& Baby G Makes Three

Help! Sleep Regression?!

2017-08-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Stephanie Rose Photography

For all of my friends (and familiar readers around here), if I have ever annoyed you with my "Grayson sleeps like a champ! 12+ hours EVERY night. Just goes down without a problem! He asks to go to bed! He moved to the Big Boy Bed and nothing changed! He's done great!" Don't you worry, Karma came rearing its ugly head.

Let me backtrack a bit before Carter was born we started to let G stay up later. It was "summer", I wanted extra snuggles with my first born, etc. Then Carter came. Still no issues when it was time for bed. We went to the lake two weeks after C was born, and G was upstairs alone and had a freak out, but went to sleep. All good.

Got home after that trip and he started waking in the middle of the night, coming to the gate and yelling/crying for us to come up. Once we came upstairs, he would go directly to bed, no problem. This could happen once at night, or multiple times, but not every night. Fast forward to now, and the mid-night wake ups have stopped, but fighting to go to bed has started and 5:00 am (or earlier!) wake up calls.

I've entertained his "one more book" requests, "one more song", sat outside of his bedroom door Super Nanny style taking him right back to his bed, given him the silent treatment, etc. Some nights it can last an hour when he's feeling persistent. Although, the length of fighting it has become shorter and shorter - thankfully. Sometimes we have alligator tears and other times no tears at all.

Naptime at school is no problem at all. he sleeps the full 2 hours and say sometimes they have to wake him up to continue the day. Weekends are hit or miss depending on what we are doing.

I have bought the "ok to wake" clock, which we have not started using yet, but I feel like the waking early is the least of my concerns. I would rather tackle the issues of going to bed and the nighttime wakings.

At Carter's 2 month appointment we mentioned to the pediatrician the waking up (he hadn't started the protesting going to sleep part yet) and he mentioned for his older patients that have that problem he does sleep coupons that are given to them before bed and if they do a good job can be turned into Mom and Dad in the morning. Once "x" amount are collected there is some kind of prize - whatever you would want that to be. But he said he thought Gray was too young to understand/reason with this concept. And if the problem got worse to call and we could come up with a plan.

I have my friend, Sarah, making us sleep coupons. Its worth a shot. Kid loves Dumbo. And Popcorn. And laying in Mama & Daddy's bed. All things I can easily make happen on a Friday night if he turns in his coupons.

I've read 2 year sleep regression is real. I have also read that around this age their imaginations are much more vivid making dreams/nightmares happen more often. This age is also more in tune with feelings and emotions. Knowing "good guys" from "bad guys" which makes fear an emotion they begin to feel rather than being so carefree.

I have not called the pedi yet, even though the situation has gotten worse. But I am calling to you, Mommy/Daddy friends, grandparents, babysitters, nannies... any tricks? Tell me what has worked for you! With going back to work right around the corner, and Carter only waking once at night, this house could use easy bedtimes and more sleep at night!

Peter Rabbit Baby Shower: Baby Boy Thomas

2017-08-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of my sweetest, long time besties is expecting her first baby in October. I was so happy to help celebrate her and Baby Boy Thomas (and cannot wait to know his sweet little name!) Jenna is going for a very classic look in her nursery, so we went with a Peter Rabbit Theme. It was perfectly sweet for this Mama!

Pom Pom Banner: OhJojoCo

RLove Floral

Menu:
Champagne Punch
Raspberry Fizz (non alcoholic)
Lemon Water

Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Hummus
Veggie Plate with Ranch Dip
Pasta Salad
Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Traditional Scones
Tea Sandwiches

Weekend

2017-08-15T11:01:00.000-05:00

The times where the week runs into the weekend without notice a dwindling. I go back to work next week - I cannot believe 12 weeks has flown by so quickly. Its so sad! What I think I will miss the most about going back to work (besides my sweet baby) will be Mondays being a free day with my mom. I will continue to work from home on Mondays, but key word there is work. No more play. Womp. Womp.

This weekend was a quick one! Friday nights are always pizza and a movie at home. Its a perfect ending to our week. And golf. don't let me forget the putting contests the boys have nightly. Since Gray's golf obsession has not subsided yet, we got up Saturday and went to Top Golf - betchya didn't know it opens at 8:00 am, we were there at a bright 8:20. This boys day was made before it was even 10am.

That night we were supposed to go to the FC Dallas Soccer game, but the weather had different plans for us - so I introduced G to jumping in puddles!

Which worked out better because my little friend didn't nap and passed out by 7pm... the time the game would have started. J was passed out not long after, so I snuggled with my littlest love while watching my absolute fav - How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days

Sunday I was able to celebrate one of my closest friends and her baby boy due in October. More pics to come later this week - of course!

After the shower, we took Gray to meet his new teacher. This year he will be in a Preschool Prep class. So 8am-3pm is more like preschool, with lessons, art, music, PE and Spanish and then the hours outside of these times is freetime. I am really excited to watch him grow in this new environment!

Monday we celebrated his last day of "summer" by taking him to the zoo with my mom. We had so much fun he took a 3 hour nap afterwards - Mom Win for sure!

Looking forward to this week without the kiddos - facial, massage, lashes... so many "me" things after 11 weeks of not so much "me time" - wooooohoooo!

Have a great week, yall!

Boho Bridal Shower: Head Over Keels

2017-08-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you know me well, or been around this blog for a while, you know that throwing a party is by far one of my favorite things to do. I extra love throwing parties/showers with the girls I work with - we are like minded and we each have our own specialty, so it goes so seamlessly.

This past weekend we got to celebrate one of my very favorite people, Rebecca. Yall, this girl's laugh is contagious and that is an understatement! We have had many "laugh til you cry" moments, and some just cry moments (have I ever told you my job is stressful?!), but we wont talk about those! I am thrilled for Becks and Charlie and wish them the very best (and lots of babies).

CKFireBoots

The Menu

Homemade Quiche

Candied Pork Belly Lollipops

French Toast Casserole

Breakfast Potatoes

Berries

Donuts

What We Were Up To

2017-08-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend started early for us - JoJo wanted to get out this week and invited us to join them at the Roughriders Game. We super lucked out with abnormal August Texas temperatures.

Friday C&I prepped for a shower, went to his 2 month check up (details on all that later this week) and then went and stayed out at my parents as it would be closer for me in the morning to start out the busiest Saturday ever.

Saturday morning started by showering my sweet co-worker & friend, Rebecca. She and Charlie are getting married in just a few weeks! We are thrilled for her and a DFF shower is always a great time - I will post plenty of pictures of this later this week as well!

