Birthday Fun

On Grayson's birthday we took him to the park to enjoy the gorgeous weather and his new love of swinging. His Auntie Emily and Uncle Levi live close by the park and joined us for an impromptu birthday celebration. He was so tired by the end, he just sat very still and didn't make a peep. I think we finally found a way to wear him out!

1 year check-up

Grayson had his 12 month check-up this morning, so I thought I'd share his stats. He's dropped a little in weight and is back down to 22 lbs. The doctor said this is normal because he's so active at this stage and we've been able to tell lately that Grayson is starting to thin out a little.

His weight was around the 40th percentile and his length, at 30 1/8 inches, is in the 80th percentile. If he keeps this up, he'll be one tall and skinny boy.

In other developmental news, last night Grayson took his first unprompted steps. We usually have to prompt him to walk between Mike and myself, but last night he went from a chair and walked to Mike. It was like everything clicked and he realized he could do it on his own.

I finally gave in and began fully transitioning him from baby food to table food this week. He started the meal plan at school yesterday and seems to love feeding himself. I knew he would, I was just used to our feeding routine and reluctant to give it up.

The doctor recommended we also wean off the bottle by 15 months, which we're working toward, but it seems like there are a lot of changes going on right now. He drinks his morning and lunch milk out of a sippy cup, but still has a small afternoon bottle before nap time and one before bed. Guess we'll tackle that next. Always something.

Playing Forts with Daddy

These days Grayson is all about getting into things. He loves emptying out his toy cabinet and sitting inside while opening and closing the door. Michael has been anticipating this day since we first learned we were pregnant because it means it's time to build forts!

Mike took Gray's old floor gym and draped a blanket over it for their first make-shift fort. At first, Grayson was content standing and pulling off the blanket, but he soon realized the fun of being inside the fort (especially when daddy's inside too). I'm not sure who enjoys this more...Grayson or his daddy. Roxy also likes to get in on the action, but as you can see, space is limited.

Look how skinny my rolly polly boy is getting! Still has some nice thighs on him, though. See below.

We've also discovered a new-found love for this chair. We used it as a bouncy seat/rocker when he was a baby, but it also converts into a rocking chair as the child grows. Grayson thinks he's a big kid now that he can make it rock himself.

Happy Birthday Grayson!

Wow, can you believe this kiddo is 1 today? This year has been a whirlwind of drool, diapers, learning and flying by the seat of our pants.

I think back to a year ago at how miserably big I was, so ready for the birth and excited to finally meet our son. It's truly amazing how much can happen in 12 short months. Gray's gone from no head control to crawling and now even stumbling around a bit, perfectly maneuvering his pacifier while opening and closing the door to his toy cabinet.

Not only has he changed, but Michael and I have as well. What "we" learned from books (i.e. what I relayed to Michael from the books I read) became reality and then we forgot the books altogether and found our own way. We went from awkwardly bathing and diapering a fragile baby to wrestling a chunky toddler after splashing in the bathtub.

When I was pregnant, Michael and I used to wonder about what traits our son might have. Over the last year we've learned a little bit about this amazing person, but I'm happy to say there is so much left to still discover. This is probably just as true for ourselves as it is for Grayson.

Milk: It Really Does Do A Body Good

Grayson has had a big day today and it's only mid-afternoon. This morning we got up and strolled over to the Dustbowl Arts Market on Campus Corner. The weather was perfect and the handmade jewelry and craft booths were amazing. Kudos to our friend Katie for organizing such a great festival!

After a quick nap, it was time for lunch and Gray's first taste of whole milk. He gulped it down out of his sippy cup and couldn't seem to get enough. It must have been just the fuel he needed, because he then decided to take his first steps!

Over the last few days he's been gaining confidence with standing independently and it finally "clicked" on how to go from standing to walking. For your viewing pleasure, we took a few short videos of his new ability. As you'll hear, the excitement of walking brought out a few shrieks, but we didn't seem to care since they were the first of the day and for good reason.

I guess I'll have to start thinking about dressing him in shoes when we go out in public in case he wants to practice his new skill. Now, if I could just get him to keep them on his feet...

One more cousin!

The last of the babies has finally arrived. Charlotte Reese was born to my cousin Windy and her husband Wayne on Aug. 27 at 7:56 p.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 20.5 inches.

Charlotte completes the bevy of babies we've been expecting this summer and I'm so thrilled we have another girl in the family!

Knock on Wood

As I write this post, I realize I'm probably jinxing myself but it seems like Grayson's shrieking may actually be improving. That doesn't mean we don't go a day without hearing it, but he is doing a lot better at using his "words" instead of high pitched vocalizations.

I really think the intense shrieking is his way of expressing himself when he can't find words. Every day I can see the wheels in his head turning as he thinks about and practices new sounds.

Michael and I have been trying a combination of ignoring the shrieks, completely leaving the room/situation, or saying "use your words" then inserting whatever word makes sense at the time. Depending on the situation, our reaction typically gets noticed and the shrieking ceases.

Car rides have become much better and on this evening's commute, Gray contentedly played and babbled with no need for shrill noisemaking.

Tonight at dinner Grayson began shrieking while I was feeding him so I spun his highchair around to face the wall. He immediately stopped and calmed down so I turned him back around and we continued. Once he was done eating, he spent about 15 more minutes munching on puffs and babbling at the table while Michael and I ate -- not one shriek.

I'm sure we'll have good days and bad days in terms of the shrieking, but I must say today was a good day.