Growing Up…

Jonas is growing up so quickly…he’s getting really good at riding his tricycle, rocking out with the potty training day and night, loving hearing stories from his two favorite story collections right now (Frog and Toad and Harold and the Purple Crayon), and saying the darnedest things (I’ve been writing them down because they’re so great)…

“Also, you need to tell me the truth, Mommy.”

“I can bend over because I don’t have a baby inside my tummy, Mommy. I can go up and down the stairs, but you can’t because you have a baby inside your tummy, Mommy.”

“It’s okay, Xander. I’m your friend. Don’t you know I’m your friend, Xander?”

“Mommy, I wish I had claws so I could climb a tree.”

“Are you excited about having a newborn baby?”

“Xander’s bigger than a really fat bumblebee.”

“You smell like flowers, Mommy.”

Eighteen Months…

At eighteen months, Xander is: doing the sign for “change” when he needs a diaper change; saying “deh” for “there”, “lala” for water, “uh oh” when he drops something, and “go go” while he points to his plate and his tummy to let us know where he wants the food to go; diving into two word combinations with “DaDa nih nih”, “JoJo potty”, “see DaDa”, “PePa bye bye”, “DaDa boo”, and “MaMa moh”; doing the bouncy dance for things he gets excited about (climbing up on the couch, watching Winnie-the-Pooh with his big brother, getting a fresh sippy of ice water from the refrigerator, and eating); and taking a shine to building Lego towers.

Christmas…

Thanksgiving…

We spent a wonderful week in Virginia with Tom’s family for Thanksgiving, enjoying: going to mass, decorating the Christmas tree, sharing good food and conversation, playing outside in the woods; going for a ride in the boat on the lake, hiking, and participating in the Seyfried Family Turkey Games (swim fin races, quidditch tournament, pie eating contest, marshmallow/toothpick tower building, etc.).

For more pictures, click on the “Thanksgiving 2011″ picture page to the right…

Seventeen Months…

In his seventeenth month, Xander is: saying “bih boh” for “big boy”, “pepa” for “Petra”, “shack” for “snack”, “ton ton” for “crouton”, “caw caw” for “car car”, “shi” for “outside”, “tay too” for “thank you”, and “Jo Jo” for “Jonas”; doing the sign for “thank you” and “change”; getting pretty good at going down the stairs (just today he started doing the full body slide); champing out on his daytime and nighttime sleep; cutting four molars; echoing everything big brother does; delighting in rousing games of hide and seek with DaDa and Jonas; and brightening our days with his happy spirit.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Jonas!!!

Jonas had a blast on his birthday weekend…making cupcakes, spending time with family, opening presents, and eating cupcakes.

(I always get so wrapped up in the birthday moment that I forget to take pictures, but here are a few of our precious little man on his big day.)

Thirty-Six Months…

In his thirty-sixth month, Jonas is: still saying the darnedest things (”It’s okay, Mommy…be brave…it’s time to be brave” and “Mommy, what would be a good way for me to keep you in my room?”); taking a break from potty training; skipping out on his afternoon nap more often than not (although most of the time, when Mommy builds him a good “nest” on the floor with all of his pillows, blankets, and stuffed animal friends, he can’t resist a good long snooze); starting to spend a little more time enjoying playing with Xander instead of trying, in so many not so nice and at times downright mean big brother ways, to keep Xander from getting into all of “his” toys; getting really good at riding his tricycle downhill AND uphill; and delighting in Dr. Seuss books.

Sixteen Months…

In his sixteenth month, Xander is: saying “boo” for “spoon” and “book”, “ta” for “trash”, “moh” for “more”, “sih” for “sit”, “sh” for “share”, and “tu” for “turn”; doing the signs for “please” and “change”; continuing to love doing anything “big boy” (using a toddler fork/spoon, washing his hands, sitting at the table in a booster seat, etc.); identifying body parts; really getting into lift the flap books; making passionate choices of favorite books to read for nap time, bed time, and any time; outgrowing his dairy intolerance (yay!!!) and testing positive at the allergist’s for a peanut allergy (ugh!!!); cracking us up with his headlong into the world attitude and endearing us with his sweet, sensitive spirit.

