The Joy Caught!

We were so lucky to have caught Griffin's first real long belly laugh on video just about one year ago!  It is my most favorite home video yet!  I recommend starting at about 1:50 and finishing it to the end.  This shows perfectly Griffin's amazing silly personality and how he loves to laugh! 

 

His Party!

We had Griffin's Birthday Party this weekend to celebrate him turning two. And it was absolutley wonderful.  We had the banners up that me and him made this past week.  We had lots of helium balloons on the ceiling and ballons on the ground as well.  Tents galore up and about for the little's to crawl around in.  Wagon rides in the the front yard, balls, and ball pits in the backyard, crayons and markers for coloring and creating, and yummy treats, honey vanilla cupcakes with whipped cream icing that I was the most proud of!  

Grammi made Griffin these two amazing banners!  One is all the Yo Gabba Gabba characters saying a sweet message of their own to the birthday boy, and the other says "Griffin is 2". 

This is the finished artwork of many collaborated artists!  We just love it and have it hanging in our kitchen right now!  Thank you to all who worked on it!  

Griffin got many many wonderful presents.  I loved our home being filled with all of these wonderful people that I just love.  I loved having all these little ones that I love run around and play at our house.  It just filled and warmed my heart.  We were even blessed to have two sets of Great Grandparents there.  I am so thankful that they were able to make it.  I tried to keep this party simple for Griffin, but he still got a bit overwhelmed.  He is just so used to me and him mostly at home and there not being a lot of commotion.  When we sang Happy Birthday to him, I had everyone sing very softly and the whole time Griffin's little face was frowning about to break into tears, and at the end he did.  Poor little guy.  I really tried.  

That night it was just me and Griffin, and we had ourselves a grand ol time, opening all his new toys, and listening to new music, and watching new movies!  

Here is our precious in his new Converse sneakers!  

Today I lit his two candles on his Birthday Ring, a small birthday tradition that we have.  Each year we add a small trinket that fits inside one of the twelve holes and we light the same number of candles on it as the new age.  Last year we started it with a house because Griffin started our family, and this year we added a mushroom since he was our little mushroom for Halloween.  

And today the new toys overtaketh the house.  But I will conquer that tonight!  

I am letting his birthday linger a little bit for the rest of this week because I am just not a fan of celebrating for just one day and then hurrying it up out of the house, so the banners and decorations will remain up all week!  

Thank you to everyone who came to his party, you are really the ones that made it the most special.  We love you all.  

The birthday boy

Those are his birthday shots, taken by my sister with her iphone, at Grammi's house.  In a way Griffin's birthday was a bit overshadowed by my best friend's wedding.  But for him it was still very special.  He spent the weekend with Grammi while me and Matt were at and in Lindsey and Collin's wedding.  Doesn't he just look like such a 2 year old in these photos?

Here is my boy when I picked him up from school on his day!  Look at his birthday sticker :)  

He got some special presents from us on Sunday night, once we all made it home together.  

Being silly when he reads me his new book!  

He is reaching for his Dancing Brobee that his Auntie Katie sent him!  

Our friend, Roger, gave Griffin some new movies!  (and I can't figure out how to take out the underlining here??)  

And now this week his birthday continues because we are getting ready for his party this weekend!  This is our first craft together, making a birthday banner for his party :)  

I am just loving celebrating him!  Thank you to everyone who loves him, it goes beyond what is measurable! 

This little boy of mine....

I'm going to let him shine.....

I often sing that to Griffin over and over again.  And I vow just that to him and myself everyday.  Griffin will be 2 in 2 days and my heart just swells at the thought of him.  Like all mama's every where, I am so proud of my little boy, and so thankful that I am being stretched by love on a daily basis, and so humbled constantly by how imperfect and flawed I have to come to realize I am.  Life sure is something, isn't it?   

I can't wait for his big day.  Tears fill my eyes.  I promise to always let him be who God created him to be.  I love you my baby, my little boy, my sweetie D, my littlest bo bo, my buddy, my friend, my son.  

Growing pains

Last week I had Griffin's Occupational Therapist and our ECI Developmental Specialist address the issue of Griffin transitioning from his bottle to a sippy cup.  What I had been trying thus far is just having his sippy cup with him at meal times and attempting to get him to drink from it then.  The therapists thought's are he never really has to get thirsty because I still give him his bottle all through out the day.  They recommend that I not give him his bottle when I know he is thirsty and wants it and instead offer the sippy cup then.  Well I tried that today and it was a disaster.  I only lasted about 3 hours before I cave and gave him his bottle.  He was just soo sad and didn't understand.  He was crying and would try and bring the cup up to his mouth but then would start crying, because he was not comfortable with it and in my mind just not ready.  I know their are so many different schools of thought when it comes to parenting styles and mine is to let the child lead the way on a lot of things.  I know a lot of professionals probably look at me and think that I am holding him back, but my mama instincts just tell me he is not ready yet.  And I am not on any time agenda.  I think if he drinks from a sippy cup at age 2 or at age 3 makes no difference in his overall development and quality of life.  I do not want to push a child to do something when they are not ready.  And I really do a lot of gentle pushing with Griffin, because I know he needs it, this just seemed so not right.  What does any one else think? Any ideas for us?  I am praying that God show me how I can help him make this transition.  Help!?

Here is a little sick time palate I made for me and Griffin the week before last.  He had bronchitis again and then the antibiotic they gave him made him vomit so we ended up canceling all of our activities that week and stayed home every single day.  We laid right here for most of our days and watched plenty of Yo Gabba Gabba.  

  

Books are one of Griffin's absolute favorite things ever.  He likes to "read" them all on his own, otherwise known as flipping the pages and talking plenty of babbles to each and every page :)  So cute!

Here is a little sneak peek at a room I have been working on.  It is not completely finished yet but very very close.  I suppose that the exact uses of this room and the way it is arranged will change as we grow and change, but right now I plan to use it as a sewing room for me, a craft room for Griffin, and a therapy room for Griffin.  I find that when I try to work on certain therapy things with him out in the living room, he just crawls away, and does not want to focus on what I am wanting him to focus on, probably because he just loves to be on the go and discovering things on his own.  But in this room there will not be a lot of room to crawl around in because it is a pretty small room and two, it will be clear of any toys on the ground for him to discover other than the toy I have out and am wanting him to work with.  Hopefully we have a lot of success from doing it this way!  

This will be my sewing table and I still need to do a few things to it, before I feel like I can really dive into some of my sewing projects that I have planned.  I'll share a few!  Maybe yall have some sewing tips for me?!  First I want to make a banner like this to hang in Griffin's room.  Second I want to make him a special pillow case with some organic cotton.  And then third I really want to make him a few cute summer outfits.  And last I want to make curtains for our living room!  

Love you all!  XOXO