Fun in the sun...

This afternoon we took Griffin to the Ashton neighborhood pool. We are very lucky to have this amenity available for our use. We have use of the pool without having to deal with the upkeep and maintenance. The pool is really nice and pretty and not usually very crowded. We did not use the pool as much as we would have liked to this summer because of Griffin's constant ear infections. Griffin is not totally crazy about the pool. This is usually how it goes: everyone in the pool= Griffin running on the pool deck. Everyone on the pool deck= Griffin jumping into the pool. This afternoon I dug deep to recall some of my old swimming lesson instructor techniques. Once we had him in the water I got him to relax and he floated around on his back and belly. I think he really liked it. We planned to enroll him in lessons this year, but held off due to the ears. Next summer he will be swimming like a little fishie!!

My Pal Al....

Monkey see...Monkey do!





I have been thinking a lot about Alex (Al-Dog) this week. He has been my faithful companion since December 1997. He has been with me through some really good and some really bad times. Regardless of what I do or say he loves me in such an unconditional way. We should all take cues from our pets on unconditional love. He was top dog for 11 years before the little guy came. Since Griffin has entered our lives Al was forced to take a seat in the very back of the bus so to say. Despite knowing that he is no longer the "favored" child he still loves me just the same. I really noticed certain things that he does for me that ordinarily go unnoticed. For example we went on a walk. We all left the house together. I forgot something so I turned around to get it. Kenton stayed ahead with Griffin in the stroller. Al just didn't know what to do because he simply could not let me go back home unescorted. Just like the faithful companion that he is he walked home along side me. Another example, I was taking a bubble bath with the bathroom door closed. I could hear him laying on the other side of the door guarding me in the bathroom. I am Al's first detail and Griffin takes a very close second. He guards the little guy too. It has taken a little time for Al to warm up to Griffin. Recently I have noticed how patient Al is with Griffin. They have some sort of unspoken respect for each other. Al puts up with all of Griffin's torment knowing that he will be rewarded with scraps from Griffin's meals. Al is very serious about his tennis balls and even lets Griff take the ball from him. Once I saw this I realized that Al has finally accepted Griffin into the family.

Man on the move...

Who... Me?!?

We are no longer safe in the house. Griffin has mastered opening doors. The madness began last week. Sometimes he could open it sometimes he couldn't. Then he started to frequent the door more and more often. All of a sudden something clicked and he is a man on the loose. Now when he is ready to go he waves bye-bye and just walks out the door. I honestly never realized the massive implications of a toddler being able to come and go as he pleases. Since he has been born I have been fixated on one particular door. This would be the door in the keeping room that opens to the back yard. We do not have a fence yet and there is a large lake within eyesight. Well I now realize that ALL doors have their potential pit-falls. We now have to be extra careful to keep him out of the bathrooms so he stays out of the toilets and also out of the laundry room where he loves to eat Al's food and splash in his water. I kind of freaked out last week and bought all kinds of "child proof" door handles. We have "operation kick it up a notch" on hold for a bit in hopes that his new found freedom will wear off soon....

Big shoes to fill...

SHOES!!!!

Decisions, decisions!?!?!

Daddy's shoes
Running in Mommy's shoes

Camo boots on his "throne"

Griffin trying on MiMi's crocs.

Griffin trying on Daddy's shoes

Griffin has a shoe fetish. I mean the boy really loves shoes~ ALL SHOES! It is a good thing because he has A LOT of 'em. He always brings shoes over to me and lifts his foot so I can put them on. He does not discriminate and size does not matter. My shoes, Kenton's shoes, his shoes he tries them all on just the same. I occasionally hear him clomping around the house in a big pair of shoes. One of his favorite things to do is sit in his closet on a chair or little "throne" and hands me shoes to try on. Just for dramatic effect I am including a picture of all of Griffin's shoes. He really has MORE than enough~ don't say that I didn't warn you!!!

Sneaky leaker

Okay so of course Griffin lives in a diaper. I am talking 24/7~ always on! I had the bright idea that maybe he needed a little time to "air out." Last night I gave him free reign to roam in his birthday suit. You know just to dry out parts where the sun never shines. What is it with naked little boys and a sudden burst of energy? He was like a naked flash darting to and fro. He was streakin' all over the house! I knew to watch him very closely, but had no idea how much he actually pee-pees. Within about 15 minutes he managed to pee-pee in his closet, in the dishwasher while I was trying to load dishes, and on the floor in his bathroom. I really think that he enjoyed his few minutes of freedom!

Stop.... Hold up..... Wait a minute.....

Where did my baby go? Griffin and I really had a moment today. I picked him up from day care and it was just the two of us in the car. As usual I was driving and he was in his car seat. All of a sudden he began to tell me about his day. I mean the child was REALLY telling me ALL ABOUT IT! He was babbling run on sentences with big hand gestures. He would even pause as if to think of just the right word that he wanted to use. I encouraged the conversation and he and I had quite a few really good laughs together...

Once we got home he went and found the DVD cover for the Wiggles. I followed him to his play room and turned on Wiggly Party. He then brought me the remote control to fast forward through the previews. He danced along with his friends for a little bit. Once he had enough he came over to me and grabbed my hand and led me to the door. Everyday he is improving on his language skills both verbally and with actions. I am so proud of Griffin for all of the milestones that he is achieving. Gooooo Griffin!!!

King of the hill

Griffin finally tackled the dirt pile in the back yard. He has been eyeing it for weeks and he finally defeated it yesterday. He was so proud of himself and wanted all to see his accomplishments. He had dirt in every crease and crevice head to toe! Needless to say he went from king of the hill to king of the bathtub!

