Monday, July 24, 2017

Grayson's 2.5 Year Update!

Grayson is officially 2.5 years old! It seems crazy that we are already half way through his second year and his next big milestone is turning 3! Cue the waterworks! I've been doing updates on Grayson since his birth and it's been so fun for me to look back at everything I've documented and see how he's continued to change, grow, and learn. I can't believe how big he is! If you know him, then you know that he doesn't act like much of a "baby" and hasn't for quite some time. He has always demanded to be treated like an older kid and acts accordingly...except for those terrible two tantrums! Ha. Anyways, he will always be my baby, but he has definitely grown up so much especially in the last 6 months. Here's an update on life with Grayson at 2.5 years old! (I never published his 2 year update, but if you are interested, here is the link: http://brittanyhgale.blogspot.com/2017/01/graysons-2-year-update.html.




Height and Weight: Grayson recently had his 30 month checkup and we got his current stats. He weighs 29 lbs. and is 35 inches tall. He is in the 30th percentile for height and 40th for weight. He has always been slightly below average and that has continued. Grayson wears mostly 2T clothes and a few 3T shirts. He wears a size 7-8 shoe. He is also rocking the big boy underwear nowadays -- no more diapers for us!





Milestones: Grayson is now potty trained and has been since around 27-28 months. Potty training him was actually quite easy, so I'm very thankful for that! He was very "ready" in my opinion which made the whole process go smoothly. He still isn't night trained (wears pull-ups), but does fantastic during the day! He also transitioned to a toddler bed just recently. I thought it might be a big deal which is why I had prolonged it, but it wasn't. He has done really well in it! Grayson slept in a crib until recently because he loved his crib and had never attempted to climb out (surprisingly!), but a few weeks ago, he finally climbed out and we knew it was time. He scared me to death that day because first thing in the morning, he just leisurely comes walking in my bedroom and says, "Hi, mommy!". I was like...where did you come from?? Then he told me that he climbed out of his bed and even reenacted it for me, so that I could see. He was so graceful getting out which is why I didn't hear a thud that morning! Haha. Another really exciting milestone is that Grayson learned to swim this summer! He did a 2 week swim class and with a lot of practice, he is really catching on! He loves the water and it's been so fun to see him go from being scared to swimming like a fish! Grayson also knows his colors really well. He can count to 11, but he always leaves out 6. He loves to sing his ABC's. Grayson knows his left and right and has recently started to put his shoes on himself! He is also very good with his manners and says "Please" and "Thank you" most of the time. Grayson has also learned to climb up into his car seat and climb back out of the car by himself. At first, it was a little scary when he demanded that I let him do it himself, but now that he has the hang of it, it's wonderful! (He even buckles himself halfway in the car seat by himself now and knows how to lock/unlock the car door...a little scary!) Based on the way he writes, holds a fork, throws a ball, and grabs objects, we believe he will be a lefty. Time will tell, but his left hand is definitely dominate right now. 

Grayson loved the music class that he attended this spring!


This kid has the biggest smile and best belly laugh!

Sleeping: One of the only downfalls to the toddler bed is nap time. Grayson has been struggling with nap time for quite some time now, but this just makes it more difficult. If he's not super tired, he just gets out of bed. He doesn't "need" a nap every day anymore. He can go all day without a nap or take a short cat nap in the car and be perfectly fine. It's been tough for me to accept, but I do cherish the days when he does nap! Every few days, the lack of sleep will catch up with him and he will take a nap. If he's at home, the nap will usually last around 2 hours. If he takes a car nap, it can be anywhere between 15 min - 1 hour and he's good to go. If he doesn't take a nap, we at least try to have "quiet time" for mama's sanity! Grayson still sleeps through the night and will only wake up during the night on rare occasions. He goes to bed around 9pm and wakes up around 8pm most days. His only "lovely" objects that he likes to have every night is his Ninja Turtles cup and his trucks blanket. He also loves his trucks pillow and insists on having all three at bedtime. Grayson talks in his sleep (just like his daddy) and will say really random things! He also tells us about his dreams in detail. Each night before bed, Grayson says his prayers all by himself and then requests for Daddy to tell him a story. It's a really sweet time that they share together and Grayson looks forward to it at bedtime. He loves Daddy's stories!

Visiting the fire station was a highlight for Grayson!

