Life with Gray: 18 Months

Grayson turns 2 years old in 4 short months so what better time than now to do his 18 months update? 

I posted this on Instagram back in December - he looks like a big kid, right? ::tears:: 

December was when he turned 18 months and going back through the pictures for this post I realized what a big month it was for our family: we traveled to Dallas, Texas and New York City for Thanksmas and Christmas, respectively and we took advantage of so many fun activities here in Portsmouth, which I wrote about here (one of my favorite posts about our life in New Hampshire!). 

Here are more details just on Gray's 18 months experience:

Life with Gray: 15 Months

Second child syndrome is a real thing, hence the reason why I haven't written an update on Grayson since his belated 1 year update 2 months after his 1st birthday. I enjoy going back and reading updates on Nia at the same age as Grayson and figured the least I could do was update based on his doctor appointment schedule. That's fair, right? 

The picture above was from Instagram a few weeks ago when he had actually just turned 15 months and it's one of my favorites. His little Pooh Bear tummy, huge dark chocolate eyes and parted lips are all typical Grayson. Most days he toddles around busy working on his little projects pausing to observe trucks that pass by our fishbowl windows - they provide so much entertainment for him! He is a very easy baby and a true sweetheart. His hand-me-down "Hug Me" shirt conveys exactly what I'm prone to do at least 15 times a day. The best part? He lets me and doesn't try to break free. He's a real snuggle bug!

Here's the full update:

• Toddler's Weight: 21 3/4 lbs - this was from his 15 month check-up a couple weeks after he turned 15 months  

• Toddler's Height: 30 1/2"

• What size of clothing does toddler wear? At the time he turned 15 months he was still comfortably in 12 months clothing and starting to wear some 18 months, but still a bit too long and wide

Escape artist in the making

• Any milestones toddler reached since last update:  
• Not sure if it's a milestone, but he's the most confident climber and explorer! He scares us often (as in the clip below - we've since moved the stroller to our lobby), but has the cutest side-eye that says, "I got this!"

• His vocabulary is slowly expanding, but he mimics us very well 
• Special outings toddler had since last update:  

• The Jazz Age Lawn Party (recap here!) - a dream fulfilled to see he and Nia there together since we missed it last year 
• Visiting my side of the family in Ohio for the first time 

• What are your thoughts since the past update? Grayson still isn't a big eater, but I was thrilled to see he's improving weight-wise; at the time he turned 15 months he was still toppling over from time to time (his large noggin is to blame!), but he does his best to keep up with his big sister. It's fun seeing them interact more! 

It doesn't take much to make Grayson happy! 

• What was toddler's routine? Grayson's pretty easy going and since turning 1 has dropped his 2nd nap. He wakes up with his sister at 7a.m. via their alarm clock and they both go to bed at 8p.m. At night they "snuggle down" together for their devotional and daily calendar. It's a tradition that's been going strong for a few months now and they love it. During the day we do storytime one day a week still getting out to play while the weather permits and at the time he turned 15 months was spending a couple days a week with our babysitter, a young woman we know from our church who he really likes (it's so precious to see him blow her kisses!) 

Catching up on snuggle time during Nia's soccer practice

• Reflect about the highlights since the last update:  
• Becoming a steadier walker
• Attending the Jazz Age Lawn Party for the first time 

• Did any big changes occur? 
• Adjusting to his big sister being at school full time (preschool was only 3 days a week this past year) - he was a bit melancholy when she first started 

• What are toddler's favorites - toy, food, person, etc... 
• He is still obsessed with Nia and calls her constantly: "NEE-AH!" She chases him around all the time and he tries to scramble away. Nia still roughs him up from time to time, but it makes him stronger, right?

