The beach and a toddler

Grayer turned 21 months while we were on our trip to Destin, FL this year. Technically, this was our family’s third year to spend a week at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, since I was 27 weeks pregnant with Grayer on our first trip in 2010 (our babymoon!). We have absolutely fallen in love with this place, and hope to go back for many, many more years. The resort is the perfect balance of kid friendly and adult, and it fits us to a “t”. They have a fun, beach type entrance pool that Grayer loved. He did really well swimming with his puddle jumper on, and got pretty good at paddling around towards the end of our trip. Now that we are home, he lays on his tummy, kicks his legs, and “swims” in the bath tub, ha! He wasn’t a huge fan of the sand in-between his toes on the first day at the beach, but he warmed up to it, and loved going into the ocean with his daddy. We had such a great time, and even after a full week away, weren’t ready to come home. Already looking forward to another trip!

Here are a few pictures!

Gray, here is what you are up to at 21 months!

You are obsessed with cars, trucks, airplanes, fire trucks, school buses, motorcycles, and really, anything that makes a lot of noise! You get so excited to see any of those things, and the delight in your eyes is priceless. You saw LOTS of airplanes while we were at the beach, and you would stop what you were doing every time and shout at them, hopeful they would notice you. So cute!

Your love for stairs is still unwavering. You want to go up and down over and over, and now that you are a little taller, if there is a rail, you can go up and down all on your own. This makes you feel very proud, and it’s not uncommon to see you give a clap or two when you make it to the top or bottom :)

You are becoming much more independent and are very comfortable around almost anyone. When I take you to the play ground (mostly the indoor ones now that it’s 200 degrees outside) you socialize well with the other kids, and try to mimic what the big kids are doing. You haven’t been crying at all when we drop you off at Sunday School or other activities, and always seem to be having a great time when we come to pick you up. When we ask the teachers how you did, they always seem to have sometime funny to tell us, like you were trying to eat all the bubbles, or you wanted to give everyone in your class hugs.



Puzzles, books and cars are your favorite toys at the moment. You got a new “vehicles” puzzle in Florida, and love to put all the pieces in the right spots and make all the noises of the cars and buses. You love to “read” and usually when you’re in your room being quiet and I wonder why the house is silent, I find you sitting in your little red chair looking at books. You are also getting really good at matching the colors and shapes in your shape sorter.

You are still a fantastic sleeper! You are down to one nap in the afternoon now (our plan before our Florida trip) and usually go down between 12-1, but are very flexible with the timing. You sleep anywhere from 2-3.5 hours, and always go down easily and almost always wake up happy. You are staying up a little bit later and on some nights don’t go down until close to 8:30.



We got you a potty seat a few weeks ago, and you love to sit on it and have books read to you. You went pee-pee on your potty seat for the first time at 20 months (see pic below!), but I think it was kind of a fluke. You had just gotten out of the bath and were running around naked before getting your lotion on. You were jumping on your chair, and I looked over and you were peeing!! I took you immediately to the potty, and we read a book and you let out the rest of your pee-pee. You haven’t gone on your chair potty again, but we will keep trying. As a boy, I think you’ve got nothing but time, but it doesn’t hurt to introduce you to the potty early :)

You love to dance, and any time you hear music, you’ve got to get up and bust a move. You jump around and wave your arms all around. Precious! You also love to give high-fives, and “knuckles” to anyone who asks.



You are getting better at sitting through a meal at a restaurant, and did GREAT at all the places we went in Destin. We were thrilled with how well you sat and how well you ate new foods that you’d never tried before. We very much enjoy dining out, so here’s to hoping this just gets better and better!



You have such a sweet personality, and are very gentle and kind to others. You share very well for an almost 2 year old, and almost never take something away from another kiddo. You love animals, and are very sweet with them most of the time. You are a happy toddler, and love to give hugs and kisses to anyone and everyone. It has been so exciting and such a blessing to see your personality expand and become so unique to you alone. You make your daddy and I so very happy, and we are thankful each moment we get to be your parents. We love you sweet-tart!

18 Months!

Grayer here is what you are up to at 18 months:

You had your VERY FIRST haircut on April 6th. You did awesome! We went to see Granna’s hair lady, Barbara, and you sat in my lap while she cut your hair (and she gave you a sucker, which you loved!). Your hair had gotten a little unruly, but you had the cutest little curls in the back, so mommy was quite sad to see them go, but it was time. Everyone loves your “new do” and comments on how much older you look now. Your daddy and I are hoping that your sweet curls aren’t gone forever though.


