Kelly in NC

Grayson,
The month of October has passed in a flash. Another 30 days filled with milestones and feats that amaze your father and me! Ok. Ok. So maybe the feats were not that spectacular…but I am sure that you would beg to disagree. Especially since one of the feats I am referring to actually has to do with your feet and how you finally figured out how to get them in your mouth. Now I have only witnessed your toe sucking while on the changing table after your bath. Hey, I’m with you. If you’re going to suck your toes, make sure they are clean first. Actually, this sounds like one of your dad’s anal retentive traits…but a healthy one at that!
The truth is that your toes are not the only items we have found in your mouth this month. The older you get the more curious you become about your world and your number one way of discovering your world is to taste it! From Ozzy ears to the weekend newspaper, Daddy and I have had our hands full trying to monitor what goes in your mouth. If you can reach it, it will eventually end up between your lips.
Perhaps some of this need to chew has to do with the cutting of your pearly whites! You are now up to two little bottom teeth and I swear that you are already working on the top two as well. Nothing has surfaced yet, but in the last week the drool has increased significantly, constantly running down your chubby chin and soaking numerous bibs throughout the day. You still do not seem to mind the actual process of cutting teeth. Instead it is as if you have accepted the challenge and have decided to make the best of it. And if that means you sink your slimy gums into anything and everything, then so be it.
Just recently you have added a new skill to your verbal repertoire. You have learned how to make the “B’ sound and blow bubbles. With the addition of these new noises, it sounds as if you really are trying to tell us something. We have no idea what you are saying, and to be honest I am pretty sure that you have not idea either. My favorite part of this milestone is that you have also figured out how to change the inflection of your voice. You alternate between high and low pitches, sometimes making it sound as if you are asking a question. You are absolutely adorable!
Also, in the past month your motor skills have increased greatly. You are now able to sit unassisted. (I mean you do still fall occasionally, but there is a certain clumsy gene that runs on my side of the family. I am still optimistic that you do not have it, but at this point we cannot be completely sure.) You grasp objects constantly and have even figured out how to turn on and off your crib toys. Now you are quite clever and have discovered that you can use more than your hand to hit the on/off switch. Your feet, mouth, and head work equally well and while you show some favoritism toward your appendages, in a pinch your head will also do the job! (Especially in the middle of the night.)
Speaking of the middle of the night, for almost 2 weeks this month, you were the perfect sleeping angel. You would go to bed around 7:30 pm and not wake up until the morning feeding around 6 am. For whatever reason, you have given up this routine. I suppose that it is because you are sick with a cold again and so I am holding out hope that once this sickness passes, my angle will reappear. I mean don’t get me wrong. You aren’t inconsolable when you wake up in the wee hours of the morning. Usually you just need help with locating the paci and a pat on the back and then you fall back asleep. But let me tell you this: there are 13 stairs between your bed and mine…and I HATE climbing them before 6 o’clock in the morning….Again, I am hoping that my angel will return. Soon!
Another physical milestone you reached this month is the ability to get up on your hands and knees. You have learned how to rock back and forth, but have not made much progress in moving forward. The truth is that you unintentionally move backwards. This of course makes you angry…but not to the point of giving up! I know that you will figure it out soon. I just hope that it isn’t too soon. I am not looking forward to all of the baby proofing we will need to do around our house.
Last but not least, this month you got to experience your first taste of hiking. I am certain that your future will hold numerous other hiking trips with us and will eventually include backpacking. After all, you seem to love being in the great outdoors. And I am sure that traveling down the trail on Daddy’s back isn’t too bad either. (Even if it is in a baby pack made of denim.) The rhythmic motion of his pace seems to rock you to sleep and to be honest, I must admit that I am a bit jealous. I wish that I could be carried up the trail too! During the hike, if you were not sleeping, you were constantly looking around and taking in every detail of your surroundings. You would brace your legs on the bottom of your baby carrier and jump up and down as if to urge Daddy on! Yes, I would say that you loved your few hiking experiences.
So with another 30 days under your belt, you continue to transform into an adorable little boy. At over 19 pounds and more than 27 inches long, every morsel of you is filled with energy, excitement, and joy. You continue to bring immeasurable amounts of happiness into our lives and we can’t imagine a day without you. Thank you for the daily doses of laughs and smiles and for all the ways you make us feel good inside. You are absolutely the best thing that has ever happened to your Daddy and me!
Love-
Mommy

