Griff's Gossip

One Year Celebrations

2010-04-27T20:40:00.013-05:00

A lot has happened since our last post! Tis' the season for birthdays in our family...Tilly's birthday was on February 18th and she turned *% (let's just say that she can get discounts now), Logan turned 1 on February 25th, Samuel turned 8 on March 30th, and Brittney turned 29 on April 15th! Logan was definitely partied-out after all of her celebrations. She had her first party in Nashville with Ward, Tilly, Uncle Cole, Aunt Audie, and Uncle Samuel. Then we went to Birmingham to celebrate with Cousin Preston, who was born 5 days before Logan, and the rest of Brittney's family. Logan got some great presents, had her first birthday cake, and spent some cherished time with family. We also got to celebrate Samuel's first birthday on March 30th. He invited his class to his party for some pizza, cake, basketball, and dodgeball. We forgot how much fun dodgeball could be!

Reflecting back on the past year, we realize how blessed we truly are! God has certainly enriched our lives with the new additions to our family during the past year...and we have more reasons to celebrate in the near future...April 29th marks the one year anniversary of Samuel coming home to live with Ward and Tilly and Cole and Audra celebrate their one-year anniversary on May 2nd!

Happy First Birthday!!! I loved my first cupcake!

Uncle Samuel helped me open my presents!

She must take after her dad...sitting in our favorite chairs with a drink and showing-off our big bellies!

Partying with Preston...Thanks to Aunt Lindsey for making our cute birthday outfits.

Whatchoo lookin' at?

Cake Smash

Can we do this for every meal?

My first Easter Egg Hunt. Uncle Samuel helped me out, so I got a lot of eggs!

The Easter Bunny stopped by

Clowning-around with Uncle Samuel

One Year Pictures

Logan's great-aunt Karen (wow, doesn't that make you sound really old Karen?) made her one-year pictures a couple weeks ago. It was so nice to finally get some great weather! Logan was a trooper and was in a good mood most of the shoot. Karen's pictures turned out fabulous and we couldn't be happier! She is a very talented photographer and we thank you Karen for your time! We also have a link to her website above if anyone is interested. Here's a sneak-peak of some of Mom and Dad's favorites, but feel free to see them all at the link below (password is logan):

http://karenhalbertphotography.zenfolio.com/griffith/slideshow

White Out

2010-01-31T11:39:00.009-06:00

Well the forecasts were actually right for a change and we got dumped-on! Mommy is particularly excited because she's probably going to get a couple days off from work. We are enjoying being holed-up in our house (at least for now) and spending time together as a family. Aunt Caryn got to come over for the weekend too! Logan doesn't quite know what to think of the snow right now. We bundled her up and took her out in the snow for a few minutes yesterday. She didn't fuss, but you could tell she was kind of confused.

I guess after spending so much time in the house, Logan decided she actually wanted to try and walk behind her new push toys that she got for Christmas. Until yesterday she just punched the buttons and stared at them! I guess it won't be too long before she's walking on her own...my how time flies!

Our house covered in snow!

All bundled up! What are ya'll doing to me?

Mommy, Daddy, and Logan

Mommy and Logan

Aunt Caryn snuggling with Logan...it's cold!

Logan eating snow...at least it's not yellow

Logan using her push toys...sorry for the bad quality (it's a cell phone video)

The Holidays

2010-01-23T11:02:00.013-06:00

The holidays have come and gone so fast and it was such a blessing to spend our first Thanksgiving and Christmas with Logan! Of course she had no clue what was going on but she was a trooper and had no trouble picking up the family traditions...bowling, eating (a lot), shopping, watching lots of football, and of course watching pretty much every Christmas movie ever made...Home Alone, Home Alone II (we do not acknowledge Home Alone III much like we don't acknowledge Karate Kid III as being part of the trilogies), Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, Polar Express, and Charlie Brown's Christmas just to name a few. We spent Thanksgiving in Nashville and then went to Birmingham for Christmas. Logan was a natural at opening her presents but was more interested in playing with/eating the wrapper and bow instead of the toys. Logan was blessed with lots of presents from Ward, Tilly, Gigi, Grumpy, and all her aunts and uncles.She also had a great time playing with her cousins!

