The aftermath...and seeing extended family!

The kids had great fun playing with their wonderful new toys from Santa! Then Justin's extended family came over for a visit--Grandma Joy, Aunt Barb, Gordon, and later, Aunt Julie! It was great to catch up with everyone. Earlier that day we got to see Justin's cousins Wills and Max. I will have to find a picture to post of that reunion.

So happy together...for the moment.

Joy turned 90 on December 26th. What a beauty! Three generations...

I LOVE this!

Great dinner, Mary!!!!

Gotta love being with family

Our trip went by quickly...four days in East Grand Rapids, three days in Traverse City, and a day in Midland....but we created great memories in a short amount of time!

This was Patrick's favorite facial expression during our time in EGR. Don't know why.

Elliott and Will shared some silly moments...here they are bonding over some cheese and crackers! :)

I think they'll become closer friends as they get older...they're five months apart which seems like a lot now but won't when they're 10! 

Aunt Sarah had some QT with the boys...Patrick and Will (and Justin)!

Sweet Christmas Moments

I caught Elliott and Will gazing out the window together and pointing out what they saw. Super cute!

Can we open presents, please!?!?

Cinnamon rolls are traditional for the EGR Christmas! Will loves that tradition!

Still in pursuit of that perfect Christmas picture...no luck!

Christmas Morning in EGR

We had such a wonderful Christmas morning! Thank you, Santa! It was great to be in East Grand Rapids, and it was Will and Patrick's first time at Poppi and Grammy's house. We usually go right to Pentwater, so there was something special about being in Justin's childhood home. I got a lot of great pictures, but there are many more in Mary's collection. Here's a taste of the gift-opening on Christmas Day!

We got there!!!!

We arrived in East Grand Rapids on Friday, December 24th in the late afternoon. After dinner and baths for the kids, we settled in to catch up and have a couple cocktails (the adults). 

Checking out the Christmas tree.

Playing by the fire with sweet cousin Elliott!

We really tried to get that perfect family pic. Didn't happen.

Pre-Christmas--relaxing at home!

I taught Will how to "relax." That is, I showed him how to lounge in his easy chair. He thinks he's hot stuff in  his easy chair! :-)

Peek-a-boo, Mama!

I bought the boys matching outfits for Christmas. And matching PJs...this is a first! Daddy's posing with Patrick in Patrick's "handsome clothes."

Aww!

That's Will in his handsome shirt. :-)

Oh, we're half way there...

Actually, we're on the east side of Toronto, so I hope we're more than halfway there! It was a long travel day, complete with missing an important exit (I was busy "thinking" and Justin was sleeping...oops!!!), having to get a jump start at a "service centre" in Canada due to a drained battery (and we only left the lights on while we were inside for 5 MINUTES! Weird.), and now a night on a hotel room with a very tired two-year-old who just can't settle down. Oh well. Justin's relaxing on one bed, I'm in the other with the computer, and Patrick's sound asleep in the pack n' play. Eventually, Will will lose steam and crash in bed with one of us. 

Tomorrow, we'll have a quick swim in the pool, some breakfast, and then we'll pack it up and head to East Grand Rapids!!!

We did not bring toys with us, since we know they boys will get toys while we're in Michigan. In the absence of toys, Will made fast friends with the hair dryer. Actually, he does that even when there's a plethora of toys around sometimes. :-)

We hope Will might fall asleep sometime in this nice comfy bed. He's tired!!! And so are we.

All snuggled up with a small appliance.

Pondering today's trip.

Talking to Will

This video clip is really short, but I think you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to understand Will now. Granted, he's repeating me in this video, but for those who know him, that's still a big accomplishment!

Patrick's 9-month stats

Baby Boy numero dos is as healthy and happy as can be! He had his nine-month check-up last Tuesday, so we have the latest stats: 29" long and 18 lbs, 2 oz. That puts him in the 54% for length and the 14% for weight. He's our little skinny mini... :-)But a couple months ago, he was in the 1% for weight, so he's gaining! Wahoo! Most importantly, there are no areas of developmental concern...he's crawling, eating well (and loves all foods so far!), communicating appropriately--all the things a worry-type mom like me wants to hear. Perhaps the most important thing to know about Patrick right now is that he is EVERYWHERE! Under chairs, under the table, pulling himself up to his knees anywhere he can. We just can't take our eyes off him. More childproofing will be necessary for Patrick than it ever was for Will. He's an explorer. 

He's adorable. I'm the mom, but don't you agree?

This is his "say cheese" smile. Ha ha!

There's something that reminds me of his cousin Elliott, but what is it? And, in case you're wondering, he's smiling at our kitty, Peso. 

Peso loves the boys, but he needs to learn to run away when they start pulling his tail, grabbing his fur, etc. He'll just endure it until he can't take it and then he'll nip them. Yikes.

A weekend at home...

I managed to goof up my camera, so all my pictures are turning out grainy and/or overexposed. The result is that I got some "artsy" shots this weekend. We didn't do a whole lot, which was actually really nice! While all our Michigan friends (and a good portion of the rest of the country too) are getting hit with a massive blizzard, we're getting a massive rain storm. Silly warm front--it's in the high 30s. I had my hopes up for a snow day, but nary a flake has fallen. Maybe sometime soon I can have a cozy day with my boys with nothing to do but enjoy being together. Snow days are great like that! Enjoy the pics...

He was actually stopping to smile for me. Love it!

The motion in this one is kinda cool. Peek-a-boo!

She's a beauty! This is the "Patrick's-eye-view."

Hide-n-Seek?

Just computing.

He's thinks he's hot stuff with our "old" computer. :-)

Chillin' with toys and a blanket.

He bumped his head AGAIN by falling into a wall. Poor clumsy guy!

Entranced. (And the ornament above Patrick's head is Will at 4 months old.)

Patrick became interested in the tree today. I am not sure what took so long! :-)

Patrick on the move!

Patrick and Will could not be much different in terms of developing gross motor skills. Patrick is all over the place, while Will was content to just sit and play until  he was over a year old. We all remember fondly how Will would pull things toward him using a blanket. :) Patrick is VERY different. You cannot take your eye off him, as he is scooting everywhere! I can't say he's crawling, although I think he would be if we didn't have a house full of hardwood/bamboo floors. He gets up on his knees when he's on our area rug in the living room, but other than that, it's the army crawl. He loves to climb under things too, which can be a bit treacherous! Here's a video of Patrick after he scooted away after a diaper change...hence his pant-less state of affairs. :-)

An early Christmas gift!

Christmas came a little bit early for Will and Patrick! Grandma and Grandpa sent them new armchairs from Pottery Barn kids. Mommy picked them out. :-) I plan on having them in their bedrooms eventually, but right now they love having them in the living room. Patrick LOVES to sit in his chair, and Will does too (although I have tried and failed to get a picture of him sitting in his...he gets cranky when he sees the camera). Here are a few pics of the latest addition to our living room! 

Content as can be...

I think I ought to take him to Olan Mills!

Posing so nicely!

Our happy guy.

Yep. This is the best one I got with both chairs. Sad, eh?!