Just pictures!

Here are some pictures the wonderfully talented Ms. Lindsey took for Eli's 9 month/family photo shoot:

I want to remember these.

Tiger with Eli making the scrunchy nose face!







I feel like we've been going full speed since about a week before Halloween and here it is almost Christmas already! Even though I haven't been on top of the blog I have been keeping a list of the sweet things Tiger and Eli have been doing lately. Hopefully soon I will blog about our fun Thanksgiving trip to Disneyworld. Here are some memorable things the boys have been up to:

1. Tiger calls an umbrella a "rainbrella."
2. All day long I hear a tiny voice say with urgency "Need help, Mom!" just to turn around and find Tiger is clowning around-he rarely is actually in need of help.
3. He will randomly look at Aaron and say "Don't worry Daddy, I know what to do!"
4. Quite often while Tiger and Eli are playing with toys Tiger will carry a toy or two over to his sweet brother and say "Here go, Eli!"
5. One day while our wonderful housekeeper was here Tiger went #2 in the potty and after he was done he hollered "Check it out, Ms. Lupe!" Thankfully she was not within earshot so she did not come check it out.
6. Tiger likes to give a play by play of whatever is going on around him lately. While we were at Disneyworld I took him to the bathroom with me and after he went I needed to so very loudly he announced to the ladies in the stalls next to me "Momma's peepin'!" and then with the sweetest little encouraging voice he could muster said "Good job, Momma!" I definitely heard a few laughs from the surrounding stalls.
7. Every night I lie down with Tiger to talk to him about his day and tell him how loved he is and I'll say "Mommy loves you, Daddy loves you, Eli loves you, and lots and lots of other people love you, but who loves you most of all?" to which he always excitedly replies "GOD LOVES YOU!"
8. He is really into chasing and being chased right now and when he and his dear friend Riott saw each other at church one day they immediately started chasing each other around the lobby while Tiger hollered "Get back here!"
9. Whenever Tiger is done eating a pear and he wants more he says "More parrots!"
10. While we were at Disneyworld he ate a large helping of my filet mignon one night and said "Want more chickens!"
11. Every now and then when he doesn't feel like napping or after he wakes up from his nap I'll hear him knocking on his bedroom door from the inside just to let me know he's there and ready.
12. Tiger really makes me realize what I say to him all the time because he spends his days randomly repeating it back to me and most of the time with the same inflection and tone. Whenever I ask if he wants to do something he'll often look at me and smile saying "That'd be fun!" For the past few days he has been walking around and firmly saying "What did I say?" just like I do when I ask him to do something and he doesn't listen.
13. He calls Cinnamon Toast Crunch "happy crackers" and came up with that all on his own.
14. If he spots something he feels he needs or wants he says "Tiger need want (fill in the blank)!"
15. The other day Tiger asked me to put his fake tiger skin rug on him and he walked around saying "I'm the king of the jungle." I really do not know where he has ever heard that phrase.
16. We only let our boys watch two "adult" TV programs. One is college football (of course) and the other is the show "19 Kids and Counting." Now when we turn one of those programs on Tiger says "Watch Mommy and Daddy TV!" and just today he was randomly saying the names of the Duggar family. He really likes to say Ginger, Jeremiah, and Josie.
17. Just tonight as I was getting him ready for his bath Tiger said "Thank you Jesus for Nemo and Halloween!"
18. As I was lying down with him before he fell asleep the other night he was very quiet and then said "Hmm, I wonder!"
19. The other day we were presented as members before the church but before we got up there we kept the boys with us in big church while we waited. Tiger was being Chatty Kathy and was saying things like "It's Mr. Chuck!" (our pastor) and "They're dancing!" and instructed everyone to sing after we had stopped. Aaron kept telling him to "shhh" and "no talking" so when it came time for the congregational reading Tiger kept covering Aaron's mouth and whispering "Shhh, no talking!" in his ear.
20. Once we were presented Tiger saw our sweet friends the Miglioris in the crowd and hollered "It's Tyler and Ms. Lindsey!"
21. On the way to the Christmas program last night we were trying to get Tiger pumped up to go play with his friends in the nursery and I said "Tiger, who are you going to play with in the nursery" and he excitedly said "Ms. CJ!" (one of our other dear friends).
