A New Addition Comes a New Blog

With the addition of Annabel Marie, we have created a new blog for Griffin and Annabel. Click the link below to go to our new website:

http://lyonsfamilyonline.blogspot.com/

Playing with Uncle Patrick

Griffin loves playing with his uncle Patrick who he calls "Pat". Pat showed him how to do wheelies this weekend :)

Annabel's Newborn Pictures

http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=b99e7885-08bc-44c4-aaba-7aee47da5a95

Annabel Marie Lyons

Born March 15th, 2010 @ 6:14 p.m.
6 lbs, 14 ounces

Body Parts

This is a video that is about 6months past due since he has been doing this for that long. I just now caught it on video. He loses interest about halfway through because he remembers he was waiting for cookies to come out of the oven.

In other news...today is my due date but still no signs of a baby coming anytime soon. I have an appt on Monday where they will let me know if they want to let me keep going or induce me. I will do whatever they think is best for the baby but would love to go into labor on my own in the meantime!

Happy Birthday Papa

Anytime Soon?

I am finding it harder and harder to be patient waiting for our little girl to arrive. She is due in 3 days but I'm wondering if she might make us wait longer than that. I have been looking at pics of Griffin (this one was from the day he was born) and wondering if she will resemble him at all, too.

Bathtime

Good friends

This is a picture of Griffin with his friend, Olivia, from the sitter's house. Griffin thinks this book is hilarious when she reads it to him, as you can clearly see.

Many Emotions

Griffin loves to make his sad face when you ask him to. He also has a mad face (which is the sad face with a grunt). He is also very ticklish, as seen in the last photo.

Happy Birthday Grampy

The entire family got together last night to celebrate Grampy's birthday. We had a great time, although it wasn't the same without Grampy. Here is Cam and Griffin enjoying dinner at their table. In the first picture they are both saying "cheese"!

Tell theTruth

Griffin sometimes has trouble telling the truth when it comes to whats in his diaper. He will often ignore me (like in the beginning of the video when he won't make eye contact), lie to me, or try and hide. My favorite part of this video is when he says "Move, please". Everything he says now has a
"please" at the end of it, which it makes it harder to say no to.

Watching Trains

Griffin is not one to sit and watch television, actually he watches maybe 5 minutes every morning while sitting on my lap when he first wakes up. However, he WILL sit and watch Youtube videos of trains or videos of himself or his cousin, Gavin, for much longer periods of time. Here he is with his grandma before bedtime, watching train videos on the laptop.

House news: We closed on Friday for our new house and started doing all the necessary work for it. Carpet will be finished being installed this weekend in the basement and 2nd floor, cleaning of the kitchen and bathrooms is maybe halfway done, the hardwood floors are getting installed this coming week on the entire first floor and painting has been happening in the master bedroom, nursery and living room. Scott and I owe a HUGE thankyou to all those who have been helping out. We couldn't do it without you Mamoo, Mimi and Papa :) We are so proud of our new house and can't wait to start the next chapter of our lives there.

Buddies

Griffin and Aidan have been become good buddies since going to the same sitter's this year. This was taken by their sitter, Laura, and I loved it :) In other news, I had a dr's appt today and am 2 cm dilated now (still 50% effaced). Could Annabel be coming earlier than we expected, or will she be just like her big brother and just make us think she is? I have been pretty uncomfortable lately: not sleeping well, having cramps and sciatic nerve pain so my body is definitely ready to meet her...we will be patient and wait to see when she wants to meet us though.

Stair Snake

Last Days of the "Only Child"

We have been trying to spend as much time doing fun things with Griffin as we know he won't be getting the same amount of attention when we add another child to the mix and when we move out of grandma and grandpa's house. Going to the museum a couple times these last weeks was one of the ways of doing this. Nobody else in the city braved the snowy streets so it was pretty much Griffin's Museum for the day.