After I ran back to my parents, pumped and grabbed C, I met J and Grayson in Dallas to celebrate our sweet little friend Emily's 2nd birthday with a pool party! I am terrible and took zero photos - but Gray could not have loved her party any more. This boy has turned into quite a fish these days.

We decided to run home after the party to change and head out to our final destination for the day, but on the way home Gray told Jarrett that his tummy hurt... not long later I was texting my experienced mama friends "how do you clean out your car seat from throw up?!" Good to know that you can throw the pieces in the wash. I think the 1,000,000 belly flops G did at the party, resulted in lots of water in his belly (and a bruise on his face - boys). I opted to head to Glen and Kathleen's Ice Cream Social Gender Reveal solo with the littlest of our bunch.

He makes a perfect date if you ask me.

Kathleen's mom did such an awesome job on this party! The theme is precious, and a perfect way to announce that our boys will have another sweet little girl to be besties with!

After a crazy Saturday, Sunday was so low key. The only thing we did outside of the house was grab BBQ for lunch.

My sweet Layla Love turned 10 on Sunday. TEN. She was my first baby, and although she may not get the same attention from me these days, she's still the best snuggler and Grayson loves her oh so much. He wants her with him always. "Come on Layla!" "Layla come!" He gives her cookies after she obediently "sits & shakes". They wrestle, and she tolerates all of his crazy. I cannot imagine a better companion for our family. We love this sweet pup!

The fun didn't stop there - Mondays my mom comes over since its her day off. While I have been on maternity leave we have been trying to do something fun for G. This week we went to lunch with his favorite - guacamole and then to the Library to play.

Such a great weekend - hoping this week is just as fun! XoXo

Carter Grant: A Sip & See

2017-07-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Three of my sweetest friends through me a Sip & See over the weekend. It was a chance for all of the girls at my office and other friends/family to come meet Mr Carter if they hadn't already (and some who have came to do more of the sipping than the seeing)

This time around I opted out of a meal calendar for lots of reasons, all which are selfish, so I wont dive into that, so having a get together for people to come and meet Carter was perfection. My only request when asked what I wanted for this party was for it to be super simple. And they nailed it - of course the food spread was over the top, but with my friend, Annie, involved I would be lying if I said I was surprised!

Menu:

Meatball Sub Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Green Goddess Dip

Caramelized Onion Dip

Prosciutto & Melon

Chicken Salad and Endive

Crudité

Cheese & Charcuterie

Celebrating Carter post birth was so fun! Being able to enjoy the drinks and all the cheese and meats my heart desired was fantastic. Thank you to everyone who came to enjoy the day with us!

Carter Grant: Nursery Tour

2017-07-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

When we found out we were pregnant, we had just moved into our new home. We did the longest move known to man since we were still selling our old home. I would stand in the soon to be nursery and just stare. And stare and stare.

I knew I would stick to gray and white (like a majority of our house) and decided that I would use emerald green regardless of gender. If it had been a girl I would have thrown another accent color in there to give it a bit more femininity, but lucky me, I get to keep my "Boy Mom" title.

Clean lines, modern yet classic was my goal. Loosely a safari theme.

The weekend before C came, I did debate a last minute change on the main wall, but I chickened out, but maybe someday a faux white washed brick wall will appear where the frames are now :)

photos: Stephanie Rose Photography

Crib

Nightstands: Hobby Lobby (painted to match crib)

Bumpers (similar)

Name Sign

Crib Sheet/Changing Pad

Rug: At Home

Nightstand Lamp: World Market (no longer available)

Floor Lamp

Hippo Nightlight

Light Fixture - West Elm (no longer available)

Chair

C Pillow

Foot Rest

Rhino Art (custom color requested)

Bookshelves

Baby Chair

Ladder

Dresser: Craigslist (same as G nursery, painted)

Mirror (painted)

Hanging Shelves

Angular Animals: At Home

Blocks

Lion Art

Heartbeat Canvas (c/o)

Making Comparisons

2017-07-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

I hate it.

I've always hated it. When a baby is constantly compared to another baby, over the silliest of things. Yet, I find myself currently doing it every.single.day. Comparing the way Carter looks to Grayson at this time (creepily similar, I might add), how their sleep patterns are different/alike, their disposition. The list goes on and on. The one thing that I have been comparing most are their feeding habits.

I have been guilty of going back and reading all of Grayson's posts to help remember what it as like at this stage, making sure Carter is "up to par" with how things went with G. He's a healthy, happy toddler now, I must have done something right... right?!

I stumbled back on this post, and it is one of my favorite posts. It's real. No BS. The memories flooded back to me from those early days/weeks with Grayson, and honestly, how freaking hard they were. And I realized how different Grayson and Carter are when it comes to eating.

With Grayson, I went into feeding very open minded. I wanted to breastfeed, but knew several people that were unable to for several different reasons and had seen them beat themselves up about it. I promised myself that wouldn't be me. If I wasn't able to do it, I would accept it and move on. A happy, healthy, fed baby is the best type of baby. But what I didn't realize was how my competitive spirit would play such a large role in my breastfeeding journey. Not competition with others, but with myself. Feeding Grayson was hard. So hard, until we got into a groove and things got much easier.

After meetings with lactation consultants, more tears than I can count and attempting pillow forts, the boppy, and my breast friend pillows, we finally settled on a feeding schedule that consisted of just me and him, 2 ounces from a bottle, 15 minutes of breast and then 15 minutes for me to pump, 8 times a day. That was about 8 hours of my day solely dedicated to feedings. Add in diapers changes, snuggles, tummy time.. you see where I am going with this right? This is the "so hard" part.

As time went on I dropped the bottle and we did just fine. But at that point, I was over producing and needing to pump several times a day still. It was great for my inventory in the deep freezer, but still so time consuming, but it was our way of life. I am so thankful for this dedication that I had and my competitive drive to fill that deep freezer. After Gray weaned himself at 9-10 months old, there was enough milk left to get him almost to one year, supplementing with formula for just a few weeks.

Brittany Barclay Photography

Fast forward a year and a half later while pregnant with Carter and going through everything I had saved with Gray, the thought of not being able to breastfeed never once crossed my mind. I had a fantastic supply that lasted a long time, why would I have any issues?!

Seems naïve when I think about it. My milk supply came in full force on day two, Carter was nursing like a champ, and the lactation consultant didn't even come see me until night three, maybe four?! And I even had to pump while in the hospital (I didn't do that with Gray). So supply wasn't and still isn't a problem. Carter wasn't snoozy like Grayson and gained his birth weight back (and then some) just a day or two after leaving the hospital. I felt lucky and things were on the up and up. Easiest baby ever! Sign me up for Baby #3!