Hiking as a family for Mother's Day! 

LOVES playing in the dirt with his construction vehicles! 

Eating: Grayson has continued to be a moody and picky eater as time goes on. He has never been a big eater and still isn't. Some days, he eats like a champ and other days, he barely eats. He isn't very interested in food and would much rather play. But when he does eat, his favorite foods are meat and bread! Grayson will eat pretty much any type of meat and dipping sauce (ketchup, ranch, bbq) and any type of bread or carb. He still loves milk! I swear he has to have the strongest bones of any kid I know. Grayson would probably have a liquid diet if I let him. He loves drinks and is always thirsty. He could live off of water, (watered down) juice, and milk. We also give him Pediasure to drink sometimes which he calls "special milk" and he loves it. Grayson has also discovered soda and sweet tea (thanks to his daddy) and we have to basically hide it from him or else he will drink an entire glass and ask for more! Grayson still goes through phases of being obsessed with certain foods and then losing interest. He absolutely loved watermelon at the beginning of the summer and was eating huge amounts of it. I ended up buying an entire watermelon and then he decided he didn't really like it anymore and I was stuck with an entire watermelon! Ha. His favorite place to eat is Chick-Fil-A and he can put away their chicken nuggets! He usually eats a 6 count and a juice box...he actually knows his order by heart and tells it to me when we pull in the parking lot. His favorite treats are popsicles, chips, and ice cream (although he usually only eats a few bites before moving on). Grayson loves when daddy makes waffles for the family and requests them often. He also loves pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cereal, and peanut butter sandwiches. Grayson has really started to improve with feeding himself with a fork and spoon lately! I feel like this is one of the few areas that he's a little behind on, but he's more interested now. Grayson does get frustrated easily when the food falls off or he can't quite get it, but he's almost at the point of doing it completely by himself which is so helpful for me!


Visiting the Atlanta Children's Museum!


Personality: Grayson has a BIG personality! Grayson is hilarious and brutally honest. If he does something wrong, all you have to do is ask him what he did or what happened and he will just tell you! He has no sense of hiding things or not telling the truth yet -- which is good! -- but it is funny how blunt he can be. He has told me to stop singing in the car and that he would rather hear the radio multiple times and he has also asked me what my moles are and why I have a breakout on my face. He just speaks his mind! Ha. Grayson is extremely silly and goofy. He makes us laugh all the time! He also cracks himself up which is something I've always loved about him. He can make himself laugh hysterically! Grayson speaks really, really well for his age! Verbal skills have always been his strong suit. He carries on entire conversations with anyone and everyone. Grayson is very friendly, outgoing, and definitely an extrovert in all ways. He understands exactly what we are saying and repeats everything we say. He evens calls us "Josh and Brittany" all the time because that's what he hears everyone else calling us. Grayson is a chatterbox! He is always talking and is extremely loud. He also loves to sing and is constantly making noises (typically firetruck, ambulance, and police car sounds). Grayson is extremely smart. You can't get anything past him and you can't fool him at this point. He picks up on everything and remembers everything. Grayson is ALL boy! He is adventurous, fearless, energetic, rough and tough, constantly dirty and sweaty, into anything with an engine, loves "potty talk" and repairing anything with his tools. He continues to be fiercely independent while still being a mama's boy, strong-willed, passionate, persistent, determined, and stubborn. If he wants something, he will not give up until he gets it! He can be very challenging in that way, but I know one day, he is going to make an awesome adult who works hard and fights for what he wants and believes in. At least I hope! ;) Grayson is very extreme and expressive. When he's happy, he's on the top of the world with the biggest smile on his face and the best belly laugh ever. But when he's upset, he can throw one heck of a tantrum! He is an emotional kid in that sense and his feelings tend to be extreme. Grayson has started to talk back and argue with us. He is definitely becoming a know it all and will correct us often. (I was the same way as a child! Payback, I guess!) Grayson is also quite opinionated and knows exactly what he wants. He is very specific about what he wants and what he likes/doesn't like. Grayson knows exactly what he wants to wear, what he wants to eat, and what he wants to watch on tv. It's taken some time for him to adjust (without having a meltdown) to one of these things not going his way when he has a very specific vision in mind. I will say this has improved over the past few months because we can reason with him and talk through things with him now. It helps when we can explain the reasoning behind why things don't go the way he wants and he can understand us.