Logan will be 11 months on the 25th...my how time flies! She's learning new tricks everyday and it's so fun to just watch her in action. She's crawling everywhere now, saying ma-ma and da-da (although she has no idea what it means), eating new foods, and her new favorite...clapping for herself after she takes a bite to eat. I guess our next post will be after her 1st birthday party!!!

Gearing-up for Christmas with our antlers

Opening presents at Aunt Cayce's and Uncle Jason's house

Lookout, I got my first purse complete w/ cell phone, lipstick and debit card!

Opening presents on Christmas Eve

Logan and Silly Uncle Samuel had a blast opening their presents. Samuel woke-up Ward and Tilly at 4:15am on Christmas morning to see what Papa Noel brought him! We are so blessed to have them both in our lives.

Wow, my first car!

Mommy, Daddy, and Logan

Having fun with cousins Jack, Tyler, and Preston

Mommy and Logan wearing their Crimson Tide gear to church after the big win!

Cutie (Pumpkin) Pie

2009-11-17T18:57:00.012-06:00

Yes, I know it's been over three weeks since Halloween, but it's never too late to post cute Halloween pictures! Logan got invited to her first Halloween party at Hollis' house on the day before Halloween. She decided to dress-up as a bunny rabbit...and might I add one of the cutest bunnies I've ever seen. All of the kids were adorable and Logan had so much fun playing dress-up with her friends! Then Logan decided she wanted to be a pumpkin on Halloween day. Logan didn't trick-or-treat but she had fun playing all day with Samuel and helped hand out candy, so by the end of the day she was worn out!

Logan is growing fast and furious every day. She's talking more, eating more, sleeping more (thank God), and starting to get a lot of hair...she has developed Bama Bangs and sports a cute little curl on the right side of her head. She also just got over her second ear infection and a bad case of runny nose with lots of boogers! So now we're gearing up for our first holiday season and we can't wait. I'm sure Santa Tilly and Santa Gigi will bring lots of fun presents!

Logan the bunny reading a book with Mason the strawberry and Anna Kate the duck

Logan and Mommy...Daddy loves this picture

Cutie (Pumpkin) Pie

Dressing-up is hard work!

"Superman" Samuel...doesn't he look excited?
Samuel doesn't much care for pictures
(unless it's with Logan...then he'll smile big!)

A big smile for the camera...look at all my hair!

Logan and Uncle Samuel are becoming the best of friends

A recent family picture

It's Been A While...

2009-09-20T18:14:00.007-05:00

Okay, it's been exactly three months and three days since our last blog post, so I thought it might be about time for a quick update. Logan will be seven months old this week...mom and dad can't believe how fast it has flown by! We are so thankful to have our little angel in our lives. She is truly a perfect gift from God above!

Now to bring you all up to speed...Logan is 21 pounds, 8 ounces (98th percentile) and 28 1/2 inches (98th percentile), so it's safe to say Logan is a BIG (='s healthy) girl. Mom and Dad love chubby babies, so we wouldn't have it any other way! She is rolling over, sitting up, smiles at everyone and everything, making new noises all the time, loves bath-time, and "almost" sleeping all night long. Logan also just got over her first illness (a right-ear infection). Hopefully we won't have too many of these! She's also starting to learn to cheer on the Crimson Tide with Mommy...much to Dad's chagrin! It really has been an awesome seven months and we can't wait to cherish the future moments with her. We'll try not to go so long between our next post!

My first feeding a few months ago...I'm REALLY good at eating now!

More playtime with Cousin Preston

Look at my Crimson Tide dress! It's the same one Mommy wore when she was little.

Another Big Smile!!!