I was able to stop waking Carter at night just 7 days into everything (Grayson was well over 3 weeks) I only have been pumping when necessary. Feedings are now anywhere from 15 - 20 minutes. It feels like so much freedom in comparison to G.

With that freedom though, also comes a different shackle. Carter is so attached to me. I love it. Don't get me wrong. But a girl would like to get her nails done without an SOS text, or run to target alone.. amiright?! Grayson was more "independent" from me since he was used to bottles from the very beginning. At 7 weeks Carter has had maybe 3 bottles and never a full feeding from one. So now this is what I am working on. Once a day I give him 2 ounces from the bottle and finish the feeding by breast and then have to pump (sound familiar?!) After starting this, I cannot imagine going back to having to do this every, single feeding. High five to my former self for sticking to it for as long as I did.

Just in the last five days Carter's belly has really been bothering him. I have been using all of the same things I used with G (burping, bicycle kicks, mylicon drops) and have now added probiotic drops. I reached out to fellow mommas on Instagram (@a_dway) for advice and got a ton of responses (THANK YOU!!) I am currently trying the gripe water and it is getting much better results than the mylicon drops that worked so well with G. If you have any other tips/tricks you can share - I am all ears!

Stephanie Rose Photography

I guess at the end of the day what I have learned in this second round is that although comparing and reading back is helpful to remember, just because things are not exactly the same doesn't mean they are going wrong, or that its going to be any easier. This parenting gig isn't going to be as easy as following the steps in a textbook, but as long as we do the best that we can and our babies are happy and healthy we are all going to make it.

Feel free to follow along as The Honest Company shares more real stories of parenthood. You can see more on the Honest Pinterest and Honest Instagram.

Grayson Daniel: Big Boy Room

2017-07-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

When it was time to upgrade G to his big boy bed, we did a revamp of his whole room. You can look back and see his nursery here. We kept a lot of the same elements, but moved the dresser and crib to Carter's room.

Photos: Stephanie Rose Photography

Carter Grant: Newborn Photoshoot

2017-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just one week after Carter was born Stephanie from Stephanie Rose Photography came to our home to capture our new family of four. And as always, she captured us in our best light.

I wanted to share my absolute favorites, which ended up being 34 that I downloaded... but I will spare you the forever scroll, and only share my favorite of the favorites below

Grayson Daniel: 2 years

2017-07-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

When I wrote G's 18 month update, I thought we had hit the peak of "fun" in the parent department, but then came 18 - 24 months. And I think this has been even better. Will I annoyingly think 24 - 30 months is the "best yet" come January? If it means that we are having so much fun with our sweet boy, that's ok to me!

Height: 36 inches (90th%)

Weight: 30.8 pounds (80th%)

Gray continues to be sweet natured, sensitive at times, yet rough and crazy in other times. He is so curious, and is quite the talker. We get a play by play of the day and often things are repeated many, many times. Watching him process new things is truly remarkable and something both J&I love to see with him. Its so rewarding as a parent to see your baby learn and growing into a smart little boy. He loves to help. Bring a paci to Carter, sweep, help with laundry. I feel like his memory is abnormally good. Which makes for reminiscing with him so fun. He will lean over for a hug or a sugar out of no where. He will play with my hair while sitting with me or if I am carrying him. He truly is the sweetest and so full of love.

Gray knows and recognizes his numbers, counts to ten and sometimes to 20 pending on his mood. He loves to sing songs (that include taking bows when he is done), do puzzles, play matching games, he recognizes letters, and is obsessed with gloves (sock hands, hand puppets, etc) Reading books continues to be a favorite. G is able to speak full sentences most of the time. There are still times that we aren't quite sure what he is saying but I would say 95% of the time we fully understand him.

This summer he has really embraced the water. He is loving swimming, splash pads and running through the sprinkler at home.

He loves all sports. Soccer, football, baseball, but he has recently become obsessed with golf. Which Daddy is embracing with open arms. He is so obsessed with being outside. He has a new balance bike, scooter and jeep to keep him outside as well. So fun for all of us!

Becoming a big brother was so exciting for G. It came with some resistance, but he has adjusted so well and loves on Carter multiple times a day. He holds him daily, they bathe together and share lots of hugs and kisses. I cant wait to watch their relationship continue to grow over time.

eat & sleep. Every month when I fill out G's baby book, the sleep and eat category is quite boring. He is a great eater. He continues to eat his veggies like a good little boy :) He is taking 2 hour naps at school and is still sleeping about 10 - 12 hours at night.

We have just decided to push bedtime from 7pm to 8pm this past week. Several weeks ago we went to the lake house with Supper Club and since we have gotten back G has been having nightmares (maybe?) nonetheless he wakes in the middle of the night crying at the gate upstairs 2-3 times a week and at bedtime most nights we were receiving resistance to get in bed, which we had never experienced before. When we let him go to bed a bit later he doesn't fight it, so we will see how this works over the next few weeks to see if we will keep this schedule when school starts (he moves to the 2s class mid-August that will be more curriculum based).

Stomp. Chomp. RAWR! Grayson's 2nd Birthday

2017-07-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Grayson's Dino Dig: Perot Museum of Nature and Science

I had an elaborate party idea for G's 2nd birthday. I wanted him to know, just because he just acquired a brother didn't mean that I cheaped out on his party. Then I was 7 months pregnant and realized, there was no way I could pull it off the way I would want to (and people would expect me to) with a 5 week old baby. So that theme, is shelved for another time and I got realistic.

G loves dinosaurs and I was in need of a venue - what better place than the Perot Museum?! The museum made it super easy to plan and cater.

Décor was minimal and played off of the invitation.

The kiddos got to participate in a few activities - coloring pages, making binoculars, a dino dig and a volcano experiment. It kept the littles entertained before pizza arrived and it was cake time.

I so wish I had someone video Gray being sang to. It was the best. I hope I remember his sweet giggle forever. He was so happy. It was precious.

After cake, everyone was free to roam the museum - which is fantastic by the way. If you are in DFW and haven't been yet, you should definitely take some time and go!

Gray didn't want to stop for a family photo - the "Woooooow Big Dinoaurs!" were way cooler.

Although having a party at a venue is not my typical preference, this was perfect, easy and the made the birthday boy incredibly happy. What more could we ask for?!

Happy birthday Gray!

Weekend Things

2017-07-05T11:22:00.002-05:00

Everyone else is super excited that their work week is already halfway over, and I am over here like "It should be Monday". Spoken like a true lady on maternity leave.

