bath time fun

their new game is standing up, then dropping down in the tub (one after another) to see who makes the biggest splash.... this is followed by a lot of giggling

the stare down

a view from above

grady got out first for once, so drew got to enjoy a little extra time to himself

thirsty boy i guess

lately... (random pics)

lots of playing outside with the water table and swimming pool... we'll be sad when the rain starts

 berry picking at buddy devon's house

the kirbster. my other baby.

fru hoops!

my little buddy had an EEG due to one little seizure... this was just more of a precautionary thing to make sure we weren't missing other possible seizure activity. everything came back normal.

nothing invasive, thankfully, but he looked so darn cute in his little mummy head wrap. but so sad! :(

more time at the park down the road. grady really does like that darn bike helmet :)

 went to see darius rucker with some friends of ours - beautiful night & so much fun! loved him! we got a mix of country, hooty & some cover songs-all good. it was perfect!

 jon and i actually went back a couple weeks later to see jonny lang & buddy guy at the same venue (tulalip amphitheater) since it was so nice out & the tickets were super cheap ;) kinda last minute & not our favorite choice, but it was fun

a couple from bath time

 golden gardens park

 throwing rocks. what else?

 drewski loves the baby swing

grady just drove his jet down the slide over and over and over... but refused to go down the slide himself. so other little kids continued to bring his jet up the stairs for him. it was pretty comical :)

watching grady be crazy on the slide 

 mr. big brown eyes

i haven't brought my camera around as much as i'd have liked to this summer... but that's okay, more time to enjoy the moments i guess :) and now my camera is getting repaired...so it will be mostly iPhone for a couple weeks! 

i was sad i missed photographing their first dentist appointment though :(

neither of them were impressed... grady sat in the chair and put the headphones on to watch cars2, but as expected, as soon as the chair laid back he was freaking out (I'm not sure what that boys problem is with laying down in chairs or on exam tables, but he's never been a fan). so, both boys had checkups/cleanings in my lap, but it worked out. i was pretty impressed with the awesome dentist though & glad we found a good place to take them!

sleeping boy

i took advantage of the beautiful evening light in drew's room the other night... he was pooped out from a play date and dinner with friends, so he didn't seem to mind or notice the window was wide open in his room. 

my precious sleepy boy - loving on lambie, of course

i think i prefer color, but tried one b&w

baby drew

15 months. my baby won't be a baby much longer. my pediatrician seems to think he should be done with his bottle by next month (boo). i think he can take as long as he wants to grow up, because there are so many things i am going to miss.

i love his sweet baby face & everything "baby" about him.

 lunch today...

baby toes!!!

i was playing with actions/presets yesterday that i downloaded in my editing program. quick and easy editing sometimes-kinda nice. can make a decent picture look good, or a bad picture look worse. but it was fun to play with anyway. i had 10 or so of them, but this is one of my favorites.

SOOC (straight out of camera)

preset/action

another preset/action

grady turns THREE

dear grady,

oh my goodness! i can't believe you just turned 3 a few weeks ago! THREE! my little/big boy is growing up so so fast... too fast. it makes me sad thinking of how quickly the last three years have gone - kind of a blur. you aren't a toddler anymore! but it does make me happy to think back on all the amazing things we have been able to experience with you - from your first smile smile, step & word... to your huge belly laughs, crazy acrobatics and never ending babbling (in sentences even)! each stage you go through I say "this is the funnest (is that even a word?) stage so far"... then a few months later "no this is the funnest stage so far"...and it continues, each milestone better and better - makes me smile thinking of what lies ahead :-)

you growing up...

from 7lbs, 5.6oz

1 day old, and had already been through so much...

we knew you were strong from day one :)

2 weeks old - newborn pictures

6 months

1 year

21 months

2 years

Now...

what a handsome little boy!

just a few things i LOVE about you 

(in no particular order):

-- the way you say "oh-chay" for orange & basically the way you have your own shortened or abbreviated word for just about everything. even dad and i catch ourselves talking 'grady-talk'

-- the way you get so excited about your books at night, and have to read the SAME ONES over and over for months at a time before accepting new suggestions.

-- the way you light up and say "ma home!" each time i walk in the door & the way you say "ok! bye! have fun! love you!" when someone leaves

-- the way you LOVE cars...all cars, trucks, planes, etc-you're slightly obsessed. we actually took you to the store recently to buy you a brand new bike for your birthday, and you threw an absolute fit because you wanted a $1 hot wheels car instead (i told you we didn't come to the store for another car - so we left with you screaming... no bike, no car - sorry).

-- the way you know your way around the city better than i do (at least anywhere between exits 181-206). you will tell us which way to go to get to the fire dept, gymnastics, to see trains, tractors, or airplanes, the mall, krisitn's  mom's or dad's work, and your favorite stores. you can also pick out any McDonalds, anywhere!

-- the way you love your little brother & your cute ways of showing him - hugging him, kissing him, getting toys for him, showing concern when he crys, or simply just talking about him. (but yes, there are also many times you are a little TURD to him too, and still do those big brother things like pushing him down or taking toys away just to hear him squeal).

-- how you decided to go "potty" outside for the first time at our 1-year photo session at the beach, and instead of going pee-pee, you took a big POO on the sand. i may have been slightly embarrassed at the time, but you were SO PROUD :)

-- how you can alway make me laugh & smile - no matter how good or bad a day i've had

-- how happy you are, just about always :)

...and so much more!

you:

have been potty-trained for almost a year now with less than a handful of accidents

know all your colors & numbers 1-20

are starting to sing songs on your own (very cute)

can get your shoes on and off now on your own (velcro kind)

can occasionally get your undies, pants, shirts on...but that's still a work in progress

go to bed now around 8 or so (it seams to get later and later these days... hoping it's just a summer thing)

still take 1 mid-day nap a day (and usually fight it), but you're a mess without it

wake up each day around 6:30 (sometimes earlier, usually no later...UGH). i am learning to accept this ;)

are so independent now, it's scary. one of your favorite phrases is "no ma, i wanna do it. i gonna do it by self".

are so dang smart & pick up on everything soooo easy. can't wait for you to start preschool this fall - you will do so great :)

i am so thankful for each and every day i get to spend with you and each day i get to watch you grow. each day brings something new - something that makes me love you even more than i did the day before (if that is even possible), something to make me smile and laugh about, and something for daddy and i to talk proudly about before we fall asleep at night. you are the light of our life. 

we love you dizzle bean

love, mom

3 year check-up stats:

35 pounds & 39 inches - just about 75 percentile for both!