How Do I Deal With Stress?

Happy Monday, everyone! Is today the epitome of a Monday morning or what?! If you are in the Atlanta area, then you know the monsoon-like weather, crazy traffic jams, and time change adjustment that I am speaking of. Not exactly the most relaxing start to the week! If you are feeling a little overwhelmed, on edge, or just straight up tired this Monday morning, then this post is especially for you! We all have stress in our lives, whether that be Monday morning on a busy week type stress or just everyday life stress. We may think that stress limits itself to those who have a mortgage to pay or food to put on the table or 5 little kids running around, but in fact, stress encompasses all ages. Even our youth are experiencing more stress than we probably did at their age. I found that out last week as I was preparing the lesson for our youth girl's Bible study. I've been part of this particular girl's middle and high school Bible study at our church for almost 2.5 years now. I love investing in young girl's lives especially at this fragile age of peer pressure, awkward middle school years (wasn't it for everyone?!) and coming into your own. I wish I had someone who would have been able to pour spiritual truth and guidance into my life at this age, so I get pretty excited do be able to do that for someone else.

Once in a while, I teach the lesson for the week and this time around, I asked the girls what they wanted me to talk about and what would help them the most. Each week, these girls come to our Bible study with burdens, stresses, and anxiety. They have so much going on in their lives at such a young age and each week they are overwhelmed and just worn out. So to no surprise, they asked me to talk about managing stress and negativity! I thought this was pretty ironic because anyone who knows me knows that I am a very easily stressed individual. I deal with anxiety regularly and usually seem like a little bit of a crazy person compared to my cool-as-a-cucumber, thrives on procrastination, "everything will work out, just relax", scatterbrained but somehow always pulls it off last minute husband. He thrives on the unplanned, spontaneous, and natural eb and flow of life while I retreat to a corner and get out my paper bag to calm my breathing during the potential panic attack that most likely is arising in me during the chaos and confusion of life. Type A personalities unite! God has been teaching me for years about managing stress in my life and it's a constant work in progress for me because I am a natural worrier. Isn't that always how it works though? God uses our weaknesses and stories of restoration to help others by showing them what He's taught us. He rescues us, so that we can then go and rescue others dealing with similar issues. So after some thinking about past experiences and rereading a few posts I've written in this space from the past, I came up with a short list of ways to help deal with stress. This list doesn't just apply to middle and high school girls, but to anyone when they are feeling overwhelmed. I hope these tips bring you some peace and calm next time life gets you down. 

1. Perspective -- the phrase "first-world problems" may be trite, but it has become popular for a reason. During times of major stress in my life, I try to step make and put everything in perspective. It's really easy to get caught up in your particular problem and think the world is coming to an end. Am I the only one who can be a tad on the dramatic side? It's so important to remember to keep perspective. Whatever is causing your anxiety, probably isn't that bad even though in the moment it may seem like it. Sometimes our problems just seem straight up silly and almost laughable when we put them in perspective. I tend to get so sucked into my problems that I forget to take a step back and breathe. When I do, I usually remember how blessed I really am and how a lot of these stresses usually come out of things that are actually blessings in my life. My house is messy? That means I have a roof over my head. I'm not happy about my new responsibilities at work? That means I have a job. My baby is teething and keeping me up all night? That means I'm lucky enough to have a healthy child. My husband left his stuff all over the house again? That means I have someone to share my life with...the good, the bad and the annoying. This method might seem a little corny, but I find that gaining perspective during a difficult time really helps our thankful spirit come out instead of focusing on the negativity. Which brings me to my next point...

2. Positive attitude -- Having a positive attitude is so important these days. I mean have you watched the news recently? It is filled with bad things that are meant to bring us down. It's so easy to be negative in our world today, but a negative attitude is detrimental, especially during stressful seasons of life. I am the first to admit that I sometimes struggle with having a positive attitude and seem to focus on what's going wrong so much more quickly than on what's going right. All this does is accentuate the bad and belittle the good. We define the good and bad in our lives. We have more control over the outlook of our day than we give ourselves credit for. There's always good to outweigh the bad, but we have to evoke the right attitude in order to see that. Plus, who wants to be around someone who is negative and always complaining?! I sure don't. A positive attitude goes a long way in uplifting ourselves on a bad day.