You had your 18 month appointment with Dr. McClard last week and she couldn’t get over what a great patient you were! You sat so still and were just smiling from ear to ear while she looked you over. Everything checked out great! You weighted 24.11 lbs (30%), were 33.25” tall (75%), and your head was 18” (5%), which is how you’ve always been…tall and skinny with a small head, haha! You had your last 2 shots until you are 4 (I can’t even begin to think about that!!), and only cried for a minute. So thankful that you are such a healthy kiddo!

You went to your very first Easter egg hunt this weekend, while on a trip to Hideaway lake to see your Nana & Papaw for Easter. You were much more interested in the slide, and couldn’t have cared less about the eggs. We did a smaller egg hunt in the front yard at Nana & Papaw’s on Sunday afternoon though, and you were adorable picking up each egg with care and placing them in your basket. You wanted to share all your eggs with Elle, and didn’t seem to mind when Colton took a few too, ha! Just wish you would have let us take some family pictures of the event, but nope, not a single one! : (

Your favorite thing to do right now is to slide! You want to go over and over and over, and sometimes will start whining before you even reach the bottom on the slide, because you are angry that the ride is almost over. So we go again and again :) Climbing up the stairs and going down the slide is all you are interested in at the park, so we usually never even make it to the swings or other attractions.

You love to climb, and are happiest when you are going up and down the stairs on our back deck. You are getting pretty stable at going up and down, but have very little fear of falling, so we have to pay extra attention anytime you are near the steps, just in case you take a tumble. You also like to climb all over the couch, and the chair in your room, and have started climbing up with outside of your bed as well. Luckily, you don’t seem interested in climbing out of your bed (…yet!).

Your laugh is so funny! You have started to mimic people when they are laughing and it comes out as this deep “hah ha!”… it is precious, and makes us giggle every time you do it! You are a happy toddler, and do a pretty good job at sharing with your friends, but there are definitely times when you have your fits over a toy or wanting something your way. We are working on how to handle these situations, because we know they are probably not going anywhere any time soon…


You seem to have out-grown your love for Baby Einstein, and have moved on to real movies. Your new favorite is Despicable Me, which has a few things that I’m not fond of, but overall is a pretty cute movie. I’m still waiting for you to want to watch the Disney Classics, but so far you have no interest in Bambi or The Lion King. We do limit your tv time during the day because I think you would watch it all day long if we’ve let you.

You are eating really well, and are willing to try most of the things we offer. Some things you like and some you don’t, but at least you give everything a fair chance. I am hoping that within the next few weeks, you will be solely eating what your dad and I are eating, but for now we don’t mind making you a few sides of your own. Right now you like: chicken, avocado, pineapple, cheese, black beans, oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, bananas, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, rice, tamales, French fries, and any kind of dessert :) You don’t care for: broccoli, spaghetti, ham, pinto beans, or toast.

You are still jabbering all the time, and are starting to repeat things back to us, but your word list is still quite small. Your daily use words are: mama, uh-oh, dog, ball, toe, bubble, uh huh (yes), uh uh (no). Your sometimes words are : papa, up, clock, bird, plane, nana, Hogan, cat, and da-da (this was your first word, but it’s disappeared recently).


You went to the driving range with your daddy recently and were so cute swinging your golf club around and hitting the balls. You were in heaven! I was afraid that you would be loud and disturb the other golfers (who were surely there to enjoy some peace and quiet!!), but you did great and were surprisingly quiet! You loved watching your daddy swing and hit the ball, and enjoyed some “golfing” of your own, as well as some fun running around on the grass. We’ve decided that this should become a regular family outing for us, as we all had a wonderful time.

You are a great sleeper, and almost never put up a fight at naptime or bedtime. Usually after your bath, brushing your teeth, books and a song, you stretch towards your bed to be put in, because you are ready to snuggle with your blankies (you still have 2- a blue one and a green one) and go to sleep. You are waking up around 7-7:30 in the morning, and are going down around 7:30-8. You are still on 2 naps, but sometimes only “rest” for your afternoon nap.

