Monday, September 8, 2014

Happy Birthday Noah

Today, our silly, happy little Noah is three years old. I can't believe how quickly the last three years have flown by. It seems like it was just yesterday that we brought him home and began this adventure of parenthood. Now he's running all over the house and making us laugh on a daily basis.


He's changed a lot over the last year. First, he is incredibly smart. He picks up on new ideas quickly and then will explain them to other people. Sometimes when I may not be giving him my full attention, he'll tell me, "You have to listen to people when they talk to you". This is something I've said to him many times as he's wandering away from me when I'm trying to tell him something. His attention span may not have changed much, but his ability to retain and use information correctly definitely has. It has also become easier to reason with him, which makes avoiding arguments and tantrums more of a possibility.


He became a big brother this year. We were not quite sure how he would handle the new addition, but he has been a fantastic big brother so far. He will go get diapers for me to change Grayson, or a pacifier that may be just out of reach. He is very loving with Grayson and likes to give him kisses on his forehead. If he comes into a room and Grayson isn't there, Noah will ask me where he is. If he hears Grayson crying, you will probably hear him say, "Let me go see 'bout him". He is a very loving and protective big brother.


He has grown more patient. This is a major change that I have noticed. He loves to build big towers with blocks, but would always get very frustrated and upset when the tower would fall over. Now, he will tell you as he's building it that it might fall over, but that's okay; you just have to try again. He's more okay now with being wrong and with not getting things right on the first try. Instead of running away crying, he will just try again. I love seeing this little glimpse of maturity in him. I can also see it in how caring he is. If he sees that you are upset or hurt, he will ask you if you are okay, and give you a big hug if you're not. If you get a boo boo, he will kiss it to make it feel better. He is a very loving little boy who seems to have a big heart.


He is definitely all boy. He loves digger things and pusher things (backhoes and bulldozers), he loves his trucks and cars, and he spends a good amount of time crawling around the house growling like his favorite dinosaur, a t-rex. He will pick up pretty much any bug that he sees to give it a closer inspection, and has recently been able to catch tiny frogs out in the yard. He loves to play in puddles after a good rain and really doesn't mind getting dirty. He is full of energy and full of love, and I just can't believe he belongs to us. We are so blessed to call this amazing little boy our son, and I can't wait to see what joys the next year with him brings.


Thursday, September 4, 2014

Labor Day 2014

This year, we decided to take another Larkin family trip down to Pensacola. We had a great time playing on the beach and spending some time with family. Noah enjoyed splashing in the water, and had a great time helping the guys dig a giant hole in the sand.



It was Grayson's first trip to the beach. He pretty much hung out in the shade and in the condo. We'll get him in the sun and sand next time. He did try on Noah's old bathing suit and hat, which was just adorable. He also took a dip in the indoor pool, which he seemed to really enjoy.



The guys had fun with Grandpa's paddle boards, and even turned one of them into a slide for the kids. Then they chased a few crabs up onto the sand for the kids to take a look at. 



We had a lot of fun and completely wore Noah out. We are planning to make this trip every other year and it should be a lot of fun to see how the kids change each time. I'm sure the 'big boys' will have them doing some crazy things the next time we go.