Birthday Party

A Dora & Diego party with pizza.....all our favorites!

"Dowa cake!" as exclaimed by Ella

Ok, you can eat with your foot on the table on your birthday!

The cake of shame......long story short - four cakes later as two cakes stuck to the cake pan on the way out....the Diego cake mommy was making didn't get finished in time :( Mommy shed a few tears when she realized his cake wouldn't be done in time. Daddy saved the day pleading with a HyVee bakery person to change a truck cake into a Diego cake! They did it, and guess what? I don't think Grady cared that his cake wasn't made by mommy. Ohhhh the things we do "for our kids" which we're actually doing for ourself! It's time to be honest :)

He actually really liked the plastic toys on the cake! Can you believed I even debated finishing his Diego cake after the party to take a picture and make it look as if I finished his cake in our photo memories? Hehe..

Out sweet little, big boy!

Dancing on the couch! Wish I would have gotten a good picture of them with their cousins at the party....anyone have one to send me?

Ending the night with quite possibly our favorite presents....the electric toothbrushes!

mikah!

Our sweet baby Mikah just turned 8 months. Wow, does the "baby" time sure fly by fast!


She is turning into a little person right before our eyes and sure keeps me on my toes as she is into everything. She likes to follow Grady and Ella around, which they are not always so fond of. I think they liked her a lot better when she was a little blob lying in a bouncy seat and out of their way! They're very sweet to her when she's drinking a bottle and like to help.....but look out if she wants their toy. (Ok, as I type this she just got a lego thrown at her -luckily Ella doesn't have great aim!)


I think this could be the month she walks as well, (which seems way too early to me) as she experiments letting go and standing on her own for longer periods of time each day. She is very pleased with herself :) I don't know how we lucked out with such great babes, but Mikah is honestly the most content, happy baby in the world. I have to consciously take time in the day to stop and play with her individually, because she would never complain if I didn't.


Here are some of Mikah's adorable six month pictures taken by Ashley Schrage. http://www.ashleyschragephotography.com/ Yes, this was two months ago! Time slips away so fast. Enjoy!

2 years ago today...

...our babies were born!

Now look at them!

Happy Birthday, Grady & Ella :)

a mid-winter swim

Over the last year and a half, Stephen has been on federal grand jury duty during the first week of every month. The state pays for a hotel room over the days they're in session, but he rarely uses it as he just drives back and forth . Last night we took advantage of it (as next month is his last time!) and brought the kids to the Mariott in Cedar Rapids. It was fun to bring the kids swimming in the middle of this frigid winter and just get out of the house for the night!

passing the time

Our little trooper has managed to be happy a lot while in the hospital. They let him go over to the play room yesterday for a change in scenery! He had fun and even got to eat his supper in there. Although, he does LOVE eating his meals in bed!

We found out yesterday he'll be here at least until Friday. We're just waiting to see the doc today, although his actual doctor won't be back until tomorrow, as he's seeing patients in another city today. They started weening his oxygen last night, but ended up having to put it back up in the night. Although, he seems to be doing very well right now.


I'm so glad we're at the hospital in Waterloo this time as he's on the peds floor and there's a nice playroom for the kids!


Being a little creative when he wanted to ride in the wagon. I had to push his IV pole while dad pulled him along. The oxygen tank served as a nice steering wheel :)


Our friends Christina and Melissa came to visit and brought Grady some fun balloons. He really enjoyed playing catch with Christina!

and we're back

Mr. Grady has landed himself in the hospital again. We were in the doctor yesterday for a really bad cough and some strained breathing. After chest x-rays, and a 'strong suspicion' of pneumonia they sent him home last night with nebulizer treatments and antibiotics. I got a personal call from the doctor this morning (which I thought was a little strange) asking me to bring him back in so they can check him out again. When we got there they admitted him to the hospital. He did really great for the first couple hours we were here, but he hasn't been very happy for the past few hours. In Grady's words, he's "all done" and wants to go home. He's also having trouble keeping his oxygen levels up. They've increased the oxygen he's getting a few times, but he's still having a little trouble with it. Please keep our little guy in your prayers!

A balloon that Daddy got for him brought some smiles to his face!

He was up cheering for the Hawks for a little while!

Christmas '09

We all had a really fun Christmas this year! Christmas Eve and morning we spent hanging out at home with the kids. It was great spending time as a family at home as we haven't had much family time in the last few months to hang out doing "nothing." The kids have loved having daddy off of work extra days in the last couple weeks. Me too!


Of course Grady and Ella still choose to play with Mikah's toys instead of theirs

Do you notice any ornaments on the tree? Me neither...I'm pretty sure half of our ornaments have either disappeared or broken over the Christmas season!

Playing with Mikah's toys again on Christmas morning...

Our yummy tradition of Christmas cinnamon rolls

Playing in Ella's new (to her - actually my great uncle made this for me when I was a kid!) baby crib - all ready to go over to Grandma and Grandpa's

Grandma, Grandpa and grandkids

What our little baby has been doing for the last three weeks...


Love it......Ella, baby, and Grady crashed with Grandpa while mom and dad played games with Uncle Joey and Aunt Heather late into the evening!

Onto Christmas with Stephen's family on the 26th...

Ella showing off her fish face...supposedly fish stick out their tongues!


Grady enjoying time with Uncle Phil playing with trains