Halloween…

Halloween night in our neighborhood is so much fun…it’s a big costume street party. Jonas dressed up as Batman, Tom as Robin, Xander as Superman, and I as Lois Lane.

The boys were so excited to be outside as the sun was going down and as the moon was coming up…especially Xander. He kept running down the sidewalk towards the moon, cape flaring behind him, pointing his finger, and excitedly saying, “Moo, moo!”.

Jonas was an old pro with the trick or treating, saying “Trick or treat” and “Thank you”. And Xander picked it up really quickly…muscling his way up to the door, holding out his pumpkin bucket, and saying “Ticka, Ticka”.

As the night turned colder and darker, Xander went back to the house with Daddy to help pass out candy before tucking into bed, and Jonas stayed out with Mommy to trick or treat the houses of a few more friends before coming home to cozy up in warm pajamas and covers for a good night’s sleep.

Fall Morning with MeMe and Papa…

Here are a few pictures taken on the beautiful fall morning we spent with MeMe and Papa at their new home, sharing a delicious breakfast and going for a leisurely walk together along the creek.

Pumpkinfest…

We all enjoyed spending a cool fall morning, walking around downtown Franklin, for Pumpkinfest…the boys loved trick or treating the arts and crafts vendors, jumping in the inflatables, and petting the animals at the petting zoo.

Halloween Party…

The boys and I had so much fun at our neighborhood mom’s club Halloween Party today. This picture makes my heart smile and well up with thankfulness for the community that we are privileged to be a part of here. What precious children (and mommies)!!!

Preschool Festivities…

Jonas had a really fun week this week at preschool…

On Tuesday, at PumpkinFest…he got to go outside and rotate to different stations (face painting/tatoos, arts and crafts, storytime, pumpkin painting, snacks, and games) with his classmates and teachers. He had a blast (and I did too…I volunteered at the snack station and enjoyed watching my little man in his preschool element).

On Thursday, at the Halloween Parade…he got to wear his costume, walk through the parish hall hand in hand with his precious classmates (much to the delight of all of the picture-taking parents), and go trick or treating in the administrative offices. Here he is as Batman and with his sweet little class.

Harriet…

Here are a few pictures of Jonas and Xander with Harriet the Hamster (Jonas’ class pet that we had fun taking care of over Fall Break).

Baby Seyfried Update…

Here’s a picture of our sweet growing baby at 19 weeks…

Apple Picking…

The boys and I drove out to Pratt’s Orchard this morning for an apple picking adventure…

Farmer Pratt was kindly welcoming and instructed us to walk to the tenth row of fruit trees (past the peaches and most of the other varieties of apples that had already been picked) to the Arkansas Reds. It was so sweet to walk up and down the rows of apple trees with the boys, enjoying the peaceful quiet, the soft morning light, the warmth of the sun, and the coolness of the breeze. They absolutely loved picking apples, delighted to find that most were right within reach, and piling them into the basket. (I ended up only picking a handful because they were having so much fun doing it themselves.) We all enjoyed the taste of a farm fresh apple on the way home and look forward to making MeMe’s apple crisp this afternoon. Yay for pick your own farms, yay for little people to enjoy the adventure with, and yay for fall!!!

Pumpkin Farm…

Tom and I took the boys to the pumpkin farm this week, and they LOVED it…riding the train, saying hello to the farm animals (Xander puckered up and cried when the baby cows mooed at him…bless his heart), picking out pumpkins, sitting on the tractor, checking out the well, inspecting the sunflower and cotton blooms, etc.

Pumpkin Craft…

So, I visited my favorite blog, “Fun & Engaging Activities for Toddlers” (http://engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com/), over the weekend and saw the cutest fall activity ideas. Here’s one that Jonas and Xander had a lot of fun working on…

Watercolor Cars…

Jonas had a BLAST using watercolors to paint the little wooden cars that Grandma Jackie bought for a fun craft (Xander did too…he was just more interested in trying to put his hands in the little container of water/getting the watercolor palette out of the tray…haha.)