• Toy-wise, he still likes his little corner in our dining area where he can play independently in the fishbowl windows
• He continues to like smoothies (he drinks the most and fastest out of all of us!) and has a funny way of responding when we use our Ninja Auto-iQ:

• What I'm looking forward to? Celebrating Thanksgiving locally in Portsmouth and getting our real tree up; since Grayson's more active than Nia was I'm wondering if the tree will survive the entire season! We'll go the day after Thanksgiving to get it like we always do; we'll head to Texas between Thanksgiving and Christmas for "Thanksmas" with my parents

Always my baby

 

Lovebirds' Fall Family Fun

I was scrolling through pictures recently and realized there were so many fall family outings we've had that I haven't yet put into posts on the blog so I thought it would be fun just to share a few here.  

11th Annual Portsmouth Fairy House Tour

Nia's Kindergarten class made this fairy house

  

Apple Picking at Applecrest Farm  

While waiting in line for the infamous cider donuts I kept seeing people stare at Grayson in his stroller. I pulled back the canopy and realized he had eaten the entire ear of corn we gave him - husk and all! Needless to say that was a fun diaper the next day O_o

A few of my favorite moments in this quick video:

Topsfield Fair 

Those of you who are long-time readers know my obsession with the Ohio State Fair so it's no surprise that I couldn't help but compare the two. The Ohio State Fair wins due to layout (the Topsfield Fair has too much packed into a tight space), but the Topsfield Fair comes close for its classic selection of rides (they even had bumper cars!).

Soccer's also been a big part of our fall with Tuesday/Saturday practice and games. It's our last week of the season and while I've shared a few pics on Instagram a featured post is coming. 

Stay tuned for a yummy fall post coming up next . . .

What have been your family's favorite activities this fall? I seriously can't get enough of just looking at the leaves - it is so gorgeous here! 

 

Life with Gray: 1 Year

Grayson's 14 months old today so I guess that's a good reason to do his 1 year update, right? I still call him "baby Grayson" and probably won't stop anytime soon!

One of the things I love about summer birthdays are outdoor parties and back in June we made our way over to Great Island Common, a huge expanse of green and blue, in New Castle to celebrate. Many of Grayson's fellow baby friends have older siblings who are friends with Nia so it was definitely double fun as she got to hang out with her little buddies. 

It was so special to have my sisters come up from NYC!

Between playing at the playground, rolling around on the blankets and enjoying bubbles, it was a fun day!

Now for Grayson's monthly questionnaire:

• Baby's weight: Grayson weighed in at 18lbs, 6oz at his last well visit; he really is eating more but it just isn't sticking to him much! The good news is that the's on his own growth curve and the "curve" part is what's most important so his dr. isn't concerned 

• Baby's height: 29" but I've been assured by my father-in-law that he's just taking after his dad who sprouted much, much later! 

• What size of clothing does baby wear?:  Still in 9-12 months for the most part; the 12-18 month pants are just too wide

His 1st birthday eve at our hotel in Bar Harbor

• Special outings baby had during the month: The weekend of Grayson's birthday (and our 6th wedding anniversary) we were in Bar Harbor, our first time there as a family; it was so picturesque and Grayson enjoyed rolling around in all the greenery

• What are your thoughts on this past month?: We were mostly concerned about potential allergies this month as we knew after his egg allergy scare a few months ago that we could finally get a blood draw when he turned 1; we got it just after his 1st birthday and it confirmed his egg allergy and that we were all clear for dairy and nuts

• What was baby's routine? Swimming lessons and the library have been the mainstays of our summer and the month of June only had our trip to Maine so it was nice to be local for the most part; hotel stays can always throw things off, but Grayson and Nia still go down for the night together around 8/8:30a.m. and he's up first around 7 followed by his sister; I appreciate that they both sleep through the night
• Any milestones baby reached during the month?: Just lots more teeth pushing through and nervous about walking 
• Reflect about the highlights of the month: Celebrating his first birthday in Maine was extra special and his birthday party was such a fun day - it's been great to find a nice little circle of friends for Grayson!
• Did any big changes occur? With the allergist's approval he'll be ready to move onto cow's milk 

• What are baby's favorites - toy, food, person, etc... Loves his sister of course and is also obsessed with pushing things around the floor as though they are cars (especially books)! His window perch remains one of his favorite places to play and the trucks that go by give him so much entertainment 
• What I'm looking forward to? Taking Grayson to Day out with Thomas next month then Ohio in August to meet my side of the family for the first time

Being Grayson's mom has been a true blessing - he's such a sweet-hearted little boy and such a snuggle, which I love. Here's to another fun year that I'm sure is going to fly by!

