Grayson seems to enjoy his new classroom. His teacher, Ms. Wendy is incredibly nice and keeps the kids very busy. He has been absolutely exhausted every night once he comes home, falling asleep within minutes of being put to bed. I think that he was ready for the change in classrooms for quite some time and I am glad to see him adjusting so well.
Here’s the scrapbook page I created from his Daycare Graduation:
This past weekend was packed full!
~On Thursday afternoon- we attended Grayson’s Graduation into the 2 year classroom. It was funny watching all of the toddlers march into the room, run for thier parents, and then of course not pay attention to anything. I am thankful that his teachers took the time to prepare the little cerem0ny. I may have teared up a time or two reflecting on how much he has grown. Tim’s parents were able to attend the graduation too! The highlight for Grayson was the little school bus they gave him as a present.
~Also on Thursday, Tim’s brother Joe and his family flew in from Florida. We haven’t seen my nephew Adler since March- so we couldn’t wait for them to arrive. Adler is a wonderful baby- quiet and mild tempered. We were sad to see them leave on Sunday and Grayson is still asking “A Agler doe?” or “Joe-Joe” or “an Amy”.
~On Friday night, we invited all of the family over to our house for BBQ. Tim’s aunts, grandparents, and cousins were in town from Ohio for Jill’s Baby shower on Saturday. Our house was filled to the max with fun, food, and laughter. We loved having everyone in town.
~Saturday was Jill’s shower. Mom B planned most of it, with me in charge of decorations and some of the hosting responsibilities. ONly a few more weeks before little Krugie is due to arrive. I can’t wait to meet my new neice or nephew!
~Here are the photos from this weekend. Click here to view them.
~I finally finished another scrapbooking page. This one is for Grayson’s scrapbook. I use my monthly letters to create an album for him. So here is the one for 24 months:
These pages were created using the free kit “Lazy Summer” by Whimpy Chomper Creations
This weekend was absolutley beautiful! The weather was amazing and I tried to stay outside as much as I could. On Saturday, Grayson and I went out to play…or at least Grayson played. I sat in the shade and read “Breaking Dawn” (which by the way I finished tonight. It was just as good as all the others in the series!). As Grayson moved from object to object in my yard, he finally became facinated with our Ornamental Japanese Maple Tree. At first, he was just reaching up to hang onto the limbs; lifting his feet; saying “Look Mommy- I Monkey!” Not long after that he started walking around the tree, inspecting all of the branches. I knew what was coming next, so I ran inside for the video camera. Sure enough, when I returned he began to test standing on the bottom limb of the tree. Within 5 minutes he figured out how to climb up to the second branch. All the time exclaiming “I climbing tree Mommy!” and “CHEESE!” because he saw the camera. Once in the tree, he quickly jumped out and started the whole process again.
It is funny how proud I felt watching my little boy climb his first tree. You would have thought that he was going to the Olympics or Won the National Spelling Bee with how often I’ve told the story in the last few days. Grayson is so much fun at this age and I am constantly surprised at how quickly he learns. I try to catch each new “feat” he accomplishes- and celebrate each one before they rapidly pass away.
I did capture video of his first tree climb and will try to post it sometime soon. I have alot going on in the next few days-so it may not get posted until after the weekend.
Grayson-
You are now 2 and ¼ years old. You weigh slightly less than 30 pounds and your back molars are finally beginning to peek through. Your allergies returned with the blooming plants, as well as the heat rash that arrived with the rising temperatures.
You have reached a number of psychological and emotional milestones in the past three months. You talk more than ever before- and mostly in sentences now. Your favorite phrases are “no way!” and “boozsh” (a sound effect that Pop-Pop taught you). You can and do repeat everything you hear which means that Daddy is finally learning to alter his vocabulary. On the occasions that he makes a mistake- you kindly remind him by saying “Watch you mouf Daddy.” You can name most types of trucks-but love heavy machinery the most. When in the car you spend your time identifying transportation, pointing out bridges and antennas, and looking for colors. You can identify your colors well- with black being the most difficult one for you. You have learned the shapes: circle, oval, heart, rectangle, diamond, and triangle. You refuse to believe that a square is not a rectangle- so we are still working on that shape.
You have become much more independent. We officially said good bye to the paci at bed time and the amount of time you spend in time out has lessened dramatically. You finally figured out the importance of listening to Mommy and Daddy and will now obey versus sitting by yourself for two minutes. You insist on putting your sandals on by yourself and you like to pick out which shirt you wear each day. Of course you prefer all shirts with truck and tractors on them. You choose your breakfast in the mornings and help with its preparations. You continue to love all fruits- with watermelon being your favorite lately. It’s hard to believe- but you will actually choose fruit over eating cookies and cake!
You have also shown improvement at school. You are one of the oldest kids in your class and you have definitely assumed the leader role. Your teachers say that you always sit at the head of the table and you love to join in the activities. You even received the Gold Star Award in you class-which is given to kids when they have had an exceptional week. With the development of your language you have gotten much better at sharing- or at least telling your friends who’s turn it is! We have even seen your sharing skills here at home. I often watch you in amusement as you bring Ozzy your favorite Back-hoe Loader and books, leaving them between his two paws.
Your physical skills have also continued to advance in the past three months. You have found great fun in walking backwards and have figured out how to kick a ball. You can manage the stairs- both up and down- by yourself, although you are not allowed on the stairs without supervision. You can do a somersault and actually prefer to do them in the nude after bath. Not exactly a photo opportunity, but still lots of fun!
You took your first swimming lessons this summer- which were not completely successful. You spent most of the time in the pool with a death grip around my neck shouting “no mommy” or “hold me mommy”. After forcing you to let go of my neck you did jump in a few times and if I distracted you well enough I could even dunk your head under the water. I was surprised with your reaction to the lessons since you love visiting the Waddell’s pool next door. I do not know if it was being surrounded by unfamiliar people or if the water was too cold- but I can honestly say that you did not like swimming lessons. Maybe next year.
I will say that one thing that you did enjoy this summer was your visit up to Ohio in June. You were able to stay at your cousin Riley’s house and the two of you were quickly best friends. Your personalities are very similar. You both have a wild, mischievous side and you both enjoy looking for bugs and playing with trucks. If only the two of you lived closer.
This summer was also the first time that Daddy and I left you for more than two nights. While we went on a “parents only” trip for six days, you reveled in the company of your Nagy. She cooked all your favorite meals, fed you your first ice cream cone, and even taught you a few new songs. To be honest you really didn’t miss us too much- thanks to your wonderful Nagy. There is a cute story about your reaction once we got home. (Check it out here.)
Well, this summer has passed in a flash. I am not sure where the last three months have gone. We have filled the last 90+ days with your first outing to a zoo, a trip to the mountains, a visit to Ohio, quality time with your grandparents- MiMi, Nagy, & Pop Pop, and your first 4th of July parade. I have enjoyed this summer break more than any break before…and all because of you. You are so fun at this age and I love to be around you. I love to secretly watch you play with your toys- making dinner for your Pooh bear or telling your Brown Bear to go to sleep. I love how you try to sing Ba Ba Black Sheep (your very first song) and I am constantly amazed at how alert you are- seeing tractors that I would never notice. You are sweet and kind and loud and boisterous. You are full of energy and filled with love. You can be rambunctious one minute and sweet and cuddly this next. You are my pride and joy. Grayson, you are the most amazing child and I honestly do love you more and more each day.
