My Boys

A mini photo session at home to test outfits. Only 1 of my 30 pictures came out well (Gabriel doesn't know how to smile nicely when asked and Ephraim is constantly moving). One of my goals is to set up a professional shoot. But I love Ephraim's huge smiles at Gabriel's faces.

Playing Together

I wish I had more time to blog and record all the cute and fun things that the kids are doing! Gabriel is really into quoting movies or reenacting them. It's fun to see. He is doing a lot of role playing with his toys too, they have conversations with each other now.

Ephraim was just waking up from a nap and Gabriel snuggled next to him and read a book. Ephraim LOVES watching his brother. They are so sweet together. Gabriel is a great older brother now and I know they are both looking forward to Ephraim being old enough to play more.
Gabriel got an awesome set of PlayDoh toys and color tubs for his 3rd birthday. He is very interested in mixing colors (with crayons or anything) so I thought it would be a great time to mix a little PlayDoh. He loved all stages of the mixing: smashing together, seeing them blend in a tie-dyed pattern, and seeing a new color form.
We went for a picnic in the park on Saturday with John, Everett, and Megahn. This climbing structure was very tall but it was Gabriel's favorite thing to do there (no surprise).
One of the things that stuck with Gabriel was a clip from Sesame Street where a number of dancers come out one at a time. They do that stomp dance where they clap their hands or slap their thighs and stomp their feet to a beat. Each additional dancer comes on as a new number. Gabriel was imitating them:

Prayer

Gabriel was playing with his kitchen and invited daddy over, "dinner time!"
"What's for dinner, Gabriel?"
"Uh, lunch. Time for prayer."
"Is it Gabriel's turn for prayer?"
"Heavenly Father, thank you for the food. Thank you for church. ...The end." (we both heard the end, but it could have been amen)

Eyes

We took the stand-up toy thing out of the garage the other day. Ephraim has been a little fussy, either from his vaccines or from boredom or both, so I wanted something new for him. He likes playing in it. Ephraim's eyes are still the gray that he was born with but I've been seeing hints of tan in the middle. Who knows when and what they'll turn to.
The sunlight really makes Gabriel's eyes glow. I tried to capture his gorgeous hazel eyes (green and brown here), but I'm not much of a photographer.
Love this guy!

Paints and Parties

Gabriel received some watercolor paints for his birthday so we played with them on the floor on Thursday. It was a new concept to him so he's still learning but he had fun.
Then on Saturday morning, the day of his birthday party with his friends, we covered the floor of his room with balloons before he woke up. (Thanks to a great tradition my friend does with her kids) Naturally he wanted to bury himself in his closet with them.

Ephraim is 4 months and very interested in everything that goes on. He loves watching us eat and watching his big brother bounce around the room or play with his toys.
Love his smiles and laughter!
"Gotta get my toes in the shot, mom, they're my favorite thing!"

4 Months

Ephraim is 4 months old today!
We survived both kids going to the pediatrician and getting shots (thanks, mom!).

Ephraim is 15 lbs 12 oz (70% and up 3 lbs in 2 months) and almost 27 inches (95%).

Gabriel is 36 lbs 8 oz (90%) and almost 40 inches (90%).


(More news and pictures to come! I'm busy prepping for Gabriel's birthday party with friends tomorrow morning.)

Happy 3 Years Old!

My first baby boy turned 3 years old today!
Ah, I remember Gabriel's loooong labored birth so well:
Adorable edible cheeks at 1 years old (toddling around and exploring everything):
The beginning of the fun and challenging 2 year old (side eyes and facial expressions to match his verbal expressions):
Now Gabriel is 3 years old:
He is my BIG boy! He eats almost-adult-sized meals. He is enjoying a bowl of cereal and milk here. He also loves a big bowl of rice and refried beans, and he gobbled down a huge bowl of broccoli by himself that I was expecting to share with him for dinner. Not quite potty trained, but capable of it. His vocabulary is expanding every day, he talks in complete sentences and paragraphs. He also constantly asks what words mean and what we're talking about. We've moved beyond nouns (words for toys and food) to concepts (growing up and digestion).

Today Gabriel saw some people working on our neighbor's roof. Naturally, he wanted to climb the ladder and go up there with them. As part of his argument, he told me, "I'm almost a man now." You sure are growing up fast, my sweet Gabriel!