Grace - 4 Months

Grace at 4 Months

Grace is 13 pounds 12 ounces (40%) and 25 1/2 inches long (68%). She is quite petite and tall from when she was born.

She has the cutest little smile and bright blue eyes!

She loves to watch her brothers.

She sleeps 10 - 11 hours at night.

She rolls over both ways and scoots herself in a circle.

We love our sweet girl!

James - 22 Months

James at 22 Months

James is our little charmer!
You can be getting on to him about throwing food, throwing toys, hitting John, or yelling and he will come back at you with a smile and/or say "funny".
James first sentence was "John hit me". Now I have to be careful because if I ask "what's wrong?" he will say "John hit me" even if John didn't hit him. Little stinker!
He was getting into the car the other day and he hurt his leg...he then said, "sorry leg". He's a cutie!
James LOVES Batman right now...theme song, books, movies...everything Batman!
He will of course be Batman for Halloween and we will probably do a Batman theme for his 2nd Birthday.
If you say..."na, na, na, na", Jame will say "Batman" very emphatically!
James is starting to notice Grace more. He will pat Grace or play with her. Just the other night Grace was in the rocker and he was hugging on her and bringing her toys.
James loves to jump on the "jumping bed" and wrestle/run with John.
We love our little guy that is growing up way too fast!

John - 3 Years 3 Months

John 3 Years 3 Months

John is at a difficult age. Big emotions and big ideas...that don't always turn out the way he things they should go. 

John and James are playing better together. They love to wrestle (on the jumping bed) and play chase.

John still loves taking care of "Gracie" and giving her lots of hugs. He will lay beside her and just talk to her when she is on the floor upstairs. 

John is going to be Superman for Halloween. He is very excited about that. 

He loves school and the teacher says that he is the example of how others should act or behave. Very proud of our guy!

John and James - Preschool 2015-2016

Preschool 2015 - 2016

John and James started preschool at Stonebriar Community Church this year. They had a good first day of school. We pray for the boys to grow in their knowledge of Christ, as well as, learn their numbers, letters, and colors. John even gets to take Spanish. Below are their first day of school pictures ... that we took after school:

Grace - 3 Months

Grace at 3 Months

Grace laughs and smiles now.
Plays with her mobile and is starting to grasp at the animals.
She has started to recognize her hands.
She loves to be held, talked to and cuddled.
She has gone to the nursery at church a couple Sundays and has done really well. They always say she has such great facial expressions and is good at cuddling.
Started to wake up consistently about once in the middle of the night, but prefers to be asleep for the night by about 8 or 8:30.
She takes a really good morning nap and an afternoon nap, but not really at a consistent time.
Sweet Grace!

Grace - 2 Months

Grace at 2 Months

Grace is smiling all the time now.

She especially likes when John or James play/talk with her. 

She lets out a cry when one of the boys leave.

Likes to be held and talked to.

Sleeps well at night. Even had a few times she slept all night.

She is our sweet little girl!

James - 21 Months

James at 21 Months

Our little baby...isn't so little anymore!

He keeps up with John. They run around the house chasing each other and wrestle.

James has started figuring out how to delay bedtime. He asks for Mommy when Daddy has him and then asks for Daddy when Mommy has him.

Enjoys readying books. Especially "Batman" and "Superman".

He likes Mickey Mouse right now "Mic Mou".

He also likes Barney and will watch it with Uncle Matthew.

At night he has lots of books in his bed along with multiple stuffed animals.

Lately he prefers Charly Bear in his bed. 

We played the "Happy" song recently and he asks for it to be played a lot.

Enjoys being outside without shoes!
James has started paying more attention to Grace. He will rock her when in the swing and will pat her when she is playing on the floor.

We love our little guy! 

James - 20 Months

James at 20 months

James is happy all the time.
He loves to wrestle and laugh.
He thinks everything that we do is play time.
Still loves his snacks and doesn't each much at meals.
He prefers graham crackers...big graham crackers (the tall ones).
Doesn't pay too much attention to Grace.
Calls himself "me" and is no longer the "baby".
Talks very well and uses more words every day.
Still plays well on his own, but now starting to play with John.
He is growing up so much!

John - 3 Years, 2 Months

John at 3 Years, 2 Months

John started 3 year old preschool on 9/10/2015 and had a good first day.

- John was very good about putting his backpack and nap mat in its designated place at school. 

- He didn't nap, but that's not a surprise since he hasn't been napping much lately. 

- At bedtime he told Mommy and Daddy about a "Monkey that was hungry and wanted a banana". The class is the "Monkey" Class. 

- He also told Mommy about playing with a girl/boy (not sure because he doesn't distinguish between he and she correctly yet.) that had a purple shirt. 

- They played a game where they introduced themselves and John was the frog. 

John is really into watching TV right now and technology games. 

He's still my big eater and loves angel food cake with strawberries and whipping cream.