Love,
Mommy
(You retired Mama this month too.)
Last week, Tim and I went on our very first “Parents Only” vacation. I say first- because I hope that there will be more in the future! I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it was to have my spouse just to myself. Since Grayson’s birth, we have only BOTH been away from him on 3 nights…and those were not consecutive. So to leave for 6 fulls days was something of a challenge, to say the least. Tim’s mom, who is called Nagy (pronounced “Nudgie” which is short of Grandmother in Hungarian) agreed to stay at our house and do the baby sitting. I can’t begin to tell you how lucky we are to have Nagy and Pop-Pop living so close to us now. Without them, I would not have been brave enough to leave for so long. And to leave the country at that….
It’s funny how I spent more time getting things ready for Grayson than I actually spent packing for my own trip. I made countless trips to the grocery store to make sure I had all of his favorite goodies. I wrote out a three page note on his schedule, where to find food, nap times, bed time routine, etc. I stocked the freezer full of meals from “Dinner Done”. We prepared a Will, cleaned the house, stocked up on more than enough diapers, wipes, etc. I printed out maps to Grayson’s daycare, wrote directions to his pediatrician. I pretty much tried to think of everything. Not that Nagy couldn’t have figured it out, but more because it set my mind at ease.
Anyhow, as expected, Grayson did very well in our absence. He ate like a horse, took great naps, and even started sleeping until 8 am again (since taking away the paci- he had been getting up at 6:45). Nagy is called the Baby Whisperer for a reason. She LOVES little ones and they, like-wise, LOVE her. I think spending 6 days together served as some bonding time for the two of them. Grayson has asked for her everyday since.
Tim and I were not sure what to expect from Grayson upon our return. By the time we got back from our vacation, Grayson was already in bed. So we had to wait for the morning to discover his reaction. When he woke up, he shouted out “Daddy” which is a bit unusual. He always shouted “Ma Ma” before. Anyhow, Tim and I raced upstairs as fast as possible. When we walked in the room- he seemed like his normal self. Bouncing in the crib, naming items around the room. Didn’t seem to notice that we had been missing for 6 days! However once we took him out of the crib, he proceeded to throw a tantrum. “No diaper change, mommy.” “No jammies on!”, “No powder!” “No shirt!” “No pants!” “no, no, no!” I pretty much put up with a major “No!” tantrum for about 30 minutes. It was almost as if he rememberd that we had left and wanted to let us know how mad he was at us! After the 30 minutes of two-year-old hell, he was back to hugs and kisses, tickling and laughing.
But the best thing happened tonight. After Daddy finished reading him a book before bed, Grayson sat on my lap in the rocking chair for our nightly songs. I asked him what song he wanted to hear- “ABCs” -and as I sang he laid his head down on my chest, facing me. (He usually just sits in my lap, with his back to my chest.) Anyhow as I got to the third line of the song “E,F,G”, Grayson sat up and planted a wet kiss on my lips. As I continued singing, he put his head back down. About three lines later ” L,M,N,O,P”, he sits up and repeats the kiss. And he does it again at the end of the song. I hug him and ask what song he wants to hear next. “Ba Ba Sheep” So I start singing and what do you know- he does the cute kiss thing all the way through that song too! And again for our final song “The wheels on the TRUCK go round and round.” (FYI-we sing truck instead of bus because Grayson prefers trucks.) When I finished the truck song he sat up again and this time puts his arms around my neck and says in the softest, sweetest voice: “my mommy.” I tear up and say “Yes, I am Grayson’s mommy.” He plants another kiss on my lips and again says “my mommy”.
I couldn’t have said it any better. Yes, Grayson I am your mommy and I missed you too. Just ask Daddy.
I have said for the past two months that Grayson would be getting rid of the paci as soon as the arrival of my summer break. I have considered many ways of getting rid of the paci “cold turkey” (from giving it away to an infant to Grayson trading it in for a toy at a store). In the end- D-Day arrived and we had not found an oppotunity to officially say bye bye to his favortie night time vice. So last night, I decide to try a gentle weaning instead. This solution was actually from his pediatrician. The idea is to cut just the tip off the paci and then every few days cut another section off until eventually there is nothing left but the handle.
So last night we went through our normal routine- reading a story with Daddy, singing three songs in the rocking chair with mom, then placing him in his crib. As usually, Grayson grabbed all of his sleeping necessities- his blue tag blanket, his Thomas pillow, and his blue paci. He popped the paci (now with the tip removed) into his mouth, got a funny look on his face, pulled it back out, examined it and explained “paci broke, mama!” I examined it, tried it out for myself, said that I thought is was ok and handed it back. He tried it out one more time and again insisted that the paci was broke. I offered another paci, again with the tip removed. He gave that one a try, threw it out of the crib, and said “Y ucky paci, mama!” I simply told him I was sorry, put the two paci’s back in his crib, and left the room. He fell asleep within 15 mintues- so maybe this weaning will not be too bad.
He did much better than I thought last night. He didn’t get up once. The only change was that he woke up at 5:55 this morning. Yuck! When I went into his room- he held out both pacis and said- “Yucky paci mama. Broke!” So there you have the first night on getting rid of the paci. Send s0me prayers my way…I’m afraid that I may be in trouble tonight!
It has taken me a bit to post Grayson’s 24 month photos. Let’s just say that it is getting more and more difficult to get him to sit still for a picture. Click on the picture to see what I was able to capture. There are also few photos from his party at school. I brought popcicles to share with the class.
Tonight, as usual, I went through the routine of putting Grayson down for bed. After Daddy read him a book, I took him upstairs. He brushed his teeth and then we went through the ritual of kisses, hugs, “luv yous”, & finally”night, nights”. As I was straigtening his crib- the final step before the end of his day, he looked over my shoulder, started pointing toward the corner and said “ock een” over and over again. Of course I had no idea what “ock een” meant, so I placed him on the floor and asked him to “show me”. He marched over to the rocking chair, removed his giant teddy bear (as I told him- “no, you can’t sleep with the bear.”), began tapping the chair and said “No mama. Sit.” I obediently sat. He grabbed his blankets, climbed into my lap, said “ock een, Mama”, (rocking) and then laid his head on my shoulder. Then and there my heart melted. I rocked him and loved the fact that my independent two- year old could now demand that I cuddle with him. Maybe I love the terrible- twos after all!
Grayson,
Today you turned two years old. 731 days ago, I held you in my arms for the first time and cried. I couldn’t believe how perfect you were and I thanked God for creating such a miracle. With the first glimpse of your face I was smitten and knew that my life would never be the same. I counted each of your little fingers and kissed your tiny nose and stared in wonder. I had waited over 41 weeks to hold you in my arms, and even now, two years later, I can remember the amazement of that moment. It’s hard to put that moment into words; there were so many feelings running through my body; so many hopes and dreams wrapped around the day that you entered the world and officially became the center of the universe for Daddy and me.
In two years you have morphed from a tooth-less human larva into a walking, talking, independent replica of your father (minus all the body hair). You try to talk like him, walk like him, and often mimic the things that he does- like looking at pipes under the cabinet. Only a few days ago, I found you sitting at Daddy’s desk, typing away on your Bob-the- Builder laptop. You now prefer Daddy over me for a variety of activities- such as bedtime stories, & showers. I am still your favorite when it comes time for kissing boo-boos, fixing toys, and tucking you into bed. So I guess all is not lost…yet.
