The BEST Gift of September

MY Vote:  Baby Oden has been the best present of September!  We LOVE having Drew and Annie so close again--and we've been blessed to be able to see Cousin Oden two days a week, when I am working, and then when Annie is working!

Oden is such a big guy!  Born a premie, but small, no longer!  This boy can EAT!  :)  And he loves watching Gracie and Josh...  Most of the time his eyes are wide open, taking everything in--and smiling when Gracie and Josh get down close to drizzle him with baby-talk.

Our kids have been having so much fun with the baby toys that we've brought back out from storage.  It's like Christmas, all over again!  Exer-saucer, bouncy seat, singing toys...meant for Oden, but entertaining a 4-and 2-year old, too!

With all this gear, Gracie has discovered a whole new play-land for her baby.  Here, Oden is inspecting this dolly whom he found harnessed into HIS car seat.  I guess "baby bear" thought this chair was just right!  :)

Gracie's Vote:  Aunt Annie has been the best present of September!  The kids think that having Auntie all to themselves is pretty great!  On Tuesdays, I often come home to find Gracie playing Memory with Annie, or eating a snack while playing a "Which is Bigger?" number game, or recapping what happened in preschool that day.  Joshy's a fan too.  I knew this when, after two days of being with Annie, I woke him up in the morning on my first day off to see him immediately frown and say, "Where's ANNIE?!?"  This boy is getting pretty silly.  So it's pretty easy to know his vote...

Joshy's Vote:  Uncle Rico! has been the best present of September!  I don't know where this name came from, but Josh has decided that Drew is really Uncle Rico, and Josh tells (and retells) the story about how Drew fell asleep while watching the Olivia movie with the kids at G'ma Colleen's house and Joshy peeled his eyelids open, saying, "Wake up, Uncle Rico!"  (pronounced, "Un-ko Wee-ko!) They both have a funny bone that I'm concerned may be genetic...

Don't Forget...JEFF'S Vote:  Swede! Jeff can rest easy on days when Swede comes over with Annie, knowing that the safety of his family is at an all-time high.  Swede is vigilant in keeping away squirrels and birds, neighbor dogs, and (Jeff's favorite) pesky neighborhood CATS!