Lately

Whew, I need to do better at posting! We've been keeping busy around here. Memorial day weekend snuck up on us so we didn't have any big plans. Danny took Cohen camping for one night while Ezra stayed and Gramma's and I got a night to myself! We had a few plans here and there and we kept busy. We took the boys down to the Children's museum and to a big dinner out at Costco. That's how we roll.

Cohen has been a busy boy too! He has just 2 more weeks of school left so we went in for a meeting with his teachers and therapists. He seems to be doing well and likes going. It's always good to hear from the teachers because all Cohen says about school is "nothing".  We went over his IEP and goals that will continue on to next year.

Cohen also moved into a big boy bed. It was strangely emotional to see him in a real bed, not a toddler bed anymore! From isolette to an actual bed, he looks so little. But he loves his bed and we repeat many, many times a day to the boys that the bed is not for jumping, but they both like to hang out up there. Cohen has also enjoyed telling anyone that will listen that "I'm turning four soon!" and that he wants to have a "farm animal and trucks and tractors birthday party". He is also getting SO good at his riding his balance bike. He has always loved walks, I think it's calming for him, and now he can ride his bike while I push Ezra in the stroller. Ez is usually content to just sit and ride, which is way easier than Cohen speeding down the sidewalk on his bike and Ezra stopping to look at every bug and flower along the way.

Ezra's just been keepin' on being a toddler. He learned the words "no" and "mine" in the same week. He and Cohen fight frequently, but then I hear them over the baby monitor giggling and laughing and talking when no one is watching and it's the best. Love these brothers so much.

Hot Mess

This guy is usually a little bit of a hot mess. He brings so much light and life to us. Always making just enough mischief but maintaining that sweet little grin that you can't resist.

 Everything a little brother should be, a little bit of sass and a little bit of sweet. A playmate and an instigator. Lover of trucks, mud and potato heads. A healer and stealer of our hearts. And always, always a mess. 

And soon to be TWO years old. I can't take it! 

Easter 2015

I'm a little behind, but here are some pictures from our Easter.

This handsome little boy was not pleased when I put this outfit on him. He cried and cried, sorry kid! I really wanted the boys to have bow ties to wear to church so I made them each one a couple nights before Easter, not perfect, but made with love!

Every year we do an Easter egg hunt with the cousins. My sister gets all the eggs ready and we go to a little park in between all of our houses. We had a little picnic and let the kids go "find" eggs, they really just ran around picking up as many as they could since it's just an open field. The boys loved collecting the eggs and stopping to open each one to see if there was candy in it. 

Easter morning we keep pretty simple. The boys each got a stuffed animal and some bubbles. Cohen was so curious how the Easter bunny got into the house. The Easter service at our church is always one of my favorites, we have an Easter choir and they always do a really great job. This is the best picture I could get Easter morning. 

I asked my sister to take some pictures of the boys in their Easter clothes before the egg hunt. I got the boys all dressed up and crossed my fingers that they would cooperate. The pictures turned out SO cute! Don't they clean up nice? They are the sweetest! 

Out for a Walk (again)

We had a pretty mild winter around here, but that doesn't mean that we are still SO ready for spring! We've had a few days of heavy rain and I've been at work so this morning we were all ready to get outside. I took the boys for a nice, long walk with no expectations so they could dilly dally at their own pace.

 Cohen insists on pushing a stroller and Ezra has decided that he needs one as well, which he usually ends up riding in at some point.

They love exploring on this path. It's great because it's paved but also has some woods around it so they can "adventure" and pick up sticks and throw rocks and roll in the dirt a little.

Can someone please tell me how these little boys are growing up so fast!? I just want to hold onto each age and keep them there, but it's also so fun to see how they grow and change.

20 Months - Ezra

I lost a few months somewhere, time please slow down! Ezra is now a big, bad 20 month old and well on his way to being TWO. I can't believe it.

 At his 18 month check up he weighed 23 lbs 10.5 oz and was 33 inches tall. He is currently in 18-24 month clothes.

He's still practicing his "strong, silent type" but is gaining a few new words. He loves animals and knows what most of them say although he gets a little confused about the horse and yells "baaa" frequently. He also says "Mama", "wa wa" (water), "up", his famous "yeah" and signs "please" and "all done".

He is just thrilled with big brother using the toilet and I can't tell you how many times a day I have to tell him to get his head out of the toilet (boys, sigh). He is a little daredevil and stands up on his rocking horse, leaps off the couch and runs down the slide.

He also has this sweet little side and he gives the best hugs and snuggles to make up for when he is a little, ahem, ornery. He hates being cut off of food, sent out of the kitchen, and having his diaper changed. Sweet boy also has a little bit of a flair for the dramatic... picture hanging his head into his hands and wailing when he is told "no". We just love this little guy to pieces and are so thankful for what a joy he is in our lives.

Extreme Sliding

I used to love winter and look forward to the cold weather and rain so I could stay inside and read books on the couch. Since having kids (busy kids), I'm more of a spring/summer kind of person. We have been quite pleased with our mild winter and have been trying to get outside pretty much any time it isn't raining.

These boys, they are so full of life and energy and spunk and adventure. My cautious adventurer and my not-afraid-of-anything daredevil.

The boys went outside today for a quick episode of what we call "extreme sliding". Spring, come quickly! 

Little Biker Boy

A few weeks ago, on a whim, we took the Strider bike out of the garage to see if Ezra would want to ride it. The first time we had to hold onto the bike to help him balance. The next time he was off and running! He is a daring little boy ready to take on the world. Since he found out he could run on his bike (and scare his mother) he has been forced into wearing a helmet. He loves riding his bike and I see a lot of it in our future as we get to spend more time outside.