You now have a mouth full of teeth, a head full of hair, and a mind full of independent thoughts. In one year, you have gone from just learning to walk to running and jumping; from just starting to say “Mama” to now ordering us around (“Up Mama.” “Help, Dada”) and expressing your desires (“I want truck!”). You have fallen in love with the outdoors and would spend all day pushing around trucks and tractors in your sand box. Your independent ways haven’t been all good. They have landed you in time out for things like hitting or just being blatantly disobedient (which is obvious because you smirk at us when you know you are doing something wrong)! But the flip side is that you are exploring your boundaries and limits; which means that you are no longer a baby- but now a little boy.
So much has changed since this day two years ago; but one thing has remained constant-my love for you. You have made Daddy and me see the world from a whole new perspective and have caused our hearts to grow bigger than we ever knew was possible. With each spontaneous “love you mama” you melt my heart and nothing could mean more than feeling you snuggle your warm, cuddly body into mine while trying to catch a few last moments of sleep. So in two years, you are still the center of my world. My hopes and dreams have changed with you- but still I pray each day that God will make me into the best mother possible and that you know each and every day how much you mean to me.
Grayson, I love you more and more each day! Thank you for the past seven hundred thirty-one days.
Love,
Mama
Attempting to finish making a chocolate cheese cake by busying your almost-a-two-year- old for less than 60 seconds with licking the chocolate bowl…
Not A Very Good Idea!
Anyone else ever made this mistake???
So I just realized, that even though I gave an udate on Grayson two weeks ago, it has been at least three weeks since I have covered the major happenings of my life. So here we go:
Friday, March 28- My new patio was completed! It took them a day longer than we expected to get it finished and lucikly it was finished in time for a party we were throwing over the weekend.
Saturday, March 29- Tim and I co-hosted a couples bridal shower for by BFF- Carri and her fiance Dave. We had about 25 people over to our house and unfortunatley the weather turned cold and wet. We didn’t get to use the new patio as we hoped, but luckily we did have plenty of room inside. I was able to borrow a number of folding chairs and tables giving everyone enough room to eat dinner. The best part of the party was Carri and Dave playing a game of “Almost Newlyweds”. Dave completely over analyized every question while Carri just wrote down the 1st thing that came to her mind! It was too funny…and we learned alot about the two of then!
Monday, March 31- I car-pooled with my friend Anna all the way out to Iron Station for this month’s Girl’s Dinner Club. My very 1st NC friend- Katie- hosted and the food was declicious. I especially loved the coffee she made using a French Press. I think that I am going to have to get one of those things! Has anyone else ever used one?
Tuesday, April 1- I went back to work. I have really started enjoying working alot more lately. Of course I have been trying to figure out why I was in a funk a few months ago. Pretty much my job is exactly the same now as it was then. The only thing I can contribue it to is just the dreary winter weather…
Satuday, April 5-Tim’s parents officially moved to up from Florida. They now live about 15 minutes away from us. We are very excited to have them so near! Welcome to NC Mom Brun and GB!
Well, I think that covers it all. After two very busy weekend, I am looking forward to just relaxing for the next two day!
Grayson,
Only31 more days and you will finally be two! Who would believe that you would grow so fast? Certainly not me. It’s funny how I spend each month looking for milestones and yet I am still amazed at how quickly time seems to pass. This month was especially fast since it included a trip to Florida and had the Easter holiday included in it.
On the 13th of March, we flew down to Tampa for Carter and Wendy’s wedding. I am pretty sure that you had a great time- eating loads of junk food, missing naps, going to bed late, and oh yeah- participating as the ring bearer! And of course you also had Nagy and Pop Pop with us, who catered to your every demand. You were a hoot at the wedding, dancing like a machine, and even throwing in your newest move- sliding on your knees and then hoping forward on them too. (Think John Travolta!) The trip also included a visit from your Aunt Jennifer and Maw-Maw (thank you both for driving down) and a sleep over at Uncle Joe-Joe and Aunt Amy’s house. You were able to visit your new cousin Adler again and maybe next time you’ll find him a bit more fun. Right now he’s still to small to play with.
More recently, you celebrated your second Easter. You didn’t mind visiting the Easter Bunny at the mall and you were very excited about the basket that the bunny left on our hearth- especially the choo-choo and Blue. You were a champ at hunting eggs and actually won this year’s family contest…of course you were the only one hunting this year. But a win is a win in my opinion! It’s amazing how much you have changed since last Easter. Last year, you had just learned to walk and this year you went running from one egg to the next. Once you realized the game of looking for eggs, you had no problem spotting the next one.
Now this month hasn’t been all laughs and giggles. Unfortunately, this has also been the month that you have really gotten to know “time out”. We haven’t had to use it much at home, but after Daddy and I were asked to pick you up early from school for hitting your friends and teachers , we requested that they start really enforcing more severe consequences. After one week of using time-outs consistently, the hitting went away…at least for now. I know that you are almost two and that the spells will come and go. Our friend Katie (who is an expert on child development) says that the hitting is just a sign of you trying to communicate. So I am hoping that as your expressive abilities continue to grow that the hitting (and any other negative communication strategies you may aquire) will disappear! This month you started speaking in 2 to 3 word sentences most of the time- so I believe that we are on our way!
Going to the movies was another exciting adventure you experienced this month. Now we haven’t gone to the movies since Happy Feet when you were 7 months old. So this was something of a test to see how well you would do at the theater. You really enjoyed the previews- especailly the one for Speed Racer (imagine that- you watching fast cars!) and you did watch the first 20 minutes of the feature film- Horton Hears a Who. The truth is that you LOVED the popcorn. Once your little belly was full, you then lost interest in the movie. So you spent the next 70 minutes poping up and down in your seat, saying “hey” to other people in the theater, walking up and down our aisle to see Aunt Renee’ and Ella, tapping Kellynn on the shoulder, requesting other snacks out of our bag, throwing your “blankie”…and on occasion remembering to watch the movie. Whew! It was quite the experience for Mama too! I think that we may wait a little while before trying the movies again. Although I must admit that you did better that I really expected.
Now next month is sure to be another full one! We will be celebrating your birthday a little early with a combined party for you and Ella. (That way MiMi will only have to make the drive to NC once instead of twice in only a few weeks.) I can hardly believe that you will be two. So much has changed since you first entered my life. Its funny to compare the dreams that I had of you before you were born and how much my dreams have changed now that I see you little personality, your strengths, and your weaknesses. I love everything about you and can think of nothing that I would change. You are the perfect mix of both me and daddy combined in such a way that is uniquely you. You are the apple of my eye and the most wonderful gift I have ever received.
I love you more and more each day!
Love,
Mama
Yep. You read it right. Grayson was sent home today. Why? For kicking his teacher. Now you’re probably wondering WTF? Yeah we wondered the same thing.
The Asst. Director at Grayson’s school called me at 12:30 and said that Grayson needed to be picked up because he had been kicking his teacher. I was shocked- considering my child is 22 months old and in my opinion this would be considered normal toddler behavior. I mean- hello! Has anyone every heard of the terrible twos???? Anyhow, I couldn’t leave work, so Tim went to pick him up.
When Tim got there he had a conference with Grayson’s two teachers and the assistant director who told him that they have a policy of sending home children who continually hit and kick- especially if the consequences of time out do not seem to make a difference. According to his teachers he was hitting yesterday and kicking them today. Sometimes they would tell him no and he would say no, no, no back. Finally they put him in time out. In time out, he repeated no, no, no and/or laughed. That was when they decided he needed to go home. So Tim asked them what they wanted us to do. Their answer-1) Tim needs to be the head of the household and talk to Grayson about his behavior. (huh?) 2) Pray to God. 3) Read him a book about not hitting/kicking.