Wiggly Party

We spend a lot of time in Griffin's play room. Here are a few pictures from this morning. He is of course mesmerized by the Wiggles and keeps his doggy bag close to his side. He was kind enough to love on Elmo while getting in a little Wiggle time. I love the pic of Griffin with his arm around Elmo.

Sweet sixteen months

Griffin,

You are already 16 months old.... I was thinking of a few random facts (16 to be exact) that I would like to share with you. Nothing of major importance, just a few things that you may like to know. Over the years we have so many things that we want to teach and share with you I don't want to forget the details.

1. You are named after MiMi Kat's mother~ Verda Griffin Guidry. All of the grand kids called her "Mom-Mom." She was a very special and wise lady. She hated her name "Verda." I used to always joke with her that I would name my child after her. Well.... I did!

2. Your mommy and daddy were married on April 8, 2006 in New Orleans. It was the perfect day. The ceremony was held outside at Washington Artillery Park and the reception was at the Napoleon House. The weather was BEAUTIFUL! I am sure over the years we will mention to you "today the weather FEELS like our wedding day. It was that memorable!

3. Your Grandma Lucy and Grandpa Jim are watching you grow from heaven. Your Daddy will tell you all about them.

4. We did not find out if you were a boy or a girl ahead of time. We waited until Dr. Perret announced IT'S A..... BOY! That was truly the ultimate surprise and we are so glad that we waited.

5. Your Daddy asked me to marry him in the tree house in the rain forest exhibit at the NOLA aquarium on a random Monday morning. Very unexpected. He had the best day planned. Proposal, day for me at the spa, and dinner for us to celebrate at Emeril's Delmonico. Take notes from your Daddy. He knows how to treat a lady. (side note~ Kenton proposed on July 11, 2005~ 4 years ago TODAY!)

6. I had a very good pregnancy with you. I did not have any sort of morning sickness. You have always been good to me. ;)

7. Your Daddy was digging me from the moment that he met me. I just know it. He came to my 28th birthday party~ Pretty in pink. One year later we were engaged.

8. I had one dream while pregnant that you were a baby boy. Believe it or not the baby in the dream looks like you today.

9. MiMi Kat was worried about your ears sticking out as a tiny baby. She wanted to use scotch tape to tape them down to your head. Don't worry~ Mommy saved the day!

10. When your Daddy walked out to the waiting room to announce that you were a boy MiMi Kat did not believe him. We will show you the video it is pretty funny.

11. Leaving the hospital was the scariest day of my life. I honestly could not believe that they were just going to let us leave with such a tiny and fragile baby AND no sort of instructions. I cried from the moment they put me in the wheelchair until we arrived at home.

12. Your due date was April 2 and you were born on March 10. You were a bit of a sneak attack. I was only 36.5 weeks. It was a beautiful Sunday. We went to church that morning and ran a few errands on the way home. Your Tio John was taking pictures of my belly in the back yard when my water broke. When Tio called MiMi and Poppa to tell them that I was heading to the hospital they once again didn't believe him. He called them back to make sure they understand the urgency of the situation. They were on a camping trip and made it home in record time!

13. While pregnant for you the only thing that I craved was milk with chocolate syrup. Kind of weird because I don't like milk. As a matter of fact I have not had a glass of milk since I then.

14. The first time that your Daddy held you it was as if he had been doing it his entire life. It was beautiful to watch.

15. Your Daddy makes me laugh. Believe it or not you are not the only one that thinks that he is funny. ;)

16. We lived uptown in the blue house when you were born. We moved to Luling when you were 4 months old. Between the blue house and Luling we stayed in the French Quarter for about 3 weeks.

17. I know I said 16 facts in honor of 16 months, but I have just one more thing to tell you. Hurricane Katrina was a major event in our lives. Your daddy was working for the Ritz Carlton at the time and stayed downtown in the hotel. He was in the city for 4 days after the hurricane. I was in Jackson, Mississippi worried sick about him. We had very little communication during those very dark days. His home in Lakeview was totally destroyed. My home uptown (blue house) had about 1.5 feet of water inside. We had no idea if the blue house flooded or not for about 2 months. It was a horrible time with so much loss and devastation. I hope that you never have to experience anything like this in your lifetime.

All my love,
Mommy

Okay, now for the update. Griffin is always a man with a plan. Busy can not even begin to describe this little guy. He started walking last month and now it is more like a jog. Climbing and digging has intensified. He doesn't believe the child proof locks apply to him. He just works through them. He has been babbling up a storm. Yesterday he was wagging his finger while fussing Al Dog. For some reason he enjoys correcting Al. No idea where he gets that from? ;) He loves to watch the Wiggles. Actually he is pretty particular when it comes to television programming. He likes what he likes. His favorites to watch are the Wiggles big red car and Wiggly party. The others he tries to turn off. He has his favorite wiggly songs and dances and sings LOUDLY to only those. Before he was born I was opposed to my child watching television. I guess you can say times have changed. He has been sick again. He was scheduled for tubes, but we postponed the surgery. We are trying something else as a last ditch before resorting to tubes. So far so good. Dr. Beau seems to be helping Griffin. Yesterday Griff came over to me to give me a hug. It was so sweet. It was a rather aggressive hug. He came in so hard and fast we bumped heads, but it was the best hug that I have EVER received. This morning we have been working on kissing on command. He was pretty quick to pick up on this. He now gives a big old sloppy kiss when asked. Once he masters this we will probably move on to blowing kisses. We are enjoying every moment with The Griff! Until next month...