Friday, July 15, 2011

2 Years Old!

I can't believe we've made it to two! I'm sad because my boys are no longer babies, but happy because they're becoming more and more fun! I now believe all the people who've told me how fast kids grow up because this past year has certainly flown by, while the first year felt more like an eternity.

This year, their birthday fell on a Friday and, of course, we couldn't let the day go by without a celebration, even though their official birthday party was taking place on Saturday. Below are some pics from our fun afternoon!

First off, Mr. Giraffe had to come out once again for our official birthday photo! As you can see, our silly little monkeys have changed quite a bit since their first birthday...


Thank goodness, unlike last year, we didn't have any problems getting them to stand next to Mr. Giraffe... which was kind of surprising since they usually won't stand still for the camera!


It was also time to place another mark on the door frame! This past year, Benjamin grew 5 1/4 inches and Bryce 4 3/4 inches. Mr. Giraffe is about 5' tall to give you some perspective on their height...


That afternoon, after their naps, Oma, Opa and Gabrielle came over with presents...


Their cousin Gabrielle knew exactly what would make them super happy... Disney Cars stickers!


After playing with stickers, we headed out to the new Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine. The boys love aquariums so we thought it'd be a great way to celebrate their birthday!


Ben and daddy...


Bryce and mommy...


This aquarium is perfect for little kids...


Hello, boys!


Unfortunately, we couldn't get Ben to join us in this cool viewing dome that puts you right in the center of a fish tank... such a fun aquarium!


Mesmerized!


One of the coolest features of this aquarium was the clear glass floor that lets you see the ocean creatures swimming underneath your feet! The boys weren't too sure about walking on a see-through floor though! Here they are trying to avoid the glass floor by walking along the solid edge... it was so funny to watch!


Self-portrait of the four of us from a reflection off a big mirror... I think it's the only family picture we got that day. How sad!


At first, I thought this picture was of Bryce and Ben looking at each other, but then I remembered it's Bryce looking at himself in a mirror!


Bryce mesmerized by the sharks swimming above our heads...


Saying hello to Nemo...


We came upon another glass floor! This time the boys got down on their hands and knees and started crawling. :)


They stopped on a safe solid spot in between all the see-through glass parts...


They ran back to say hello to Nemo and "Nemo's daddy" again...


Bryce enjoying the view from inside another glass dome...


A very silly Benjamin resting with his Oma and Opa after walking through the aquarium...


My three men all dressed alike for this special occasion... :)


After the aquarium, we thought the boys would enjoy lunch at the Rainforest Cafe... but, we were WRONG! The loud animals and the person walking around dressed up like a big green frog terrified them!


Poor Bryce looked so confused by this loud and crazy place!


Eventually, after nonstop screaming and crying, we had to take our terrified boys out of the restaurant. Evan and I quickly took turns eating so one of us could sit out front with the boys, then Opa took them on a walk around the mall. Lunch may have been an unexpected disaster, but at least Gabrielle got a cute pink parrot! :)


After the rest of us finished eating, the waiter arrived with ice cream sundaes for our absent boys...


Luckily, mommy and daddy didn't let them go to waste...


I almost forgot these pictures! That morning, Bryce woke up a little earlier than his brother, so he and mommy goofed around with mommy's iPhone and ended up with these silly snap shots. :)


When Ben woke up, we goofed around some more! :)


Here are the boys' 2-year measurements:
Weight: Bryce 25lbs 12oz (22%), Ben 26lbs 9oz (32%)
Height: Bryce 34 in (37%), Ben 35 in (64%)
Head Circumference: Bryce 19.5 in (73%), Ben 19.6 in (78%) -- those brains are getting bigger and bigger!

A few milestones to report...
-Bryce is going through an "I need" phase...he says things like, "I need to go for a ride" or "I need to eat"
-Ben is going through a "Not yet" phase...when I ask him if he's ready to eat or if he needs his diaper changed, he'll simply say, "Not yet."
-Their current obsessions: Toy Story, Cars, and stickers!
-The boys are talking incredibly well for 2-year olds. They can say 7-8 word sentences! They tell us what they want to eat and often what they want to do. They're even starting to tell me what they want to wear!
-The boys start "preschool" in about 6 weeks! They'll go three days a week from 9 to 2.

It's been a great year watching the boys grow from babies to little boys! They make me laugh, cry, and everything in between on a daily basis! I love and adore these boys beyond measure and can't seem to kiss, hug, and snuggle them enough. Can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us!

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