Weekly Recap

Here I am at yet again with hopes of getting better about blogging. I know I will regret not documenting more of our lives one of these days. Maybe a weekly recap will be easier than five on Friday? We shall see.

This week has been great. On Monday we went the the Y and then had a picnic/playground date with my neighbor and friend, Susie, and her grandson Jordan. I didn't take one single picture but we had all the fun. And y'all-Susie let Gray stay with her and Jordan for almost another hour so I could come home, put Walker down and get a shower BEFORE 10:00 at night! It was such a treat and Gray thought it was super cool to ride in someone else's car. It's the little things, y'all!

Daddy's team had weekend games so they were off Monday. That afternoon we went to the mall to get Gray some new shoes for soccer. Side note: I HATE the mall. But Gray couldn't love the mall any more if he tried. Time with Daddy during the week doesn't happen much for now so we were all happy to start the week off that way. 

How sweet is this little face?

The boys squeal in excitement when they see these things and all I can seem to think about are GERMS!!!

Tuesday Gray had his preschool preview, as mentioned in the previous post, and then we went to the Y. After naps we met my friend Allison and her sweet ones at the playground. I guess we were once again too busy having fun (or chasing around my crazy, busy, into everything Walker) because I didn't manage to get a single pic.

Gray slept every day this week which was nothing short of a miracle. He hasn't slept that many consecutive days in about a year. I enjoyed watching the boys sleep peacefully on the monitor and also got a lot of house work and some reading done. 

Blanky on his head, thumb in the mouth and belly hanging out. That's some good sleep right there!

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Thursday was Gray's first official day of preschool. I'm not ready to talk about it again so you can read my previous post if interested. ;)

Friday we stayed home all morning. We have a big basement playroom and a wonderful backyard and sometimes it's just so nice to be home! Paul's soccer team headed to Raleigh early that afternoon for a weekend tournament. After naps my friend Laura kept the boys while I got my hair done. The boys had so much fun with their girls (Evelyn, their oldest, is the cutie that's in Gray's preschool class) and were very happy and tired (win, win) when I picked them up. They were even fed dinner and dinner was sent home with me. That's a good friend right there y'all!

Charley Kate is so lovable and Walker is now interested in older women ;)

Saturday morning we went to the Y because my name was drawn for a GRIT demo class. GRIT is a small group, high intensity, 30 minute class/program our Y is starting to offer. It costs quite a bit in addition to the Y membership so I don't think I'll be doing it on a regular basis but it was fun to try out. Actually no, it was some of the hardest 30 minutes I've ever endured in my life. True story. And today every muscle in my body is screaming. I have a love/hate relationship with those kinds of things. 

The weather Saturday was glorious and we spent the rest of the day outside. Gray loves to pull weeds, put them in his Gator and dump them in a pile for the "grabber" truck to come and get. This works out great because we could pull weeds for hours every day and still not be finished. 

Daddy got home around dinner time Saturday and after spending some time with the boys, my mom came over and we went out for a long overdue date night. We went to a place we'd never been to before. The food was just average but we sat outside, listened to music and just enjoyed each other's company without any precious ankle biters children around. 

Truly my best friend and most favorite person on earth!

Today was a bittersweet Sunday for us. It was our last day in the Bible Fellowship class that we've been a part of for about six years now. Paul and I are humbled and honored that we've been asked to start and co-lead a new Bible Fellowship class for a group of young, newly married couples. We are so excited about this new journey and next step in our lives but will miss seeing our friends on Sunday mornings in class. I say that because I truly believe we will still keep in touch and hang out with them as much as possible. 

We are looking forward to another busy but great week ahead. Happy Sunday, y'all!

Preschool or bust!

Soooo, this happened yesterday...

Last week we went for open house and meet the teacher night and Tuesday Gray went for a 20 minute preview.

He asked for "Daddy" hair :)

He was all about this sign and the "big cat"!

No trouble making himself right at home!