WTF???
When I got off work and Tim told me about his meeting, I was livid! I mean aren’t these people suppose to be experts on babies??? So of course I went in and asked to speak to the asst director. She was not there and so instead I spoke to the Director herself. After explaining to her that I work with kids Kg- middle school and that I have a Master’s degree in Psychology- she finally said that she wasn’t sure why Grayson was sent home. It is true that they have the policy about hitting and kicking, but that it is meant for older children. At 22 months, Grayson does not and will not understand being sent home. He thinks- Hey Dad’s here! Cool! In my opinion, he needs an immediate, consistent consequence. And if time out isn’t working, then figure out another time out spot. At home we have not problem with hitting or kicking and when he goes in time out- he screams the entire time. The Director agreed with me and is planning to meet with his teachers and figure out a better plan. I guess I will find out what the new plan is tomorrow.
So tonight we will be praying to God- but as I told the Director today, unless God is going to start issuing immediate, consistent consequences- then I am not sure that any of my prayers are going to make a difference.
So there you have it- Grayson’s first out of school suspension.
So again I say-
WTF?
Grayson,
Where did this month go? I swear that it has passed the quickest of them all! Or maybe it just seems like a blur because I’ve spent most of it chasing you. This month you learned to say “come on” (pronounced “mon” and used with a sweeping up-and-over arm motion) and you say it constantly. You want us to feed you: “mon eat” + hand motion toward the kitchen. You want to play basket ball: “mon buh ball” + hand motion running toward the goal. You want to go out side: “mon ou-si” + hand motion moving toward the door. You get the picture. If we do not listen the first time, you will choose one of two approaches: 1) repeat the request with a louder voice and bigger hand motion or 2) grab us by the hand and drag us to the requested location. I am pretty certain that you learned this new trick from your cousin Ella. She was telling you all about “come on” when you visited her house not too long ago. She’d tell you where to go and you followed her all over the place. Then, next thing we know you came home and started repeating it the next day. Too funny!
Speaking of funny, this month you have laughed over a million times over the game Hide and Seek. We started playing it a few weeks ago with Daddy. After putting on your pajamas, Daddy hides and then we search around the room looking for him. You have gotten really good at guessing where he might be and you giggle everytime you’ve discovered where he has hidden. This past week, you decided to start hiding too! You have declared some of Daddy’s best hiding places as your own- such as under the crib, in the closet, and behind the curtain. The funniest part is that before we even have a chance to begin looking for you, your laugh gives you away. And as if those elfish giggles weren’t enough to give away your hiding spot, you only give us 3 seconds before you peak you head out and wave “mon” before hiding again. I think that we are going to have to keep working with you on the strategy for the game- but strategic or not- we have a blast playing it!
In the past 31 days you have learned to put two and three words together. I believe that it began with you saying “Dada truck” and has now progressed to you giving us commands- “move Mama” or “more milk peas”. You boss Ozzy around- “Beep, beep Ozzy” and are working on your color words “boo tractor”. You can identify a circle and a heart and are working on naming your other shapes. Your cartoon repertoire has expanded to include Thomas and Friends (aka- “choo choo”) and Bob the Building (aka- “tractor”) although you still love to watch Blue’s Clue’s.
Now in your opinion, the coolest thing that you learned this month- better than saying sentences or learning how to hide- was learning how to hop. You have been working on this movement for quite sometime, but is wasn’t until a few weeks ago that you finally figured out how to propel youself forward. The look on your face was priceless- determination mixed with amazement- so glad that you had finally discovered how to hop like a bunny. So now when you get excited you jump around the house and often yell to us “Mon jump!” I have attached a little video highlighting your latest moves and I hope you know that Daddy and I are proud of your determination. There are so many things about you that make us proud…so many things that we can’t help but brag about to anyone who will listen.
Each day I look and realize something new about you. And so I aim to caputre each fleeting glimpse because I know that they will not last for long. I want to remember everything about being your mom and having you as my son. Already I forget how tiny you were in my arms at birth and the memories of you waking every 4 hours at night have also faded. So from this month, I want to remember you reciprocating a raspberry on my stomach and thinking is was hilarious. I want to remember the sound of your voice as you make the animal sounds when I sing Old MacDonald’s Farm- usually intermingled with giggles. I want to remember hearing you call my name first thing in the morning and feeling your hands tighen around my neck when we walk up the stairs before bed. I want to remember it all! Grayson, you are such a wonderful gift in my life and pray that I never take you for granted. So as always, thank you for another special month.
I love you more and more each day!
Love,
Mama
Grayson,
Today you are 21 months old and seem to quickly be approaching your 2nd birthday. You are steadily turning from baby to boy and I often watch in amazement as you learn to say something new or accomplish a task that the day before you could not master. You’ve developed a love for Blue’s Clues which you call “blue blue” complete with a self-made sign- your 2 hands near your head, facing outward, opening and closing twice. You are working on learning the words to the songs on the cartoon as well as the hand motions.
You enjoyed another trip to Florida by airplane this month and enjoyed staying at your Nagy and Pop Pop’s house. You visited with a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins and even got to see your Great Grandma and Great Grandpa who you haven’t seen in over a year. You enjoyed being baby sat by Pop Pop and was kind enough to reward him for his hard work with a massive poop! Ahh the joys of babyhood!
A new love of crayons surfaced this month. You could color and draw all day if we let you and of course we already had to set a few rules. You “accidently” colored on the wall in you play room- so now your coloring acitivites must be supervised and the crayons are not allowed to leave the table. The new rules seem to suit you just fine. Especially since you like for Daddy and me to draw pictures with you. While coloring, you like to hog all the crayons, putting as many as you can hold in one hand and refusing to share. You’ve learned the word “mine” (although you say “mines”) this month and say it over and over when we ask for one of the colors that you are hoarding. In the past you have shown a preference for your left hand, but since you have started coloring you now to seem to use the right hand more frequently.
You love to be outside and love all things to do with sports. You will stop anything you’re doing (including watching Blues Clues) for a promised trip outdoors. You are good at putting on your jacket with help and will often bring your socks and shoes. For Christmas you recieved a t-ball stand and a basketball set from your Aunt Jennifer. When outside you love to play with the t-ball set and have found that almost any type of ball will balance on top of the stand. Even better, you discovered that all balls will go flying when you hit them with the bat! Inside you love to play with the basketball and in my opinion- you’ve got a pretty good arm for being so little!
In your 21st month, you expanded your food favorties. You love oranges (you say “onzhhh”) and would eat two or three a day if we let you. You also continue to love apples- although they have taken a back seat to your new fruit favorite. Daddy has spoiled you with ice cream every night after dinner. As he prepares a bowl for the two of you to share, you often stand at his feet, clapping your hands, spinning circles, shouting “I May, I May”- your way of saying ice cream!
So another month has passed and as I looked back on the photos I took of you for this post, it hit me just how big you are getting. Long gone are the chubby legs and arms and the tiny baby body that I could easily fit onto my lap. Instead I now have a toddler who is working on his independence- but luckily still loves to hug, kiss, and cuddle. One of my favorite memories from this past month was when completely on your own, you stopped playing with your puzzles walked over to me, grabbed my face and planted a slobbery wet kiss on my lips. I rewarded you with tickles and kisses and thought how happy I am that you are growing up and are able to express your love for me now! I’m looking forwad to a thousand more of your spontaneous kisses and hope you know that I love each and everyone of them!