Big Brother

As we are preparing for a big move and for welcoming our daughter in a couple weeks, Griffin is preparing to be a big brother. He painted a picture for his little sister yesterday and when I asked him what it was he said, "paintbrush". I think he thought I asked what he used :) We are going to hang this in her nursery as it matches the colors in her room.

Sledding

Since Scott and I were both off work yesterday we took Griffin for his first sled riding trip at Ault Park. We ran into a couple of problems: it was REALLY cold with the wind blowing and snow never letting up, there was SOO much snow that the sled barely moved down the hill without being pushed and Griffin let us know that 21 months is not quite old enough to enjoy what we thought would be a ton of fun :) Maybe next year.

36 weeks

I had my 36 week appointment today and everything went well. Everything with my weight, blood pressure, measurements, and other tests went wonderfully. More importantly, Annabel is measuring right on track, her head is "pretty low" (doc's words), her heart beat was perfect, and I am 50% effaced. No dilation yet though :) Every day we are getting closer to meeting our little girl and every day it seems more real and exciting.

Valentine's Party

Here are some pics of Griffin's Valentine's Party at the sitter's house. There were lots of kids to play with as a couple different sitters got together for the party. There was pizza, cupcakes, goodie bags, and Valentines. Although he is the only one not smiling in the picture, we were told he had a good time :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Griffin made his mom and dad a Valentine at the sitter's Valentine party this year. We both agreed it was our favorite Valentine ever...
G

Oatmeal Fun

This is what happens when you give Griffin oatmeal when he is not hungry and then walk away for 3 seconds. He didn't spit it out but rather smeared it all over his pajamas with his hands.

Another Snow Day!

Griffin didn't like the snow very much this time around. Not sure if it was too cold or the fact that there is so much snow he can't even walk. However, we were able to get some cute pics before Scott had to go to work.

Stinkface and Bedhead

This is how I am greeted after Griffin's nap in the afternoon. For the first time he got a bad report this week from the babysitter (he was grumpy and hitting others). We have cut him a little slack since our lives have been turned upside-down recently but I was really upset to hear that about him. Must be the teacher in me:) All things considered he has been a very sweet little boy lately and generally pretty happy. We also love his RAPIDLY developing vocabulary. Just this week he said "Mickey Mouse", "Grape Nuts" and "big truck".

Although Annabel doesn't have nursery ready yet, she has some cute pictures I hand-painted for her (her middle name will be Marie). We can't believe that she will be here in about 5 weeks. This pregnancy has FLOWN by!

Grandpa Lyons

Safely Home

I am home in heaven, dear ones;
Oh so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in heaven at last.

Did you wonder how I so calmly
Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh, but Jesus' love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.

And he came himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus' arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?

Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth's shadows,
Pray to trust our Father's will.

There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remains,
You shall rest in Jesus' land.

When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!

Please pray for us today as we prepare to say goodbye to an amazing husband, father, grandfather and friend. We miss Tony "grandpa Lyons" so much already.

For love, which is timeless, Never ceases to exist

Practicing

Sick Days

Griffin came down with the stomach flu over the weekend and as soon as he started feeling better his mom and dad came down with it. In order to help us feel better he made us some alphabet soup with his blender.
It was such hard work he lost his pants (that and I swear he lost some weight with the flu).

New House

Griffin's bedroom.

Finished part of basement.

Office in basement.

One half of Griffin's bathroom.

Nursery on first floor.

Guest bedroom on second floor- it is actually 2 rooms combined with an attached full bathroom.

Our new deck to grill on!

Dining room looking into the kitchen which goes pretty far to the left.

Master bedroom on the first floor.

I took these pictures at the inspection of our new house, which ended up going very well. I wanted to show these pictures as our "before" shots, although it may take a year for the "after" shots. In about 6 weeks we have the closing and occupancy, 8 weeks makes us a family of four and yesterday we decided we were getting a new car, too. Crazy life but we couldn't ask for better.