WHAAAAT??  Seriously. Awesome. 3 weeks later... Oliver started sleeping through the night, too! It hasn't been every single night.. but they sleep from about 10pm to 6am or 7am. A nice big chunk of sleep for Mom & Dad. Thank you, thank you, thank you, babies!!!

 Oliver (L) & Griffin (R)

Starting to Smile

(Nov. 14, 2012)

When the babies should have been about a month old, they started smiling. Taking into account their gestational age, they are (so far) developmentally on track. Such a miracle considering how early they were born! Recently they are starting to laugh and have been cooing and smiling a ton. Love it!

Griffin (as Lincoln says... "The big one.")

 

Oliver

Reward for "Sleeping In"...

(Nov. 10, 2012)

After the babies slept in our room for 2 months, it was time for them to have their own room. They had become noisy sleepers and Jesse and I needed our sleep!

Since our home only has 2 bedrooms on the main level, that meant Lincoln & Parker had to move to the basement downstairs. (They are scared of basements... so their bedroom is downstairs, not in the basement.) They (mostly Lincoln) were scared and had to be coaxed to sleep every night. After falling asleep, they would wake up, turn on EVERY light in the house, and come greet us at 4:15am. Or 4:30am. Or maybe 5:00am. Yikes.  We then told them, "If you stay in your room until after the sun comes up and it's light outside, we'll go to the store and get DONUTS!" After over a week of super early mornings... we were woken up just before 7am. What a relief. There are still some early mornings... but at least it isn't a daily occurrence anymore.

 A chocolate-covered Lincoln face

It was pretty comical to watch Lincoln wolf down his donut. 

He was eating it like he hadn't eaten anything in 4 days!