Grayson, I love you more and more each day!
Always,
Mama
Grayson,
I think the word “no” best sums up this month of your life. You have now decided that “No” is the correct answer to any question we ask you…and I do mean any question!
Do want Milk? No.
Juice? No.
Will you kiss mommy? No.
Let daddy hold you? No.
Time for bed? No.
Want candy? ummmm (almost got you on that one!)
No, no, no. It is your favorite thing to say and it is taking alot of patience on the part of mommy and daddy to understand that you are learning your independence as well as the meaning of this very important word. You see you will say No even though you really mean yes. For example: I ask you if you want Milk and you say no and then I say Ok- no milk, but you really want milk…Well then you proceed to throw a tantrum on the floor complete with screaming and kicking yourself in a circle. There is a part of me that laughs at this behavior, but there is another part of me that is waiting for you to learn that by saying “yes”- you aren’t giving into us- you are making a decision for yourself. Maybe next month will be the month of “yes”! Now, I do not mean to make it sound as if all of the “No” stuff is bad. There is a funny side to it. See on the occasions when we ask for a kiss or ask if you love us- you will say no- but then you will throw your head back in extreme laughter- chuckling at yourself. I guess that you know how rediculous it is to answer no to questions like that!
Besides the word no, you have really started working on some of your other language skills too. You are now babbling unintelligible sentences- usually while you are playing by yourself or when you are talking to Ozzy. You now recognize and say the names of almost all of you family members- even those that live in Florida and that we do not get to see very often, and you have begun to use 2 word combinations. Now the last feat takes some prodding- but you will do it. You have learned to say please (”peas”)when you really, really want something (although you will pitch a fit if we require you to say it) and will often say thank you (”day-doo”) when reminded. One of the things I appreciate the most this month is that you have learned to tell us when you have gone #2. You will walk up to us, grab you bottom, and say “poop, poop, poop” until we agree to change the diaper.
This month you have fallen in love with Christmas lights (which you call “tee”- as in christmas tree) and get excited anytime you see a picture of Santa. No matter how tiny the ornament or photo- you will point at it, jump up and down, and shout “ho,ho, ho”. You didn’t mind sitting on Santa’s lap this year- at least not until you go a good look at him and even then you didn’t cry. You just gave a look that said- “You’d better get me NOW or I am really going to embarass you!” As for presents, it took a couple before you fully understood the paper ripping tradition. But once you opened a few, you really got into it. Of course, it was rather unfair that we would let you open a present and then take the new toy away so that you could open another. You recieved so many presents this year (thank you everyone) that by Christmas morning you were finally tired of opening gifts. On the very last gift from mommy and daddy, you refused to rip the paper and instead threw one of those affore described tantrums…definitely gift overload.
Other highlights of this month include losing the tube in your left ear, receiving a kitchen set from Santa, visiting with all of your family (including a bunch from Florida) at Christmas, re-learning to sleep late on the weekends (thank you, thank you, thank you), and no longer resisting the brushing of your teeth. My favorite part has been spending last 8 days with you and daddy. It isn’t very often that both Daddy and I have this much time off from work and getting to spend it together with you has been amazing. We have gone shopping, chased each other around the house, spent numerous hours tickling each other, built towers out of blocks, raced cars around the floor, watched your favortie Noggin TV shows…the fun has gone on and on. It is on occasions like this that I sometime regret that I work and that every week isn’t spent like this. But about the time I begin thinking those thoughts, you make it obvious how much you miss the routine of being at school, and learning to socialize with your friends. You love your teachers and all of the boys and girls in your class, and even if I didn’t work, I am not sure that I could rob you of those experiences without a guilty conscious. I guess the truth is that the last 8 days have felt so special because it isn’t our normal routine. It has felt like a wonderful gift and I am thankful for it. I know I say this often, but it is true! Grayson, you are the most amazing part of my life and I love you more and more each day.
Love Always-
Mommy
*Tim and I took Grayson to the mall to see Santa today. We got there as soon as they opened and avoided all the long lines! Grayson didn’t seem to mind Santa- but he wasn’t too sure of him either. Once Grayson got a good look at him, that was when he finally looked back to me and Tim with a look that said, “You had better get me now, before I start to scream.” We got a few photos and avoided any melt downs!
*After spending three weeks looking for office furniture, we finally bit the bullet and purchased a set. We purchased an executives desk for Tim and I have an enitre wall unit to house all of the hobbies and crafts that I get busy working on.
*Speaking of crafts, I am considering switching to digital scrapbooking. Anyone else out there made the switch? My biggest questions are: What program do you use? How do you print your pages/scrapbooks? I am so sick of all the clutter that comes with scrapbooking. And going digital seems like it would be less time consuming too. Any suggestions out there?
* I have finally put up my Christmas Tree. I am only 2 weeks late, but hey- at least it’s up. It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes before Grayson attacks my tree. Maybe he’ll do better than I expect?
* I have completed all of my Christmas cards. I sealed all the envelopes and have placed them in the mailbox for pickup. I am ahead of schedule on those this year!
I started my Christmas shopping this weekend with Renee’. This is a bit later than I usually start, but I am hoping to get alot more done later this week. I bought a few things on-line this year and liked it so much that I hope to do most of next year’s shopping that way!
* I am totally addicted to Craig’s List. I love to search it everyday. Looking for furniture, toys for Grayson… Anyone else addicted?
*Last, but not least, this week Grayson has begun telling us when he has gone #2. He will walk up to us, grab his butt and say “poop”. Too funny.
Grayson-
19 months has now passed. Where does the time go? This month we moved into our new house. You have done well with the change in scenery- except for no longer sleeping late in the mornings. I’m not sure how much the time change is to blame or the fact that you sleep in a different room. All I know is that every weekend morning you are getting up at 7 am and driving me and your father CRAZY!!!! We love to sleep in on weekend mornings and you are making it very difficult. Luckily, you are incredibly cute and fun to be around when you first get up. Yes, those adorable smiles and deep belly laughs have saved you from certain death this month!
You celebrated two holidays during your 19th month of life: Halloween and Thanksgiving. For Halloween, we dressed you as a lobster. You refused to wear the hood while trick-or-treating, but people could still tell what you were dressed up as. At first you were not too sure of what to do, but after some lessons from mom and dad- you quickly figured it out. You do not talk well enought to say “trick-or-treat”. Instead you just lifted you little bucket and waited for the candy to drop. You and Jack had a great time and LOVED riding in the wagon, eating your candy!
For Thanksgiving, you went to Florida to visist all of your grandparents and other family members who live in the sunshine state. This was your 2nd trip riding on a plane and you loved watching the planes take off and land at the terminal. You’d jump up and down, bang on the glass, and shout “bane, bane”. Riding on the plane, on the other hand, was not quite as fun. Luckily I purchased enough snacks, new books, toys, and movies to keep you occupied for the entire 1.5 hour ride to Tampa and back. To be honest, you did better on the plane than I expected! Once in Florida, you visited your Uncle Joe, Aunt Amy, and their dog Ollie. You kept calling Ollie “Ozzy” the entire time which I thought was pretty funny. After Joe and Amy’s, we visited MiMi and Aunt Jennifer, where we had our first Thanksgiving dinner. Then the next day we were on to Paw-Paw and Nana’s house. We celebrated our 2nd Thanksgiving dinner at Maw-Maw’s house where you were able to meet you cousin Kyler for the very first time. Nagy and GB Pops were there too as well as a number of older second and third cousins who enjoyed meeting you! As for the dinner, you loved the turkey and sweet potatoes (as expected) but preferred the pickles over everything else! Not a typical thanksgiving side- but one you love just the same!