John loves to get new shoes and he now wears a size 11.5 shoe size is pretty much in size 4T pants and 5T/XXS shirts.

He has started getting up around 7:15 am and seems to be our morning guy!

Can't believe what a big boy he is becoming!

John - 3 years, 1 Month

John at 3 years, 1 Month

John loves being a big brother. He loves "Gracie". 

He always says, "I love her so much" and "It's okay Gracie"

Any time Grace cries John says, "I think she's hungry (hungie)"

He has started becoming more obstinate. Friends have said it's not the terrible 2's it's the terrible 3's and I'm starting to believe them!

John loves to play soccer, baseball, and basketball.

He has so much energy!

John and James like to wrestle a lot and run around the house chasing each other. 

John has started asking James to play with him, but James likes to do his own thing so most of the time James won't do what John wants him to do.

He's still our lovable, structured little man!

Grace - 1 Month

Grace is 1 Month Old

Grace is growing and healthy.
She sleeps well and eat wells.
For the first month of her life she slept a lot!
She sleeps on her tummy most of the time. She has a strong neck!
She prefers to be held, but will go to sleep in the rocker with the noise lamb.
She also likes to sit in the rocker when the shower is on and will eventually sleep.
She is the easiest baby of all three of the kiddos.
We love our sweet baby girl!

James - 19 Months

James at 19 Months

James is 27.8 lbs (84%), 33.5 in. (66%), and head is 19.5 in. (92%).

James is our spunky monkey. He is always on the move and climbs/jumps on everything!

James has started saying "nooo" when you ask him to do something. He thinks it's quite funny.

He's not quite sure of Grace, but he will pat her and give her a kiss if you ask him to. He is gentle with her, but doesn't really mind if she is there or not. 

He love bay-ball (baseball)...watching, reading, and playing! 

Loves singing Take Me Out To The Ball Game.

He sleeps well at night now, but has to have books, balls, ruff ruff, and bear in his bead. We're not sure how he actually fits in the bed with everything else in the bed!

He wants the song "Nighty-Night" sung to him. It's a song Uncle Brad Allen made up. He also wants Wheels on the Buss (Beep Beep), and EIEIO. 

He doesn't really like to sit down for meals. He would rather be up walking around with food and graze with snacks all day long. 

He can recognize and say the words boo (blue) and one (one).

He has started really liking Mic Mou (Mickey Mouse). 

We love our little Monkey!

John - 36 Months

John is 3

John is 40.75 lbs (98%), 41.2 in ( 99%), and BMI is 17 (75%).

He loves his baby sister, Gracie. He always says baby Gracie is so cute or so petty (pretty). He likes to make sure she has cute socks and pretty bows. They may not match her outfit, but he is sweet to want to pick them out for her. 

John talks in complete sentences more and will explain a situation to you. 

He is very particular about how things are accomplished.

Still loves the color blue!

He is sleeping very well in a big boy bed. He rolls over next to the railing, so every night we have to move him back to the middle of the bed. 

John enjoys playing with cars, construction trucks, and baseball. 

He prefers to be the catcher or pitcher.

He likes to wrestle with James and pick on James too.

John loves to draw pictures and give them as gifts. 

Lately he wants to watch Mickey Mouse or Curious George.

We love our sweet boy! 

John's 3rd Birthday

John's 3rd Birthday - Construction Trucks

We had a fun time celebrating John turning 3! We had pizza and cupcakes to celebrate his special day. He was a very excited about all the construction trucks, the cupcakes, and opening presents. He kept saying thank you for getting him cupcakes. We are thankful for all the family that could join us for his special day!

Grace is Born

Grace Ann Parsons

Grace Ann Parsons was born on June 8, 2015 at 11:00 am. She was 9 lbs 4 oz and 20 3/4 inches. From the beginning she has been a good eater and a good sleeper. The labor was extremely short. Basically, once Holly's water broke Grace was born within 45 minutes. We were very excited to meet our precious Grace. Big brothers John and James were very excited to meet their baby sister. John kept saying she's so cute and wanted to hold her. James was a little less interested in Grace, but enjoyed exploring the hospital room. We loved having family to come visit our sweet baby girl! She is a sweetheart and we love her!

 

James - 18 Months

James at 18 Months

James is starting to get more independent and wanting to do more himself.

If he doesn't get his way he will throw himself on the floor, say "no", or yell. 

Still loves his fruit packs and waffles. 

Have a hard time getting him to eat, but his bottom canine teeth are coming in.

He is still such a happy boy. He loves to laugh.

He climbs on everything. 

Loves to jump on the couch and beds...he is our little monkey!

John - 35 Months

John at 35 Months

John continues to grow and develop. 

He has a lot of energy.

He is very excited to meet baby Grace.

Enjoys playing with his cars and outside in the pool.

Loves playing baseball in the backyard and running the bases (not always in the correct order, but it's really cute to watch).

