3 years and 3 months

Three year olds are so much fun!!!  Our Little R is full of energy, creativity, imagination, and questions.    He constantly makes us laugh and almost everyday we are amazed at how much he knows and understands.  Reives is becoming more independent lately, and some days, he insists on doing everything by himself.  Other days, he wants us to do things for him.  Reives catches onto things very quickly, and is one of the most observant humans I have ever been around.  For example, some days when I get him up from his nap, the first thing he'll say to me is something about how I took off my earrings or changed my shirt.  He notices little things like that about people all of the time!  He is such a little sponge and is learning so much at his preschool and at BSF (the Bible study program he goes to during my Bible Study on Wed. mornings).  Reives loves to play with Brooks, and he is slowly getting better about boundaries with Brooks, but you know how brothers are!!  He enjoys playing with blocks and legos, playing games with us like "Uno Moo" and drawing on his dry erase board with markers.  He also loves playing outside in the sandbox and just exploring around the yard.

When you ask Reives to name something (a stuffed animal, person he drew, etc.), he always makes up some random, gibberish name like "ishkish" or something.  It cracks us up.  Reives also loves to "go under the sea" with Daddy when he gets home.  Basically it means they roll around and wrestle on the rug and talk about fish and stuff.  One of the funniest things he likes to do is "to hatch."  This is something he made up all by himself.  One day, he just walked into the kitchen and said, "Mama, come and watch me hatch."  I was completely confused.  So, I went into the den and watched Reives cover himself up with throw pillows.  Then he busted out of them, and said, "I just hatched."  He does this all of the time and it never ceases to make us laugh!!  Reives has some prankster in him, too...hmm...wonder where he gets that!?!?!  

One thing I love about Reives is his sweet heart.  He has lots of questions about God and Jesus, and I love that this gives us opportunities to talk to him about what is most important to us!  He enjoys looking at His Bible, and telling me what he learns at BSF and Sunday School.  I am so thankful to be able to spend so much time with him, so that we have opportunities to talk about these things!!  He has even memorized his first Bible verse, "Children, obey your parents in the sight of the Lord, for this is right."  Epehesians 5:1. We sing it to the tune of "Happy Birthday!"

Reives is still one of the best eaters ever!  He pretty much will eat and try anything.  This past weekend, he ate quail and fried venison.  He also tries vegetables and any type of casserole.  However, he still drinks no milk, and just flat out doesn't like it...even when we add chocolate :(  He still naps most days, but usually 1 or 2 days a week will just rest and not go to sleep.  He has the potty thing down for sure, but he still sleeps in a diaper or pull up...will be working on that soon!  He also still sleeps in his crib.  It's funny though, because now he can climb into and out of his crib.  But, he loves his crib, and never climbs out unless I come to get him.  We are going to move him into a toddler bed after Christmas.

Here are some pics of our precious Reives at this age :)

Months 20 and 21

Mama, the slacker, strikes again!  I forgot Brooks's 20 month post...oops!  So, here is a combined 20 and 21 month update for our sweet Brooksy!  This little guy is a true mess...one minute he is the sweetest and most cuddly little guy ever, the next minute he is making us laugh with his quirky personality, and the very next minute he is Mr. Grumpy who only wants Mama to hold him and doesn't want anyone else to even look his way.  I am not sure how in the world I would describe his personality yet, but it is so fun to watch it develop.  He is still a true Mama's boy, and is still very far from what I would consider a morning person.  If you have to wake him up in the morning, everybody beware!  Some mornings, Reives (who 99% of the time wakes up happy) asks why Brooks is always grumpy in the mornings.  Brooks is getting more and more interested in puzzles, stickers, and drawing with crayons and markers.  He loves to push the trains on the train table and push his cars and trucks all around the house.  He also loves to play "pillows" with Reives. Basically they find every pillow they can and take turns covering each other up with them.  This entertains them for very long periods of time :)  Brooks is talking like crazy and is even starting to put 3-4 words together sometimes.  He is starting to sing some songs and can sometimes count 1-5....usually skipping a number here or there.  Brooks is still a very picky eater, and I think he would live off of milk and snacks if he could.  He still refuses to each anything with the consistency of yogurt or applesauce, and he also refuses to eat cake or muffins or anything like that.  Other things about Brooks:

-loves to run and give people big hugs
-gave me a big hug a few weeks ago, and said "I love you" to me (without prompting or me saying it first).....be still my heart!
-very attached to his "taci" (paci) and "rags" (his rags which are squares of my old T-shirt)
-favorite foods are fruit and snack foods like crackers and things
-runs instead of walks alot of the time
-is starting to try to kick balls outside
-has his top eye teeth but not the bottom ones yet
-wears 24 month/2T clothes
-loves Mickey Mouse and Elmo
-obsessed with riding in golf carts
-wants to do everything that Reives does :)
-constantly stands at my legs and says "hold me, hold me, hold me" (my poor back)
-has the biggest, bluest eyes I've ever seen...they will melt your heart