Next month you’ll celebrate Christmas and, lucky you, your Nagy, GB Pops, Mimi, Maw-Maw, Aunt Jennifer, and Uncle Joe are also coming up for a visit. There really are a lot of people in this world who love you! I think that we are all lucky to have you in our lives. Thank you for another 31 days of hugs, kisses, jabbering, and laughter. You have made the last 579 days of my life amazing.
I love you more and more each day!
Love- Mommy
And no, I do not mean Mono…that was last month! Instead I am talking about this adorable lobster:
To celebrate the holiday, we went to Marc and Kate’s house for trick-or-treating. They have the perfect neighborhood for candy gathering. Lots of nice houses and nice neighbors. We only made it to about 7 houses before we were exhausted. Grayson and his cousin Jack had a great time and by the end they were really getting into the candy gathering.. Grayson appreciated the twizzlers the most! Funny thing about the costume…when I bought it a month ago, Grayson enjoyed wearing it. Then last night he decided he hated it and refused to wear the hood (which is the cutest part of the costume). I tricked him into a few photos this evening by giving him pieces of twizzlers. I told you he loved that candy!
Grayson,
You are now one and a half years old. It’s funny to think of how much you have changed since this time last year. Last October, you had just mastered sitting unassisted and was just learning how to get up on your hands and knees. Now you are running all over the place, getting better at jumping, and on one occasion this month climbing onto the couch completely by yourself. One year ago, you were amazed by your feet and had just started to babble. Now, you know many of your body parts (although belly button is your absolute favorite) and you seem to increase your vocabulary every day. This month you added down, truck, tractor, all done, moo, and Joe to your list of commonly used words. Twelve months ago, you only had 2 bottom teeth. Now your mouth is full; you finally got in those 6 teeth that were surfacing last month. You now successfully drink from a cup without a lid, and love to eat using forks and spoons.
My favorite milestone this month is without a doubt when you learned how to kiss! Real kisses too! Complete with a pucker and a “smack” at the end. See Daddy and I have been trying to teach you to kiss us for months. Sometimes if we first kissed each other, then you would mimic the kiss, but for the most part you would usually just lean your cheek toward us. Then the most amazing thing happened this past week. As I was holding your hand leaving school, you pulled my fingers to your precious little lips and kissed them! Complete with a “smack” noise. I stopped walking and looked down at you and said “did you kiss me?” You responded by puckering up and smacking your lips. I bent down and said, “Grayson give mommy a kiss.” You then puckered up, leaned in, and planted a wet one right on my lips. Since that day, you will now kiss on command. I ask for them all the time and love each and everyone! Who knew how excited I would get about baby slobber on my face!
At the begining of October, I went away for my annual Girl’s Weekend. I missed you tons and couldn’t wait to get home and see you. You and Daddy stayed home and had a guys weekend. Unfortunately, you were both sick. You caught Crytospoidiosis the week before and then on top of that caught Hand, Foot, and Mouth Virus the day before I left. As usual, being sick didn’t get you down. From what I understand, you still had a great time hanging out with Daddy… especially since Daddy has been so busy lately.
See Daddy has been working very hard the past 6 months to build us a brand new house. It has been very stressful on all of us, but especially Daddy who often complains about how sad he feels about not having as much time to spend with you. But the new house will be finished in only a few more days, and then you will have your old Daddy back. I told Daddy that sometimes it’s ok to show your love by doing something wonderful for the people who mean the most to you and pretty soon we will look back on the last 6months and appreciate all of his hard work and sacrifices. Grayson, I think you already know this, but it’s worth reiterating. In my opinion, you have the most wonderful daddy in the entire world!
The building of our new home is only one example of the many ways he demonstrates his love for you. I know that you may not remember this in a few years, but your Daddy is the one who gets you up in the morning, picks out your clothes (that do not always match), feeds you breakfast, and drives you to school each day. You have two specific books that you like him to read- the Truck book and the Bug book; and anytime he sits down, you bring those over to him. You love to touch his stubbly beard and enjoy even more touching his chin on the days when he has shaved. When we go outside to play, you always run to his workshop, knocking on the door, looking for him. You mimc the things he does and says and it is obvious to me how much your look up to and admire your dad.
So on your 18 month birthday, I want you to know that Daddy and I admire you too. Each day with you reminds us of how lucky we are and we count each moment as an amazing and special gift. There are many days that I wish that I could slow down time and freeze the moments; keeping our other obigations from interrupting our time together. Watching you grow up reminds us that our days are numbered and pretty soon you will no longer be our little baby. I pray that we make the most of the days when Daddy and Mommy are your “whole world” and that we build a stong and happy family that learns to depend on and appreciate each other.
I love you more each and everyday.
Love-
Mama
Who knew that such a tiny slip of paper would make our hearts burst with joy? It was such a relief to pass our final inspection on the house today. Now we can have the power and water officially turned on at the house! No more county hoops to jump through; just a few more touch-up details and it will be time to move in!
I guess that I cannot completly explain how relieved we were about today’s inspection until I first explain the ordeal we went through in the past week. Starting last week, we began battling with the county about a mistake that THEY made when we were first issued our permit. In a nutshell, back in April they tried to count attic space (which we could one day finish into a bonus room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom) as unheated living space. I spoke to the guy (in May) who issued our permit who said that the attic space would be counted that way because we would need to insulate it. He also said that if that did not turn out to be the case, then to just call and he would issue a reimbursement for the additional permitting cost and changed the square footage. So last week, I called to have the change made. Of course the guy I originally spoke to has now retired. I explained to his boss the situation, who told me we had two options. 1) In order to get a reimbursement on the extra permitting fees ($250), I would have to apply for a new permit (which of course would include some processing fees). or 2) He could manually change the square footage numbers in the computer, but no reimbursement would be given. Tim & I discussed it and decided to just have them change the numbers on our original permit. Apparently this then threw up “red flags”. The county put a hold on our permit and sent out an inspector to measure our square footage. (I guess they were afraid that we might be trying to cheat the government.) This inspection on square footage prevented us from requesting our final inspection until yesterday.
Then yesterday, our normal building inspector did not show up. Instead we had a substitute. The sub inspector was nice, but “by the code book” and pointed out a few things that if he did the inspection, he would fail us on. We decided to cancel the inspection and request one for the next day, in hopes that our normal inspector would be back at work. See our normal inspector has been very accommodating and a few of the big things that were out of code were situations that the inspector had agreed to “work with us on”. (Translation- agreed to overlook when it came to getting our Final Inspection.) When we found out today that our normal building inspector was going to be out of town ALL week, Tim and I (especially Tim) felt a bit stressed. So today, I ended up leaving work in order to help Tim get the house in “code”. We had to put railing up on the back porch, caulk a few holes in the garage, and insulate our attick stairs. The hard work paid off and we passed the inspection.
On a funny note, I guess the county is still concerned that we are going to finish those attic spaces with out pulling a permit. As you can see on the inspection notice at the top, the inspector did mention those spaces.