 

Life With Gray: 11 Months

I missed Grayson turning 11 months while I was away and immediately upon returning yesterday Grayson kind of paused and stared at me like he couldn't believe I was back. It was actually kind of creepy how he froze in place! Nia picked him up and brought him to me and since then he's been super clingy and wanting to cuddle. He's still very much my baby although he's turning 1 year old in a few weeks. Here's his last update before toddlerhood!

• Baby's weight: Grayson had a special weigh-in a few weeks ago and is 17 lbs, 3 oz - he's dropped a few ounces (more on that later) 

• Baby's height: 28 1/4" - as of his 9 month appointment, but I know he's taller based on where he's bumping his head now!  
  

• What size of clothing does baby wear?: 9-12 months and really more 9 months for weight and 12 months for height

• Special outings baby had during the month: Two trips to NYC! We took the bus down the first time and flew the second time. Both Grayson and Nia did really well as usual!

• What are your thoughts on this past month?: Grayson still very much feels like a baby to me I think mostly because I was used to his sister walking and talking understandably by this age even to just say mama and dada. I think it's been most frustrating to me dealing with him losing weight. It was a confusing conversation with the pediatrician who after telling me to give Grayson soy formula (he has a dairy allergy), told me that you cannot make a baby eat, sleep or poop. I had already told him that Grayson just isn't a voracious eater - boob or solids, it just doesn't matter. Sure enough while he's taken more to the bottle (he rejects most cups unless it's my adult version!), despite being introduced to many new foods and some of his same favorites, he just isn't that passionate about food. Looking back at Nia's charts, she was the same (and you can see here in her 11 month update how similar their body build is). As long as Grayson is healthy, which he is the pediatrician confirmed, he should be fine. 

Post late-night hotel pool shenanigans!

• What was baby's routine? Similar to how the cruise threw off our schedule the couple trips to NYC only did slightly, but while I was away Grayson has taken to sleeping all night. I wasn't sure if he'd want to nurse when I came back and so far it's been 24 hours as of the time I'm writing this post and he hasn't asked to nurse. This will certainly adjust our schedule! He's still up around 7a.m. and down between 8/8:30p.m. but somehow our sitter and Uka got him (and Nia!) down at 7:30p.m. while I was away. I just think kids give their moms (or whichever parent they're around most) the hardest time. Definitely true in my case! Nap schedule has been off just in the day that I've been back but an afternoon nap appears to be necessary (I'm writing this while both kids nap). We're also working on setting up a summer schedule between swimming lessons, library story time, and travel.

• Any milestones baby reached during the month?: He can wave and apparently (according to Uka) say, "Hi."

• Reflect about the highlights of the month: Grayson being able to see family twice in NYC and a third time in Massachusetts while I was away, was an added bonus. Now that we're only 90 minutes away from his Boston-metro cousins I want him and Nia to get to know them and hopefully this is the start of a summer full of cousin playdates!

At the relatively new and super family-friendly Porta in Jersey City

• Did any big changes occur? So far Grayson has stopped nursing since I returned from my trip yesterday afternoon. I pumped while I was away (about 30 oz a day) still pump to add to the soy formula the pediatrician recommended, but it looks like once we confirm the depth of his dairy allergy in a few weeks with his one year bloodwork, he'll most likely be weaned! It's amazing to think that with Nia I still had 11 more months of nursing ahead of me at this point. 

