Who's Who?

First Picture - Brooks

Second Picture - Graham

Yeah - we're pretty sure they look like brothers!

Photo Shoot - Brooks

A dear friend, Sarah Lucas, did Brooks's newborn photo shoot last month when he was a few weeks old. Here are the two pics we chose for his birth announcements. (As a plug for Sarah and how talented she is - Brooks was fussy for most of the fifteen minutes we took pictures, and we got about 50 amazing pictures! THANK YOU SARAH!!!)

Megan Came To Visit!

We had a wonderful weekend with Kyle's sister Megan last weekend! We went to the beach house, Megan and I went to get pedicures, we were able to go out Saturday night, and Graham LOVED spending time with his aunt. In fact, I think he went back and forth between loving her as his aunt and having a crush on her because she's a pretty blond. Most of the weekend she was Aunt Meggie. However, .... at one point, she became Aunt Girl. (All cute girls he calls "girl" and gets a funny smile on his face. Same with Megan!) Thanks so much for a great visit, Megan!!

Brothers

Graham goes back and forth liking/ not liking Brooks. This was a particularly sweet moment in Graham's crib one morning. I'm praying these boys will have a special relationship.

My Sweet Brooks

This little boy is ADDICTING! And he's growing way too fast. He has his two month appt on Tuesday - so hard to believe he is two months! He's smiling, and he's growing out of clothes so fast. In fact, he's so big that I feel like I need to have another baby to have another little guy around!

Nature Walk

Last Friday was a gorgeous day - a long overdue warm day! Immediately after breakfast, I took the boys for a nature walk. There is a great trail between both Virginia Aquarium buildings. We walked the trail for probably an hour and a half. I took Graham's bug farm thinking that he would want to collect bugs (he's fascinated with "dead bugs" these days). And, my own childhood memories came rushing back on the walk back to the car....Graham's little legs wore out and he wanted to be carried he was so tired of walking and running. So sweet to carry him. And remember my little legs getting tired when I was a child!

And, as typical, Graham carried his Virginia Aquarium ticket the entire walk!

Evening Out

Last Friday was a BEAUTIFUL day in Virginia Beach - 70 degrees. Kyle came home early - around 2 - and we played outside and then went to dinner at one of our favorites - Bravo. Very special family evening out!

Potty Training

Graham had been showing quite an interest in potty training lately, that we decided to just jump in and do a blitz training. Here are some pics from the first day - Monday, President's Day. I couldn't get enough of his cute little legs and tush in big boy underwear! Kyle had a great idea - Graham watched a lot of Elmo's potty training video on Monday. In the bathroom. And he had a LOT of juices, special drinks, and fun, salty snacks. (That are all now in the trash! Just couldn't bear to have them in the house after they had "done their job"!) Monday was sweet, hard, special, and completely exhausting. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - no accidents at all!!! He has worked so hard - and he definitely loves the M&Ms he gets every time he goes!

Potty Training Success!

Since Kyle was off work yesterday, we decided to do a "blitz" potty training day. And, we've had great success!! Graham has a little way to go, but he's been working so hard and made such progress. (I'll post pics as soon as I upload some.) We figured it was time since Graham would bring me his diaper changing station saying, "Mommy, diaper changing station o-er HERE, new diaper, peez.)

Some of his other recent comments -

Mommy, I need some more milk, please.

Graham do a headstand on his own!

Meditation

This was one of the those meditations in our church bulletin that just "got me" the other Sunday....

"Failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren. Without worship we live manipulated and manipulating lives. We move in either frightened panic or deluded lethargy as we are, in turn, alarmed by specters and soothed by placebos. If there is no center, there is no circumference. People who do not worship are swept into a vast restlessness, epidemic in the world, with no steady direction and no sustaining purpose."

Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder

Hey Man-DAY!

Graham has decided to start using our first names to get our attention!! And we didn't teach him this! If I don't respond quickly enough to him, he'll yell "Hey MAN-DAY!" and if Kyle doesn't respond quickly enough...."HEY KI-ALL"! Hilarious!!!

And - we are attempting to potty-train Graham today. Kyle has the day off, and it's a nice day. So, Graham can run around in his new, big-boy underpants and a tee-shirt. It's going all right. I think. It's exhausting with a newborn!!! I should have done this before Brooks was born and just dealt with a little reversion after Brooks was born! Whew! I don't know how I would do this without Kyle! He is KEY to this success! (One funny comment from Graham this morning while starting the potty training, "Pee Pee stuck, Mommy!"

Where's Graham? ("Is Mim?")

He loves to crawl under his crib to hide these days!

Story Time

Story Time with both of my boys. In Brooks's room this time.

Fists

Brooks usually has fists, and he must be getting prepared for kick boxing. Those fists are always flying!