A trip to Noah's Ark with Grammy! Grayson loves seeing all the animals!

Grayson had his first dental checkup and cleaning and he did surprisingly well! 

Loves: Firetrucks, police cars, emergency vehicles, and anything to do with construction sites! Ask Grayson anything to do with cars (car transporters, concrete mixers, excavators, tow trucks, etc.) and he will tell you exactly what it is and correct you if you are wrong. He also loves throwing and catching a ball, playing in the dirt, exploring, going through the car wash and jamming out to music. Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Mighty Machines are some of his favorite shows. Grayson loves Emerson and can be super sweet and caring towards her, but also loves to mess with and pester her! He can be very protective of her and tell people, "That's MY sister!", but he also gets jealous of her. He loves attention and being the center of attention and he demands our attention most of the time. He's just not one of those under the radar type kids. Grayson also speaks for Emerson a lot. He tells us what she wants/ doesn't want or what she likes/doesn't like. He even answers for her when I ask her to say "Dada" and "Mama". The poor girl can't get a word in! Ha. I've heard this is common for the older sibling and I can definitely see it with Grayson. He is very good about helping me throw away Emerson's dirty diapers and getting her up from a nap is one of his favorite things! Grayson is really starting to use his imagination and starting to play pretend. He plays better independently with his toys and loves making up scenarios about car chases. While he does okay playing with toys on his own at home, he could play with new toys at other friends' houses for hours. Any time we go to a play date at someone's house or visit someone with kids or old toys, Grayson is usually silent and well-behaved because he is in heaven just sitting on the floor playing with all the new (to him) toys. He still loves animals and loves helping take care of Cedric. Grayson loves to read books in the car and really enjoys checking books out each week at the library. He loves going on adventures and asks us each day what we are going to do that day and if there's an adventure in store. Grayson loves to ask questions these days and is very inquisitive. He is constantly saying, "What is that? Why? What happens if I do/don't do this? Where are we going? What's his/her name? What's his/her mom's name? What's going on?". Half the time, I am not even sure how to answer him! Haha. He loves to learn and to understand how things work.  Grayson also says phrases like, "That's weird!", "Aw man!", and "Oh my goodness!" and  uses them in correct context. Grayson loves to sing songs and catches on to the words really quickly. He currently loves the song "Firework" by Katy Perry and asks to listen to it over and over again, but his ultimate favorite song is "Wheels on the Bus". We sing it constantly and he will insert anything and anyone into the song lyrics...he gets creative! Grayson has never been big on coloring, but started drawing recently. He makes all these scribbles and then tells me about this elaborate scene he has drawn. I love it! Grayson loves helping daddy and going on little adventures with him. Sitting on the riding lawn mower with daddy while he cuts the grass is still a highlight of his summer days! I have found that Grayson tends to want to destroy things while I do chores, so instead of having him be a hindrance, I've learned that involving him helps a ton. Like I said, he loves attention and loves to be treated like a big kid, so having him think he's helping mommy is huge! He especially loves to help me unload the dishwasher or make dinner by adding ingredients to the bowl. Grayson is extremely hands on and wants to be right there in the middle of the action! He loves to help and is actually very encouraging to me and others. He tells Josh and I, "Be careful, mommy!" and "Be careful, daddy!" all the time! His "tender" moments are really sweet. He loves to play with other kids and has a lot of "friends" at church, school, and playgroups that he looks forward to spending time with. Overall, he does really well with other kids and really likes to play with them. He even has conversations with them and will tell them his name and say hey. He still struggles with sharing though (as I've heard most toddlers do), but is getting better. Grayson also loves spending time with his cousins and his grandparents! We are lucky to have lots of people in Grayson's life who love him and pour into him.

Touring the Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island with Grandma!



Looking forward to: Grayson really loved school (Mother's Morning Out) this past year and it became something he got excited about each time he went. He has gotten much better about being left and is really starting to understand that we always come back for him. We talk about it all beforehand, so that he knows what to expect and that helps too. Grayson is also much better about being left in the church nursery. He loves going to church and loves playing in the church nursery. He runs around like he owns the place...because it's basically his second home. PK kid for ya! ;) We are looking forward to Grayson starting 2K in the fall (no more MMO!) and for another awesome year of church activities.

Enjoying our yearly trip to Jekyll Island with our Gale family!