This weekend was a great one, but after 4 days of J and Grayson being home - Carter and I are a little off schedule. Life with a newbie isn't always easy when you want to go, go, go, as evidence by the state of our home right now. It's disgusting, but I digress.

We had a lot of family time this weekend - with our new family of four, our extended families and our bestests (which are just as much family to us).

Every morning we got up and walked to the park. Feels great in the mornings before that Texas heat starts to beat down on us.

And there was a lot of snuggling - this kids ~~jowls~~ cheeks are no joke! Although his arms might fight his cheeks for all the heavy cream at every feeding.

Sunday we went to my in-laws to celebrate with BBQ and swimming. It was a relaxing day, and Gray is LOVING the pool and swimming this year. We got to spend time with Justin, Jordan and Hayes before Miss Poppy makes her arrival this Friday! We cant wait to meet you sweet girl!

This kid and gloves yall... oh man

These are as good as they get... I will just leave it at that.

To celebrate the 4th, Honey, Uncle Dude + Crew came out to our neck of the woods. It was hot. And humid. Mostly humid, but the kids still had fun and I always love this company.

I hope yall had a blessed and happy 4th! Here's to getting back on schedule, before I ruin it all over again this weekend.

Carter Grant: One Month

2017-06-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

How?! I cannot believe a month has already flown by. Somehow having two and doing this newborn thing all over again has been bizarrely easy. Don't get me wrong, I am still tired, but compared to how I felt with Gray those first few weeks, its been a cakewalk.

Carter Grant Dunaway: 1 Month Guestimates

~11 pounds

~22 inches

EAT. Champ. He has been latching and eating like a champ since birth. After my experiences with Grayson, I am so thankful that this has been so easy. He has only had 2 bottles, which were only 2 ounces each for Gray to be able to help feed him and then I fed him afterwards. With that said, I am not sure how much he is eating at each feeding. He went from 15 minutes on each side, to anywhere between 8 - 10 minutes on each side. He is eating every 3 hours. I am having to wake him during the day, and I am letting him sleep until he wakes me at night, which can go anywhere between 3 and 5 hours... more of the 3 hour mark, but here's to hoping soon he sleeps a bit longer!

SLEEP. Carter has also been a great sleeper. He likes the rock and sleep, but truly prefers to be swaddled and in the pack and play. Gray loved to snuggle on me and would sleep there for every nap had I let him. Carter was the same for the first two weeks, but now once he starts showing that he is tired, he wants to be put down. If you try to hold him too long he will start his real cry (that produces real tears... ALREADY! its so sad!) Over the past two weeks he has also started to stay up longer after each feed, but definitely still naps for at least an hour in between.

PLAY. As far as play goes, we do as much as you can with an itty bitty. We do bicycle kicks, stretches of the arms, make sounds to see if he will turn his head. He isn't much f a fan of tummy time on the floor yet, but he can hold his head up pretty well while on my chest, over my shoulder or sitting in my lap. hopefully these floppy head days are numbered.

Nicknames - Sweets, C, Mr C
He makes sounds like a little lamb
Ive noticed that he tends to lay his head to the right. Which has me paranoid about flat head or torticollis. I also thought Gray was blind at one point, so this may be a paranoid mom thing, but I intend to talk to the doctor about it at G's 2 year check up
He is are stingy with your smiles so far, but when he does smile, its with his whole face. I cannot wait until he gives us real smiles!
His eyes look like they are turning blue. Now to wait and see what shade of blue they will be!
He doesn't take the paci very well yet, but when he does get ahold of it he sure does like it. He will even rest his hand on it to hold it in.
He likes white noise to sleep - thank goodness for portable sound machines
He has moved into size 1 diapers/borderline for needing size 2, and has fully grown out of any newborn clothes/jammies. He didn't even get to wear everything!
Layla has acclimated to having the new baby so well. When Grayson isn't around or once he has gone to bed, Layla is right by Carter's side. She is such a sweet friend to both of the boys.
When he wakes up and is unwrapped from the sleep sack he makes almost identical faces while he stretches and toots - just like Grayson did. I laughed so hard the first time he started to do this, as it was one of my most favorite things that Gray did as a baby.
He doesn't cry very often. He fusses more than anything. But if he gets into a full cry, he turns so red, he is almost purple. But the good news is, he doesn't take long to console.
He is a super loud eater.
He gets the hiccups often
He holds my finger tight or my shirt while nursing. He has started to rub my side with his other hand just in the past few days.
He had his first hair cut at 5 days old. & is due for another!
He seems to be very relaxed/chill. He is certainly making this transition to two easy for everyone. I am sure that this will change at some point, but for now I will take it and not complain a bit!

Carter Grant: A Birth Story

2017-06-29T11:45:00.000-05:00

Carter Grant Dunaway

May 30, 2017

12:41 pm

8 pounds, 4 ounces

20 inches

truth: this is boring (& long AND loaded with a million pictures). But in my opinion, birth story and boring together is a great thing. That means it all went well and we are proud owners of a new healthy baby boy.

My pregnancy was great, mostly uneventful outside of having polyhydramnios (an excessive amount of amniotic fluid, that is generally unexplained). I had to take it easy towards the end of my pregnancy to help prevent my water from prematurely breaking. Since Grayson was a cesarean, Carter was scheduled for May 30th, right at 39 weeks. Although I was paranoid about not making it to "the day", we made it without a problem!

If you know J, you know that he is a creature of habit/borderline OCD. So when we discussed what we were going to do on the last night as a family of three, it was a no brainer in his book. The hibachi dinner we had the night before G. No complaints here - hibachi is by far a favorite of mine and Gray loves it just as much as I do.

From 2 to 3:

Our family of 3 ready to meet Carter

Just like the night before Gray was born, I slept really well. We woke up early that morning, got G ready to head to school, and J dropped me off at DryBar to get my hair blown out. Gray knew it was the day he was going to meet "Baby Carter" and had been so excited about it! Until, I got out of the car... he cried the entire way to school (which he never does) then proceeded to have an epic meltdown while J tried to drop him off. Finally the teachers told J to just go... and not a half hour later they sent us a pic of a smiling boy, doing just fine. Thank goodness!

We arrived a bit early to our scheduled time so we sat and waited in the waiting room... nothing like having your nerves start to get to you!

The beauty of your first time to have a baby is that you have no idea what to expect (or at least for me it was) I just went with whatever they said. But this time, I knew the drill. I knew what it felt like to walk into the cold OR. I knew I was going to have to hop up on that table and hunch over for the spinal block. It made me much more nervous this time.

Thankfully my wedding photographer/super sweet friend, Brittany, agreed to photograph the day with us, just like she did for G. She makes both J&I laugh and helped to keep my mind off of everything. I love that lady -- BIG.

