"Movie Baby"

Grant has earned the new title of "Movie Baby" because he is SO amazing.  Auntie Beth says he is like having a movie prop.  :)  Grant is the most happy, relaxed little guy and we can't get enough of those smiles!!  At almost 3 months old, he is already an amazing sleeper.  One night on vacation he slept through the night -- 8.5 hours!  Last night he went to bed at 7pm....slept until 11pm...had a bottle...then back to sleep until 5am.  What???  We are NOT used to this. The boys were terrible sleepers.  I don't think they slept that good until they were almost two.

When he's awake, he loves to talk, giggle and play...just so sweet tempered.  And he is smart!  The boy has already started to learn how to put his binkie back in his mouth.  He'll roll over on top of it...open his mouth and use his hands to nudge it back in.  You have to see it to believe it.  Of course, we think he is brilliant.  :)  Our little leading man!!

It's 7:30 am....this is what we are doing....

SQUIRT GUNS!!!!!!!  

The boys got their very first squirt guns...and this morning at 7:30am they decided it was time to try them out.  Of course, mom was their target!  I got an early run in being chased by these two crazy men!!

Puerto Rico!!!!

Okay...we have LOTS to update here.  Gearing up to take the boys away was no easy feat.  There was toys to pack, beach pails, swimmies and baby diapers.  Not to mention a bouncy chair, baby formula and at least 4 outfit changes a day for our littlest man.  :)  It felt a lot easier after Fiji.  (I think the same can be said for having twins!)

Our trip was nothing short of spectacular.  We went into it expecting it to be tough...and ended up with one of the most memorable family vacations we could have asked for.  The boys were absolute angels.  They loved every minute of the plane ride - and Grant?  Slept the entire flight both coming and going.

The hotel we stayed at was gorgeous.  (Thank you R.S.!)  The St. Regis Bahia Beach was pure luxury.  Our room was enormous and boasted a foyer and doorbell.  The boys loved the huge bathroom with the rain shower.  And every morning, our butler would bring us french press coffee and fill our beach cooler.  For parents of three busy boys?  It was pure paradise!!  The first day the butler came to the room, he asked if we would need anything else.  Cole quickly replied, "yes...chicken and fries please."  lol

The trip was all about beach days, pool days and spending time together as a family.  I will never forget our "fancy dinners" out together.  The boys would say the funniest and sweetest things.  "Wow!  This dinner sure is fancy!"  "I think I really love Puerto Rico!"  "This shirley temple is...spicy"  One night at dinner, Tommy turned to me and said, "Mommy you are beautiful."  I could cry just typing it.

In typical fashion, Cole didn't stop talking and hit on EVERY pretty girl he came across.  We would walk by the girl at the towel desk and he would start chatting her up.  "I don't wear diapers anymore.  I do pee pee on the potty.  My mommy had a baby in her belly, but now he is here.  His name is baby Grant."  Listening to him was a riot.  Of course, all of the female staff came to learn a lot about him by the end of our trip.  :)

The food was wonderful and we primarily ate seafood the entire time.  It was just so good.  One thing I have to write about is mofongo.  Oh my...  This is fried plantains that are smashed with butter and garlic.  It is AMAZING.  I want some now.  One night I had seared blue fin tuna served atop a bed of mofongo and swear I oohed and ahhed the entire meal.  We all loved the fresh fruit.

After 5-days of being pampered and spoiled, we transferred to the El Conquistador Resort.  This resort is massive and built into the side of a cliff with spectacular views of turquoise ocean and sandy palm tree dotted islands.  A funicular transports guests up and down the cliff - something the boys adored - and a ferry boat takes you out to their own private island where you can relax on the white sand beach.

Another great feature (and reason we moved here) is the water park.  The hotel features it's very own mini-water park with a lazy river, three great water slides and a smaller water area for toddlers.  We were lucky enough to have our room just outside the gates to the park, so we could bounce back and forth between the park and our room.   We had planned one day at the beach and one at the water park...but in the end, we decided to leave the beach and head back to the park as it was just too much fun.  The boys were allowed to ride the bigger slides in our lap, so we took turns taking them down.  I even took a solo plunge on a crazy 60-foot high straight drop slide!

Every afternoon at 4:30 we would go sit at the outdoor restaurant by the marina and the boys would have strawberry smoothies while mommy and daddy enjoyed an afternoon beer and margarita.  It was just so relaxing.  At night, when the boys were sleeping,  Kevin and I would sit on our back deck and watch the moon rise over the water.   It was the perfect ending to each perfect day.  I'm gushing and I know it...it was just an amazing trip....a family vacation that we won't ever forget!

Our happy little guy....

Tommy as a Fruit Loop

Yesterday, we were finishing breakfast when Tommy dropped to the floor in front of me.  "Look at me mom!  I'm a fruit loop!" :)

Cole the Politician

We laugh at the things the boys say on a regular basis, but honestly...Cole takes the cake.  He does not stop talking ALL day long and is constantly debating me on things.  At the end of the day, I don't know which part of me is more tired...my body or my brain!  The debates are constant.

Mommy:  Okay Cole.  So first we are going to go to school, then mommy will pick you up.  Then we will go to the park.


Cole:  No, that is not a good idea.  FIRST we will go to the park.  THEN we can go to school another day.  (This is said with lots of dramatic flair, hands waving and head nodding as if to say "got it?")

And this is just a brief sampling of the discussion!!  The debates typically go on and on.  At the moment, he is not a big fan of school.  Last week, he tried to tell us that the school nurse told him not to go to school that week as he had a boo-boo on his ear.  He was so funny going on and on with his story.  Then when I told him I knew the nurse and would just give her a quick call...he started back-pedaling like crazy.  The boy is THREE.

The other day, I was up in my room feeding the baby.  Cole came upstairs and said, "Mommy, you look so com-fer-able.  You should stay here and RELAX."  Immediately my mommy radar goes off.  I told him I was done feeding the baby and thought I would come downstairs instead.  He started to panic, "NO MOMMY!!  You look tired!!  Sit in bed!!"  And he started pushing me back into the room.  Of course, when I went downstairs, I discovered that they had opened their own paints, pulled out the brushes and were conducting their own little art project in the kitchen.

Our little debater is also very adept at verbally expressing his emotions.  Some of the favorite Cole-isms heard around the house have to be:


- I'm fust-er-rated!!! (Said with hands firmly planted on hips.)
- That is NOT a good idea!
- He/She/That makes me ANGRY! (Again...hands on hips.)
- Tommy that is NOT a nice thing to do!
- And my new favorite - "Let's just NOT talk about it."  This is usually in reference to school or any situation that makes him stressed.

Today, when I picked Cole up from school he had a band-aid on his face.  It took me and Kevin half the afternoon to learn the *real* story of what happened as he kept giving us a variety of scenarios that were highly unlikely.  In the end, we learned he was up running around when he shouldn't have been and fell and cut his cheek.  "My leg stopped working and I fell."  He said sadly.

Future politician?!?  It's starting to look like a promising career path for this child!  :)