Maternity Pictures: Grace

Maternity Pictures of Grace

Decided to take a few maternity pictures before Grace arrives. I am 39 weeks and 2 days in these pictures. Went to the doctor the morning these pictures were taken and I was 2 cm dilated and the doctor wants to induce on June 8, 2015, unless she decides to come earlier; which as of now doesn't seem to be the case, but you never know! Wanted to at least document with a few pictures before it was too late. Cannot wait to meet my baby girl!

Grace's Baby Shower

Grace's Baby Shower

Holly's Mom hosted a wonderful baby shower for Grace on May 9, 2015. Many of Holly's family and friends joined in the celebration. Everyone was very generous! Grace is all set with clothes, bows, and accessories! It was a fun time to celebrate the addition of a little girl to the family! Here are a few pictures from the shower:

James - 17 Months

James at 17 Months

James is our smiley and huggable little guy. He loves to give hugs and just sit in your lap. 

Plays by himself really well.

Is better at following commands like, get your shoes, throw that away, find your water, put that down, let's go to your room, etc.

He has become extremely opinionated. He does not mind telling you "noooo".

Likes to say the word "tootie (cookie)" and "tratctor (cracker)". 

He never really meats a stranger. He has the biggest smile, so he is automatically a flirt when others see him. 

Doesn't like going in the grass without shoes (most of the time).

Is more of a daredevil, but is more hesitant to get wet and play in the water. He likes to watch John do it first.

He is sleeping in John's room at night and in the nursery during nap time. He takes a while to go to sleep. He likes to read his books, throw his animals out of the crib and then kind of yell or fuss to sleep. 

He likes to laugh, run and laugh with John. He looks up to John a lot. Whenever John gets in trouble James will say "ohn (John)" and wants to follow him to give hugs.

He will soon be a big brother! We love our little guy!

John - 34 Months

John at 34 Months

John is sleeping in a big boy bed. He is using the headboard and frame that Jay used as a boy. For the first month he stayed in his bed until we came and got him, but once he figured out he can get out of bed himself he does and comes downstairs to play (normally in the office drawing pictures).

John is pretty much potty trained. He can go by himself, but just needs helping getting his underwear and pants back on. He is normally really good at telling us he has to go.

John loves to go places. Most mornings he asks where we are going that day. He is even happy just going to the grocery store!

He has become more independent. Likes to do things himself (carry his plate and cup, set the table, help with dinner, pick out his clothes, choose which shoes he wants to wear, etc.). He has a couple favorite pairs of pants and a couple favorite shirts. If they are clean you can bet he is going to wear them.

He got to go to his first Indians game with Jay and loved it. They stayed the whole time and John asked lots of questions. His favorite position is catcher. 

John gives baby Grace kisses and hugs and tells us "I'll be nice to baby Grace".

John and James started sleeping in the same room at night starting on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. It has gone fairly well. It normally takes both of them a while to go to sleep. James is a louder sleeper and takes more time to settle down, while John has always been a good sleeper and is normally quiet and still once you put him in bed. It will be a process getting them to sleep well at night again, but so far it's not been terrible. 

On June 4, 2015, John decided to put himself down for a nap. He told Holly that he was going to read  two books, turn off his light, shut his door, and then get in bed. He also told Holly that he did not want her to come back in his room after putting James down for a nap. (This just happened as I'm writing, so we'll see if he actually stays asleep.)

John and James like to chase each other and wrestle. They are becoming better at playing together. 

We love our John!

James - 15 and 16 Months

James at 15 and 16 Months

15 Months

16 Months hugging Charly Bear

16 Months singing a song

James is a very sweet and cuddly boy. He likes to give hugs and saw "awww".
It's still difficult to get him to settle down for nap and bed. He still fusses himself to sleep.
This is a fun age because he is able to walk and understand what is going on, so he is very interactive and likes to play. He is extremely animated.
Starting to babble words. Most you don't understand, but then you get one or two words that you understand.
The words he says the most are bunny, eat, nack (snack), dut dut (water), do'in (what is someone doing), baseball, football, basketball (you normally don't know which one he is saying unless he is pointing to the ball).
Likes to sing "Wheels on the Bus" (calls it beep beep) and "ABC" (calls it EFG). If he doesn't like a song you are singing he will say "noooo".
He can reach the handles to the doors, but especially likes to open the pantry and pick his own snack.
He likes to wrestle by putting both hands one your chest and knocking you down.
He plays really well by himself and still loves to read books.
He can identify pretty much everyone and says "Mommy", "Daddy", "John", and "Baby".
When asking where baby Grace is, he lifts up Mommy's shirt and gives Grace kisses.
He's a fairly picky eater, but if he is hungry he will eat whatever is on his plate.
Naps 1-2 times a day, depending on if it is a school day.
Will walk right into his classroom at school now.
When you ask him a question he will say "no" or  "yah" (and nod his head up and down).

He is a sweet boy and will soon be a big brother!