Sit Boo Boo Sit, Good Dog

I've come to the realization that teaching our toddler lessons like vocabulary and discipline is strikingly similar to training a dog. Maybe that's why so many people get pets before they have kids.

I know Grayson's intelligence will quickly spike beyond that of a canine, but right now I find myself talking to him in a similar way we speak to Roxy.

No touch, Grayson.

Wave and say bye bye

Be easy, Grayson (typically when he's trying to pet Roxy)

No bite (you get my point)

Short phrases, repetition and consistency are key, whether you're teaching your dog to sit or shake, or teaching your toddler to wave and say bye. They both look at you and either obey or ignore at approximately the same success rate.

My only hope is that our son will be better trained than our dog. No offense to Roxy, but if you've ever stepped foot in our house you know she is primed for 15 minutes of fame on the Dog Whisperer. Not that it's her fault...it's totally ours. I just hope Grayson doesn't become primed for an episode of Super Nanny.

Easy Like a Sunday Morning

A few weekend pics captured through Popper's camera lens:

Making friends with his sock elephant from Aunt Kristin & Uncle Jared

Enjoying his new tunnel from Nana & Popper

Showing off his teeth

The Big Birthday Bash

Michael & Grayson's birthdays are only a couple days apart and both boys celebrated major milestones this year - 30 and 1 respectively. We threw an official birthday party this past weekend and Grayson enjoyed eating cupcakes and homemade ice cream for the first time...right up until the moment he puked.

Yes, not only did the mix of sugar and icing not sit well in his stomach, but something also gave him red blotches around his nose. We still haven't figured out what he was allergic to, but he recovered quickly and was fine in time for dinner.

Despite the minor emergencies, we enjoyed celebrating with our friends and family and feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives.

Here are a few pictures from the birthday bash (minus the puke and blotches):

The birthday boys

Not sure what to think about the candle

Gray's first cupcake (he actually stayed relatively clean)

Michael's beloved strawberry cupcake (Was he wishing for more babies? I highly doubt that. I bet it was for a new Playstation game)

All about the toys and wrapping paper

Our friends and their kiddos. So many new babies! It will be fun to watch them grow together over the years.

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.