the little man is growing up!

Brigs hit 20 months last week. If you would have told me a month ago that I had a 20 month old I would have said "ya but he still seems like such a baby" well people things have changed! The last month or two have been HUGE for Brigs. I was starting to get a little worried that he wasn't doing "certain things" but as soon as I voiced my concern to Phil Brigs thought "HA I'll show you!!" Here what he's up to....

*Has probably more than doubled his vocabulary adding belly button, baby, where are you, stuck, hello, bye bye, what, ya, please, help, ball, balloon, book, bath, and is trying to say a lot more things. Love this!
*Has starting putting A FEW words together....mostly "peese hep" (please help) and has said "wareyou da" (where are you Dad) a few times.
*Started making animal sounds like monkey, lion, dog, cat, elephant
*Can now identify body parts. Nose, ears, eyes, teeth, tongue, hands, fingers, feet
*Is getting to be a much better listener. Understands everything I ask him to do and usually does it. Except for when it comes to the toilet! GROSS!
*Is obsessed with being outside (cold or hot) playing in the sink, taking baths, reading books, playing the wii and helping mom.
*Still cries and screams A LOT. He also does not play well by himself, with Koen, or with toys. He needs entertaining.
*He can jump with both feet of the ground...so cute!

Be My Valentine

As Phil reiterated to me this year on the way home from our date, "Valentines is just a good day to make sure you show people you love that you do love them." I have to admit I have generally thought of it as kind of a lame holiday, not out of spite I might add, but Phil's insight is pretty good. :)

I started off the day volunteering in Koen's preschool class. I love that Phil has random days off that allow me to play at Koen's school. I got to help the kiddos pass out their valentines at my station, definitely the coolest job. I did manage to sneak over and take one pic of Koen and his friends paying Bingo.

After school Phil and I gave them their Valentines from us. Koen is super into Transformers (a whole post in its own) so he got a new transformer and some of the old school Transformers cartoons. Brigs got a new toy and more exciting CANDY!!! Mr B's FAVORITE!

 Phil and I got a babysitter and enjoyed dinner at my FAVORITE, Tepenyaki. Koen ever took a pic of us before we left but it seems as though I deleted it...you can all just imagine how beautiful it was, taken looking up and my ever growing face and belly. :)

LOVE to party!!!

Of course we had to have our little kid Valentine party. This is my kind of party to host. Kids get to play while adult sit and chat...win win in my book!

The kids played, ate lunch, played, decorated Valentine bags, played, decorated cupcakes, played a little more and then exchanged valentines. Brigs only made it through half the party before he decided he was tuckered out, but was sure happy when he woke up to a bag full of candy! :)

The pic I took of me and Paige and Brigs is the only pics in like months where Brigs is smiling and sayin "deese" So cute! Also who doesn't love that my shirt is see through...awesome. Good time good times!

Kiddos

As of lately I have noticed even more so how different my little guys are. I think it is so fun and interesting to have more than one kid and to compare them. Now I dont know if this is normal but because I have two boys, born in the same month, it is hard not to do compare and contrast. My kids are pretty much complete opposites. In almost all things, even from infancy.

*Brigs was an AWESOME night sleeper, terrible napper as a baby. Koen slept all day and cried all night.
*Brigs wouldn't take a bottle to save his life, Koen couldn't have cared less as long as he was feed.
*Brigs would like to be carried around and hang out and be entertained by me ALL day(still and since like 4 months). Koen was very independent played by himself and with toys VERY early on.
*Brigs is intense. If things aren't going his way he is ticked. Koen is much more easy going and patient.
*Brigs loves helping me. He is happy to do whatever I am doing. Koen would much rather do his own thing. (I remember seeing pics of people with their kids making treats and such, Koen...not so much. lol Brigs DEFINETLY)
*Brigs screams and throws fits and is just now starting to talk. Koen was mellow for the most part and a chatterbox by now.
*At 20 months Brigs has 10 teeth, Koen had all 16 by 15 months.
* Brigs hates going to the store, church or anywhere he is confined. Only large amounts of candy appease him. Koen was my little tag along, I drug him everywhere with only an occasional fit.
*Koen hates getting messy. If Brigs cant get enough yogurt, pudding oatmeal etc on his spoon he will just use his opposite hand.

Now that is just a few examples.
I just love seeing how different personalities can be. I love it because it so makes me appreciate the the things I love in each of them. I love that B will snuggle up on my lap all day, and that K will do his own thing so I can get things done. It makes me appreciate Koen's patience, Brigs' silly giggles and their cute faces more each time I think about it. I love them. I love getting to know their little personalities more each day. Learning how to be the best mom to them, individually.

I am not good at looking at kids and saying A. which parent they look like or B. if they look like anyone else. People always tell me my kids look the same, but I totally dont think they do. I think they look like brothers but thats about it. What about you? This is at birth, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 18 months. Cant wait to see what the next little man will look like.

Birthday Pals!

Koen has two best friends in this world currently and they actually have not changed since we lived in Erie. Tessa and Kade. (although I think Tessa little brother Beckham is definitely el numero tres :) These two little buddies of his have birthdays just a week apart. Being able to go to their birthday parties within the same week was JUST FABULOUS.

Kade had a bowling party. Kade loves bowling and pretty much any other sport/interactive game. Koen not so much. lol He loves toys and using his imagination. (luckily Kade is generally happy to do what Ko wants which works out nicely in their friendship) So the place they went bowling had an arcade...Koen was much more interested in winning some "prizes" or "junk" as I call it, than bowling. I ended up staying there and babysitting him so he didn't wander. ;) He was pretty stoked about all Kade's presents and the donut with chocolate frosting, his fav! Best of all was the arcade game he got to play at the end. He of course picked one where he would win tickets...with all 4 tickets he got himself a sweet magnifying glass.(junk:) I thought it would be fun to add a picture from a few years ago.This is in March of 2008, so almost 3 years ago.

Tessa's birthday party was a few days later and she had a build-a-bear party. Koen had really been building up to this. He checked out the bears and stuff online in preparation. He got exactly what he had looked at and was very happy with it. He named his bear Green Garden Bear, GGB as we call him. Such a fun little party. I was able to go with them and thought it was so great because as a parent you really didn't have to do anything, the little host guy entertained the whole time! Perfect! The older pic of Koen and Tess is from Feb 2008.

 I love these two little BF's of Ko's like they are my own. I love knowing that they will always be friends because Kade is his cousin and Tessa is our next door neighbor. I am excited to see how things will change and evolve as they grow up. Too cute!