I am trying to be positive today, but it really is hard. Grayson is fighting a cold and was up every 3 hours last night. At 5 am I fianlly gave in and put him in bed with us. Usually, this strategy works…but not this morning. He thrashed around in bed until I finally gave up at 7 am and got out of bed with him. He continued to cry. And whine…and cry.
Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE to sleep? I mean I L.O.V.E. to sleep.
This morning was torture….
And the rest of the day hasn’t gotten much better.
When Tim finally got out of bed, he decided that since I was annoyed at him, then he should be mad to me too. Ahhhhh! As if a screamy baby wasn’t enough. All I wanted was just some sign of appreciation for the crappy morning I had gone through. Would it have been so difficult to say “Hey thanks for letting me sleep.” or “You’re a great mom”? Instead I get “Um, I think I’m going to go to the mall and return some shoes. Ok?”
OK? Sure that would be grand. I haven’t slept the entire morning and have been attempting to entertain and comfort a crabby baby. I know, why don’t you go the store and take a break from it all! Ahhhh!
Can you tell I needed to vent???
Anyhow, things are looking better now. Grayson is FINALLY taking a nap and the pounding has finally left my forehead. And better yet, Desperate Housewives is on at 9!

We had another weekend filled with family from out of town. Man am I exhausted! My In-Laws, sister Jennifer and mom all drove up on Thursday night. My Mom, AKA MiMi, babysat Grayson on Friday and on Friday night we all went to my brother-in-law’s house for a cook out. On Saturday we tailgated before the NASCAR race…for over 6 hours like true race fans would. Then we sat for 4 hours at the speedway, freezing our buns off, waiting for Kasey K. to win! I am not sure that I will pay $98 again to freeze while watching cars drive in a circle. But don’t get me wrong, I had a great time…I just prefer to be warm! You can check out my photos from the weekend by clicking Here HERE .

Well, I made it back from a most fun "Girl’s Only" weekend in Savannah.  My sister Renee and friend Carri and I drove down to Georgia on Friday eveneing arriving just in time to join the other 21 "girls" for singing and dancing at the piano bar Savannh Smiles.  As always Savannah Smiles was a blast.  Great music, raunchy jokes…and of course the drinks!  Renee’, Carri, and I then went to a whole in the wall karaoke bar once all of the other ladies decided to turn in for the night. 

Saturday was filled with shopping on River Street, watching the Gators beat LSU, and finally dinner at a tappas restaurant called Jazz’d.  I had never eaten at a tappas restaurant and absolutely loved the idea of trying so many different entrees.  I highly recommend it!  After dinner, we conitnued the weekend fun by visiting a variety of small bars and pubs.  Today before leaving, we again visited river street, bought some souveniers and candy, and then started back on the road to NC.  You can check out my photos from the weekend by clicking here.

While I had a blast in Savannah, I must admit that I missed Tim and Grayson terribly.  I must have called a hundred times just checking in.  So while the weekend was meant as a way to relax and have fun, it also had a second unintentional purpose.  It helped remind me how lucky I am to have those 2 in my life!

Well, I am leaving today for a girl’s trip to Savannah. I have been looking forward to this trip since last winter…although at the time I didn’t realize how much I would miss Grayson. It has been a couple of years since the last girl’s trip. 5 of us were pregnant this time last year, so it was cancelled. I am so excited to just get a way for the weekend and party it up! I’ll be sure to give an update and post photos once we get back! On another note: Tim is on duty for the whole weekend, which I think is great! It is amazing the guilt that he has tried to put on me about leaving. I am pretty sure he’s doing it more for fun than because he really means it. (Truthfully, I would do the same to him.) I just hope that after this weekend, he has a bit more appreciation for what my life has been like for the past 5 months.

We got back yesterday from our Mini Vacation in the mountains. With the birth of Grayson, we really just don’t have the time or $$ to take a big vacation like we usually do. As luck would have it, a guy that Tim works with has a cabin up near Independence Virginia and he offered to let us stay. I can’t begin to explain how nice it was to get away for a few days. And to call the place a cabin was an understatement. Let’s just say that the only thing that made that house a cabin was that it was situated on top of a mountain and had spectacular views. We really enjoyed ourselves while up in the cool, crisp weather. Except for hiking on Sunday, we really just relaxed by reading books, watching movies, drinking wine, picnicing, and sleeping. It was wonderful. I was sad to come home so soon, but appreciative that we even got to go for a few days. Sometimes getting away is exactly what you need to reconnect with each other and just catch your breath. Makes we wonder when our next vacation will be….
You can view photos from our trip by clicking here.