Happy Halloween 2010!!!

Mia wanted to make sure everyone saw her pumpkin! She is very proud of it... On Saturday afternoon we went over to Nancy & Eben's house to carve pumpkins with Madi & Blaise. Mia went with the kitty theme, just like her shirt!

Big Love!

Here is a typical afternoon for the weazles! It's not as if they love eachother... They are so sweet together!

The War Zone!

The Lovell home has been quarantined this week and is officially a war zone! All five family members have been hit hard with the stomach flu... It started with poor Aubrey projectile vomiting on Sunday afternoon, and progressed throught the ranks. On Monday night, everyone but Mia was in the depths of despair at the very same time. Thank God Momma has the constitution she has, or we'd have all been carted away by ambulance. That woman's level of sacrifice knows no boundaries... Aunt Cathy was a huge help as well. She showed up sporting a surgical mask, which entertained Mia, and proceeded to assist with Mia's bathing and bedtime routine. She was a tremendous help. Then on Tuesday, as we thought we were pulling out of it, Mia decides to projectile vomit as she is playing the drums! The flu is never fun. However, watching little babies hurt without any ability to understand the pain or express their need is heart wrenching... We'll all be happy to put a few days of good health behind us!

Somebody Help me!!

Thankfully Brandon is one awfully good sport! Mia can already recognize the clear difference between Brandon's masculine playfulness and Aubrey's senstive demeanor... She is constantly harrasing the poor kid. Here he was hanging out playing with his toy, and she decides to mount him like a horse! Can you tell by the look of panic on his face that he's wondering what in the hell she is doing on top of him?! That look is usually followed by a smile a few moments later...

Sisterly Love!

I'm not sure if you can tell by the photos, but Aubrey grows more amorous of her sister by the day! Thankfully, this is not unrequited love... The two of them are growing so close and Aubrey is constanly beaming at the site of her big sister! She has the greatest grin.

Happy Boy!

I'm fairly certain there hasn't been a photo taken of our boy with anything other than a smile on his face! I used to think we were blessed and lucky to have such happy children. However, after three kids, I'm realizing there might be a common cause at work. Like perhaps being the luckiest children alive in having a Mommy like Stacy! Her never ending love and constant affection for these children is overwhelming... In fact, the state sends a developmental nurse to our home once a month to ensure our premature children are progressing in a healthy manner. During her last visit, Mia was showing off her collection of drawings of her family and friends. The nurse commented that of the dozens of pictures she saw, every person, animal or tree had a massive smile attached. Apparently that's a healthy thing, and not a big surprising to anyone who has met my over achieving wife... We are certainly very lucky for many things, and Stacy is at the top of that list!

Many Talents!

Mia is certainly a child of many talents! Not only has she shown a natural talent for music, but she really loves art. She is now taking an art class after school on Wednesday's, and yet still can't wait to get home and tear into her art supplies... Our walls are now covered with her artwork that she skillfully arranges and hangs! It's funny how 'pre-children' we were so focused on having a perfect house with everything arranged so carefully. Now, our house is in constant disarray with what appears to be a child's random scribblings hanging on all walls, hallways, windows, etc. Yet that is exactly what makes our house such a warm home... We can't imagine it any other way!

Branded...

Daddy was feeling bad that Mommy & Mia both have their names tattooed on his body, while Aubrey & Brandon were left out in the cold... So this week Daddy provided Aubrey with the best tattoo of them all! She seemed genuinely impressed! Much more so than Mommy was... I know what you're thinking, so don't worry. We're designing something special for Brandon next! Heeee heeeee

Mia's Teammate!

For whatever reason, Mia is, and has been, obsessed with baseball... Unfortunately, Mommy & Daddy can't stand the sport, but that sure doesn't slow her down! She continually asks us how many days until her 4th birthday, since that is the age she can join the local baseball team. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding! Nope, she's not asking how soon she can race her first go-kart or ride her dirt bike, which is crushing to Daddy... So, she decided to enlist her brother in her quest for baseball greatness. Here he is trying to play nicely on his own, while she dresses him up like her first baseman!

Car Wash!

We Arizonans are very excited that the summer heat has finally decided to give us a break! We cooled down to the 90's over the past week, and Mia decided it was appropriate to pull all her cars and bikes out of the garage for a good cleaning... She invited over her best buddy in the neighborhood, Easton, for a little assistance. They were so cute together! After they polished her pink Jeep, they cruised up and down the street together... She's the sweetest!

Crazy Sleeper!

Yep, this is our crazy kid Aubrey! She has decided that wrapping her blanket around and over her head while she sleeps is a very safe and comfy way to go... Actually, I'm proud to report that both babies are sleeping much better these days!! They both get a bath and a bottle around 5:30-6:00 pm, relax for a bit, and then hit the cribs about 6:00-6:30 pm. They fall asleep with no fussing and stay asleep, without making a peep, until about 5:00 am, give or take an hour! Life is looking up for Mommy & Daddy!!

The Original Mary!

These three young ladies sure do love the twins! Grammy brought two of her closest friends with her to visit last week. Mary Johnson & Chrissy Code have always played a huge role in Mommy's life, and they have been nothing but supportive and loving during the trials and tribulations of child birth. So to see them enjoying some quality time with Brandon & Aubrey, along with proud Grammy, was really special for all of us... Plus, Mia's favorite object on Earth is her Mary Bear. She is attached to this bear like you can't imagine! Mary Johnson was the generous giver of Mary a few years back, so Mia was mesmerized to meet the Original Mary! We're very lucky to have so much love in our lives...

