Holding Hollis

Clayton has been interested in Hollis, warming up to him slowly since we brought him home. He loves to tickle him and give him toys, and more recently calls him by name "Baby Hollis". The one thing he was never interested in doing up to this point was holding Hollis. He would kiss him and love on him, but when we would try to put him on Clayton's lap he would push him away and fuss. For some reason he didn't want to hold him. The other night Clayton had just gotten out of the tub and he and his Daddy were playing in his tent as usual. Hollis and I decided to go upstairs and join the fun. I decided to try once again to see if he wanted to hold Hollis and he did!!! He even fussed when we took Hollis away from his this time! It was too sweet!

Wow! Conversations with Clayton...

Clayton has been saying many single words, and a few phrases for awhile now, but all of the sudden he is talking mostly in phrases and can actually have a conversation. We are loving it!!!
Here are some of the many phrases he has been saying lately...
*Baby Hollis is sleeping
*Choo Choo Tracks
*All aboard
*He will put the color of an object in front of the name...green dinosaur, purple butterfly, etc.
*He likes to show and tell you about everything. For example, when watching animal atlas he will say, Dada horse, Dada hippo, Dada bird
*We have been teaching him to say sorry, so his newest antic is to walk up to you and bump his head on your leg and say, "Sorry Mama" We have to work on the fact that you aren't supposed to do something to someone on purpose and then say sorry :)
*More Cookies Please
*Baby Hollis toes and will point out the other parts of Baby Hollis
*A bird in a tree
*He will say animals and then list the many animals he sees
*It's stuck, open
*Help please
There are so many, it seems as though the words are just flowing all of the sudden. It's wonderful to hear!

DINOSAUR CRAZY!!!

Clayton is completely crazy over dinosaurs. He always has one in his hand wherever we go...he eats with them, plays with them, and yes even sleeps with them. He loves any show that has dinosaurs in it...Dinosaur Train, Dino Dan, and the Toy Story's Rex! It really is the cutest thing. He goes around roaring like a dinosaur carrying as many as he possibly can at one time.

Operation No More Pacifier...

Clayton was becoming obsessed with his pacifier the more the days went on. We decided that after his 2nd birthday we really needed to buckle down and work on breaking him of this habit. After talking with several people on how they went about this we decided that the best method for us would be to go down to having his pacifier only in his bed...so nap time and bedtime only. I really thought it was going to be rough for the first few days, but amazingly it was a breeze! The morning after his 2nd birthday (we decided not to do it on his actual birthday) we told him that his "pie pie" was only for "night night" and he had to leave it in his bed. He took it out of his mouth and threw it in his bed no problem! I just knew it would only be a matter of time before he started asking and crying for it, but he didn't!!! He didn't even cry for it at his 2 year Dr. appointment after his shots! From that day forward we have kept to it and every morning and every time he wakes from his nap he throws it in his bed and doesn't get it until it is time for bed again. He has done so well, and we are so proud of him...such a big boy! Yay Clayton!!!!

Sweet Moments...

Clayton has become more and more interested in his baby brother these days. He has finally started calling him Baby Hollis instead of just Baby. He asks for him as soon as he wakes up from his nap and in the morning, and he looks for him if he doesn't know where he is. The other day, I put Hollis in his bouncy seat on the counter and went to the laundry room to put some clothes in the dryer. Hollis started crying and when I walked back into the kitchen, Clayton was circling the island in the kitchen where Hollis was saying, "K Baby Hollis, K Baby Hollis" (it's okay Baby Hollis). It was absolutely precious! I guess he hears me saying this and so since I was in the other room, he decided to do it. Too cute!
Sometimes Hollis cries in the van and I try to calm him by singing his name over and over...Clayton usually joins me! I can't wait to see this bond grow over time. I know they will have their moments, but when it comes down to it, they are brothers and will hopefully have a bond that will never break!

Future Astronaut?!

The other night Scott was giving Clayton a bath, which is one of Claytons favorite things to do. They usually splash up there for over an hour, Clayton is absolutely wild in the bathtub! He even fills up his cup and pours it over his head. Anyway, lately his favorite word is NO...guess that goes along with the magical age 2. So Scott was being silly and asking him questions like...Do you want to go to Disney? Clayton...No! Do you want to go to the beach? Clayton...No! This goes on and on with Scott asking him if he wants to go to all of these fun locations and the answer is consistently a big fat NO! This continues until Scott asks the questions...Do you want to go to the moon? Clayton jumps up (he is in his pj's by this point in the game) runs to his bedroom door, hurries down the stairs as quickly as he can, and runs to the front door shouting...Moon! Moon! I look at Scott like, now what?! Scott takes him outside in the freezing cold to find the moon. Not exactly a trip to the moon, but who knows, maybe one day!

The Boys Rooms and Bathroom

Clayton's 2 Year Check Up...

Today we went for Clayton's 2 year check up. He greeted Dr. Cochran with a big Hello when he walked into the room, and quickly showed him his new dinosaurs. Dr. Cochran even sang Happy Birthday to him!!! He was pleased with all the words and phrases Clayton could say. Clayton wasn't a big fan of all the poking and prodding, but he got through it. He even made it through shots without his pacifier!!! Dr. Cochran is happy with Clayton's progress, but wants to check his weight at one of Hollis' appointments because he is only in the 10th percentile. He weighed in at 24 lbs and is now 34 1/4 inches tall! Tall and skinny boy just like his Pops (my dad). So thankful for a happy, healthy 2 year old!