Last but not least, Grayson did the most heart melting, wonderful thing today. I was holding his hand as we were leaving his school, when he pulled my fingers to his precious little lips and kissed them! Kissed Them! Complete with a “smack” noise. I stopped walking and looked down at him and said “did you kiss me?” He responded by puckering up and smacking his lips. I bent down and said, “Grayson give mommy a kiss.” He then puckered up, leaned in, and planted a wet one right on my lips. Now how many of you can remember the day when your kid kissed you for the first time? I mean a real kiss? See we’ve been asking for kisses for as long as I can remember and usually Grayson will turn his head- leaving his cheek for you to kiss. Not once has he ever realized that he should be the one giving the kisses. That is until today.
I swear that kid knows just how to melt my heart!
Bare with me here. Only 2.5 weeks until the house is finished….
Since last week, the hard wood floors are now finished and the front door is hung. We passed our plumbing inspection and our well water passed the county test. Today they are putting in the carpet and we are suppose to have our fireplace inspection. This is our last inspection before we have the Final Inspection and try to get our Certificate of Occupancy (CO). We are trying to schecule the final inspection for later this week. There are still a few last details that are necessary to pass the inspection (screening on the back porch, hand rails on the back steps, and the built in shelves under the staircase. Now that is not to say that the house is completely finished. After we get the CO there will still be a list of things to be finished before we move in. Most of them are things that Tim is building himself (the front porch columns, the kitchen island, the mantel), but there is also paint touch-up, landscaping, and the installation of a few light fixtures that have been on back order.
It has finally dawned on me that my days are numbered at my current house. I ought to be packing boxes instead of writing this blog right now!
~Speaking of my current house, I forgot to mention that we have a contract on it. The closing is scheduled for October 30 and we are planning to rent the house back for 1 week in order to give us time to move out. We a relief to not be worried about that!
~Grayson is now free of the Cryptosporidiosis and the HFM virus he had last week. Whew!
~I caught a cold this week and have been scared to death that I had cuaght Tim’s mono. I haven’t had any of the other Mono symptoms though and now my cold is finally going away, so I guess that I am in the clear. It sucks having a spouse that you can’t kiss!
~This weekend we had a blast visiting with lots of family who traveled up to NC for the NASCAR race. My mom, sister, and grandmother drove up from Florida. Tim’s dad, mom, brother, and sister-in-law also came in from Florida, although they flew. And then we also got to hang out with Tim’s Aunt and Uncle from Ohio- who came down with two of their daughters and four of their grandchildren. It was awesome to see everyone, although the time passed way to quickly and I wish that I could have spent more time with each of them.
You can view photos of the house and this weekend by clicking HERE.
Ok, so aparently, I am back to only posting once a week. With the final preperations of the new house underway, I am struggling to find the time to write about all of my daily happenings.
~As for the house, we passed our electrical and mechanical inspections and are waiting to get the other two (plumbing and fireplace) inspections completed. The kitchen backsplash, fireplace surround, door hardware, driveways/sidewalks, closet shelving, and staircase trim are complete. Today they will start the finishing process of the hardwood floors and will hang our front door. I get so excited everytime I walk into the house. It looks almost ready to move in!
~We are waiting to get back the results of the Grayson’s last Cryptosporidium test. We sent it in on Thursday and should get the results anyday. I am hoping that it is gone and I can quit being so crazy with the peroxide. On the same note, Grayson also caught Hand, Foot, and Mouth virus at daycare last week. Tim was especially happy since he had to babysit Grayson all weekend. Since Grayson caught the virus they were required to stay home, just the two of them the entire time. Small house + Tim= Insanity. poor thing!
~In my last post, I mentioned that Tim had not been feeling well for almost a month. After numerous office visits and blood test, he was finally diagnosed as having Mono. That’s just awesome since Mono is very contagious and since he had it for almost a month undiagnosed, I am pretty sure my chances of catching it are great. As of right now, I am feeling ok. Between Tim and Grayson I am considering wearing a SARs mask around here!
~This weekend I went on my Girls Weekend to Helen Georgia. I finally get to mark Oktoberfest off my list of “Life To Dos”. I had an awesome time and couldn’t have picked a better group to spend the weekend with. We had a great mix of hard-core partiers and laid back drinkers. I laughed alot and made lots of great memories. I am already thinking about Girls Weekend 2008. ANy suggestions on where to go?
So what’s been going on in the last week????
~I am off on my fall break for the week and am so excited! Too bad Tim has planned all kinds of things for me to do while I am off from work.
~Yesterday, we recieved a call from the health department telling us that Grayson tested positive for the water-born illness Cryptodporidiosis Apparently a little girl in Grayson’s class got it while swimming in a pool. Beacuse it is very contagious, the health department took a stool sample from every kid in the class (and the teachers) in order to prevent an outbreak. Grayson and one other kid have tested positive. This is a surprise since he has not had any diarrhea-which is suppose to be horrendous with this illness. I am very thankful about that; especially since there is no treatment for the parasite. You just have to let it run its course (usually 2 weeks) and try not to reinfect yourself. Now, since the parasite is resistent to chlorine and most other sanitzers- I have had to clean down all surfaces with peroxide. I also have to be very consciencoius about washing my hands after diaper changes. I guess they will take another stool sample at the end of the week and every week thereafter until the organizim no longer shows up in his BM. Having children can be such fun! Anyone else out there ever catch Crypto? I had never heard of it until now.
~Grading was done around the new house this past weekend and will be finished up by the end of this week. They are pouring our driveway and sidewalks today. The electrical, mechanical, and plumbing final inspections should occur by Friday, and if those pass, we will apply for our Certificate of Occupancy (CO) around the first of next week. Installation of the door hardware, fireplace mantle and surround, and kitchen backsplash are on the calendar for this week too. The house is coming together!
~Tim has not been feeling well for the past three weeks. His symptoms change every few days- nausea, sleeplessness, low grade temperature, indegestion, achiness, chest cold, snot. He has been to the doctor 3 times in the past two weeks and they have still not figured out what is wrong with him. They are thinking that he has just caught a long-term virus- but we are still waiting on the blood work to confirm that assumption. I think that all the stress from the house is finally getting to him. He has started to feel better within the last couple of days, so hopefully the sickness is behind him. I can tell that he is back to his old self, since he is becoming very picky about the house again…
~On Friday, I leave to go to Oktoberfest in Helen, Ga on a girls only weekend. I am very excited and cannot wait to leave. Usually in the fall I go on a Girls Weekend to Savannah Ga. Unfortunately the group of friends from Florida who I usually meet there decided to plan their trip for Ft. Lauderdale this year. Since that was too far for me, I decided to plan my own Girls Weekend. Viola-GWE2007 was born. We have 21 ladies reserved to go and I am certain that we are going to have a great time. I wish that I could have seen my Florida friends too- but oh well. Maybe next year, they will move thier trip back further north!
~My friend Katie sent me this survey to take which tells you which presidential candiate your values most closely align. Apparently, I should vote for former Senator Fred Thompson from Tennessee (R). I’d never heard of him until now. So according to the Candidate Calculator- who should you watch???
~ Last but not least, I thought that I would share two of my top purchases this week:
1. I just bought these jeans from Old Navy. I believe that they have revamped thier sizes because for some unknown reason I no longer wear a size 10 (which I have worn for 9 years) but now wear a size 8! How genius of thier designers to make thier clothes run bigger! Of course, I will now have to purchase all pants from them. I mean who doesn’t like to fit into a size smaller than you normally wear!!!