Little Buddy…

Tom took this picture of Xan-Man and I at the park last week…it makes me happy.

Thirty-Five Months…

At thirty-five months, Jonas is: enjoying choosing books from the shelf at the library each week (he surprised the librarian by going to the shelf and finding Dr. Seuss’ “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” to match the bookmark he gave him at checkout); flooring us with a crazy amount of pre-reading skills (identifying books by name on and off the bookshelf, reciting entire books from memory, etc.); drawing his first few letters (”I”, “O”, and “T”); loving music class; learning how to share his space, his toys, and his heart with his little brother (a life-long lesson in progress); and showing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leadings by saying the most precious prayers for family and friends who are on his heart each night before bed.

Fifteen Months…

In his fifteenth month, Xander is: doing the sign for “up” (he bounces up and down, smiles, says “mmm”, and points his little finger up in the air when he wants to get up on the couch…one of his favorite places to be); saying “ba” for “ball” and “shoe” for “shoe”; developing a fascination for trying to take off his shoes and socks; becoming more willful (either that or he’s starting to show his willfulness in a different way); enjoying arts and crafts time with Jonas (play-doh, fingerpaint, pom poms, crayons, stickers, etc.); falling in love with dipping (maple syrup, ketchup, and hummus are his dips of choice); presenting with a peanut allergy (ugh…my poor little buddy!!!); attempting to physically pick me up when he wants me to do something/wants to show me something; starting to get a little possessive of things he wants to hold onto; and showing an uncanny ability to match things up (containers and lids, toys and all of their parts, etc.).

Baby Seyfried…

We are delighted to announce that we are expecting the arrival of our third child on (or around) March 12, 2012!!!

Cayman Islands…

My dear husband, so full of surprises, surprised me with a trip to Grand Cayman!!! We had a wonderful, relaxing time and are so grateful and indebted to Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Phil for taking such good care of the boys for us at home while we were away.

Thirty-Four Months…

In his thirty-fourth month, Jonas is: coming up with more one liners every day (one of my recent favorites is “Look, Pooh Bear and Waggles are pretending to be a V”); entering what seems to be a pre three year old phase (fussy, demanding, particular, not easily satisfied, etc.); taking his plate to the sink after meals; dressing and undressing himself like a champ; still skipping out on his afternoon nap more times than not; and having a blast at preschool.

Fourteen Months…

In his fourteenth month, Xander is: having a bit of a language explosion…doing the signs for “ball”, “music”, and “fan” AND saying “w” for “wolfie”, “p” for “pooh”, “b” for “banana” and “blueberry”, “deah” for “yeah”, “s” for “yes”, “dat” for “that”, “dis” for “this”, “bye” for “bye”, and “duh” for “done”; working on giving up the bottle; following one step directions; climbing into and rocking in his rocking chair; giving Petra lots of spontaneous hugs, kisses, and pats; and saying “num” when he tastes something he likes.

Jonas’ First Day of Preschool…

So, here’s my baby…my big boy…on his first day of preschool. We made it through with tears in the beginning and smiles in the end.

Preschool…

Jonas will be starting preschool next week!!! Unbelievable. He met his teachers, saw his classroom, and hung out with his classmates at Get Acquainted Day (an hour visit with Mommy and Daddy) this week. He took to it all surprisingly well (me on the other hand…I was as nervous as I would be on my first day of school).

Garden…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a simple dream…a vegetable, herb, and flower garden. So, my dear husband is building me a raised bed in the backyard!!! Yay!!! I am VERY excited and the boys are too…they both love tootling around, checking things out, and pitching in to help pull things together. I can’t wait to see how much they’re going to enjoy the finished product.

Buddies..

Play-Doh…

A few days ago I busted out the play-doh for Jonas, and Xander was reaching, pointing, and grunting for it. So, I sat him down in his high chair, and buddy, he went to TOWN!!! He figured out really quickly that he didn’t want to eat it (haha). He loved investigating all of the different play-doh tools and trying to get the play-doh back into the container.

