Graham is 9 months old!

Graham,

Our little man is becoming a bigger guy with an even bigger personality.

It seems like this path month you have grown so much and are really changing.  You want EVERYTHING everyone else has.  Whether it is your brothers basketball, mommy's bagel or cell phone, or daddy's face, you want it and get upset when you can't have it!  

My favorite time of the day - giving you your last bottle just the two of us, when I could snuggle you with no resistance for hours!!

Graham you have become so social and love to be a part of any and all activity going on.  So much so that you are giving us such a hard time about napping.  This past week you have been waking p at 5 am ready to take on the world.  OM you have us exhausted!!  While I have tried to let you know how great rest is, seems like your not having it right now.  I am certain this needs to be a temporary phase!!

Showing us your personality hasn't stopped with when you want to eat.  While you take your bottle great first thing in the morning and at night, during the day it is a struggle at best.  I am thinking maybe we should try a sippy cup.  You love your food and are eating more and more finger foods.  There are very few things we have found that you won't eat.  You shovel in the finger foods we have introduced - peas, cheese, turkey, chicken, strawberries, watermelon, cheerios, and pancakes.  You love yogurt and still do great with anything pureed from sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli, mangos, apples, pears, bananas, even papaya.  You are a great eater!

Graham, you love to be sung to.  A few of your favorite songs seem to be the Wheels on the Bus, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Old MacDonald.  Singing to you brings the biggest smile and giggles!  You love to play peek-a-boo, and have figured out how to do it yourself!  You still love bath time especially splashing or feeling the water come out of the facet.  You could sit and play in the bath for hours. OM goodness you love Pressley.  She is going to be in trouble when you start to crawl because you watch her go everywhere.  Anytime she gets in your proximity, you are reaching for her and tryin to talk her closer.  

We have figured out that you are ticklish, under your arms and the side of your ribs.  You laugh so loud when we "get you", I can't get enough!!  

What you don't like?  Well you still don't like to get dressed or have your clothes changed.  And you DO NOT like to be told no or that you cannot have something when you want it!  You have no problem letting us know your disagreement.  

You have developed quite a feisty personality.  Sometimes you break out into full crying/yelling  kicking or arching your back but often times you begin with blowing raspberries louder and louder until you know you have been heard.  I am certainly that you going to give us a run for our money Graham!   

At the same time you are really showing your excitement and happiness, and talking so much more.  When I come to pick you up from day care and you squeal because you are excited to see us or when I take you for a run, or seeing Daddy or your brother, or putting you in your highchair to eat, or setting down a toy you love to play with, your happiness is contagious!  

I am not exactly sure on your weight but I would guess between 18 and 19 pounds.  You are still wearing size three diapers and sporting 6 to 12 month clothes.  Your hair is really growing, except for the straight line bald spot in the back.  We love the way it sticks up on the top especially after a bath.  Reece says you have a mohawk:)!

While each stage has its challenges, we cannot get enough of watching you grow and change!  You are such a blessing to our family and love you so much!! 

Dear God,

 Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Ephesians 6:16

Like so many I was shocked and horrified to watch the news of the Boston Marathon bombing yesterday.  Having run a marathon, having been a spectator at the finish line hoping to spot my family I can identify with jubilation, joy, and celebration which should be taking place.  As a mother, a sister, a wife, a human my heart is aching for the people affected by yesterday tragedy! It seems to senseless to me, but as I try to make sense of this world in which we live, I pray for Boston, the individuals, and families affected by this tragedy!

Graham is 36 weeks!

So I have been neglecting Graham's weekly updates for no good reason other than being busy and life passing us by too quickly....

It is so hard to believe that Graham is already 36 weeks old.  I am definitely trying to soak in this time and enjoy each stage.  Gregg and I find ourselves saying how much fun Graham is right now.  He is so responsive especially when I get home after a long day away or going in to get him in the morning or after a nap.  He is reaching out to be picked up with a huge smile, kicking his legs and then leans right in to give me a head butt ( or hug!!)

First time in a swing, and HE LOVED IT!!

Sleep:  We have had some set backs lately (thinking maybe a growth spurt) but these past several days he is back on track with a late night feeding (10ish) and then he sleeps until 6 am when we make a quick trip in to give him his binki and he falls right back asleep until 7 am ish.  Gosh, I love the extra hour!!  We have also started playing the IPad with classical music instead of the "hideous music" on his sound machine.  Gregg says maybe he was as sick of hearing it as we were.  So we are sticking with it because it seems to be working for now!

Food: Graham is eating like a champ.  He still loves his pureed fruits and veggies but is also experimenting with some finger food, everything from fish to pancakes. He devours three meals a day.   I still nurse him in the morning but have been also having to give him a bottle of formula afterwards:(  Otherwise Graham has 4 - 5 formula bottles the rest of the day.  

Milestones:  Graham is FINALLY rolling over both ways!!  He also celebrated his first Easter which was a lot of fun.

" I need to taste this Easter bag first Mommy"

Likes:  The weather has finally been warming up enough to get back outside and Graham loves it!  He is so content when in the fresh air.  Graham loves to put everything in his mouth from his toes, to my hair.  If he wants our attention he turns our face right to his and tries to get anything into his mouth!  Graham still loves bath time but is also really starting to enjoy playing with his toys, including getting and keeping his big brother attention.   Graham also loves to be a part of the mix of things.  He has become a pretty serious little man, saving his smiles for special occasions, but is so content watching everything and everyone, especially Pressley - our dog.  

Graham and his best buddy Malone!

My favorite time of the day is after he takes his late bottle and is sound asleep in my arms.  I snuggle him, brushing his sweet cheeks and hair, trying to treasure the moment and relish in how blessed I feel to be this little man's Momma!

XOXO

Weekend Recap!!

We had such a busy and fun weekend preparing and celebrating Easter.  While holidays are so much sweeter through the eyes of a child, FIRSTS are my favorite!!  This was Graham's first Easter and it was definitely jammed packed with fun and festivities!!!  

I'll let the pictures do the talking....

We dyed Easter eggs

 Graham would much rather eat the plastic eggs then deal with coloring the real thing

We had a brunch on Saturday with the family

And met the Easter bunny

Easter morning was a bit different than our usual tradition.  The Easter Bunny had to make an earlier than usual drop off ( He usual comes while we are at Mass in the morning to help keep the focus on what the day is really all about!)

So it was an early morning egg hunt and Easter baskets

We ate more with another brunch on Sunday after Mass...Graham is getting quite the palate and LOVES his food, only wondering why it takes me so long to give him another bite!!!  He ate fish and couldn't stop on the carrot cake!  Can you blame him?

What brunch is complete without a "fill your own Easter basket" candy buffet

Yep, they even had a petting zoo!!

After brunch the real fun began with a family egg hunt....AGAIN the M4 came in 1'st place for the (at least 5'th year) IN A ROW!!!

And they're off....

Graham even found his own egg

It really was such a special weekend full of friends, family, and memories which we will treasure !!  

Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the weekend....

(I got a lot of slack for Graham's outfit/knee sock, but I loved it!!)

Hope you all had a blessed and Happy Easter!!!