Balls are still your favorite toy, and you are getting so good at making baskets with your basketball goal that Granna & Papa got you for Christmas. You also love to play with your kitchen and grill, and are so cute bringing everyone coffee and stirring in the creamer. You also have recently started playing with your cars and love setting up the tracks and pushing the cars down the ramps. You have a crazy love for books, and will sit for 5-10 minutes (an eternity in toddler time!) reading to yourself in your room. You also love to crawl up in my lap with a book so that we can read together, so sweet!

We love you sweet-tart! Happy 18 months!

Amarillo by morning!

I love traditions! And one my favorites is the girls weekend tradition where some of my college roommates and I meet up to catch up. Since we graduated, Chrissa, Jen (Jutte) Stanhope, Jen (Leonhart) Silhan and I have made it a point to have a girls weekend every year or two. This allows us to catch up on the parts of life that we miss by living several hundred miles apart. Our meet ups don’t always promise an extravagant hotel stay or a day of bliss at the spa, but they always ensure a fabulous, non-stop gab fest that always leaves me feeling rejuvenated and beyond blessed to have such wonderful women in my life! Love you girls!

We're baaaack!

Yep, happy bath time is back!! Somehow his daddy got him to sit on his bum and he loved splashing around and playing with all his bath toys again! We’ve had wonderful, fun, WET baths  ever since. Thank you Lord! J

compass needed

A few days ago, a friend posted a picture of her 17 mos old laying on the floor, face down, with arms above her head. The caption read “My 17 month old is so talented, she can throw a fit like a 2 year old!”. I thought this post was funny, and chuckled to myself, as this is our life right now too. It seems like overnight, my cooperative toddler suddenly has an opinion.  And when he wants something, he lets you know. His two obsessions these days… baby einstein and toothbrushes! When he sees the remote in our room, he starts pointing at the tv and whining until you turn it on. If you don’t, he will have a meltdown. When you go into the bathroom, he follows you, and willl point at the cabinet and whine until you give him a toothbrush. If you don’t, he will have a meltdown. You get the picture. In the two short weeks that this has been happening, I already find myself in a panic sometimes. As the mother of a baby, sure, there are lots of things to worry over, like  “Is he getting enough milk?”, “Will his belly button ever fall off?”, “Is he getting enough tummy time?”, “Will he ever sleep through the night?”, but when the toddler stage suddenly has the word DISCIPLINE ringing in my ears, it feels like I have stepped into a whole other arena. I desperately want to do discipline “right”, but I know that this is a tall order. So for now, I am thankful for those mommies who have gone through the trenches before me, and share their wisdom and knowledge with honesty and love. And for the Christ loving authors who pen books for first time moms like me to read.

So, these days you may find my toddler watching baby einstein while chewing on a toothbrush… or you may not ! ; )

16 Months

Grayer here is what you are up to at 16 mos.

You love dogs! As soon as we walk in the door from being out somewhere, you want to be put down so you can go see Hogan. “Dog” is your very favorite word, and you call most animals dogs these days, but you are getting good at pointing to the correct animals in a book, so I know you are aware of the difference. You love to give Hogan hugs (and kisses), and try to ride him, but he usually stands up and you slide off within a minute or two of climbing on. This drives mommy nuts, because you always come out covered in dog hair, (yuck!), but the love affair is very sweet!

You are fully aware of things in the sky. You LOVE looking for birds in the backyard, and will point, babble and stare at them for ages. You also love squirrels, and think they are so funny scurrying up the trees. Your favorite thing in the sky are airplanes! You get so excited anytime you hear one (which is often at our house since we are so close to Love Field) and run towards them. It’s so cute :) When we go out at night, you always look up in the sky and try to find the moon. You call it “ball”, which is adorable :)

You rarely walk these days; you are always running off to your next adventure. Your Mimi just can’t get over how fast you are! One thing is for sure, you have the cutest little “penguin waddle”. Your whole body moves from side to side, whether walking or running, and everyone in our family thinks you look like an adorable little penguin. I will remember this walk forever!

At the beginning of December your daddy went on a trip to D.C with one of his good friends, and you and I spent a night with Mimi and Papa. While we were there, we tried to put you in the bath, because you have always loved bath time, and always enjoyed splashing in the water. For some reason, this new tub really scared you, and you have not wanted to sit down in the bath tub since. This has been a little sad for mommy, since bath time had always been our little place of solace at the end of the day, where we would listen to toddler tunes, read books, and chatter on about the day. You still get excited when we turn on the water, can’t wait to take your clothes off and show off your sweet little tush, and want to be lifted into the tub, but you don’t want to sit down in the water. You will stand by the side, holding on with one hand, and splash water around with the other. Because of this, you don’t want to stay in the tub for long, so bath time is usually pretty short. I’ve put you in your bumbo a few times in the tub, but you don’t quite weigh enough, and if we put too much water in, you start to float, which you don’t like. I know this is just one of those quirky stages that will soon pass, but I am looking forward to longer bath times in the future.