Although Britt wasn't allowed into the OR with us, my nurse was confident to use her gigantic camera and captured some really amazing photos for us (specifically of the birth, but I wont share the guts and glory of those)

This time the nerves got the best of me when I stepped foot into the OR. J isn't able to come in until I've had the block so its a lonely walk in. My nurse and the anesthesiologist were amazing and so sweet. But I was not relaxing enough to get the block in. Several sticks later (OWWWWWWW) it was finally in and I was getting prepped.

J came in and Dr Walsh was ready to go!

Before I knew it, I heard Dr Walsh saying "How many chins do you have?!" Another chunk chunk baby.... yaaaaasss!

The close up this time seemed longer than last, but you tend to not think about it since your sweet babe is there with you. Once he was cleaned up/weighed/etc. they immediately brought him over for skin to skin. There was a brief moment where J had to take Carter since I was getting nauseated but as soon as that was under control, he was back on me.

Once we got back to the recovery room, Carter got to eating right away. Latched on without a problem, which is such a great feeling!

The recovery room is probably some of my favorite time after Carter was born. its dark, its quiet, and you get to just look at that sweet babe from top to bottom. Once we finished up in there we were on our way upstairs for Big Bro to meet Carter, and for the grandparents to as well.

We had a smaller crowd than when G was born, but that was just fine for us. It was an overwhelming situation for Grayson as it was. Leading up to that day, Grayson was so excited. We had a countdown and he would repeat all day every day how many more days until we meet "Baby Carter" but then it was the day. Gray was not very interested in holding/touching/really anything about Carter.

"Grayson, do you want to hold Baby Carter?" "Nope."

Over the next few days in the hospital Gray warmed up by touching his hand, feet and then with a little bribery we finally got him to hold Carter. Since being home Grayson has changed his tune - he loves on Carter all the time and asks to hold him several times a day. phew

Its hard to remember life without you already, sweet boy. Our family of four is just perfect thanks to you.

Carter Grant: Maternity Shoot

2017-04-28T14:55:00.006-05:00

Over time, I have come to realize that professional photos of my family is something that is super important to me. I cherish all of the pictures that we have - there are prints and canvases all over our house and my office. I guess, I would say just professional photos, but photos/videos in general. I am sure if you follow me on IG/Facebook you will agree.. I probably have too many, but you know what, its worth it to me. I LOVE flipping through old pics, or obsessively watching a too cute video of my sweet boy.

When it was time to capture this belly bump, I couldn't wait to get with the super talented Stephanie from Stephanie Rose Photography. And as always, she captured our family perfectly. The silliness, the crying and the love.

I am still in disbelief that there will be another baby here within the next 5 weeks. But sweet Carter, we cant wait to meet you!... well, I can wait... until May 30th. May 30th I cannot wait to meet your sweet face!

Things

2017-03-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Oh hey, just popping in with some randomness..

1. Disney Hangover. We did the quickest Orlando trip known to man, but it was awesome. So awesome. My super sweet uncle sent us fast pass tickets for Magic Kingdom - it was such a surprise and we were so very thankful!

At Gray's age, I knew he would enjoy the trip but had no idea how much. He loved the airplane, the ice cream, the rides, meeting Mickey so much that we decided to do a second park on Sunday before heading to the airport. Where he got to meet his main crush... Minnie. Theres video, that he has watched no less than 1000x. he is obsessed.

It was the perfect last trip for just the three of us. I am so thankful that we took advantage of my work trip!

2. Third Trimester. Say what?! It doesn't feel like that long ago we found out that we were pregnant. I know that they say your subsequent pregnancies fly by faster, its so true. Life with a toddler, work, family, just really life in general has made time pass so quickly this time. Its hard to believe its been 28 weeks already, but here we are. A healthy babe still cookin' away. I have an appointment next week and then starting in April I will be seeing my doc weekly. And seeing baby boy weekly. I will take it!

3. Big Boy Bed. Get it bro. This kid is such a champ. He truly just goes with the flow. He gave up the paci without issue. He comes and goes wherever we need him to, And now we kicked him out of the crib and into the big boy bed and he loves it. We are almost a week in and haven't had any problems. He waits in the morning to get out of bed and sleeps great all night. Hopefully it sticks & the transition to being a big brother is just as easy

4. Supper Club We are soon to welcome another sweet babe to this crazy crew. & we are oh so excited!

5. Nursery Progress I have been all over J to get things done in the nursery. I keep seeing pictures on timehop of G's nursery 2 years ago and we were pretty much done at this point and had a month longer to go! Chop, chop, Mr Dunaway!

that's about all I've got at the moment.. maybe i'll be back sooner next time :)

Grayson Daniel: 18 Months

2017-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Its insane how much Gray has grown, physically and mentally, in the last 6 months.

He is so fun right now. SO FUN. He has a mind of his own, that he isn't afraid to share with you, he likes to laugh & be silly, snuggle, and be rough & tumbly. He's at an age where I no longer feel like I need to hover over him when we are at home.

Measurements:

Height: 32 3/4 - 33" (70th%-ish)

Weight: 27lb5oz (70th%)

We had our 18 well check on Wednesday. G had just been in the office on Monday with lots of congestion and had his first experience with a nebulizer. To say he was still a little scarred from Monday would be an understatement. The minute we walked into the office he started saying "no" on repeat and whining. Getting his height and weight was not easy, so these are estimates. But hey, I get it Buddy. Its bee a rough week.

The great news is, he is developing well and checked out great! His speech is ahead of the curve, which makes me laugh since our house is a loud house. And I love it.

The other great news is he is already looking better compared to Monday. We have been doing breathing treatments twice a day to break it all up and G is getting better at sitting through them. By the time we are done with them on Friday they will be a piece of cake!

eat.
Grayson made the transition to no bottles without an issue. We used Nuby 360 sippy cups and he has now transitioned to using any type of sippy cup, except for the munchkin 360 cups.. just forget about those for now! He drinks milk in the morning, at school and at dinner. He drinks lots of water as well. I don't do juice, not even the watered down kind. I mean, I am not against it, but for as long as he doesn't know theres something that tastes better out there, I will let him keep his sugar intake down.

In the toddler room at school, they provide lunch and snacks. Which is awesome. Its one less things to stress about. I don't know how you mommas out there make cold lunches without peanut butter everyday for your kiddos. I run out of ideas in like 3 days. ha! But the best part about the lunches provided to G is that they are fairly gourmet and help to expand G's pallet. Which is awesome! It always makes me laugh if he is marked as he at "most" or "all" for that day because I know if I look at the menu, its going to be pasta or pizza. Only once has the note said "None. & then Grayson threw his lunch on the floor" LOL I guess he wasn't into lunch that day.