22. Every time we sat down for a meal at Disneyworld Tiger would hold his knife in one hand and fork in the other and announce "It's almost Christmas!"
23. I have often heard that children associate God with their own earthly father at a very young age. Tiger has proven this to be true because every now and then he'll stop what he's doing and say "My Daddy saves us by his grace."
24. This morning we brought Eli to bed with us before Tiger got up and he repeated "Momma" and "Da-da" back to me.
25. Eli has been crawling and pulling up on everything since he was 7 months and can now at 9 months take several steps with his walker.
26. He really, really wants to be around his big brother all the time so he follows him around wherever he goes, sometimes to Tiger's chagrin.
27. When he sees something he knows he isn't supposed to mess with (dog food, fireplace cover, etc) he takes off at lightning speed, laughing and snorting the whole way.
28. Eli is in love with both of the dogs. Anytime they chase each other around or even when they are just sitting around he just laughs and laughs at them.
29. He is very much a daredevil already. He absolutely loves to be tossed in the air, hung upside down (or uppingside down as Tiger would say), and spun around really fast with Daddy. He will also just crawl head first into an object and it doesn't phase him-he just tries to bull through it.
30. Eli is quite a dancer too. Anytime he hears music he likes he will bounce around grinning ear to ear.
31. He does not sit still-especially when he's being held. He is always on the move-bouncing up and down, throwing his head back to go upside down, grabbing hair, biting shoulders, you name it!
32. My favorite face that he makes is when he scrunches up his sweet little nose and snorts really fast. That is as cute as it gets.
33. Whenever he bites me while he's nursing it doesn't matter what my reaction is-he laughs every time.
34. He also laughs whenever Tiger cries. I think he has my gift of smiling and laughing inappropriately.
35. Eli definitely loves all eyes on him. If they aren't he will do something ridiculously loud or cute to make sure that changes.
36. He gives kisses now which sometimes means your lips get bitten but it's just so sweet.
37. Within the past week he has started eating big boy food so now when Aaron and I are eating anything if he is within arm's reach he tries to grab it from our hand because now he knows what he's missing.
38. Tiger has figured out that he has to open and slam the door on his toy fridge exactly 3 times in order to play the song he likes so we often hear "(slam, slam, slam!)" followed by the jazzy fridge song coming from the toy room. He has also figured out the lights on the Christmas tree each have a box with a button that he can press to make them blink differently. The other day he had them all synched up.
39. He looked out the window and saw our neighbor's Christmas decorations in the yard and said "Winter Holidays!" I have no idea where he heard that.
40. While it was snowing the other day he said "Look at the winter!"
41. When he says the word dinosaur it comes out "dino-sore-ah" like he is from the Bronx.
42. Tiger knows he will be in trouble if he acts naughty to Eli for getting near a toy he's playing with so if Eli starts crawling toward him he'll frantically say "Mommy hold Eli!" as if he knows he won't be able to control himself.
43. Lately when Tiger pretends he's on the phone with someone here is the exact conversation: "Hello, 'Nette (or Papa Mitch or Papa Robert)? I'm doing a good job today! Soda! Pasta! Well, goodbye 'Nette (or Papa Mitch or Papa Robert)."
44. The other day Tiger picked up a piece of baby spinach off of his plate and said "Yummy leaves!"
45. A few weeks ago we were riding in the car when we heard Tiger quietly chuckling in the back. I turned around and asked him what he was laughing at and he said "Papa Mitch is funny" and kept chuckling.
46. Sometimes he has a hard time pronouncing the "sp" combination of letters. Spiderman is "Fiderman" and spank spoon is "fank foon."
47. In "Thomas and Friends" Henry and James are green and red so Tiger's toy bus that carries a red ball and a green ball is now know as Henry and James.
48. Most nights at bedtime Tiger wants me to "Sing Thomas!" so I will sing the theme to "Thomas and Friends." Sometimes he'll try to trip me up and throw a name or two in there that doesn't exist in the story. Then when I don't respond the way he wants he will just keep repeating it after I sing the phrase instead of moving to the next name.
49. I heard Tiger quietly singing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" to himself in his room the other day and it melted my heart.
50. Tiger held Eli's hand for some of the car ride home from Disneyworld.