Pool Time

2009-06-17T21:49:00.010-05:00

Mom took Logan on her first trip to the pool a couple of weeks ago. The first pool trip didn't go too well...Logan's bathing suit was a bit snug and she was a little tired and fussy. But Mom and Logan still had fun with all their friends! The next weekend we all made the trip to Birmingham to see Gigi and Grumpy, Aunt Cayce, Uncle Jason, Aunt Lindsey, Crazy Uncle Brad, and cousin Preston. We also decided to give the neighborhood pool a try. Logan did awesome and I must admit, she looks darn cute in her new bathing suit, hat, and sunglasses. She sat peacefully in her new float for a good while, and then it was nap time! We also got some good playtime in with cousin Preston. They don't quite know what to think of each other yet, but they'll be good pals before you know it! As you can see from the video, Logan makes Preston a little jumpy! We all got a good laugh out of it.

My first pool trip...my bathing suit is a little snug and I'm fussy!

My Second Pool Trip

This pool thing is hard work!

Playtime with Preston...Preston hogged all my toys!

Three Month Update

2009-06-01T17:58:00.014-05:00

It seems like it took forever, but Logan finally has her harness off! Praise God for his healing power and a huge thank you to all who prayed for her! We took Logan to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital last week for an ultrasound on her hips to check that they were growing into the hip socket correctly. Dr. Christopherson told us that her hips look great and she'll never have to wear the harness again!!! Although I don't think the harness ever bothered her, it seems like she is much more comfortable now that she can freely mover her chubby little legs around. She LOVES to sit and kick her legs, and I must say it is quite entertaining to sit and watch her do this.

It is hard to believe that she is already 3 months old! As you can tell from the pictures she is getting chubby! Which is so cute...I love the fat rolls! Logan is becoming more and more attentive every day. There is something so calming and reassuring about your own child smiling at you every morning when you walk in...it's definitely one of God's little blessings that I will never take for granted! As you can tell from the many pictures, we like it when she smiles! She is also starting to learn to sit up in her bebe pod (although very wobbly), make new noises, and one of her favorites...trying to fit her entire hand in her mouth.

Sweet Dreams!

Look at me sitting up like a big girl!

Look at me kick those legs!

A Growing Family

2009-05-05T15:57:00.021-05:00

Wow...I can't believe we've updated our blog twice in one week! That might not ever happen again. The Griffith family has had a VERY busy week. As many of you know, my parents have been in the process of adopting a little boy from Haiti for nearly two years. Well, after many answered prayers, road bumps, and tested patience, Samuel has come home! My parents flew to Port Au Prince last Tuesday to pick him up at the embassy and they returned home on Wednesday with our new brother! Mom, Dad, and Samuel were greeted at the airport by many anxious family and friends. I can only imagine what was going through Samuel's head...he has gone from the poorest country in the western hemisphere to the United States in a day. I think it's safe to say that his life has changed slightly!

For those of you who don't know, Samuel was found naked drinking water out of a ditch behind the orphanage in Haiti in 2006. He had been abandoned by his parents and left on the streets of Cap Haitian. We thank God that the Cap Haitian Children's Home decided to take him in. My dad met Samuel at the orphanage while on a mission trip with our church in 2006 and was immediately drawn to Samuel's contagious smile and energy. He knows little English, but understands the language much better than he speaks it. He has enjoyed many luxuries for the first time...air conditioning, a bubble bath, riding a bicycle, and chocolate chip cookies just to name a few. He even had his first soccer game on Tuesday...and he scored a goal! We are so excited to have Samuel as a part of our family and look forward to watching him grow up! Our family thanks everyone for their many, many prayers during the adopting process. We know that there will be bumps in the road during Samuel's transition into American life, so Mom and Dad continue to ask for your prayers.

Ward, Tilly, and Samuel on the plane back to Nashville

Samuel and his new family.
It was past Brittney and Logan's bedtime
since their plane didn't land until midnight!

Logan and Uncle Samuel

As if getting a new brother wasn't enough action for one week...we also have a new sister-in-law! Cole and Audra were married on Saturday at Audra's parent's farm in Franklin. We were very nervous because of all the rain, but somehow it held off! Uncle Cole looked so handsome and Aunt Audra looked absolutely beautiful! We are especially happy for Audra because she has always dreamed of getting married outside at her farm and I'm sure she didn't want to get married in the barn (that was the back-up plan if it rained). The ceremony was beautiful and we are very excited to have yet another member of our family! Cole and Audra were also elated that Samuel got to be a part of the wedding, and I must say they he looked pretty sharp in his little suit. It has been a very busy (but exciting) couple of months with the birth of Logan, Samuel's adoption, and the wedding...but we feel so blessed that God has added these special pieces to our family. We wouldn't trade it for the world!