Oh! And the dips. Give this kid all.the.dips. Ketchup, ranch, BBQ sauce, guacamole, queso, salsa.. all of it. Doesn't like something? Give him a small amount of sauce and he will love it.

sleep.
Still a champion in the sleep department. Down by 7 every night, up around 7 (or later) every morning. He can stay up later if we are out and about but if I keep him up late at home with no one over, he becomes a crabby monster. Its awful.

Naptime at school has become a game changer over all for us. In the toddler room they all nap from 12 - 2. Everyday. And G just followed suit on day one! They have sleep mats they put on cots and they all snooze. I would have never thought he was ready for that, but apparently if all the kids are doing it... G is in too. Good now, not so good for the teenage years, amiright?! Auntie Chara made him the BEST sleep mat ever, with temperpedic foam and pillow, spoiled much?! He loves it and I love that its not cheesy and is even monogrammed.

play.
He can play and do whatever he wants on his own as long as the gates are latched on the stairs. He will certainly let me know if he needs something. He has about a million toys, all of which get put to use, but I would say among his very favorite are his broom, tickle monster gloves, choo choo, his truck and books.

For Christmas he received a mini broom and he loves it. Last thing he touches before bed, first thing he asks for in the morning (after Mama and Fishies, of course). He puts on (or gets help putting on) the tickle gloves then chases us around the house saying "tickle tickle"! Nana & Papa got G a train for Christmas and boy does he love it! Santa drives the train and he thinks its the Bee's knees. Mimi and Poppy got G a truck for Christmas, he loves to cruise the street in it and go visit the "Wa-wa" aka the neighborhood pond, where the "DUCK!!!" lives.

As he has gotten more confident walking/running over the past few months, he has become more adventurous. Climbing on tables, getting himself on couches/chairs, etc. He loves slides and swings and all things you can crawl through. He jumps into his teepee through the window... why?! Boys. He can go up and down the stairs easily, although I still panic, but I know I will be thankful once this belly grows bigger and I don't have to carry him every time.

We got him a boy baby doll once we found out #2 was on the way. He isn't so fond of him yet, but he does hold or hug him briefly.

He loves snapchat filters. If he's cranky, snapchat to the rescue!

misc.

He knows lots of animal sounds. If you ask him he will tell you, but also when he sees the animal the first thing he will do to identify it is make the noise.
Jarrett got a record player for Christmas and Grayson will say "Music" and wiggle his bottom. He loves music and to dance. He also knows what he does or doesn't like, if Jarrett tries to put on any record outside of the Wild Feathers, he just shakes his head and says "no" even if we try to get him to dance to whatever it is. its pretty hilarious.
He has quite the vocabulary. When I read that he should have a dozen words or so, I feel relieved to know he is ahead of the game here. Not only does he have a few dozen words, he will repeat most of what you ask him to. He also will string two words together here and there. His favorite phrase right now is "which you" which means - "hold me!"
He went through a serious Mama phase, but although he still loves me, he isn't cold shouldering his Daddy anymore.
Gray is still sensitive. If his feelings get hurt, he might cry. Or if another child takes something from him, he might cry. If he's thrown into an unknown situation, he might cry. But if he bumps his head, he likely wont cry. Ha!
He loves to brush his teeth. Climb up on his stepstool brush his teeth and his hair before bed.
In my 12 month update I talked about biting. Great news it was a short phase. We have been bite free for a long time now.
He loves his Layla. He always has, but these days he sits on her because he wants to be so close, he chases her everywhere and he loves on her ALL.THE.TIME. its the sweetest yall.
We tried out swim lessons at the end of summer, but with his ear problems, we had to discontinue, for now at least. He loved it, so I am really bummed out, but its not worth infecting his second tubes

We are loving watching this boy grow. He truly makes life way better. Cant wait to continue to watch him become a little boy!

Jumping Back on the Horse

2017-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Sort of.

Its not uncommon for me to drop out of the blogging world from time to time. Life just got busy. Too busy. Work this fall was insane. I went and got pregnant. And apparently second babies suck the life out of you and you have the same bedtime as your toddler. True story.

So the blog went to the wayside. I want to pick back up, to document things for myself, and I know I have family that likes the picture updates of G, because, well, even posting on IG went to the wayside too. But I am also not holding myself to an amount of posts a week or a month. When I have time or there are things to share I will be making an effort, but if the cards don't fall into place, that's ok too!

So, lets catch up:

August
- We celebrated Layla's 9th birthday (since we may have missed her 8th)
- G got his second haircut (first "real" haircut)
- We took Grayson and Hayes to their first circus
- We found a house that we loved/put our house on the market
- G belly flopped his way through the end of summer

September
- Grayson started in the toddler class
- We closed on our new home
- I did an awesome bloggers event in California
- We found out our bestests were having a baby AND its a BOY!
- G got his second set of tubes
- We found out we were expecting Baby Dunaway #2!

October
- We started moving things into the new house, slowly but surely & getting things painted etc.
- We took G to his first pumpkin patch & Painted a pumpkin with him
- We celebrated Halloween with our Supper Club friends

November
- We continued to work on the new house
- Battled Hand Foot Mouth and another wicked virus
- Went to the Zoo
- Went to the arboretum
- Spilled the Beans about Baby #2
- Visited Santa... which didn't go all that well this year

December
- Continued to work on the house... see a trend here? Pretty sure this will be ongoing for a while!
- Saw G's first Christmas Play at school
- Did a carriage ride to look at lights with Supper Club
- Visited Santa again.. it was slightly more successful
- Decorated/Made Santa cookies
- Supper Club adults only Christmas celebration (was amazing!)
- Celebrated Christmas with both sides of the families & at home
- Announced Baby #2 will be a BOY
- Visited the FW Childrens Museum with Auntie Annie
- Rang in the New Year in Houston with Zak & Chara

And now its 2017... and I have no idea how it happened. Looking forward to everything that this year will bring!

Friday Five

2016-08-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Another week has come and gone - craziness. Life is busy right now. So so busy, but we are trying to savor all the moments as we are speeding along.

Mu favorite things from this week:

1. Sweet Sarah Lucia made her debut to the world. Our 9th Supper Club baby is here! And I am itching to see that sweet girl! Only one more sleep until I get to hold her and see her beautiful face!

2. Hayes is Wild One. We got to finally celebrate Hayes' birthday after his party being postponed a few weeks back. Jojo did such an amazing job - and the birthday boy was ready to party!