Pit Stop!

Could there be a better photo to display at Mia's wedding?!?! On our road trip to Disney last weekend Mia decided that she needed to go potty at the most inopportune time... Like in the middle of the Mojave desert! Thankfully Momma had planned for just such an event, and we got to try out the handy dandy Mr. Turtle! So here she is on the side of the road, head phones on, drawers dropped, without an ounce of shame!! Childhood innocence is a wonderful thing...

Disneyland Getaway!

Seven months after the invasion of the twins, we decided it was time to get away for some quality Mommy, Daddy & Midget time! Grandma was kind enough to drive down from Colorado and watch the babies while we took off for a long weekend at Disneyland. Mia's cousin, Nick, is always a great addition to any family trip, so he joined us for the trek. Mia adores him, and he's great with her. We had an absolute blast hitting rides, hugging characters and just generally partying it up! No bed time, as much chocolate as we could eat, and lazy mornings!! Wooo hoooo, that's the life...

Trick or Treat Disney Style!

Halloween turned out to be a great time of year to visit Disney! Not only did they have the park all done up in halloween decore, but they had a special night of trick or treating in the park on Friday evening. It took about 15 minutes for Mia to decide she wasn't wearing her costume, and then about 5 more to decide that maximum candy could be garnered by sitting in her stroller and having Daddy push her quickly through the crowds! Truth be told, she was slumped over snoring about 10 minutes after this picture was taken...

Beating the Disney Heat!

Unfortunately it got a little warmer than we anticipated at Disney! By mid afternoon, we'd had enough of standing around waiting in lines in 85 + degree weather with humidity... So we hightailed it back to the hotel pool and cooled off on the water slides. Mia was in heaven!

Pluto!

While we were waiting in line for the 3D movie 'A Bug's Life', Momma saw a photo op that she couldn't resist. Mia looks liks she's getting mugged by Pluto! I'm thinking the heat was beginning to get the best of the midget by this point... She was a trooper!

Our Little Mechanic!

Mommy & Daddy took the Midget to see Nick Jr Live on Friday afternoon. After the show we wandered around the mall while we waited for our dinner table, and stumbled upon the coolest store on Earth, Ridemakerz! It is basically a Build-a-Bear for cars... Mia got to pick out her body style, rims, tires, stickers, chassis, etc. Then, with a cool little air ratchet, she was able to assemble her machine! She was really into it and assembled a cool little ride. Daddy was awfully proud...

Cool Bike!

Mia continues to add to her collection of bicycles! This one is truly cool... She is doing really well on her regular bicycle, but we find that if we ride to breakfast, she may decide she's tired halfway to the restaurant. So this way she gets to ride like a big girl, and can be lazy at the same time! This kid's got the life...

Aubrey the Cowgirl...

It's kind of hard to see, but Aubrey is giggling because her big sister has placed a teddy bear sized cowboy hat on Aubrey's head... Mia just loves to decorate her brother & sister, and Aubrey can't get enough of being the center of attention! Yep, those would be sweet potatoes all over her face and bib! Not so focused on her hygiene habits yet...

Big Eaters!

Wow, these two kids sure do like to eat! They have progressed into baby food, and wolf down their entire bottles, plus whatever delicious baby food Momma has selected for the day... Brandon is now over 18 pounds, and Aubrey isn't far behind at 17 pounds. He is still a few weeks ahead of her developmentally, but she's gaining quickly. We were concerned with her lagging development, but a developmental specialist examined them both last week and said that they are very large, big surprise, but developmentally right where twins typically are. So no risks or concerns thankfully! That was refreshing to hear... We are doing more exercises with them, and they will each spend some time with a Physical Therapist to ensure they get maximum muscle stimulation. With one child it's easy to spend time working with them, standing them up, etc. With twins, the focus becomes more on keeping them fed and changed, while balancing parental survival... I must say, Momma does a fabulous job! The few times that Daddy spends an hour or two alone with all three kids are the absolute most challenings times of life, both phsyically & psychologically. No idea how you ladies do it, but hats off to the Mom's of the world!! You ladies are damn impressive.

Sibling Love!

These three kids have so damn much fun together it's amazing! Not sure how we got so lucky... It's cute to watch the bonds developing, but truly amazing to see the affection that Aubrey has for her big sister, Mia! She lights up every time Mia comes near her. She laughts at absolutely everything Mia says or does, and gazes at her with amorous eyes when Mia is entertaining the twins! So sweet...

Happy Gotcha Day!

On September 17th we celebrated Mia's third Gotcha Day! This is the anniversary of the day that our perfect little angel was first put in our arms... It's truly amazing that three years have already passed by in such a hurry. Mia continues to flourish and light up every room she enters! I have no idea how we got so lucky to have such an amazing little person to share our lives with. I know one thing, our love for this child continues to grow every day, even when we think it's not possible to love her any more than we already do... She is Mommy & Daddy's angel!

Sleeping Beauty!

Mia is really enjoying playing with her brother & sister these days! She seems to be wearing herself out earlier and earlier each day... She can often be found emulating Daddy with her ability to pass out on the couch! She's a quick learner...

Handsome Devil...

The other evening Momma gave Brandon a bath and then laid him on the floor in front of his mirror. He spent about 15 minutes admiring his beauty and even inched himself forward until he was able to lick the mirror... Apparently he's quite impressed with his devilishly handsome looks! Can you blame the kid?