Samuel and the Groom...don't they look sharp!

Samuel and Aunt Audra

Samuel and Brittney

Samuel and Tori were friends at first sight!

Samuel and Tori...what a cute picture!

The Wedding Party

The New (and Improved) Griffith Family

Logan had enough partying for one night!

Logan's First Trip to Gigi & Grumpy's

2009-05-04T17:57:00.010-05:00

Two weeks ago we made our first road trip since Logan was born. We went to see Gigi and Grumpy and Aunt Cayce and Uncle Jason and Aunt Lindsey and Crazy Uncle Brad. Aunt Caryn rode with us, so the WHOLE family was together. It was so nice to have everyone together since it doesn't happen very often! It was also a special trip because we took Logan to see her Great Great Uncle Wayne. Uncle Wayne just turned 95 years old! What he is lacking in hearing and seeing, he more than makes up for with a sharp mind and witty humor. He is truly a great example of the hard working American man that made this country great so many years ago. He gave Logan and Cousin Preston a piggy bank and gives them a dollar each time they visit him. Logan also made her first appearance at church. Gigi and Mom loved showing her (and her new outfit) off to everyone!

Wayne loved holding Logan and Preston

Gigi and Grumpy are proud of their grandkids!

Look at my cute church outfit!

Logan and Aunt Lindsey

Logan and Aunt Cayce

The proud Moms and their babies

Our Family after Logan's first church service

Belated Easter Pictures

2009-04-20T15:06:00.006-05:00

I know Easter is long gone, but it's never too late to share some memories of Logan's first Easter. The Easter Bunny (Tilly and Gigi) came and left her some goodies! Bunny Tilly got Logan a couple of stuffed bunny toys and her first Bible...although Logan proceeded to slap her new Bible and then start crying (we hope this isn't a continuing trend). But we all got a good laugh out of it. Bunny Gigi got Logan a stuffed bunny that is so soft and a new book. Logan loves her new toys...can't you tell by the pictures? She can't wait to hunt eggs next year. We were also excited that she got to wear her new Easter outfits, especially her bunny bloomers that Aunt Lindsey made for her.

It was great to get together with loved ones to celebrate Easter and eat a delicious meal. We went to Ward and Tilli's for lunch. Uncle Cole, Aunt Audra, Mr. and Mrs. Ennis, Aunt Caryn, Great-Aunt Carole, and Cousin Jay all joined us for lunch.

Logan's First Easter Basket...Doesn't she look excited?

Aunt Lindsey made me these cute bunny bloomers

Gigi gave Logan her new bunny friend. They are already good pals.

Tilli and "Snoozin" Logan after a delicious Easter lunch.

Logan's Dr. Appointment and One-Month Pictures

2009-03-30T22:02:00.014-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's already been one month! She's already changing so fast. We went back to Dr. Christopherson today (Logan's Orthopedic doctor) for her weekly checkup. We (and lots of others) have been praying so hard that God would heal her hip dysplasia. Well, Logan's hips have "tightened" and are no longer coming out of socket! However, Dr. Christopherson wants to keep Logan in her harness for another six weeks for precautionary reasons to make sure her femurs are completely "set" in the hip socket. This came as a bit of a shock to Mom and Dad because we thought the harness would be gone after her hip joints tightened, and that she'd be able to get rid of the harness today. We had no idea that it would be another six weeks, but we're trying to keep things on a positive note. Mom and Dad realize that Logan is on God's schedule...not ours. We are so thankful that her hip sockets have tightened and I'm sure the six weeks will go by fast. We continue to ask for your prayers that Logan's hip dysplasia will keep improving day-by-day.

Brittney's Aunt Karen came over on Sunday afternoon to take some pictures. Karen was so gracious to volunteer her time and she is so talented! Logan also thanks Aunt Lindsey for making her beautiful dresses! Here are a few of Karen's pics...

