I Heart My Boys

Late post, but we don'tmake much of V Day around here anyways...Love all my boys sooooooo much!

Griffin...A Portrait by Jasper

From our budding little photographer....

Cinco

5 Years of wedded bliss!

Griffin, Aaron and me on our romantic date to the Canucks game

Yesterday was our 5 year wedding anniversary. Because of the wee boys, we didn't exactly have a romantic extravanganza planned, but we did mark this special date with a trip to our favorite restaurant and a Canucks game (boo - 9 straight losses!).
Since part of my efforts to be eco-friendly includes not purchasing cards anymore I have decided to declare my love for my hubba on the blog for all to see, and to be preserved (and not recycled) for the future.

Aaron, my sweet husband, I don't know what I did to deserve you in my life. You are the most hard working, intelligent, loving, funny and wonderful husband any girl could wish for. On top of all that, you are one amazing father - and watching you with our boys makes me love you all the more. How about we have one more?! : )
xxxxooooo

3 Months!

Little Griffin is celebrating his 3 month bday today with a terrible cold, but despite that he is happily chatting and cooing away at me as I type. Last week, he weighed in at 14.5 lbs and is already into the 6 month clothing. Time to go shopping!
His neck is getting stronger by the day and we like to spend some time each day in the exersaucer. Tummy time is still not his favorite, but I am sure he will thank me when he doesn't grow up with a flat head : )

Welcome Rowan!

Mama Tanis and Kayna

Auntie Caldero and Grffin

A little late on this happy post, but a big loving welcome to little Rowan Winter Frame, a little sister for Kayna and another gorgeous daughter for Tan and John. Congrats to the Frame family!

Just a few days prior to Rowan's arrival I attended a lovely Mother's Blessing at Tan's house. As was mentioned at the blessing we don't often celebrate important milestones or rights of passage like becoming a mother or the art of motherhood itself. So, it was nice to focus a lot of love and attention on the mother to be and share a lovely afternoon with a great group of women.

Jasper's Major Milestone!

Well its only a wee trickle, but its the first official pee in the potty!

The View From Up Here

Wow. A view you usually only get to enjoy while cruising at 25000 feet....

The building peeking through the clouds is the Shangra-la Hotel downtown

Griffin's New Trick

Much Ado About Nothing

Ready for school

The Brothers Nielsen

Griffin post-barf

Well, its been 10 days since I last posted, but I really have nothing exciting to post about. Griffin had his 2 month shots today, poor lad, and Jasper continues his love affair with school now that he is in the "big boy class" (I think he was tired of towering over all the smaller kids by at least a head).
I am sprouting new wrinkles by the day (and no, they are NOT laugh lines) AND I finally know what they mean by the term "dish pan hands" (from changing 100 diapers a day and washing each time). Goal for 2009 - only one child in diapers!

Happy New Year Smiles!

Surprisngly the entire Nielsen clan made it PAST midnight last night to officially ring in the New Year. I don't think that has happened since, well, last year : )

Here are some New Year smiles from wee Griffin...he likes to have his chins tickled.

2 Months!

Griffin - you are now 2 months old! How the time is flying...
Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are enjoying every minute of you (even in the middle of the night during endless wakeups). You are now just over 11lbs, and are working on a third and fourth chin. You are giving us the biggest smiles, and not just when you poop, and making little cooing noises. You love to watch your brother play and are still the biggest cuddlebug in town. You head and neck are getting stonger every day and you can hold yourself up on your wee legs for a few seconds at a time, and like Princess Savage, you are growing the sweetest little friar tuck haircut as the bald patch on the back of your head grows by the day!

To the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas"

On the first day of Christmas, Santa gave to me.....
2 plus feet of snow, 4 stranded relatives, 1 power outage and an 18 pound turkey!!

Seriously though, Christmas 2008 will go down in history as definately the most memorable of my entire life thus far. Not only were we socked in with over 2 feet of snow, we then unexpectedly welcomed the entire Miller clan for Christmas when they got stranded in Seattle after the airport shut down, plus we endured a 12 hour power outage from Christmas Eve to Christmas Morning. But despite all the calamities, it was chaotic and exciting and wonderful to have such a large crew at Chez Nielsen for Christmas. Jasper loved spending lots of fun time with his cousins, and I loved having lots of extra hands to help with the Christmas festivities and with wee Griffin. On Christmas Day we also welcomed Greg/Al and the girls, plus Mum and Dad, plus cousin James and family, plus Auntie Sue and cousin Kylie - for a grand total of 15 adults and 7 kids for dinner! Times like these really make you realize what is important not only at this time of the year, but in life in general...and that is family and friends - and with both we are sooooooo blessed.