2. I LOVE dark chocolate and I LOVE peanut M&Ms- so it is no wonder that I double LOVE Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms! Why did it take them so long to make this product??? Has anyone else out there tried these yet? They are delicious!
Last night must have been a fluke because tonight Grayson has woken back up and is insisting on crying until one of us gives in a picks him up. I am now up to 47 minutes of a modified Ferber Method and I think that he has finally given up the fight. Since we ferberize by letting him cry for 5 minutes and then checking on him-that means I have been in his room 8 times so far! That kid is persistent. I’ll give him that! And let’s be honest. It took a lot of self control to not just give in and love on that baby!
Opps, he’s back up and it’s time for me to check….
Grayson,
Your 17th month has been filled with both ups and downs. To be honest, I am glad that this month is over, so that we can be on to bigger and better things!
The month started with a cold which then turned into an ear infection plus raspy cough. You whined and cried, refused to eat much, woke upon frequently through out the night, and finally when you began to run a temperature, I took you to the doctor. The doctor confirmed the infection- but also gave us a bit of other news…you had 6 new teeth surfacing. One of which was covered in a purple, puffy bruise the size of a blueberry. YIKES! No wonder you were such a pill.
Since then, the cold has gone away and three of your teeth have made it all the way through your gums. Some of your molars are still in the process of surfacing- but I think the worst is behind us…that is if you do not count the nasty habit you have gotten into during the middle of the night. See when you had the cold, you had trouble breathing while lying down. You would cry out and then Daddy or I besought with pitty, would pick you up and rock you back to sleep. I guess that you found our middle of the night rockings to be a wonderful treat, because even though your cold is long gone, you are still trying to manipulate us into comforting you. It isn’t that we do not want to hold and rock and kiss you….just not at 2 am. In the past three weeks, I can think of only 3 nights when we did not have to trapse up the 13 stairs to your room and at the very least pat your back. Last night was one of those amazing nights. Perhaps you have again learned how to comfort yourself, since I did start back in on the “Ferberizing” two nights ago.
Now, so far I have touched on the low parts of this month. I want to remind you that I said that your 17th month was also filled with highs. The best part for me was that you have decided to start using your expressive language skills. You now say “Ma Ma” all the time in order to get my attention (you were doing this before- but very sparodicly). You say “up” when you want to be held. You can say “apple”, “no, no, no” (with a pointed, waving finger), “juice”, “bane” (for plane) and “Da Da”. You are also getting better with your sign language. You will sign: More, thank you, eat, and all done.
The best part is that even with your limited vocabulary, you are getting better at letting us know what you want with out resorting to crying. For instance, earlier this week you wanted more gold fish. You let me know, by going into the kitchen, calling my name “MaMa, MaMa” until I came to help, and then started signing more and pointing at the goldfish on the counter. What a relief it must be to finally be understood!!!
Also this month you have gotten much better at climbing. You now easily climb up our dining chairs and have even tried to climb on to the coffee table. (You know-the one your Daddy made and of which he is very protective!) You desire to be a “big” kid as evidenced by a situation from the other day. As per usual, I gave you your afternoon snack in a small bowl and your cup of juice. I sent you on your merry way into the living room to eat at the coffee table and watch you favorite cartoon “The Wonder Pets”. As I was cleaning up the kitchen, I heard you calling my name. When I turned around, I found you sitting at the kitchen table in a “big” chair, with your snack and cup set perfectly in front of you. You were so proud of yourself and was smiling from ear to ear, as if to say “Hey mom, look how cool I am sitting at the table without a high chair! I’m not baby!”
I guess you’re right. Grayson, you are not a baby anymore. You are officially a toddler. But please do not grow up to quickly. While I may not like rocking you in the middle of the night, there is still a secret part of me who treasures each and every moment of it. I might complain to others about the lack of sleep I am getting, but you and I both know that during those moments when it is just you and me sitting in the dark, with your warm, cuddly toddler body lying in my arms, I secretly memorize the sweet expression on your face… and the soft touch of your hand around my neck…and the feel of your gentle breath on my skin because I know that one day these moments really will come to an end and all I will have left are the memories I have tried to capture. So Grayson, even though this month may not have been your easiest, it did still have some very wonderful moments in it.
I love you each and every day!
Love,
Mommy
More photos can be viewed/purchased by clicking on the photo at the top of this post.
~ Tim turned 31. We celebrated his birthday at his brother’s house with BBQ, watching the race, and of course birthday cake. You can see a few photos from the day by clicking on the picture above.
~Grayson has been sick most of the week with a cold. I finally took him to the doctor yesterday and found out that not only does he have a cold (that has now settled into his ears and chest) but he also has 6 teeth coming in at once. One of the back molars is even coved in a nasty, purple bruise. No wonder has has been so irritable. The dr. prescribed an antibiotic for the ears/ chest and also suggested using Tylenol Meltaways and Triamimic Thin Strips, since Grayson is now refusing to use the medicine suringe. I bought the two suggested products and LOVE them. I recommend them for anyone who might have a similar problem with forcing medicine down thier child’s throat. If only the antibiotic could be administed in this way.
~The contract on our current home fell through. The couple who were going to buy our home had to back out becuase they couldn’t get approved for a mortgage. The husband unexpectadly lost his job, and so now we are stuck trying to sell our house again. I am very disappointed since that means there will be more showings.
~Grayson has finally started saying “MaMa” and actually referring to me. Starting the middle of this week, he finally put it together. Now I get to hear him constantly saying my name as he tries to get my attention or show me something! It’s like music to my ears!
~Tim’s younger brother Joe and his wife Amy are expecting a baby in March! We can’t wait to meet the new addition to the family and are so excited for them. I am betting that it will be a girl! Congrats Joe and Amy!
~The kitchen and master cabinets are finally installed in the new house. You can see photos of those by clicking on the picture at the top of this post. I love the cabinets and can’t wait to see the granite countertops. The countertops were recently templated and should be installed sometime in the next two weeks. This week painting will begin and the well will be drilled. Only 52 more days and hopefully it will be finished!
~Last but not least, I think that I might have to give up drinking red wine. Two times in the last two weeks, I have somehow drank more than I realized and woke up with a terrible headache. Am I the only one that red wine effects this way? I guess I need to stick to the old faithful..beer! Wich by the way I have a new favorite: Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat. Delicious!
Yes, I “melted down”.
Grayson has been fighting a cold this week. There were no outward signs like green snot, but symptoms that only surfaced at night- with crying and refusing to sleep unless he was held upright. Since Grayson has slept through t
Sunday April 6- Renee’ and I threw a 2nd birthday party for my neice Ella and for Grayson. Their birthdays are a little less than a month apart and since my Mom (A.K.A. “MiMi”) lives out of town- we decided to combine the two celebrations together. (Thanks Mom for making the trip up here! It meant alot to have you here for the celebration.) The party was originally planned for Saturday- but we changed it at the last minute due to nasty weather. And what a great idea that was! Who can imagine trying to keep 22 kids under a pavillion and out of the rain? Not me- so switching it to Sunday worked out well. After the cake and icecream, the kids were able to run around, play on the playground equipment and have fun. Grayson recieved a number of tractors, trains, and trucks for this birthday and he has played with them everyday since. Tim and I got him a mini-ATV and he would ride everyday if we would let him. (View the photos from the party by clicking on the photo of Ella and Grayson.)