hey g-man, it's your birthday!

Dear G,

You turned TWO today!

Two! OMG, two!

I still can't believe you're old enough to be two yet. Sometimes you still seem like a baby to me. And sometimes I stare at you thinking, you look big enough to be a three year old. You have your two-year check-up on Wednesday, so we'll see just how tall you are, my big beautiful boy.

You were such a sweetheart today. You loved all of your gifts. You kept hugging your flamingo from the zoo like it was your new best friend.

 I don't have them edited and uploaded yet, but I took pictures of you chowing down half of a chocolate cupcake, which is half more than I thought you'd eat. You'd look at that cupcake, look at me, and say, "yum yum!" ha.

We went to the mall today and got you your first Build-a-Bear teddy. You like your stuffed animals, but I was surprised at how much you held on that bear for the rest of the day.

You've been signing like crazy lately and today was no different. As soon as one of us steps out of sight, there you go tapping your forehead or chin for whoever is missing. You ask for milk all day long, but I think you like using that sign to ask for any kind of food. I'm trying to get you to use the signs for please and thank you, but toddler politeness is a slow process.

You're still sleeping in a crib and you love it. You ask to be put into it to play several times a day. You use a fork when you feel like it, and you use a spoon too but you suck at it. You love to use my makeup brush to apply "blush" to your cheeks and mine. You're as obsessed with reading as ever and you ask to read many times a day. Right now, you're stuck on reading the same handful of books five times in a row (after which we distract you with something shiny so we don't go crazy). You kiss your stuff animals and then throw them on the ground. You love to tuck yourself against my side as we play with toys on the couch. You know almost all the letters of the alphabet and can point to them when asked; you're especially obsessed with "w" and will find it in any book we read. One of your favorite things to do is run around in circles. You can go down slides by yourself and often you'll climb back up them.

Tonight, when I asked for a goodnight hug, you opened your arms wide and put them around my shoulders for the first time. My heart melted.

I love you so much, G. I hope your second birthday was as grand as we could make it with your sick daddy and preggo mama. Your birthday party is on Saturday so we'll get to celebrate all over again.

love,
mama

the many faces of g

Oh G, you turn two tomorrow. You are such a sweetheart and you're growing so much day by day. You make me laugh all of the time and I'm so proud to be your mama.

I promise not to cry tomorrow... much.

a preview of Saturday

I'm beat, so I just wanted to share what we've been working on for the past couple of hours.

Oh yes, those are Muno bumps, Brobee's head crest and eyebrow, and eye parts for Muno, Brobee, and Plex. I think they look pretty darn good, actually! All of these pieces will be going onto G's birthday cake. We're getting our second birthday on in four days!

Over and out before I fall asleep typing.

P.S. The little bugger is better today. He still ran a fever all day, but it was low grade compared to yesterday. He had a lot more energy and was way chatty, even though he still didn't eat a ton. We did take him to the doc and while she said his throat looked red and awful, his ears looked perfect. No strep or hands, foot, mouth, so we're guessing just nasty throat virus.

only one more month to go

The cute, it's too much!

Is there anything I can mess with over here?

So, if I push my hands against my cheek like this....

Is it the sign for sleepy or the sign for utter freakin' cuteness?

We now call this the icebreaker. Whenever there's a lull in conversation, or he meets someone new, or he just doesn't seem to know what to do, he pauses and points at the ceiling. It's like, hey, look at that ceiling fan! When did that get there? Let's chat about it!

Oh, the cute. Oh my ovaries. He makes that face and my heart just goes pitter-patter.

Dear G,

You are 23 months old today! Oh my gosh, you are only one month away from 2, which means your mama really needs to get rolling on all that birthday stuff.

You learned some more signs this month! You're a signing master - you learn them so easily. You'd probably know even more if we learned some more to teach you. Last month, you knew mommy, daddy, more, all done, book, milk, and diaper. Now we've added cat, dog, water, hungry, fish (sorta), and sleepy. We're working on help me, but that one's a bit complicated.

Oh! And you learned a second word! In addition to your usual "moo," you'll now sometimes say "boom" in response to something falling over, like a block tower. Awesome. I'm beyond ready for you to talk, baby-G!

This month, you really picked up speed with your running. One moment, we could keep up with you in an easy stride, the next we're having to jog to stay with you! You haven't quite got the full running stride down, but you're certainly trying. You still love to hold my hand, which I love, but it's also fun to just turn you loose and watch you fly.