3. Arm Candy.

I received this fabulous JORD watch in the mail this week. I knew I loved it online, but I love it even more than I thought! J has complimented me on it several times already and even asked if they have "dude watches". ::Spoiler Alert!:: I foresee these watches becoming a go to gift in the upcoming holiday season. I have my eye on this one, this one and this one for myself. And maybe others if I feel like being generous. What about this one for J? It would look great with a suit, don't you think? Or this one? So many options. I'll take one of each, please. All the heart eyes in the world!

4. Kara's Party Ideas. G's party got picked up this week on Kara's blog. I am not going to lie, Once I got going with party planning, I secretly hoped that Kara would feature his party on her blog. Fangirl much.. maybe just a little bit - ha! Amber's 30th Movie Party I threw also had been featured on her blog a few years ago. The things that make me happy. Insert eye roll here.

5. We've got a walker. I stopped in at G's school in the afternoon on Tuesday just to say hi. After being gone the week before I love seeing him any extra minute I can .. Anyway, when I opened the door to his classroom and he was walking with a little walker, he saw me, and turned to the door walking.. more like running to see me. I about cried. No lie. And the craziest part was that I had dreamt this exact thing the week before while I was in Arizona. Cray. Every day he is navigating better and better.

please excuse the mama voice in the video!

Happy weekend to you, friends!

Best Wooden Watch

Summer Family Session

2016-07-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Literally, every single time we do a photo session with Stephanie Rose, I cannot wait to see the images. She is so good. Like so, so, so good. Even if I feel like the session was awful, she captures the sweetest moments. I love her... shall I go on???

Its hard to choose just a few to share, but I did my best to choose.

High Five For Friday!

2016-07-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Once upon a long, looooong time ago, I used to post my high five for Friday when Lauren hosted the link up. Amber has somewhat resurrected it, so Ive decided to play along this week.

1. Parenthood.

This show. OMG. I binge watched this in like 2 weeks start to finish and loved every second of it. If you are skeptical, just try it. You might cry every episode, but its worth it. I just wish it didn't end. I would love for updates on all their lives.

2. Carmel Valley

I am lucky enough to be doing a program in this beautiful setting in September. Not only is it in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, but its also blogger related, and very much right up my alley personally. I hate that I cant share who for or exactly what it is for confidentiality reasons, but lets just say this could be my most favorite project yet.

3. Baker Bree's Berry Sweet Birthday

We loved celebrating this sweet girl over this weekend. G still has remnants of his strawberry tattoo on his arm that I cant scrub hard enough to come off. Everything was perfect - the décor the food the bevies! We love you sweet girl - to the moon and back!

4. Ready, Set, Party! Tired of G's birthday party yet?! I hope not, because I received an email this week from Project Nursery letting me know that G's Party was selected as a finalist for the Party of the Month. So if you are so inclined, please vote for G's Party HERE!

5. No more bottles! Last weekend we just never offered G a bottle. I finally found a sippy cup that he would drink his milk from and only offered that to him over the weekend. (I have since bought 6 more ha!) My brother makes fun of me for Brand Repping for Nuby on Instagram, but if nothing else, from doing so, I found this cup and it made weaning from the bottle a non-issue. Works for me. Even at school he hasn't used a bottle - one week down, I would say we are golden!

I travel this next week for the first time all summer pretty much - I'm sad, happy and excited all at the same time. I know I will miss my little buddy more than normal since I haven't been away for a while, but also looking forward to get back to my normal work routine and being with my friends. Such a catch-22!

Have a great weekend yall! XOXO

Ready, Set, Party! Big G Turns One!

2016-07-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I still cannot believe that my sweet bud is already one. Celebrating this day was super important to me. Not only to celebrate him, but to celebrate our victory of all staying alive for an entire year.

We love football season at our house, so what better way to celebrate our little linebacker than with a Football Themed Party?!

Although I don't know how to keep things simple, nor do I know where the line between "so fun!" and "overboard" is, I truly did try to not overthink the process.

For décor, I kept things pretty simple, a few banners, some DIY projects, pictures of G, and football paraphernalia that we already had at home.

Food and Beverages are always the main focus of a party, regardless of what time it is.

Menu:

Pigs in a Blanket served with mustards & ketchup

Buffalo Wing Pretzel Sticks, Veggies & Ranch Dip

Spinach Dip Cups

Mini 7 Layered Dip Cups served with Fritos

Wedge Salad Kabobs

Fruit

BBQ Chicken Sliders

Kettle Chips

Jalapeno Poppers (Market Street)

Beverages:

Beer, Water, Gatorade & Sangria

Sangria Recipe:

3 bottles of rose

1 cup blueberries

2 white peaches sliced or diced

1 cup Cointreau

1 cup Chambord

2 cans sparkling lime water

Desserts - Cupcakes, Cake, & Cookies!

No Dunaway party is complete without a photobooth. Although I really wanted to have a custom background made, I found out it was EXPENSIVE, then I wanted to make my own, but truly who has time for that?! So I settled on a good old party city backdrop... that I now have endless rolls of - Super Bowl Party anyone???

Amber & Jordan let us borrow their bounce house for the backyard, we had bags outside and my parents have a pool table. We got some rain, but it cleared up after not too long giving us some relief from the heat!

We had a ball for everyone to sign for the birthday boy

& Take homes for the kiddos included mini footballs, candy, balloon punchy thingies (technical term, obviously) and foam fingers.

Overall we had an amazing night with our best friends and family. & Sweet Baby G was a happy camper!

Upright & Football Cake Topper

Blue Star & "ONE" Cake Topper

Cupcake Foam Finger Toppers

Tissue Paper Grass

Uprights DIY

Chalkboard - Hobby Lobby & Writing c/o Auntie JoJo

Oval Football Plates

Cake Plates, Napkins & Plasticware - Party City

Football Themed Mason Jars DIY

Stadium Seating Backdrop

Let's Eat: 12 Months

2016-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Utensils are still a work in progress. He's so close to stabbing things with forks, but not quite there still. truly we don't work on this every dinner, and I don't really force the issue. I probably should soon, but for now, eat on kiddo. He was able to eat yogurt with a spoon mostly on his own. It was messy and his OCD Daddy about had a heart attack.