Grayson is officially a forward facing big kid!

Grayson always wants to wear bows and have his hair done in a pony tail like his sister! I'll save this picture for his wedding day! ;)





Saturday, July 8, 2017

Emerson's 10 Month Update!

Emerson is 10 months old and actually getting closer to the 11 month mark at this point! I've been taking in the "baby" moments with her recently because I can see her slowly transforming each day into a little girl. While this time period leading up to Emerson's first birthday is bittersweet, I absolutely love the stage that she is in now! Her personality is blossoming and she is just so much fun! Here is a little bit about our sweet Emerson Faith at 10 months old:






Height and Weight: No updates on height or weight until Emerson's 1 year check-up in August! She's definitely growing though....my arms are getting more of a workout than ever before with her!

                              Enjoying her first Oreo! 


              Emerson is more interested in reading books this month!


Eating: Emerson has been eating table food and lots of it this month! She's really amping up the quantity of food she can eat. Sometimes she eats more than Grayson! Emerson loves almost all food and doesn't have too many preferences. Once in a while, she won't be in the mood for something, so she will spit it out, but overall, she likes most everything. I tried purees with her again recently and she did okay with them. She liked the puree sweet potatoes, but not nearly as much as table food, so I think we will just stick with regular food from here on out. Emerson really likes scrambled eggs, cheese, and baked beans. Emerson does well with meat, but she really has started to like fruits (blueberries and grapes are her favorites) and veggies (she likes any veggie as long as it's soft/cooked). Grayson is my meat eater and Emerson loves all the "sides", so they make a good team when splitting a meal. It's fun to be able to make the same plate for both of them at this point. It's starting to feel like I have two toddlers on my hands. Emerson has started really wanting the same food as Grayson. She actually ate a hot dog recently because she really wanted Grayson's and just couldn't stand that I wasn't giving her any. It's funny what your second child eats and so much sooner. She definitely understands what sweets are and she's a fan! Emerson still loves carbs and will munch on any type of bread or cracker all day long. She has also started wanting to feed herself more and more. She loves to hold her own spoon and fork. She is getting much better about sitting in the high chair and feeding herself. I think she finally finds it fun! Emerson is still nursing, but has been cutting out a day time feeding recently. She usually nurses every 4-5 hours, but she can skip a feeding if needed and it doesn't bother her much. This is definitely a good sign as we go into 11 months and beginning to wean her. She drinks out of a sippy cup like a champ these days, so I'm hoping the transition to whole milk won't be too bad. She does love her feedings and bonding time with mama, so I'm soaking those in right now. Emerson is very "all over the place" while nursing these days. She gets very easily distracted and loves to play with my face while nursing. But sometimes, she wants to nurse extra long and just lay with me and it's the sweetest.


Emerson's first time riding in the "car" while grocery shopping!



Sleeping: Emerson hit a major milestone in the sleeping department this month! She sleeps 9-11 hours straight each night and has for a solid month now. I can't tell you how amazing it has been! I did nothing "different", so I am not sure what changed for her, but she's been sleeping so well! Emerson takes two naps a day, but usually one isn't very long. She tends to take a shorter morning nap and a longer afternoon nap. Typically her morning nap is between 45 min - 1 hour, but can be shorter or longer depending on if we are home or not. She sleeps well in the car, but usually won't stay asleep long once we get out. Emerson is also like my little alarm clock each evening reminding me of exactly what time it is. She gets extra fussy every night at exactly 8:30 just in case I forgot it was her bedtime. She keeps me on the ball! Emerson doesn't fall asleep while nursing a lot anymore, but she is getting really good at being laid down while drowsy and putting herself to sweet. Hopefully she makes that a habit!




Clothes: Emerson is now in size 4 diapers. While size 4 is a little big, size 3 was too snug. She's all over the board when it comes to clothes! She can still fit in some clothes that are 3-6 months depending on how it runs, but she can also fit in some 12 month clothing. Overall, she more 6-9 mo. or 9-12 mo. in most things!


                              Hoarding sippy cups! 


                Emerson's face while swinging! So happy! 