You're getting over your third or fourth cold. I feel bad because you didn't start getting them until a few months after I stopped breastfeeding you, but I know colds are a healthy part of life. I just wish I didn't usually catch yours after you! I also think you cut your first second year molar. It's really difficult to see back there, but I might have seen a flash of white on the bottom left. We'll see if I can catch a glimpse of it to confirm. You've certainly been drooling a lot lately, but that could be because of your cold.

I can't wait to celebrate two years of your life in a month! I'll try not to cry. Maybe.

Love,
Mama

22 months, 2 more until 2!

Dear G,

You are 22 months old as of yesterday! Only two months to do until your second birthday. We are very excited to celebrate, and your mama has already been planning like a crazy lady.

More and more you're acting like a toddler rather than a baby. We get treated to a tantrum probably at least once a day as you try to figure out how to express your anger or disappointment over something. Sometimes we just leave the room, sometimes I try to talk to you. You kept throwing blocks at me, so I finally had to put you in your first time-out. You cried and cried until I went and got you a couple minutes later. But, well, you haven't thrown a block at me since! We're still wading our way through these bursts of tantrum as we figure out how to deal with them together.

Even though you're starting to show those terrible twos, you are more affectionate than ever. You give hugs and kisses all of the time. You love to sit on my lap facing me, put your little hands on either side of my face, and kisses me several times in a row. Sometimes, when we are reading a book or playing with blocks, you'll randomly stop, smile at me, and lean in for a kiss. My heart just melts. You love to run across the room and dive into us - I love it!

You still aren't talking. You seem to use "dada" and "mama" with more purpose, and we think you might have said "biok" for "block" this morning but that's it so far. Depending on how you do over the next two moths, Early Intervention is pretty sure you'll qualify when you hit two. You learned some more signs, so now you know mommy, daddy, more, all done, book, milk, and diaper. We're also working on the sign for water. I'm trying not to feel too upset that you aren't talking. I know it'll happen eventually, but it's difficult to not feel responsible for your delay.

I still feel for you on the playground. We're trying to make an effort to get you to socialize with more kids your age because you definitely seem out of sorts with them. You try to play with the adults at Gymboree but pretty much ignore the other toddlers. I want you to gain more confidence, but I also know that you've always been one to think first, act second in new situations.

You're just a joy to be around, G.

(oh, and we totally still haven't cut your hair. maybe we can at least make it to two years?)

love,
mama

21 months, or, where's my baby??

Dear G,

You are 21 months old, as of Sunday. How crazy is that?

You're just so much fun to be around these days. You laugh easily and often. You love to read, and now one of your favorite games is to go to your room, pick out a book, bring it to us on the couch, read the book, then head back to your room to get another one. You also love to sit on our laps to read. I'm more than a little smug that I'm your favorite reading partner, but you usually turn to Daddy when you get hurt, so I take what I can get!

You finally started doing a little communicating this month, and no, I don't mean with words. You learned to shake your head "no" and nod your head "yes," and now you use them often, letting us know how you feel about something or answering our questions. I swear, those simple gestures have made somethings, especially mealtimes, so much easier. You also learned the sign for "diaper," so that makes - what? - four signs? More, all done, milk, and diaper.

You also learned some more body parts: back, teeth, and penis. Yes, you learned where your penis is, but you kept pointing at it in the bath and asking, so I told you. This is definitely way more weird for me than it is you, but your mama doesn't want to be a prude so I'll do my best to be open and straight-forward about these things.

Man, I'm gonna embarrass you so much when you're older.

This month, we've dealt with you testing your climbing skills. You're figured out how to climb on the kitchen chairs but not how to get down. I'm so afraid you're going to break something! At least you call for help once you can't get back down. You can also climb up in the large recliner in your room, and make mama have a heart attack with that.

You cut the rest of your incisors this month. That means we are all done with teething until those second year molars start coming in. I hope those wait at least a few months. You had a time with the incisors, and I think we could also use a break. I'm a little freaked out by your mouth full of teeth, but I love your toothy grin whenever you flash it. You've relaxed a little about getting your teeth brushed and you're actually opening your mouth again, but you still jerk that head around all over the place. Seriously, dude, what's with that?

We've got an appointment with Early Intervention this Friday to talk about your lack of speech. You still only say "moo" and it's really starting to break my heart. I'm very hopeful that you'll qualify. I know you want to communicate because you try every other way to do so, but you just don't want to form any syllables. Who knows what the matter is. I hope we can get you the help you need - whatever mama is doing isn't working!

Love you, baby G. I know we still call you a baby, but you ought to quickly learn the old cliche. You'll always be my baby. Thanks for being such a trooper the past couple of weeks as we've dealt with the loss of your little brother or sister. Your kisses, hugs, and ready smiles are exactly what I need right now.