Our big boy has been all smiles and ready to go since the first talk of preschool. In fact, he started asking me last week if I was "just going to drop him off". I told him I wanted to walk him in the first day and his response was, "Why Mom?" I know it's better than him clinging to my leg for dear life and crying his eyes out, but I wanted him to need his Mommy a little more, ya know?

He woke up yesterday morning so excited. He picked out one of his favorite shirts to wear and couldn't get in the car fast enough. Drop off is at 8:00 and preschool starts at 8:15 so Gray wanted to know why it was "kinda dark" outside when we left this morning. Daddy had to be at work before preschool started but we made sure to get a picture before he had to leave.

Best buds

He walked right in with no problem and I actually didn't shed a tear but Walker was a mess. I think it was a combination of him wanting to play in the preschool class and leaving his brother. I believe for the sake of Walker, Gray will get his wish and be dropped off from now on.

I really have a hard time handling how big this boy is.

Gray and his buddy Evelyn, whose Mama is a sweet friend of mine.

He will be going on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00-12:00 with an occasional lunch bunch from 12:00-1:00, just for fun. I will miss my big boy but am looking forward to some quality, one-on-one time with Walker-something that has been hard to come by with number two. 

Yesterday morning we went to get the oil changed in my car and I was reminded of how easy errands are with just one child! Then we went to the playground at the Y while we waited for my body pump class to start. 

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I couldn't wait to pick up my big preschooler and hear all about his day yesterday. I got to the pick up line a little early and by the time Gray came out, Walker was OVER IT! I had a million questions for Gray and all he could say was "Can I just tell you after Walker stops screaming?!" 

It's going to be a great year of preschool for our whole family. I know Gray will love every part of it and it will be good for Mommy and Walker too. 

And also, I might even start getting more frequent naps out of my big 3 year old..,

Preschool for the win!

Five on Friday

I've really considered hanging up the 'ol blog here lately but then I know how much I'll love to read back on our lives and what we were up to. So I'm back with yet another attempt to at least have a once a week little update on our family.

ONE.

I need to be honest and admit that we are still pouting a little around here about having to cut our only vacation for the summer short two weeks ago. And by short I mean we weren't even there 36 hours. Paul had some kind of crazy flu (and I think he has been sick a total of 5 times since I've known him), I had some kind of sore throat/cold/achy virus and Gray had an extremely high fever and was even begging to go home. Turns out Gray had a nasty, nasty case of Hand, Foot and Mouth. So nasty, in fact, that we spent 4th of July evening at Brenner Children's hospital because they suspected he had Impetido and a staff infection. His entire body from head to toe was covered in blisters. It was the most pitiful I've seen our boy yet. We think Walker had a very mild case of it for just a couple of days in the beginning but otherwise he was happy and healthy the whole time. Right after Paul recovered from his flu-like sickness, he also got HFM. It was a rough, rough week round these parts y'all! We hate we won't get our toes in the sand this year but we are so thankful to be well and feeling good again.

TWO.

A huge positive that came out of being sick and confined to the house for over a week is that Gray is fully potty trained! Once he was feeling better (but still covered in blisters so we wanted to stay home) we decided we were going for it. He has been going pee pee in the potty every night for over a year but just kept not being quite ready. He was a little reluctant to the frequent trips to the potty at first, mostly because he didn't want to stop what he was doing so often. And without too many details, the whole number two thing was what has been keeping him from being ready. But we caught his needing to go at the perfect time for two days in a row and he was so proud of himself that now it almost seems like he can't wait to do his big business in the potty. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be and he has been so successful. He hasn't had any accidents since day two of training and is also staying dry for naps and at night. He has woken up two different nights and asked to go which is a huge deal for him. I am so proud of our big boy and quite happy to have only one in diapers. And oh my, how cute Gray looks in some big boy undies!!!

THREE.