Crazy Faces

2009-03-21T14:59:00.001-05:00

Even though she's only a few weeks old and she doesn't walk or talk...I think we could sit and watch Logan's facial expressions all day long. She's a smart one too! She was sucking on her fingers the moment she came out and she immediately figured out how to take off her mittens and her hat (it's pretty funny to watch her pull off this maneuver). Logan is also an escape-artist who has figured out how to get out of her swaddle...even when she's wrapped really tight! She always wants her hands right next to her face and is often seen with her finger either in her mouth, her ear, or her eyeball and she loves to "peek" with one eye open. She also has an innate ability to make Mom and Dad do whatever she wants! Here are some of our favorite expressions...

I'm all wrapped up like a little burrito and I'm about the size of a Baja Burrito (Mom's favorite restaurant!) Welcome to Baja Burrito...Chicken or Steak?

Family Ties

2009-03-21T12:48:00.000-05:00

We can't thank our families enough for all the help they've given us so far, and for all the support we'll recieve in the future. It is so great to know that everyone in our family will always be there for us and Logan! Our friends and family have made the transition to parenthood that much smoother...between all the delicious meals, gifts, diaper changes, and good company, it makes us realize just how blessed we really are to have everyone in our lives! With Logan being the first grandchild on Dad's side and the second on Mom's side (by a slim margin...Brittney's sister, Lindsey, had her baby boy five days before Logan arrived), it was safe to say that everyone was a little excited for her arrival.

Gigi and Logan all snuggled up

Logan cuddling with Tilli (We're still debating how to spell Tilli, pronounced "Till-eee", so any suggestions are apprectiated.)

Logan and Ward

Logan and Grumpy

Uncle Cole and "soon to be" Aunt Audra

Aunt Caryn

We were so glad that Uncle Brad, Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Jason, and Aunt Cayce got to come see Logan. They couldn't make it to the birth, since Lindsey somehow had a "prior obligation". So they all made the trec up to Nashville form Birmingham so that Logan could meet her new cousin Preston! It was great to see them, even if it wasn't for very long.

Aunt Lindsey

Aunt Cayce (with Preston) and Uncle Jason (with Logan)

Daddy Brad and Daddy Matthew with their little ones

Long Time Coming

2009-03-20T18:06:00.000-05:00

We've been meaning to start a blog for a while now, but a few things have kept us a little busy lately (babies and such). Logan Avery Griffith was born on February 25th at 4:32 pm (2 1/2 weeks early). She weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. Dr. Morgan told us that if we'd have waited until the due date, Logan would probably have easily been 9 lbs! Mom is VERY glad God sent her a little early! Praise God that Logan's kidney's are functioning normal! She had dilated kidneys throughout our ultrasounds, which kept us worried a little bit.

However, Logan does have bilateral hip dysplasia which basically means her tendons are stretched around her femurs and causes her femur to dislocate from her hip socket. I know it sounds painful, but apparently babies are so "pliable" that they don't feel it at all. So our orthopedic doctor put her in a Pavlic Harness to correct the dysplasia. Mom and Dad were both kind of freaked out at first, but Logan doesn't mind the harness one bit! In fact, she may even like it. Studies show that if the dysplasia is caught while a child is a newborn, then the harness corrects it 90-95% of the time. Dr. Christopherson, our orthopedic doctor, told us that if it's not corrected in a month, then they will put Logan in a hard cast for a while. We're really hoping this isn't the case, but at least they caught the displaysia early! Mom and Dad both feel much better about the situation after hearing from several people that either they or someone else they know had hip dysplasia and they are all perfectly fine and healthy! So please pray that her hips are corrected!!!

Otherwise, our angel is doing great...just eating, pooping, sleeping, and watching NCAA March Madness with her dad. We look forward to keeping everyone updated on our adventures!

Mom, Dad, and Logan - Our angel has arrived!

My Coming Home Outfit...Look at all my hair!

My paci got stuck on my fingers...Mom and Dad thought it was hilarious!

Logan in her car seat...Can my paci be any bigger?