Love,
~Mama

happy (beleated) 20 months!

My kiddo is officially in the 20s! As the hubs said, one more month and he can drink.

Cough cough. Ahem.

I'm pregnant and lazy right now, so here are some recent phone pics.

Dear G,

I see more and more boy in youand less baby. You're still my baby G, though. pout.

You popped out another tooth, your first incisor, this month, so that makes 13. The other three are on the move. Maybe you'll get those before 21 months, hmm?

You've hit a new level of tantrum mode lately. We tend to let you stew for a minute or so, then we try to distract and therefore calm you down. I'm sure it'll only get worse - goodie! You're also in whine mode a lot, so we're working on dealing with that appropriately. The lack of speech certainly isn't helping with communication. You unfortunately haven't improved since last month. We were advised to wait until 22 months at least before calling Early Intervention back, and I have a feeling we'll be giving them a call then. You love to babble, G, but you're just not forming any actual words.

You're so much fun to be around. You love hugs, kisses, and cuddles. You love to sit next to me on the couch and play with your toys. You'll willingly give kisses and hugs back, but you're also fond of shaking your head and running away. Ha! Little stinker.

Love you so much, G! I know you'll be such a fantastic big brother to your sibling.

19 Months - over halfway to 2!

Someone was not in the mood to get his picture taken tonight. As you can see from these pics, he was kinda mellow. When I told him it was time to get out of the bath, he simply put down his toys, raise his arms for help, and practically leaped out. He was passed out in bed about 15 minutes later, so I think he was a little tired.

Or maybe he's teething? He's got those fangs to cut before he turns 2.

My parents gave him the cutest towel for Christmas. He's so tall, his butt was kinda exposed when I picked him up, but it's cute nonetheless.

Check out my baby bump in the pic below! I look way further along than 8 weeks, right?

Dave captured this fantastic pic of his eye. Love it.

So G is 19 months today. We already decided that his 2nd birthday will likely be Yo Gabba Gabba themed since he freakin' loves that show. He demands that we fast forward whenever something other than the main characters come on the screen, even if it's a band (and he usually loves music).

He didn't change much from 18 months. He knows more body parts, but he still has no words. He dances to any little song that comes on, and he especially loves the theme song to King of the Hill. He cut his last molar, so he has 12 teeth now - no fangs or second year molars. He still uses a paci for naps and nighttime (ugh), and I'm not sure when we plan to get rid of it.

His sleep has been weird ever since the time change, and it's gotten worse in the past week or so. Last night, he was up for an hour in the early morning, which is very weird for him. He was babbling up a storm today, and he has been falling down a lot. He didn't want much food today. I'm definitely thinking either teeth or a growth spurt, probably?

I'm off to work on syllabus planning. School starts on Monday!

halfway to 2

Dear G,

I can't believe you are halfway to two years old. YWO. TWOoooo! The mind? It's boggled.

You honestly didn't change a whole lot between 17 and 18 months. You can pick out some new body parts - eyes, especially. You shake your butt when we ask where it is. ha! You love to dance, and usually your moves involve getting low to the ground with your butt sticking out. We just crack up at you all day long.

G, where's your nose?

Head?

Eyes? (He'll usually just squint them rather than poking himself in the eye, but still, funny.)

What about your butt?

Oh, I get it. You don't shake your butt on camera, huh?

Heh heh heh.

Anyway, you love giving kisses more and more, and you'll throw your arms around our legs and squeeze really hard. I know I say this over and over, but I really hope you're always this affectionate. Even as an adult. You'll make someone a very happy husband. :)

Sometimes it sounds like you're trying to say "banana" and "eyes," but it's difficult to tell since you don't say them often. We can tell that you understand a ton, though.

We're having a time keeping your little fingers off the Christmas tree, since you're so fascinated by it. I can't wait for Christmas, to watch you tear into your gifts. You love anything paper, so I'm sure you'll love ripping the wrapping paper. Gah, can't wait!

Love you so much, G!

~Mommy

ahoy thar, 17 months!

My baby is almost a year and a half old. gasp. Okay, I can't even say he's my baby anymore. He's far more toddler in the way he moves and the way he behaves.

Grayson, you are growing up so fast. I know everyone says that about their kids, but you really are. In the past month alone you have grown in the way you move and the way you interact with us.

You laugh so much about every little thing that seems to strike your funny bone. I love the way your eyes crinkle up and the way you stick your arms out when you're really excited. You love if we chase you around the room or play hide-n-seek. You're so generous, giving us things all of the time. You love to push buttons, read your books - with or without us - and climb anything you can.