Walker has been such a precious delight lately. He has never been the easiest or most laid back kid but the past few weeks he has been so happy and just so much fun to be around. He does have four molars coming in but once they broke through the skin they haven't seemed to bother him much. He is talking SO much! His vocabulary at almost 14 months amazes me. He is very busy but also loves to read book after book after book. He isn't a huge fan of the pool-he just seems bored and doesn't want to be in a float or be held. He is Mr. Independent and wants down, down, down! He loves trucks, tractors, buses and anything else of the sort. He is OBSESSED with dogs and animals and loves doing animal sounds. He is finally weaned from a bottle and is FINALLY loving whole milk from a sippy cup. He is still eating like a champ and working on keeping a very round, plump belly. As happy as he's been lately, home boy flips a switch at 7:00/7:30 and you better put him to bed if you know what's good for you. We are just so in love with our boys. Really-sometimes I just stare at them and think about how crazy it is that I get to be their Mama. Thank you so much Lord!!!

FOUR.

Where is the summer going?! We have had a lot of time with Paul here and there but after next week, we will be in full soccer season mode. I'm excited for his season but also a little nervous about all the time he will be gone. We miss him and it's HARD to be with the boys so much by myself, but I try to keep perspective and think about single moms, widowed moms, moms whose husbands are deployed, etc. We are hoping to cross a few more things off of our summer bucket list next week and enjoy some good, quality time with Daddy before things get cray cray. 

FIVE.

After I had already written 1-4, I found out some sad news and want to ask for your prayers. A very young girl (younger than myself) just lost her husband to cancer. They have a brand new baby boy. She is the athletic trainer at the high school Paul coaches at. I've talked to her only a few times so I don't know her well at all, but my heart is broken and it's been all I can think about today. Could you please pray for Erin, her baby boy, and all of their family and friends who are struggling with this terrible loss? And also, hug and kiss your loved ones a little tighter. I can't imagine what she would give for just one more day with her husband and best friend. I know this is a depressing number five for a Friday but it's real and God calls us to mourn with those who mourn. They need our prayers desperately. 

Have a good weekend, hug your loved ones extra tight and try not to take a second for granted. 

Gray-THREE

Dear Gray Christopher,

Oh my sweet, sweet boy! I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that it has been three years since you made me a mama. You are such a unique, special, smart, silly, precious boy and I don't think we could love you more if we tried.

You are such a tall boy. At your three year well visit you were 39.5 inches tall, which was in the 91st percentile. Dr. Bill said you are as tall as most four year old boys. You weigh 33 pounds, which puts you in the 57th percentile for weight. You'd be perfect to us no matter what those numbers were. You wear a size three in t-shirts and shorts but for a year or so now we've had to go up a size in most pants and pajamas.

Though we have plenty of challenging times, you have one of the sweetest spirits of any child I've ever been around.

You have an incredible memory. You randomly tell us about things that happened a year or more ago that we haven't mentioned since and it just blows us away. You are very observant, noticing many details about people and things, especially when we are in there car. I think you might already be better with directions than Daddy ;) We will be driving somewhere and pass by a road you've been to once in your life and you will say, "There is where 'so-and-so' lives" or "There's the 'so-and so' store." You also memorize things very well. You can recite the entire Lord's prayer and know many books word for word.

You have known your ABCs, how to spell your name, and your shapes and colors for a long time now. Several months ago I had a storage tub in the living room that I was using to pack away some of Walker's baby clothes. After Daddy took it to the garage you came running in the kitchen and said, "Mommy, Mommy come see! There is a rectangle in the living room!" And sure enough, there was a rectangle indention in the carpet from the tub. You amaze us daily with those kinds of things. You can recognize some letters but we haven't worked on it too much yet.

You talk like such a big boy. Your vocabulary is amazing and you crack me up using big words in exactly the right way a lot of the time. Just one example... "Actually Mommy, I think I'd rather have a pancake for breakfast."