Some pictures of my cutie pie:

Thanksgiving 2013

Each year at Thanksgiving (and/or the weekend after Thanksgiving) all of my dad's family gathers in the middle of nowhere in Climax, GA.  Yes, this is the middle of nowhere, but to all of us, it is a very very special place.  We are thankful to my grandparents, who are no longer with us, who bought this land years ago and made it such a peaceful and wonderful place.  The cabin and pond sit on the edge of roughly 480 acres of land.  The name of the pond house is "Covey Rise," and now generations of us Clevelands enjoy coming here to be with family and have a great time!  There was a whole crew (maybe around 30 of us) who gathered this year.  This is really the only time of year that us cousins see each other, but our children play and have fun like they are buddies who live in the same neighborhood.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip!  Nevermind that Reives fell into the freezing cold pond on Thanksgiving day!  (He was a trooper though, was right back out there fishing the next day....thank goodness I am a life jacket nazi.)  We spent 4 nights down at "The Pond" (as we fondly call it).  The weather was beautiful but a bit on the chilly side.  The boys traveled great and for the most part, slept great.  All of us in one hotel room went very smoothly, and we enjoyed having fun in the great outdoors and catching up with our family that we don't get to see nearly enough.

Here are some pics from our fun filled Thanksgiving trip...

 Reives and Brooks with their cousins, Ellis and Hunter

 All of the Cleveland 2nd cousins who were there (minus Caroline who was sleeping). They are all waiting on the annual "Swine Time" parade to begin!!

Going for a "gator" ride

 Just hanging around before Thanksgiving dinner :)

 Some of the boys playing on the porch...

 Ashley with Jaymie and Caroline (the two youngest "Clevelands")

Making of "the dressing"

Some of The Thanksgiving spread

My cousin Melanie also took some pics of us with her super good camera while we were there...

 My two very handsome boys!!!

 Happy Thanksgiving 2013!  We are so thankful for all of the friends and family that God has blessed us with :)

Trick or Treat 2013

Better late than never...

We had a very fun Halloween 2013.  Reives got into the whole costume thing this year, which was really fun!  I knew Brooks would wear a fish costume that Reives wore 2 Halloweens ago (even though I literally had to squeeze him into it), and so I really wanted to Reives to be a fisherman.  Wouldn't that have been too cute?  Well, Reives had an idea of his own, and he insisted on being Bob the Builder.  So, Bob the Builder it was!

We went to fall festival at Wesley Gardens on the Sunday before Halloween, and the boys enjoyed wearing their costumes.  So, they were extra excited when they got to wear them again on Halloween.  We started off the evening by eating pizza at Gigi and G-Pa's house.  They were kind enough to invite Grammie and Grandaddy over for pizza, as well as Aunt Laura and Jaymie, too.  So, we all dined and then set out for some trick or treating.

The first house we went to was complete with scary music, gravestones, skeletons, and a woman who answered the door in a scary mask.  I don't think that is exactly what the boys had in mind.  But, after a few "more normal" houses, the boys were good to go.  They enjoyed trick or treating, and they especially enjoyed getting all of the candy :)

Reives

So, my mom was asking why Brooks got two posts about him turning 18 and 19 months and Reives only got one when he turned 3.  I decided when Reives turned 2 that I would only update his growth/milestone updates every 3 months, instead of every month.  So, when Brooks turns 2, I will do the same thing.  But for now, Brooks is still in the "every month update" age :)  I sure do my love my sweet, little Reives!  Just didn't want all of you to think I was leaving my big boy out!

19 Months

Whew!  Time is flying....I don't know where it all goes, but it certainly doesn't go to updating the blog! I mean to post more, but I just get busy and forget.

Back on October 11, Brooks turned 19 months!  He is such a funny, happy little guy!  His bright, blue eyes melt your heart in an instant, and his contagious laugh just gives you warm fuzzies.  He is a complete cuddle bug, too :)  He loves to gives hugs and kisses to all of us :)  He LOVES Reives and can't wait to pick him up from preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  He always runs up to him and gives him a huge hug....be still my heart!  Most of the time, Brooks shows his sweet side, but he is definitely in the throes of toddlerhood, so he has many moments of being irritated, frustrated, and annoyed by who knows what???  He is becoming more and more independent, and he definitely wants to do everything Reives does, and he doesn't understand why sometimes he can't do the same things.  He loves to just roam around and look at things, climb on things, and discover things.  He also loves the great outdoors.  For some reason, when I picture a college aged Brooks, I picture the outdoorsy type who likes to hike, wear Chacos, and keep his hair long.  Who knows, but he definitely seems to love the outdoors and nature....alot!  Brooks is still a climber and has a dare devil side for sure :)  I feel like I can't turn my head when we go to the park or he might dive off of the top stair or something.