Mood: Emerson has been much more moody this month! She is starting to be much more opinionated about what she wants and vocal about not getting what she wants. She is also "putting up a fight" when I try to take something from her (specifically my phone or the tv remote which she always seems to find) or when I have to put her in her car seat. I actually have to use some force to get her in or take the object back from her. And then she screams. ;) She knows what she wants and is more of a firecracker lately! She has become much more sassy, fussy, and just expressive in general. While the dramatic side isn't always fun, she is also laughing out loud much more, giggling, smiling, clapping, dancing, waving, and playing peek-a-boo. She has really come out of her shell and into her own this month! She loves to play little games and has started copying things we do and noises we make. She shakes her head "No!" when she doesn't like or doesn't want something. She will also clap, wave, shake her head no, and give high 5's on command. She gets her feelings hurt very easily and will burst into tears if I get onto her or tell her no. Emerson is the most moody when it comes to Grayson. She really tries to defend herself and stick up for herself nowadays and Grayson is either her best friend or her worst enemy. She still thinks he's hilarious and gets excited when she sees him, but she also gets very annoyed and frustrated with him. She has started smacking him when he takes something from her. And she's also started hitting at me when I take something from her or just smacking me in general. It's somewhat funny, but also means it's time to start disciplining her and teaching her right from wrong (as well as you can at 10 months old)...which to me means the toddler days are fast approaching! Emerson has her sassy and dramatic moments, but also her sweet moments too. She is still a mama's girl, but has a soft spot for daddy! Anytime he enters the room, she is grinning from ear to ear! She still loves to be rocked by daddy and enjoys cuddles.




                                Two peas in a pod!

Teeth: Emerson still only has 4 teeth. She did visit the pediatric dentist this month concerning her upper lip tie. Thankfully, nothing needs to be done about it right now! Since it's not affecting her speech or eating, they aren't concerned at all and will wait until her permanent teeth come in to reevaluate. That was definitely a relief! She does have a big gap between her two front teeth though! :)

                                                                      Friends!



Emerson climbs and crawls all over the couch and even attempts to crawl on to the end tables!


Milestones: Emerson has become extremely mobile this month! She crawls and climbs like a champ these days! She is super fast and can cover long distances very quickly. She has started pulling up on everything into a standing position all the time...it's her favorite! We lowered her crib this month because of her constant pulling and standing up. She also climbs stairs and can get up an entire stair case in less than a minute. In less than a week, she went from having little interest in the stairs at our house to being able to book it up 15 steps and into her room in record time. We did buy a baby gate (for our sanity and her safety), but we are still letting her practice climbing when supervised. I do want her to get good at it! Emerson has been much more reactive and responsive this month. She is starting to understand what is funny or silly and respond to it! She is also learning to copy and repeat this month. Emerson has started taking "steps" while holding our fingers this month and is much more accepting of standing. A few times this month, she will get upset and say, "Ma" or "Mama", but ultimately she doesn't say many words....just random symbols. We play with her by saying, "Ahhhh" and she will copy us! Haha. She does say "Dada" when she sees her Daddy now, so it's fun to see her make the connection!





Loves: Emerson loves being tickled (by mama and by Grayson), exploring, crawling everywhere and anywhere and then pulling up to stand and climb, climbing stairs, still loves being held by mommy but more excited to get on the floor and play, loves bath time, splashing, and the pool, loves getting into everything, always has something in her hand to chew on and play with, loves to clap and immediately starts dancing when music comes on, loves to smile and wave at everyone and making friends/"flirts" wherever we go (as long as she is in mama's arms), loves riding in the shopping cart and swinging at the park (biggest smile on her face the whole time!), loves to copy to repeat, loves drinking out of a sippy cup, enjoys feeding herself now and wants to hold the spoon/fork herself, loves to babble and talk more and more. Emerson has recently started to really enjoy brushing her teeth! She loves to hold the toothbrush, but she even puts it in her mouth and actually tries to brush. Emerson loves phones and remotes! She loves whatever Grayson has and wants to play with it too. 



                  Cuddling with Daddy



Things I Want To Remember:

-Emerson's 1st Fourth of July -- I believe this was Emerson's last "first" holiday. It was really fun considering she's almost a year old and is a lot more aware of what's going on! We spent time swimming, BBQing with family, and seeing fireworks. Emerson loved swimming in the pool and splashing. She was even kicking while in the water like she was trying to "swim". Emerson really liked the fireworks which I thought was so cool! It was really fun to see her reaction. She watched them intently the entire time...she was a fan!