3. Praying -- Are you familiar with the phase, "Have you prayed about it as much as you've talked about it?". I can fall into this trap so easily. It's so effortless to tell people all about your problems, but never bring them to God. I have even been guilty of asking people to pray for me about certain stresses in my life without even praying about them myself. There's a therapeutic aspect to venting to a friend, but I think we often forget about how restorative a conversation with God can be. I find that when I complain to a friend, I might come away feeling better for a little while, but those same problems seem to creep back up. When I bring my struggles to God, He gives me a peace beyond understand and a healing in return. He lifts my burdens off my back and carries them on His own, leaving me feeling weightless and free. Praying takes more discipline than just complaining to a friend or even posting about it on Facebook (yep, we've all done it), but it's a much more beneficial step for us in the end.

4. Past answered prayers -- One of the most powerful ways I deal with stress is thinking about what God has done for me in the past. There are times when I think there's no way a situation is going to work out or a solution to a major problem is ever going to come, but then I stop and think, "Has God ever failed me?". Well....no. I think about the fact that a year ago I had a whole other plethora of problems in my life that have since been resolved. I think about all the prayers I've prayed that have been answered and how God has always given me a solution whether that be something tangible or just letting me know that He is the solution. He's never left me hanging, so why am I thinking He will this time? A calm comes over me when I remember the faithfulness of God in my life knowing that God will continue being reliable and consistent for me.

Grayson's 9 Month Update!

 

I love doing these updates! It's so fun to see the progression. I know the updates are probably too detailed for most, but I treat this as Grayson's online baby book and I don't want to forget anything ;) This update was originally written at the beginning of the month (when he actually turned 9 months old), so things have changed slightly since then. Grayson has officially been out in the world longer than he was in my belly -- he is 9 months old! This month is bittersweet because I realize that his first year of life is quickly coming to a close. He's transitioning from an infant to a toddler right in front of my eyes and is looking more like a little boy these days. With that being said, being his mommy just gets more and more fun. I love my little man! 

Weight & Height: Grayson is 19 lbs. 10 oz. (33rd percentile) and 29 inches long (73rd percentile). He is starting to thin out, but he still has those chunky thighs that I love! ;)

Feeding: Grayson is down to 4 feedings a day including the bedtime feeding. It makes me sad to think breastfeeding him is almost over, but I'm happy that he is naturally weaning himself off breast milk. The solids category is still a work in progress -- but that's okay! Grayson still loves yogurt, puffs, and drinking water out of his sippy cup, but this month, he started eating more table food and doing more baby-led weaning. Grayson is a very independent child and would get so upset that he couldn't hold the spoon when I was feeding him. He prefers to feed himself, as well as, hold and drink out of his cup himself. We have been letting him feed himself more often which he enjoys. I don't know how much food he actually gets in his mouth, but he is getting better and better at it. He likes to eat strawberries, watermelon, eggs, and bits of bread with peanut butter on them. He is eating more and more off my plate and eats what we have for dinner sometimes. Grayson is still eating purees when he is in the mood, but that's more of a random thing right now. He won't eat straight up veggies, so I buy a lot of the fruit and veggie combos and he does okay with those. As a whole, I am seeing a lot of progress in the eating department, so I am happy about that!

Sleeping:  Sleep has been all over the board this month! Grayson was doing much better with his bedtime routine and going to bed earlier. He was only waking up like once a night which is really good for him. But then we went on vacation...and that messed it all up. He slept in the Pack 'N' Play while we were at the beach and really didn't like it. He was up twice each night and woke up at 6am each morning...so much for a vacation! When we got back, he was sleeping absolutely terribly. Like worse than ever. I assumed it was teething, but it continued to get worse. We took him to the doctor and it turned out that he had an ear infection. I felt awful for not knowing it was an ear infection and just thinking he was teething, but to my defense, his symptoms were almost the exact same as when he's teething. Lesson learned. Once he got the right meds, he was sleeping more normal, but still waking up in the night. He was waking more out of habit than anything else and didn't know how to self-soothe himself back to sleep. After talking to the pediatrician, we started letting him cry when he woke up in the night and then going in every 10 minutes and patting his back, reassuring him, and walking out. The goal was to let him know we were there, but not get him out of his crib and not breast feed him for comfort. And this goes without saying, but it's been extremely tough and heartbreaking. No parent wants to do that to their child. On a positive note, it has been working. He has been sleeping so much better and is finally learning to self-soothe. He has been getting in the habit of sleeping from 730-5 or 6am without waking or waking but putting himself back to sleep which is basically a miracle to us. It's all still a work in progress (can you tell that's a theme for us?), but overall, he is slowly becoming a better sleeper and I think the sleep training is working!

Clothes: He is in a size 4 diaper and is in 6-9 and 9 month clothing.