Other things about Brooks at 19 months:

-This month he has really starting running alot more and not just walking
-His vocabulary is constantly increasing, and he can pretty much communicate what he wants
-Brooks is a super great napper...he generally takes long naps (2.5-3 hours)
-Still not too much of a morning person
-Has his top, two eye teeth and is working on the bottom ones
-Wears 24 month clothes
-Not sure how much he weighs now, but he is SOLID and HEAVY
-Still a complete Mama's boy
-Loves to blow kisses

Cute pics of Brooks at 19 months:

18 Months

When Reives turned 3, Brooks turned 1 1/2!!  This little guy is quickly showing us his quirky, little personality.  Brooks has always been super laid back, and he still is for the most part, although he is super clingy to Mama right now.  Brooks seems to be more of a homebody than Reives is.  He enjoys being at home and playing with his toys.  His favorite toys are still trucks, tractors, trains, etc.  He also likes balls.  He is really starting to interact with Reives, and gets so excited when we pick Reives up from preschool.  I sure do love my one on one time with Brooks while Reives is at school.  He is a great buddy to run errands with, and it is fun being able to play with just him sometimes.  Brooks talks alot and says alot of words.  He puts two and even three words together at times.  He talks gibberish at times, but most of the time, we can understand the words he says.  He definitely cracks us up alot of times, especially during meals.  It is so hard to describe why he makes all of us laugh, but he just does!  Brooks is not a morning person like his brother Reives.  He is usually a bit grumpy in the mornings until he has some milk and breakfast!  We just love this little guy to pieces, and we are so thankful God chose him to be a part of our family :)

Other things:

-still a very picky eater
-LOVES milk
-loves his paci and "rags"
-loves books (brings us books, saying "a book")
-loves to swing and play at the playground
-is starting to like "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"
-loves junk food (crackers, chips, cookies, pizza, etc.)....uh oh
-calls every number "8"
-fills in words when we sing songs
-prefers Mama to anyone else :)

THREE

Reives is 3!!!  This is so hard for me to believe!  For the past few months, it seems that I have heard alot of moms talk about "the terrible 3's" as opposed to "the terrible 2's."  All I can say is, "Oh Boy!"  It is so hard to put Reives and his precious, little personality into words.  He is just a "too darn cute" little guy who has tons of energy, questions, and smiles :)  He is not really shy but not super outgoing either,  and he likes to be "on the go" as opposed to staying at home.  He can be cautious at times and is definitely still sensitive to loud noises.  He is very smart (not biased here), but he truly does seem to pick up on things very easily.  He is a thinker for sure (like his Daddy), and he seems to enjoy learning new things.  Reives definitely has more of a strong willed personality, and he is definitely one to test the limits.  But, he is also very caring, sweet, and thoughtful.  He has started randomly thanking us for things, and it just melts my heart.  Things like, "Thank you Mama, for taking me to the park."  He is a sweet big brother, and he has started trying to hold Brooks's hand around the house and helping him do things.  He also loves to try to wrestle with Brooks, which does not always go over so well.  This little boy brings us so much joy!  Being his Mama is an amazing privilege, and I love his sweet, little heart.  I love spending time with him and being able to teach him new things.  My favorite things to teach him are about God and the Bible, and he is so very interested.  He loves to look at his Bible, and he asks us to read it to him alot.  I hope he will always love God's Word!

Other things:

-still sleeps in diapers at night and for nap
-has given up his paci for nights but still uses it for napping
-still sleeps in his crib (and loves it)
-still loves to eat
-drinks no milk
-favorite flavor is grape stuff
-says a "y" sound for "l's"  (yemonade, yeyow, etc.)
-loves books, legos, playing outside, riding his tricycle
-favorite cartoons are "Super Why," "Dora," and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"
-is starting to play simple games (matching games, etc.)

The Party!!

Yes, it is hard to believe, we have a three year old!!!  Reives was so excited about his birthday this year.  For weeks, he talked about his "dump truck and tractor" birthday party.  He was very interested in who was coming, and he had several friends that were on his personal list to invite :)  He had an absolute blast at his birthday party!  We had a great crowd of friends and family who gathered to celebrate Reives's big day, including my cousin, Kathryn, who was in town from Indiana.  Reives got some very fun and special gifts, and when playing with a toy, he always asks, "Who gave me this?"

Here are some pics from the big party:

 The big birthday boy!!

 Grandaddy and Brooks (his mini me)

 Reives greeting Nana and Papa (so special)

 R's cake decorated by Nana and Grammie (he was obsessed with the cake!)  For the first 15 minutes of the party, he stood and looked at his cake...it was so funny!

 One of my favorites :)

 We asked each child to bring a dump truck or tractor to play with.  They all had a big time!

 About to sing "Happy Birthday," but we had to sing it quietly, upon Reives's request.  (He is not big on loud noises.)

 Blowing out his candles

 Me and my birthday boy

 Opening presents

 Gigi and G Pa got Reives this bicycle dump truck!  He LOVES it!

 Can't you tell?

 Brooks and Carrie

 Jaymie riding the dump truck

Family pic from the party!  The boys were thrilled about the picture (as you can tell)!!