Schedule:

7/8am: Wake, 4ounce bottle,

*banana/Plum mish mosh breakfast pouch, get ready for school

I still don't give solids every morning

9:00 am: Snack (puffs, fruit, or wafer cookie) & 4 ounce bottle

11:00 am: Lunch (meat, vegetable & fruit) & 4 ounce bottle

3:00 pm: Snack (puffs, fruit or wafer cookie) & 4 ounce bottle

6:00pm/6:30 pm: Dinner (meat/eggs/fruit/vegetable/yogurt)

6:45 pm/7:15 pm: 1-4 ounces of bottle

Our schedule hasn't changed much over the last month, except for this sleepyhead likes to snooze much later in the morning. Hey, no one is complaining over here... until we need to get to work early, then its a slight problem.

This month was mostly formula. I think we got a good week or so out of the last of my breast milk (so hard to see it all go) but he transitioned to formula without a flinch. We used Plum Organics formula, for no other reason than we use a lot of their products (snacks, pouches for on the go, meatballs, etc.) If we had to do long term formula I am sure we would have found a more cost effective product since he didn't have any tummy issues or anything with the switch. We are now in the process of introducing whole milk. I made the switch with two of his bottles at first and he didn't seem to know the difference even though I served it cold. I sent his lunch bottle in a sippy cup today, so we will see how that went... empty bottle in his backpack in case they entered meltdown city. At G's wellness check Dr Pass said that we had until 15 months to get him off of the bottle, but I hope to do it much sooner than that. I don't think it will be an issue except that he sees all of the babes at school with them. Until he starts walking he will stay in the infant room at school. So this could hinder the process a bit.

This month G was picky and not picky, depended on the day. I cannot put fruit out at all or else mealtime is over until he gets those berries. School told me that they cant give any of the kids fruit until its time for G to get his... ::hanging my head in shame:: I mean, at least its healthy?! Funniest part is I craved fruit like a crazy person when I was pregnant with him!

I didn't document as well this month as I did previously, but we tried a lot of new things and are continuing to do so while mixing in some goodies and favorites:

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli with Steamed Rice and Blueberries

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Spanish Rice, Mushrooms & Peas

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole, Broccoli & Strawberries

Slower Cooker BBQ Chicken, Mushrooms, Potato Salad, Green Beans & Strawberries

Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti, Apricot & Mushrooms

Torilla Mini Pizzas, Sautéed Zucchini and Raspberries

Other things we tried, but aren't pictured:

Sausage Jambalaya

Spaghetti Squash

Baked Tofu Nuggets

Cottage Cheese

Crockpot Chicken Burrito Bowl

Garlic Parm Butternut Squash

I had also been sending homemade pouches to school for G that were simple snacks. Fruits or veggies combines with yogurt or oatmeal. Then this month I decided to get weird on him and do crazy combos. Most of which were flops... but you never know what your babe will like until you have them try it!

Sweet Potato, Carrot & Pear

Blueberry, Apple & Spinach

Blackberry, Apple & Kale

Blueberry, Banana & Oatmeal

Strawberry, Banana & Yogurt

Butternut Squash & Peach

Cauliflower, Peas & Sweet Potato

Avocado, Banana, & Kiwi

Don't let me fool you, most of them weren't a success and now I have some stashed in the freezer that he likely wont eat. Meh - you win some, you lose some.

Now that we have officially turned one, I got the green light on all nut spreads and pretty much anything else we want to feed him. Dr Pass only said she would still stay away from shellfish; which isn't a problem, as we don't make too much shrimp around our house anyway.

Grayson Daniel: 12 Months

2016-07-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Better late than never on this one... G's one year wellness check wasn't until Tuesday this week, and I wanted official stats and not guessing games this go around. Hard to believe one has already come, but I am loving this stage of life with this little man, and I know its just going to get better.

Measurements:

Height: 31" (85th%)

Weight: 24lb14oz (80th%)

eat. still eating great. Two snacks a day, lunch and dinner. I had still been offering 20ounces of formula this month and I would say he probably ate 12 - 15 of those ounces a day. The last bottle at night seems to be a formality. He will pretend to drink for about 30 seconds and then just want his paci and bed. So most nights that bottle didn't get a dent in it. Some mornings I would make him breakfast, but most mornings, he was on his way to school with just his morning bottle and his first snack time is at 9am. As we start transitioning to whole milk, I know that making breakfast will become more important, but making a scrambled egg in the morning is easy peasy.

sleep. Thankfully he has still been an amazing sleeper. He is down around 7 every night and up by 8. His naps have been about 1.5-2 hours... although for the last week or two he's been a sleepy baby. Snoozing later even though he goes to sleep at the same time and his naps have been more common on the two hour side. Growth spurt I suppose?

I did not take a single picture this month of this nugget sleeping... Bad Mama!

play. Goodness we play hard around here. His absolute favorite thing is going outside. If we let Layla out and don't let him go outside, meltdown city. Once he gets outside he automatically makes his way to the swing and insists to get in. We have been enjoying the water table, sprinkler and splash pool in the yard. Hes loved the swim sessions we have had too! Bubbles, his walker, Jeep, cars, and this random old school duck from my grandma's house are among his favorites. Playing catch is so fun, and playing chase with Layla is also one of his favorites. He is walking with the walker like a pro. Starting to stand on his own so it will be no time before we have a true toddler in the house. Lord help us. He loves to take all of his utensils and bowls out of the cabinet. 9 times out of 10 when you see him, he is bound to be holding a spoon. He's starting to really "hold conversation" its no longer just repetitive "dadadadada" or "mamamamamama" lots of sounds and putting them together as if he is truly trying to speak. His teachers asked me this month who in our house is the "talker" (both of us) and said he speaks really loudly... (oops!) He loves books. And is super bossy. I cant imagine where these things come from. He is getting very brave, climbing stairs, getting on top of the coffee tables, climbing up on the fireplace mantle. its just a matter of time until he gets his first big bruise...

miscellaneous:

His molars are making their way in. The past few days he is STRUGGLING. His appetite has gone down a bit and he is cranky. His gums are so swollen. Poor dude. I hope they break soon!
biting. ugh. hes bitten me, j, my mom and one of his teachers. Its when he's overly excited... and luckily its only happen a few times. but goodness I hope this stage doesn't stick around.
"What does a Dog say?" tongue out and starts panting. stop it.
Dance parties are a favorite. hands up in the air!
Ice cubes - loves em.
He's started to socially laugh. If we are all laughing - he will fake laugh... its awesome. hes so smart (says every mommy in the world.)
He's started clicking his tongue
Imitating what you do is also a fun new hobby. Have you read "Pat the Bunny" kid loves it. Even learned to "smell the roses" by watching J&I do it. Today I was blowing on his food and telling him it was hot. Before each bite he was blowing on them. too funny. I cant wait until he can make all the silly faces we make. that my friends, will be picture overload time (as if there aren't a million too many photos already - hahah!)