The park is one of your favorite places to go. We’ve tried out a few new ones lately, but your friend Hunter showed you a really fun one by SMU, and it’s by far your favorite. You can’t get enough of the slide, and want to go up and down over and over and over. You squeal with delight each and every time, so we find it hard to refuse you another turn, even when our arms are weak with exhaustion. You like climbing up and down the stairs as well, but surprisingly usually only want to stay in the swing for a minute or two. You love to watch the big kids play, and want to chase them around. Any time there is a dog at the park, you always want to go over and pet it. You can’t get enough of those four legged animals. You also love the zoo, and when I took you this week, we went in to see the goats as usual. You kept walking over to them, wildly waving your arms to say “hi”… so funny!

Your cousin Elle got a trampoline for Christmas and they put it up in their dining room. At first you were unsure about all the bouncing, and always wanted out if Elle jumped too high, but now you love to jump, and have become much more fearless. The two of you are quite a sight jumping, squealing and laughing together, and it always brings a smile to my face. You and cousin still get along well, except for the occasional battle of wills that is bound to happen with a 2.5 year old and a toddler.


All 4 of your one year old molars are finally through! It took several weeks, and pints of drool, but you finally worked them all in. Last week, while you were working on your 4th and final molar, you were touching your right ear, so we took you in to see the doctor, because we thought you had an ear infection. Turns out you didn’t (thankfully!), and it was all due to teething. I know we will all be glad when all your teeth are in. Your sweet, toothy smile melts our hearts on a daily basis. I don’t think I can ever get enough of your sweet giggle and grin :)

You love to dance! You know how to turn on and off the CD player in your room, so this has become a fun activity for you. You turn the music on, stand up and dance, then hit the pause button, say uh-oh, and then turn the music back on, and dancing ensues. Seeing you shake your little groove thang is adorable! You also got an electric guitar from Santa for Christmas, and love to walk around the house playing it and dancing.

We went to a new church last Sunday (The Village) and you did GREAT in the nursery! There were no tears at all when we dropped you off, and when we came to pick you up, you were playing sweetly with a little girl. The last several times we’d dropped you off at Fellowship, there were lots of tears, and most times it was apparent you had cried some during the service as well. This would always break my heart, and made it hard to drop you off, knowing that you were sad, so we are hopeful that we’ve found a good church to begin going to. I’ve been listening to Matt Chandler (Pastor at The Village) for months online, and have wanted to try out the church, but for one reason or another we never did. Your dad and I both enjoyed the service, but it was very different from Fellowship, so we will give it some time before we make a permanent switch I think. Knowing that you are happy, makes us happy though, that’s for sure!

Grayer, you are such a blessing in our lives. Watching you grow from a baby to a toddler has brought us so much joy, and we are so thankful that you were entrusted to us. Your sweet spirit and exuberance for life teach us daily, and we are so excited to be on this journey of parenthood. We love you sweet munchie-moo!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

What I love about Christmas:

cooler weather that slowly creeps in from the blazing Texas summer

bundling up with jackets, scarves and gloves

hot chocolate with marshmallows

winter candle scents

holiday cheer

red noses

real Christmas trees

getting décor down from the attic

giving gifts

falling leaves

twinkling lights

big red bows

jingling bells

pictures with Santa

the nativity

classic Christmas carols

wrapping gifts

festive Christmas parties

the sparkle in the eye of my baby

annual light looking

family Christmas cards

the smell of warm fires

holiday candies

Christmas books

frank sinatra holiday music

the magical feel in the air

the wishes sent up for a white Christmas

the nutcracker

holiday movies

trees engulfed in lights

ornament exchanges

thankful spirits

candle light Christmas eve services

and the list could go on…


As you think about all the things you love about Christmas, may you be reminded of the real reason we celebrate.

Thank you Lord for sending your Son.

Luke 2:4-21 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.


And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”


Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,


“Glory to God in the highest heaven,


and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”


When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”


So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Merry Christmas!