Your love for tractors is still going strong. You can name everyone and LOVE going to watch construction sites. You tell us that you want you and Walker to be construction site workers when you grow up.

You are a Mama's boy if you are hurt or extremely exhausted but otherwise your Daddy is your most favorite person on the planet. He's mine too, buddy!

Things that you love the most in life are: Walker (though you don't show it 100% of the time;), tractors, Sophie, animals, music, playing outside, riding your motorized John Deere Gator, being tickled, ice cream, cheese quesadillas, mowing the yard with Daddy, Curious George, the beach, mascots/anything in costume, and for people to come over to our house, just to name a few.

You like to watch Curious George and a few Disney movies sometimes but would much rather be outside playing. You go nonstop all day, every day.

You are fearless and tough. I'm pretty sure you will be the kid with a broken bone for days because you won't be making a big deal about it. Your sweet little shins are constantly bruised and scraped up.

Speaking of going non-stop, you dropped a consistent nap shortly after you turned two. You usually only fall asleep once every week or two. I still make you go in your room every day for at least 45 minutes because it's good and necessary for both of us.

You aren't potty trained yet. Your strong will comes in to play here big time. You've been going pee-pee on the potty every night for well over a year. You understand and know all about timing things and the other details that go along with being potty trained but you just aren't willing yet. Dr. Bill says we need to wait on you, so for now that's what we will do. You are showing more and more signs of being ready and like to wear your Paw Patrol big boy underwear sometimes. 

You are becoming a lot more interested in soccer and t-ball and I can't wait for you to play on your first "real" team in September!

You will also be starting pre-school this fall and I just know you're going to love it!

I can't wait to see how God continues to grow you and shape you in this next year of life. You make our hearts so full.

I love you to the moon and back again my sweet love,
Mommy 

Walker-ONE

Dear Walker,

You, my sweet, precious boy are one year old (plus two weeks ;)! It's been the busiest, craziest, best, most joy filled year of our lives. How did we ever even live without you?! 

We had your well check up on Monday and I am just so thankful that you are a healthy boy. You weighed 21 pounds, 1 ounce (44th percentile) and were 30 and 1/4 inches long (61st percentile). Your noggin was a whopping 47 centimeters (75th percentile)! Dr. Bill was very pleased with your growth and said we could officially say you have outgrown your swallowing dysfunction and acid reflux-praise the Lord! You've been off your medicine for a month now and are doing great. 

You wear size three shoes, size four diapers and mostly 12 month clothes.

You have finally gotten to where you take a bottle like a champ and are even a little attached to it, which figures now that it's time to wean you off of it. We have started whole milk but you aren't a big fan yet so we are mixing it with formula to get you more used to it and hope to ditch the bottle soon. 

You continue to be an amazing eater, gladly gobbling up any and everything we put in front of you. 

You have eight teeth-four on the top and four on the bottom. You've had some rough days and nights here and there recently so I would expect more teeth anytime.

You have such a funny personality. From a tiny baby, you've scrunched your eyebrows up and made such a serious face. Daddy says you're a "tough crowd" because you definitely don't just go around smiling all the time and it often takes a lot to make you laugh. But then you can be so silly at times too, cracking us up like you wouldn't believe. You almost always start this fake laugh when you hear someone else laughing and it is hilarious. You are quite the social butterfly when we are out and about. You wave to everyone who walks by, often helping to put a smile on some sweet old lady's face. You love to do anything to get a laugh or a clap out of someone. While you are a little more laid back and go with the flow than your brother was at your age, you have just as strong of a personality as he does. You know what you want, when you want it and you're not afraid to let somebody know about it. That strong personality is getting you thisclose to being disciplined, but only because we love you too much not to. Strong willed and all, you are fearfully and wonderfully made and are such a precious gift from God!