Clayton's Big Party!

Clayton in his new leather recliner Mommy and Daddy got him for his Birthday

To Infinity and Beyond!

Great Granny and Hollis

The Spread

Clayton and one of his many new dinosaurs...notice the cute birthday outfit :)

The Loot

Cousin Luke holding Hollis...look at Hollis smiling :)

And...more dinosaurs

Mommy helping Clayton blow out the candle

Everyone singing and celebrating with Clayton

Everyone playing with the new and old toys in Clayton and Hollis' toy room

The happy birthday boy!

Eating some chips at his new table and chairs with his dinosaur friends

Mommy and Daddy with the birthday boy

Uncle B and Hollis

January 15th we had Clayton's 2nd birthday party. The theme was of course Toy Story. We had family and a few close friends over to help us celebrate! We had snacks and Buzz and Woody cupcakes. Clayton was thrilled when he woke up from his nap and heard voices downstairs. I told him we had to get dressed because there was a party downstairs all for him. He giggled and smiled from ear to ear. I was probably just as excited as he was! He greeted everyone with a big "Hi!" when he came down the stairs. He went straight for the table with gifts on it. He had opened up his Toy Story table and chairs earlier in the day, so we used it to put the gifts on. He quickly opened his gifts and was thrilled with all of them, especially the dinosaurs. He is obsessed with dinosaurs right now and carries one or two with him at all times. He told everyone thank you as he opened his gifts and was so good. He was a little overwhelmed at Christmas, so I wasn't sure how this would go, but he was in the best mood and sooooo sweet! It warmed my heart to see him so excited and having all of our family and friends there to share our joy. I know I've said it time and time again, but he is just the light of our lives...along with our sweet little Hollis. When it was time to sing Happy Birthday to him he just looked at each person with a grin on his face and looked at them like..."yeah it's my birthday." It was a wonderful celebration, and he was of course spoiled (but not rotten). Thanks to all of our friends and family for a wonderful day and to Clayton for bringing us so much love and joy each and every day. We love you to the moon and back!

Hollis is 2 months old!!!

Hollis had his 2 month check up with Dr. Cochran the other day. He did great! He gave Dr. Cochran a big smile when he talked to him. He is just the sweetest baby, and so beautiful. He weighed in at 11 lbs 3.5 oz and his height is now 22 3/4. Dr. Cochran was pleased.

Hollis is doing the following now...

*sleeping 3-4 hours at a time at night (most of the time)

*he is a big eater!!!

*he LOVES to be talked to, and when you talk to him he smiles the most beautiful smile and coos like he has all kinds of things he wants to say to you

*he is such a sweet baby, loves to be held!!

*holds his head up, very strong

*is beginning to discover his hands

Clayton is 2!!!!!!!!!!

Today is Clayton's 2nd birthday, my how time flies. He has gone from baby to this adorable little person over night it seems. Since the day he was born, he has brought nothing but joy and love to our lives. He brightens our mornings with hugs, kisses, and a big "Hello Mama" or "Hello Dada" said with a giant grin that will melt your heart. He tells us stories about dinosaurs, cars, and Buzz and Woody. He sings the most beautiful songs, and dances the cutest dances I have ever seen. Needless to say we are head over heels for this little boy, and look forward to each and every day and all of the new experiences and milestones that they bring.

We began this day by going up to Clayton's room together this morning to sing Happy Birthday to him. We then set off for an early morning haircut. Our past haircuts have not been so pleasant, but there must be something magical about the number 2. He climbed right up into the chair all by himself, and sat still and did not shed a tear the entire haircut! Now our previous haircuts consisted of my holding his arms and legs and him screaming and crying in fear of the scissors. A little cup of M and M's goes a long way for a big boy haircut! After our haircut we headed to meet our friends at the Children's Museum. He played in the rice table and played and played with the dinosaur figurines as you will see from all the pictures. Every one of them include dinosaur figurines! We then spent the rest of the afternoon playing at home. It was a wonderful day of celebrating my sweet boy!

Playtime With Cousin Macie

Hollis had a Dr. appointment and I knew that it would probably take forever, and Clayton would be miserable so I decided to call my cousin Abbie (who happened to be out for a snow day thank goodness) to see if Clayton could play with her cutie pie Macie! Luckily she was more than happy to watch him for me, and Macie and Clayton had a great time playing and getting into mischief! I know I so enjoyed playing with my cousins when I was little, so I want Clayton to have that as well. The icing on the cake...Clayton got a Thomas The Train toy from Macie and Gavin for his birthday. Let's just say he hasn't put it down since we left their house! Thanks for the great gift :)

If You Can't Go Out in the Snow, Bring the Snow Inside!

Last year Clayton was too little to go out into the snow, so I brought a bowl of snow inside for him to explore. Well, this year Clayton didn't have the appropriate clothes with it being so cold, and Hollis is too little to go out...so I brought the snow inside again. Clayton was more interested in it this year. He of course had to taste it and dump it on the floor. He played with it for a long time, and after it had melted and I sopped up the water with a towel...he cried, "Snow!" Needless to say it was a hit!