January pics

Like I said, we basically did nothing memorable in January. I took fewer pictures than I have in months, and I'm really relieved about it. There's still like 25 pictures on this post, but these are basically representative of the entire month.

These cute boys wearing their matching jackets from Great-Grandma Myres and looking super handsome!

Sometimes I can get Graham to let Dane "read" to him and it's such a relief. Graham is constantly dragging books over to me and begging (read: shrieking uncontrollably) until I sit down with him. Usually while I'm trying to make dinner.

We had one really cold day where it SNOWED! Just a dusting, but still. The boys really wanted to go out and jump on our trampoline, but it ended badly with Graham having a full-on meltdown after he got too cold and screaming for 20 minutes afterwards.

We finally took the plunge and got rid of the pacifier. I was worried sick about doing it and totally terrified because of how obsessed Graham was with it. TOTALLY OBSESSED. He was going to his bed twenty times a day and pulling it out to walk around with it. Plus, I was convinced it was causing his major sleeping problems--like, waking up every single night for HOURS and wailing. It was literally driving me mad. I was a raging hormonal angry person every night and it was not working. So we cut his pacifier off at the edge one night and he put it in his mouth and was very shocked and concerned. He kept pulling it out and pointing at it and saying, "Dat! Dat!" (Aka his word for EVERYTHING he can't say.) We told him, "Uh oh, it's broken, we need to put it in the trash." He thought about it, but couldn't actually do it. He cried for about 10 minutes the first night, then laid back down and went to sleep without any problem--and that's how it went for a week until we've all forgotten about it. HALLELUJAH. His sleeping has gotten a lot better (not totally fixed, but much better) and I am happy with him again. Good-bye, pacifier, and good riddance. 

Thinking about throwing his pacifier in the trash.

Dane got this enormous tiger from some people in our ward who were moving and giving away tons of free stuff. He fell in love with it and begged to bring it home. It's literally bigger than he is.

No words.

A manly moustache-wearing man just fixing our smoke detectors. 

Joy School! Their art project together, haha.

Graham has no idea that he's only 1. He totally thinks he is 4.

Dane LOVES it when Graham will come snuggle with him. Really, he does. He's always laying on the floor and saying, "Graham! Come sit on me! Graham!!"

Graham found our old Murphy calendar from 2016 and loved smiling at the pictures of our extended family in it.

We went to a Texas Legends game (the d-league basketball team located here in Frisco) and had an awesome time. We only stayed for the first half and everyone was thrilled.

We've signed Dane up for swim lessons for January, February, and March, and I'm hoping they're enough to help him get a little bit the hang of it. I'm not going to be able to take him later in the spring with the baby. He's making a lot of progress and it's cute to see how serious he is about listening to his teacher and trying really hard.

One morning Dane came out with all his stuffed animals and had big plans for a tea party he wanted to do with them. Complete with water and blueberries for everyone.

He wanted spikey hair one morning. Hahaha. Totally 90s style.

We got to do a NIGHT AWAY thanks to Kurt staying overnight with our boys for us. It was AMAZING how just a little bit of time away from home helped us relax and feel better about life (it was a very difficult week that week with Graham screaming about an ear infection). Tommy surprised me with a date to a painting studio. We had a lot of fun painting our masterpieces. 

The finished products. I sent this picture to my family and Austin said, "Of course Tommy painted a perfect masterpiece." So true. One of my cousins asked Tommy, "Is there anything you are bad at?" Obviously not painting. Ha!

Leaving the hotel and going to get some delicious brunch before heading home. Thank you to Kurt! It was amazing to sleep longer than 6 am and to just reset our minds a little bit. And this is our last chance for a while before baby girl comes.

More fun with Joy School. They spent their whole free play time out in the sandbox this day.

Graham says, "Hat!"

Storytime at the library. Graham lasts for only about half of it every time. But he LOVES the half he will sit through.

We spent a GLORIOUS afternoon at the park the other week. We were there for hours, friends happened to show up, the weather was perfect, everyone was happy. I loved it.