Things you love most about life right now are: Sophie, any kind of animal but especially dogs, being outside, cars, trucks and tractors, your puppy toy that you push around, food, balls, and anything that has a button you can push that lights up and/or makes noise. You adore your big brother 90% of the time. You also love music and the second you hear any kind of musical book or toy or song on the radio start playing, you start shaking your little booty and bouncing up and down. It is one of my most favorite things! Daddy and I have cried from laughing so hard watching you dance when we're in the car. You'll be bustin a move like none other, all the while never hardly cracking a smile.

Sophie and brother-two of your most favorite things in life.

You are talking SO much! You have grown to love books over the past two months (thank God!!!) and you also hear brother say approximately 8,427 words per day so that helps your speech and vocabulary a lot too. Your favorite things to say are "uh-oh" and "gog" (for dog). Recently you have started saying "amen", plain as day after our prayers at meal times. And then every single time you say it, you start clapping because you know I'm about to squeal and tell you how sweet it was.

You are walking quite a bit but haven't decided to make that your main form of mobility yet. Right before you start walking to someone or something, you open your mouth real big and grin from ear to ear, like you're already so proud of yourself. You are a big time climber and there is never a time that I can turn my back on you anymore, unless you are strapped into your high chair or car seat. You seem to be fearless, just like your big brother.

You've had a few firsts lately-first time in a pool (you love the water but also spend a good deal of time wanting to climb out, and then back in), first trip to Lazy 5 Ranch, and first hair cut.

I am so glad you decided to start loving books. You're favorite ones are animal books and you try to say "dog", "cat", "cow", "duck", "pig" and "goat" consistently. You love to turn the pages over and over again, finding your favorite pictures of dogs. You also love finding and saying "truck", which you say very clear. Every night when we put you to bed you say "book, book, book" over and over again hoping we will read just one more.

You take two naps a day most days. You can't hang much past 7:00 at night no matter how long your afternoon nap was and you are up by 6:45 most every morning. You sleep with a little green lovey blanket that you seem to love in your bed but aren't too attached to (yet). You still suck your thumb while you are sleeping, which is pretty much the only time that you do but it is so sweet. I may not be saying that in a year when we're trying to break the habit, but for now I think it is one of the most precious things about you.

I think that about sums you up my sweet boy. And don't ever forget-as long as you're living, my baby you'll be!

Daddy and I love you to the moon and back!

Mommy

Walker is ONE, Gray is THREE-photo shoot

Lindsey took some pictures of Walker a couple weeks ago at her house. I am so pleased with how they turned out considering that Walker pitched a down right fit about wearing shoes so he was in a pretty foul mood the whole time. And when he was happy, the back drop wasn't what we had planned for. It is what it is y'all-life with yougins, that is. And it's so good for a type A, "I want everything to be perfect" personality. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. Of course I had outfit changes and poses that we never even thought about getting to and I am super bummed that we didn't get any good ones with both Gray and Walker, but there's always next time-right?!

I have a few family members not on social media who are anxious to see these so for the rest of you, sorry for another photo overload.

I got the outfit idea from Pinterest and The Littlest Gentleman on Etsy made the bow tie and suspenders (and another shout out to my blogger friend, Lindsay, for telling me about TLG on Etsy!!).

Fun fact: I had this exact same gap in my teeth when I was Walker's age until the rest of my baby teeth came in, and then I had very straight baby teeth. However, this gap also runs in Paul's dad's side of the family, so it could be there to stay until he gets braces one day. I think it gives Walker even more character and I just love it!

One of Walker's many mad faces.

Sweet, teary lashes.

Still mad guys.

This boy tore up his cake y'all!

There are only a few pictures of Gray because we have sooooo many more of him and I told Lindsey to focus mostly on Walker. Also, he was very busy playing with Lindsey's boys and it wasn't worth the battle of making him pose for too long. But I LOVE the few that she did get of our sweet three year old!

That face gets me every time!

Looking more like 13 than 3 here. Not cool buddy, not cool.

Not the perfect family shot for several reasons, but again it's a great picture of real life. And I am SO blessed to do life with these guys!