Happy 2nd Birthday, Grant!

The end of year 1

Beach bum

Big boy car seat

First Reds game

Absolutely loves books

Swinging outside

Our little fish

Loves the car

Going to be a big brother!

Loves coloring

Getting so tall!

Pumpkin picking--last weekend as an only child

Welcoming little brother Bryce to the world!

Halloween 2011

Always smiling!

Thanksgiving 2011

Christmas 2011--not too sure about Santa!

Riding Grandpa's golf cart in Cumberland

Learning shapes on the ipad

Loves building towers!

Muscle Man

Becoming more independent at the park

Reading all the time!

Easter 2012

Cool Dude

Go Irish!

Dear Grant,
        Are you really already 2 years old?  I feel like we were just celebrating your first birthday!  Wow, what a great year it was.  You kicked off your 2nd year in style on a vacation to the beach.  You started walking at 13 1/2 months, and then there was no stopping you!  We spent the summer outside, on trips, swimming, taking lots of walks, and enjoying our time together.  You started talking so much more, and we really started to notice how smart you are.  In the fall, we did as much as we could with you before you became a big brother.  You loved going to the zoo and museum, to story time at the library, and on errands with Mom and Dad.  You also love all the play dates we have with your cousins and friends!  Two days shy of your 18 month birthday, your little brother Bryce joined our family.  You have loved him from the start, and luckily, we had no trouble with you due to the big change.  You have embraced being a big brother better than we could have ever expected, and we can't wait to see how your relationship with Bryce will grow.

The holidays came and went quicker than ever, and it was so much fun seeing you enjoy them this year being a little older.  We looked forward to playing in the snow this year with you, and got you some nice snow boots and pants, but of course, this was the mildest winter, and we only saw a few dustings.  You did enjoy seeing it though!  Even though that was a disappointment, you love being outside, so it's probably better that it wasn't so cold all the time!  You love watching people cut the grass, you love taking walks or riding in your car, and you are so interested in everything the world has to offer.  I know this spring and summer will be even more exciting for you.

You love to smile, and it's definitely infectious, as you make everyone around you happy just by being near them.  We started to notice a few signs of the terrible twos around 21 months, but it hasn't been that bad so far--hopefully it stays that way!  You do know what you want, though, and you aren't always happy when you don't get it, but you are learning your manners and are maturing more everyday.  Your vocabulary and memory absolutely amaze us.

Grant, you are more important to us than you could ever imagine.  We love you more and more everyday, and we love the little man you are becoming.  We look forward to year #3, and we will take with us many fond memories of your 2nd year.  I wish we could slow things down a bit, so we aren't celebrating these birthdays too quickly.  We don't want to think about the fact that at every birthday, we are just a little bit closer to you growing up and being on your own.  We savor every second we have with you, and we hope you always feel the love and support we have for you.  Happy Birthday, Buddy.  Like we tell you all the time, you are so awesome!

We love you,
Mom and Dad

6 Months Old/Wedding

 

Bryce is 6 months old--how is he a half a year old already?!  He weighs 15 pounds even, and is 26 1/4 inches tall.  This past month, Bryce has learned how to sit up for a little bit on his own.  If he keeps his hands on the floor, he can sit for awhile, but he always lifts his hands up to reach for a toy or sit up taller, then he falls back.  But he's getting there!  He is also grabbing everything in sight, as you can see in the 2nd picture.  He also had his first haircut this past month.  He had a few longer streaks of his birth hair that needed to be trimmed, and now you can really see his new, lighter hair coming in on top!  Bryce is really getting more playful and expressive, and he wants to be a part of everything.  He gets mad now if he sees us leave the room, and he follows everything we do.  He just started on solid foods today too, and I knew he's been ready and waiting for it--he watches us closely at every meal as we eat and fusses as if he wants it!  He ended up with more of it on his face than in his belly, but he did pretty good for the first try.  He has also discovered his feet and gets them in his mouth whenever he can.  We can't believe he's been in our lives for 6 months already--he is such a special part of our family, and we can't imagine life without him!  We know the 2nd half of his first year will be even more exciting as he becomes mobile, eats real food, starts to talk, etc.  I wish I could freeze time a little bit, as I am already forgetting what he was like as a newborn, but getting to know his personality as he gets older is still so much fun!

My sister Susanne's wedding was on April 14, and it was a complete success (except for the rain all day)!  She and Corey are an amazing couple and we loved being a part of their day.  Doug and I were both in the wedding, and Grant was the ring bearer.  Luckily, he walked down the aisle fine with a big smile on his face!  He loved riding in the limo bus and running around on the Bengals' field.  It was so neat being down there again, since the last time we did that, it was at our own wedding!  We don't have too many pics of the wedding yet, since we didn't take too many with our own camera.  Congrats Sus and Corey!

In just a few days we will be celebrating Grant's 2nd birthday, so look soon for the post on that.  We are just having one celebration after another lately!