Speaking of climbing, you're absolutely obsessed with stairs. When we ask if you want to go upstairs, you take off running and wait patiently for us to open the baby gate. You can climb our stairs all by yourself, though you still need help going back down. At playgrounds, all you want to do is go up and down stairs. (You do enjoy the slides if I make you go down one, and of course, you've always loved to swing.) You're close to being able to climb up on the couch by yourself - I'm not looking forward to that! Okay, so since I wrote that part this morning, you climbed up on the couch all by yourself this afternoon! Twice! Oh lordy.

You've stepped more into the tantrum phase of life now. When you're in a really bad mood, you'll scream and pitch yourself to the floor. Usually, your tantrums are over quickly, and you're still easily distracted. You've definitely discovered anger and how to express it - you'll ball up your little hands and yell. Lately, if you don't want to do something, you'll start shaking your head and babbling up a storm. It cracks us up so much, but I do appreciate that you're trying to communicate without making such a fuss.

You're still not saying any words besides "moo." But you understand a lot of what we say. You can point to your nose, head, hair, eyes, tummy, belly button, and feet. You're obsessed with pointing. You point at anything and everything all of the time, usually with a grunt. You know where your milk is kept, where your snacks are, and that you need a bib on first. You're starting to try more foods, though you can still be very picky. You just know what you like and what you don't!

You cut three molars in the past couple of weeks. I'll be happy when that's done, but I guess then we have to get through the fangs and then the second set of molars. Being a toddler is rough stuff.

You're just such a fascinating little person, G. I love you so stinkin' much. The pics below, taken from your bath tonight, show so much of your character.

My name is Grayson, and I have something to say.

Would you like a block?

How about a splash to the face?

Oh, okay. How about I just sit here and look cute?

How can you not want to just squish his cheeks together and kiss his little nose? Gah, I just die of cute.

I can't wait for the upcoming months, G, especially to see your face light up during Christmas. I love you so much!

Love,
Mama

15 months! holy moly

Dear Grayson,

You are 15 months old today! The further you get from one year, the more of a toddler you become. You've learned so many new skills in the past three months. You went from walking a little to just about running all over the place. You can get up from one knee just like an adult. Yesterday, you learned how to walk backwards, so you were doing that a lot today. It's hilarious to watch. You can go up the first couple of stairs by yourself by holding onto the railing, and you love to try to feed yourself with a spoon or fork loaded with food.

You're still a bit behind in your language, but you understand a lot. You say "moo" when I ask you what cows say, and you'll pat your stomach when we ask you where your tummy is. You know what stairs and books are. Today, you looked for your monkey pillow, Bafufo, and brought him to me when I asked. You'll press your face against my cheek when I ask for a kiss.

We stopped breastfeeding around two months ago, and you've done just fine. You don't even seem to remember it, which sometimes makes me so sad to think about. But I know it's all in the process of growing up, and it won't be the only thing I'll miss when you're older. You love your milk, so that makes things easier. You love green beans, sweet potatoes, meatballs, quesadillas, grilled cheese, yogurt, and all sorts of other foods. You are definitely kinda picky, but we keep trying stuff to see what you'll eat.

We joined a baby gym, and you've grown a lot in your physical skills. You'll crawl all over the playground equipment. You hated their giant parachute at first, but now you love it. Bubbles fascinate you. I love seeing you interact with the other kids. Sometimes you reach for their faces and you're so gentle with them. I hope you'll always been cuddly and gentle like this.

You cut at least one more tooth since you were 12 months old. You now have 8 teeth, all 4 on top and bottom! Now we're just waiting on the incisors and first molars - yay!

You're now just getting over your first real cold. It's lasted a week, so it's kind of dragging on a bit. I caught it from you too, but your Daddy just got a little of it. Your sleep has been horrible, but you slept from 7:30 - 5:30 last night, so that's great! Speaking of sleep, you started sleeping through the night soon after you turned one, and we've been so happy about that! Now, if you wake, it's usually very quickly for a paci. We're going to get rid of the paci soon after our trip to Miami, but for now we're letting you keep it for naps and nighttime. I'm so happy you finally started sleeping through the night.

I have some pics to post of you later this week, but for now, here are a few phone pics taken of you in the past couple of days.

You love your books! You'll sit for quite a while by yourself and flip through them.

You love these drumsticks. You'll bang on anything we let you.

Love these piggy toes!

This baby laptop sometimes distracts you from trying to get to ours.

Another favorite toy. You're learning to bang with the hammer instead of just pushing buttons with a finger.

Mmm, graham cracker.

 

You and Mommy

Love you, snuggabug!