In the midst of (loudly) re-enacting Tarzan

• What are baby's favorites - toy, food, person, etc... Still his sister! He is the loudest for her and adores her despite how she terrorizes him like in this video (his first time in a ball bit and yes, I completely disinfected them when we got home!):

• What I'm looking forward to? Grayson's 1st birthday party! We've scheduled an outdoor picnic party a week earlier than his actual birthday since we'll be away, and are praying for good weather (lately it's been cold, gray and rainy here).

Life With Gray: 10 Months

I'm writing this as we're en route to NYC today, and I'm excited to (hopefully) make it to one of my favorite playgrounds in Central Park with both kids for the first time tomorrow. Definitely stay tuned to Instagram to catch our NYC adventures!

In the meantime, here's this month's update:

• Baby's weight: Grayson is 17lbs, 11oz as of his 9 month appointment a couple weeks ago (they scheduled it late for some reason)

• Baby's height: 28 1/4" - a tall baby, but not quite sure where he got that from!  
  

• What size of clothing does baby wear? 9 months on length is not quite cutting it, but width-wise it's perfect

At the beach in Freeport, Bahamas staying sun-safe in his Coolibar rash guard

• Special outings baby had during the month: our epic cruise and he did so well

At the Dr. Seuss Breakfast on our cruise ship

• What are your thoughts on this past month?: It's really hard to avoid comparing your kids when you have more than one and definitely with developmental gender differences I'm trying hard to keep that in mind; I just wish Grayson would go ahead and say, "Mama" or "Dada" already as his sister was long before 10 months. I do know Grayson understands a lot and I just keep talking and talking to him. I wonder what his first word will be? He did surprise us though with crawling on all fours when we returned from our cruise. He still very much enjoys being babied, which I don't mind! I give him lots of cuddles, hugs and kisses and looking forward to him doing it back. For now, he just pats me and Uka on the back when we hold him upright. It's so sweet! 

With my lil prince on Prince Charming's Regal Carrousel (yes, that's how it's spelled!)

• What was baby's routine? The cruise threw things off but even still nighttime we've had some challenges with the "turn down for what" time as I call it - both he and Nia get amped right before bed. Ughhh. Lately, we've revived crying it out and he gets to bed pretty quickly between 8/8:30p.m. as does Nia and he still whimpers in the middle of the night then is up for the day around 7a.m. Food/skin-wise his skin is clearing up and we went to an allergist last week where we found out he's allergic to dairy and peanuts, but we wouldn't give them to him anyway at this age. The cruise did a wonder for his weight though and he's been eating like a champ ever since! His pediatrician advised he could pretty much eat whatever we ate and each night we'd pull him up to the formal dining table while Nia ate at Camp Carnival and he did well at adapting. There was only one night that we had to step away, and it was during dessert anyway (more on cruising with kids to come!).

• Any milestones baby reached during the month?: Crawling on all fours with hips picked up off the floor (here's a video - don't mind my annoying voice!).

First taste of Dole Whip at Disney World, and he's hooked!

• Reflect about the highlights of the month: Grayson is such an amazing traveler! He is so calm and each flight (he goes in his 4th in a couple weeks) I keep waiting for his "true colors" to come through, but so far so good. Grayson did a good job on the cruise and had a lot of fun people watching.

• Did any big changes occur? No major changes, but just travel adjustment. With his bedtime crankiness lately we think he misses cruising! 

• What are baby's favorites - toy, food, person, etc...  Grayson is learning to enjoy the baby food pouches and has started begging off of our plates. I think the cruise really opened the door to this. He sat at the table with us without a bottle or baby food and, as his pediatrician suggested before our trip, we let him have bits of our food. He did really well as long as he could hold a utensil in one hand! Compromise, I tell ya! Regarding people, Grayson still adores his Nia. His eyes light up for her and if I ask, "Where's Nia?" He looks all around for her. Too cute!

• What I'm looking forward to? Continued warmer weather so Grayson can keep up with his swinging - he loves it!