It’s a another week of fun-filled happenings around here! Our summer nanny Jenn came over on Monday afternoon for a few hours. I’ve decided since I’d already planned to be off work Wednesday of this week for Finn’s preschool graduation, to just take Monday and Tuesday off as well and get Jenn started and the boys used to someone new while I can be home. While this has all happened so fast and my time off wasn’t planned it turned out to be such fun being home and being Mom all day every day for these days during the week. This is where I struggle with working or not as I really love being home! Reid is really on the move using his walker and is in to all the big kid toys he can manage to find. 
After we dropped Finn off at school for his last “normal” day of the year I headed to Millcreek with Reid to check in on the troops. See that big boy taking charge at my desk?
It was bike day on Monday also, so we took Finn’s bike for the day and he enjoyed riding around during the day with his classmates. 
Reid had his 1-year well check on Tuesday this week and he is doing so great! He weighs 21 pounds 14.6 ounces (60th percentile and up 4.5 pounds from his February 9 month check), is 29.5″ (36th percentile and 1.5 inches longer than 9 months) and his head circumference is 48.4 cm (96th percentile, up from 79th percentile in February). He is cruising along couches, chairs, tables and anything he can pull himself up to. He’s a happy boy, who loves to sleep at night and nap during the day. He loves to play and his smile is so big and bright. He’s a stubborn little man that knows what he wants and he often screams to let you know he wants it, he wants down, or he’s not happy you took something away or removed him from something he enjoyed doing. He’s got the most cute (and most pathetic) sad scrunchy lips when he’s sad or tired and he regularly takes his index finger to his lips when he’s without his paci but really wants it. He certainly does love his pacifier, so much that he sleeps with one in his mouth and his backup in his second hand. It’s not uncommon if he wakes up sometimes and has lost his spare that he’ll cry for it until you get it for him. Then he quickly plops down in his bed, lays down, and goes back to sleep. He is so fun!
And here is our soon-to-be graduate on his last morning as a Monkey at NPCA! He was excited to take gifts to his teachers Miss Laura and Miss Lori. His graduation ceremony was at the end of the school day. The kids were so cute they sang several songs and recited their memory bible verses during the ceremony. Finn’s face was obscured in almost every photo I took of the group up on stage, but if you look hard you can find him! He was the first kid of all the graduates to receive their certificate and thanks to Aunt Amy we got a good pic! After the ceremony we had cake before heading to First Watch for a celebratory lunch with cousin Greta, Grandma and Grandpa Beilstein, Aunt Amy, Uncle Andy, cousins Graham, Rowan, Greta, and of course me, Daddy, and Reid. 
And google has been showing me several “then and now” photos so I wanted to include a few. Time is flying by!
And here are a few others from the week. Reid enjoying his yogurt, Finn so tired after taking a nap one afternoon that when I brought him down to the kitchen he fell back asleep on the chairs, and Brutus wanting in on everything as always. 
On Thursday we went to Get Air in Hilliard for cousin Graham’s 8th birthday party! It was an hour or letting out all kinds of energy!
And on Friday Daddy had a surprise fun day at the zoo with Griffin! They spent the afternoon exploring the zoo, riding camels, and having a fun time together. They also went to the local bike shop and bought Griffin a new bike helmut for him to use this weekend as we teach him to ride without training wheels!
You’ll have to check out the video of Griffin learning to ride his bike without his training wheels. Kevin let go of the seat and he was on his way – never looked back! He was so happy and we spent probably 45 minutes to an hour of just watching him ride his bike! Then we went in to the library and checked out some new books before heading to Bob Evans for a celebratory breakfast. 
And of course at some point in the week we went to Graeter’s where everyone always wants to sample my ice cream cone. Griffin’s selfie was one he took while out playing in the yard one day. He asked for my phone and then showed me this. 
Three or so years after we had the birch tree and alberta spruces removed from the front of our houses we finally got some boxwoods planted. Albeit on one of the hottest days of the week and finishing in the dark as we didn’t start until nearly 8 pm once the sun was going down and it was the slightest bit cooler! And we are not at all looking forward to the Jewett Road closure toward Liberty Road where they will be putting in a roundabout this summer. Ugh, it makes the commute to work and home and pretty much everything we do in Powell pretty ugly as we’ll have to take 315 and Powell Road for most things. But hopefully the roundabout will be nice once it’s done!
Our little guy is gaining new skills all the time! He’s getting pretty good at pulling himself up and standing! Debbie took this picture and I just love it!
I was lucky enough to drop Finn off and pick him up at preschool a few times this week. It is something I wish that I could do a lot more than I actually did. I love seeing him at the end of his day and to hear his stories of what his day was like. Last year I wasn’t able to see the Art and Science Fair but this year I was! We found several of Griffins artwork projects in the hallway and he was so excited to tell me about them. This turtle, below, was super cool and when he brought him home he took him outside and hung him from a tree in our backyard. 
It’s quicker for me to take Finn to school from Millcreek than to run home and pick him up, so he comes with me in the morning. He has such a great time. He colors pictures for several people and walks around and hands them out. He also walks around with a box of timbits to share so people love to see him coming ;). We usually go out for a quick spin in the golf cart and this week he rode on my lap and steered for our drive. 
It has been a really cold and weird weather spring this year, that is for sure. Our Rising Sun Redbud is just now flowering and beginning to leaf out. Our Crimson King Maple and Forest Pansy Redbud are just leafing out and blooming too. 
These boys sure have my heart. I’ve still been going in to Reid’s room to say goodnight to him and nurse him most nights. My goal for nursing him was 10 months, the same as Finn, but I’ve made it 11.5 though it is nearing the end.
He just looks so big when I put him down on his changing table. Even when I feed him and change his diaper he’s the happiest guy. He smiles and me with a huge smile, or he sleeps, and goes right back to sleep when I put him down in his bed. 
His other “habit” it to have one pacifier in his mouth and hold the other in his hand. He literally crawls to the second one when you put him down and then tucks it right under his belly. Sometimes if he’s crying in his room it’s because he’s lost the second one out of his crib. Oh dear, this could be a bad habit to break! But for now, I’m happy to just let him be the baby he is!
Wanted to include more than just the highlight reel. This is a regular expression of Reid’s when he’s frustrated or angry that what he wanted got taken away or he got removed from it, lol!
And here we have a couple of examples of Griffin’s serious concentration football/sports face. I don’t know where he gets this stuff! Fierce!
And I know this just seems like a silly picture of Reid sleeping – but I love to see him all snuggled and sleepy in his bed. He’s a true tummy sleeper just like Finn was. And he is beginning to look SO big in his bed!
Debbie captured a few nice shots of Reid and Griffin this week. They made their traditional chicken noodle soup and went to the Touch-A-Truck event in Powell this week too. Reid has figured out how to suck out of baby food pouch all by himself now – so you can hand him a squeezie and he downs it pretty fast! Growing up!
We have a mallard nest in our front walkway garden that has 6 eggs in it! Sadly, as I’m writing this post several weeks after the fact, the nest was gone a few days after we spotted it and we found one shell out in the front yard near the green maple. We think maybe the neighborhood fox may have discovered it – or some predator at least. 