Well, I know that was long and I am sure I have forgotten some but I really want to document all of these little things because I know one day they will have slipped from my memory. I just cannot believe how quickly my little men are growing up.

"It's like an animal!"

Tonight after we put a sweet baby hat on little Eli, Tiger wanted to wear his matching hat. After searching for a minute without finding it, Daddy took Tiger to our closet to find him something comparable. He came out looking like this:




Tiger walked out with a big grin and while feeling his luscious new locks he said "It's like an animal!" Yes, it is, son. Like a party animal.




Strike a pose.



Not even the most excellent of hair styles will distract this determined young man from playing with his Thomas.




Eli wanted to get in on the action too.



Business in the front, party in the back.




The hat that started it all.



Skyping with 'Nette.

"LOOK! A BEAR!!!"...not.

This past weekend on recommendation from our sweet friend Lindsey we moseyed on over to Burt's Farm in Dahlonega to take a hayride and look at all the pumpkins. The mountain drive was SO gorgeous seeing all of the trees and their vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. This is most definitely my favorite time of year and can I just say how awesome it is to live in a state that 1) has trees and 2) those trees actually change colors. I loves me some Georgia.

The hayride was really exciting but we all had a few disappointments. Tiger had to squint because the tractor was kicking up all kinds of dust and debris. Eli kept covering his baby ears because it was loud. And let me just paint a picture of the disappointment Aaron and I experienced. Imagine we are riding along through a tranquil forest enjoying the beautiful autumn colors and scenery when all of a sudden there is a clearing in the trees and lo and behold what do we see? A handsome black bear standing at a distance just hanging out being a bear. Aaron says in his most excited voice "Look-a bear!" as I almost wet my pants trying to grab the camera in time to get a picture of the glorious creature before it has a chance to scamper off to it's bear cave. Others around us are excitedly grabbing their cameras and snapping shots as well. Aaron says "Did you get a picture?" as I have a proud wife moment and get to tell him that yes, I indeed got several pictures. After that it's all a blur of let down emotions as I don't remember the exact moment we figured out it was FAKE! I have several thoughts at this point. First of all, how lame am I that I just went nuts over a fake bear in front of my children/husband/strangers and broke the cardinal rule of hayriding to stand up while the tractor is moving (gasp!) to excitedly take pictures. Second, how can I get these jokers back next year? Shall I "pretend" to be pregnant and "pretend" my water breaks as we're going over a bump? Or maybe dress up in a bear suit and sit in the path of the hayriders while smoking a cigarette. I don't know what it'll be, but I will have to come up with something for retribution.

After it was over Tiger was pretty hungry at that point and we still had a 20 minute drive to the Dahlonega square to eat at our favorite pizza joint. After much bribing and coaxing we got him in the car and were on our way. Tiger and Eli had a blast on our pumpkin farm/hayriding/faux bear sighting/pizza eating adventure and Aaron and I did too.








Tiger is SO into wheels right now! And tractors, too!








Look at that sweet baby smile.








Poor Easy kept covering his ears!








My sugar bear.








I mean-how cruel do you have to be, Burt's Farm?








Two of the coolest guys I know.








Another one of the coolest guys I know.








Tiger at the hungry point of no return. When I saw this picture I was laughing hard telling Aaron how unhappy he looks and he said he was trying to match Tiger's unhappy face for the picture. Sure you were, Daddy. ;)









Cutest scarecrow ever #1







Cutest scarecrow ever #2

Praying Mantis sighting, etc.

A few nights ago after the boys were in bed I spotted a Praying Mantis outside our front door. Fulfilling his title as the best Daddy in the world, Aaron went out-mason jar in hand-and captured it so the boys could look at it once they got up in the morning. On our way to the car to go grocery shopping the next morning Tiger immediately spotted the jar and wanted to bring it with him in the car. I had visions of him unscrewing the lid and the crazy looking thing jumping on me and us veering off into Lake Lanier, so...needless to say-the jar stayed in the garage. That afternoon after naps Daddy (not me!) unscrewed the cap where the poor mantis finally got a chance to stretch his long legs. I think it must have done a lot of praying while it was trapped considering it was about as long as the jar itself and had little room to move...but, I digress. Tiger was fascinated and Eli was as fascinated as a 7 month old could be. Tiger would run and play in the yard and then come running back to check and see if it was still there. The first few times he checked it was still perched on the glass or on the ground by the jar but then it got smart and got the heck out of dodge.

We've had some good times these past few weeks. Here are some pictures to prove it!


Eli enjoying some Daddy love.







Tiger has been into anything with wheels lately and is very particular when lining up his cars. He likes everything (not just his cars) JUST so. He most definitely gets that from me, poor guy.







My little loves.







I am pretty sure Bengal really truly does love the boys but I think she may love the prospect of getting second hand attention when she lies next to one of them just a little bit more.







Working hard at Mommy's computer while sipping on her last few drops of coffee.

My little messes...

This is what 2 good eatin' boys (AND good lookin' of course!) look like after a yummy meal. I sure do love my little mess pots.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made...

For you created my inmost being;






you knit me together in my mother's womb.






I praise you






because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;






your works are wonderful,






I know that full well.






My frame was not hidden from you






when I was made in the secret place.






When I was woven together






in the depths of the earth,






your eyes saw my unformed body.






All the days ordained for me






were written in your book






before one of them came to be.






Psalm 139:13-16