Thirty-Three Months…

At thirty-three months, Jonas is: becoming a picky eater (much to my dismay…hopefully it’s just a phase); continuing to crank out the one liners faster than I can remember them; skipping out on his afternoon nap several times a week (hopefully that’s just a phase too); and cracking Xander up at the table (this is hands down one of my favorite things to watch).

Thirteen Months…

In his thirteenth month, Xander is: saying “cacka” for “cracker”; striking out on the dairy trial (back to the drawing board for another three months); developing a fascination for shape sorting toys, putting things in/taking things out of containers, and matching lids (he goes through the tupperware cabinet, finds the water bottles and sippy cups, and matches them up with the correct lids); closing doors; doing windshield wiper head when he’s really happy; and dancing (bouncing up and down).

Lake Anna…

We had an absolute BLAST on our family vacation to Lake Anna!!! Grandpa Phil and Grandma Jackie graciously rented a big, beautiful lake house for the whole family (the northern Seyfrieds, the Longs, the Paccassis, and the southern Seyfrieds) to share for a week.

Here are some highlights from our wonderful and very memorable trip: Xander riding in a “big boy”, forward facing car seat; visiting with the Jonases in Lynchburg; taking rides on the pontoon boat and in the inner tube; kayaking; running with Phil and Dave on country roads; enjoying delicious family meals; having good conversations; going to King’s Dominion (the boys and I enjoyed staying home that day and getting to spend some quality time with Tree and Gianna); celebrating Kaitlyn, Audrey, and Xander’s July birthdays; having fun with games of Euchre and badminton; reading on the porch; playing with the boys (they loved playing in the sand and water); fishing; watching Jonas and Xander play with their cousins (a delight to the heart); helping the boys do fun artsy/craftsy things (spin art, tie-dye, and ice cream making); experiencing the family variety show; and roasting s’mores.

For more pictures, click on the “Family Vacation: Lake Anna” picture page to the right.

Thirty-Two Months…

At thirty-two months, Jonas is: composing some precious sentences (”Good job doing finger foods, Xander Mander!”; “Is this home sweet home?”; “Does Petra love God?”; “That’s a big American flag, Mommy!”, “Daddy, I always always always love you and I always be with you you know I do love you so much” etc.); starting to stutter a little bit off on and on (the mind ahead of the mouth, me thinks); and actively potty training (go, JoJo!!!).

4th of July…

What a blessing it was to have Darren and Rueben here for the 4th of July, celebrating with family!!! Here are some pictures of our time together…

Uncle Darren and Cousin Rueben’s Visit…

It was SO good to see my brother, Darren, and my nephew, Rueben (now 23 whom I hadn’t seen since he was 10) who flew in from Norway to spend a few weeks visiting with the family. We had fun times…sharing meals, playing frisbee golf, enjoying good conversation, celebrating the 4th of July, and visiting the Grand Ole Opry. We miss Darren, Rueben, Kaia, and Marina so much…maybe we’ll pack up the boys one of these days and head off to Norway for a visit.

Happy Birthday, Xander!!!

It is hard to believe that our little Xan-Man is a year old. He lights up our lives with his open, sweet, and joyful spirit…endears himself to our hearts with his sensitivity and depth of soul…amazes us with his keen observation and investigation of the world around him…and in the words of his father, “He’s a leader of men, and I would follow him into battle”.

Yay for Xander!!! He had a blast on his birthday weekend…eating chocolate cupcakes, opening presents, and seeing family. Here are some pictures of our weekend-long celebration…

Fifty-Two Weeks…

At fifty-two weeks, Xander is: becoming our resident grunter; eating anything and everything; giving high fives; walking all over the place; skipping out on his morning nap in favor of one long afternoon nap (yay!!!); and lighting up our hearts with the spontaneous hugs and kisses he gives when he feels the love.

Xander Fingerpainting…

So, the boys fingerpainted in their diapers yesterday and had a blast. (It was a good thing too because after all was said and done, I had to scoop both of them up and put them in the tub…Xander tried to eat the fingerpaint and Jonas tried to wipe off his fingerpaint-y hands on his belly). Yay for messy art projects!!!