Using Santa

I think by next year we will be able to use Santa to our full advantage - that is, getting Jasper to be a good boy (in Dec at least) since Santa only brings prezzies to good little girls and boys. However, this year Santa was still met with some skepticism and a little fear, but Jasper warmed up to him once the chocolate was handed out....

Jasper denying Santa the Hi-Five

Santa and wee Griffin

The Boys

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We had our first dump of snow the other day much to Jasper's delight and Aaron's dismay as he was "forced" to pull Jasper up and down the hill about 100 times on the tobaggan! Griffin isn't too fond of the snow either being that he is still bald and all (poor little cold head!), but he continues to work hard at packing on pounds (and chins!) to keep the cold at bay - like his brother, he loves his snilky (milk).

More pics

A few more shots from the photo shoot - compliments of Sacha Mulen Photography...
These were taken 3 weeks ago and already Griffin has filled out all of the loose skin you can see in the pics and is well on his way to growing a 3rd and 4th chin!

Sha Sha and Griffie

These are for auntie Shark - pleae forgive me for forgetting about them, they got buried in the stack of photos I had not sorted since before we lost internet...
Big kisses!

Disconnected

Recently we went without internet access for 8 days...it sure made me realize how dependant I am on technology for even the simplest of things these days. It also forced me to use the telephone to communicate with the outside orld, a good thing indeed in these impersonal times, and I think a resolution for me to carry into the New Year.

I have also realized that my poor wee Griffin is already falling victim to "second child-itis" in that I have not taken many pics of him and he is almost 6 weeks old already! So, am posting a few from last week to make up for it and will also try to make it a resolution to capture Griff's progress through infanthood more that once per month : )

We had our 2nd annual cookie party yesterday Chez Nielsen and it was a success on many levels...no kids threw up (including Jasper!), we did not find icing in every crack and crevass post-party, and lots of friends got to finally meet baby Griffin.

We Outta Be in Pictures....

Last weekend we had a family photo shoot with Sacha Mullen, a young photographer who is just starting to build her photography portfolio and business. She did some amazing work, especially since we did the shoot at her apartment and had one little newborn peeing and pooing over her dropsheets and one little toddler running rampant around her expensive equipment!! Despite the foibles, we managed to get a few decent shots. Anyone interested in her work should check out her site - www.sachamullenphotography.com

Eat, Burp, Poop, Repeat......

Thus far the story of life with wee Griffin. Note that I have not added the word sleep into our life's rotation right now b/c I have the only newborn on the planet who does not seem to sleep, like ever (ok, I exaggerate, but I do not count 20 minute cat naps as actual sleep).....
The only really exciting news to report from the week is that Jasper finally got his haircut (last one was in May - no joke). Jasper was really beginning to resemble the long lost 5th member of the Beatles circa 1960 so despite the hell we went through last time, we decided to take the plunge. We thought maybe he would have gotten over his irrational fear of haircuts by now, but we were wrong. Even the lure of unlimited chocolate afterwards was not enough to stop the onslaught of high pitched wailing and sobbing and snotting. But, despite the trauma for J, the end result is really quite cute...see for yourself.

Ringo and Griffin

Mimi and Griffin

Super Stylin Hair!

Boo! Year 2

Jasper had a great 2nd Halloween this year, esp. since he really gets the idea of "Halloween = Chocolate", and J loves chocolate (like his Mummy). The monkey suit was a big hit and suited his personality to a "t"....

Bros before.....

Jasper is already establishing himself as a AMAZING big brother. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a beautiful lifelong relationship. Today, when we picked up J from preschool, he ran right past me and straight to his brother and exclaimed "My Baby Brother!!" to all his little friends - so cute!! J also helped Mummy today when G was crying by rocking his little swing seat offering G his little soother (yes, he is already on a soother - amazing!)