 

 

Mood: Aside from Grayson being sick and having an ear infection, his mood has been great! He did great at the beach and was happy the majority of the time. He is so curious and interested in everything going on around him. He is on-the-go and into everything these days. A very active little boy :) He loves to explore and is entertained by me giving him random objects around the house or out of my purse (lotion caps, anything that shakes or makes noise, a hair tie, etc.)! I love Grayson's silly personality that is starting to come out! He is such a goofball. He has the biggest smile and shares it with everyone. He is doing much better about going to others and usually has good days even if mom and dad aren't around. Josh and I joke because he is so independent in a lot of ways, and yet he can be very clingy. Grayson definitely loves his mommy and daddy! Can't complain there :)

 

Teeth:  Grayson has 6 teeth! He got his 6th tooth the day we left for the beach. I am thankful teething has left us alone this month although it was replaced with an ear infection and constant congestion. The change in weather has left Grayson with a constant runny nose :(

 

 

School: Grayson is doing so much better in Mother's Morning Out and nursery at church. It just took a lot of consistency and persistence. He is happy and learning to have fun with his classmates and teachers. I'm so proud of him! He absolutely loves other children and lights up whenever they are around.

 

Milestones: Grayson now says, "Ma-ma", "Ba-Ba", and "Woah" along with a million other sounds (He is very chatty and vocal!), he also says what sounds like "Yes" and "No", he is "army crawling"!, he is cruising the furniture...I can look away for a second and he is half way across the room!, he can now throw the ball himself when we play catch, he has started baby-led weaning and feeding himself.  

 

Loves: Giving Cedric his dog treat and feeding Cedric his own food (he thinks it's hilarious), sharing and giving you what he has then taking it back (again, hilarious to him), Grayson is a giggle monster and loves to belly laugh!, loves to clap and dance, crawling to Cedric's food and water bowls, loves drumming on everything, loves watching mommy and daddy brush their teeth (random, I know!), loves people watching, swinging at the playground and being outside instantly calms him.

 

Things I Want To Remember:

First hair cut -- I held off on cutting Grayson's hair for a long time. I wanted to wait until he was a year old, but the poor baby couldn't even see, so I gave in (after a lot of peer pressure from my husband!). I am so happy with how his hair looks although it does make him look like a little man. He's so handsome though and I love this length on him! Surprisingly, Grayson did awesome with his first haircut. There were no tears, just lots of driving his "car" ;)

 

 

Grayson's second visit to the beach -- We had a wonderful week with friends and really enjoyed the quality family time together. Grayson was happy the entire trip and really seemed to enjoy the beach!

Aquarium -- We went to the aquarium to celebrate my 27th birthday (you get in free on your birthday, woot woot!) and we had a lot of fun. Josh and Grayson had never been, so it was neat to experience that with them. Grayson was loving the fish!

 

Perfection + Motherhood Just Don't Mix

As everyone has probably figured out by now from my constant posts of my little cutie, I love being a mom. I have always dreamed of being a mom since I was a little girl. I was over the moon when we found out we were expecting our first child. As amazing as it was to watch Grayson grow in my belly and feel his constant kicks, nothing prepared me for the amount of love I would feel when he finally arrived. The love I feel for my son is indescribable and more than I ever thought possible. My heart literally swells when I see him and I am instantly filling with joy. As with any new season, change brings excitement and challenges. You learn new things about yourself and you are tested in different ways. While Grayson brings out a happiness in me that I've never felt before, being a mom has also brought out a lot of insecurity and anxiety within me. Probably not what you were expecting to hear, but it's the truth. I am someone who seeks perfection in life and I am quickly learning that perfection and motherhood just don't mix. In fact, it's almost a laughable concept, but still a lesson I am constantly learning and trying to accept. Little did I know that in raising a child, he might be teaching me more than I am teaching him.

I am someone who always strives for the best. I am a Type A personality all the way and I set really high expectations for myself. I don't handle "failure" well and I can be really hard on myself. Motherhood has really tested my confidence in myself and my abilities. It's challenged me in ways I wasn't expecting or prepared for. There are so many days, most days in fact, that things don't go as planned. Instead of accepting this imperfection as just a part of life and being a parent, I began to internalize these shortcomings and feel like I was failing. I felt like I was failing as a mom and failing at teaching my son all the things he's "supposed" to know and how he's "supposed" to act. On the tough days with Grayson, I felt like I was doing something wrong and I wasn't living up to the mother I thought I would be. I felt disappointed in myself and at a loss because a lot of the issues I was having with him didn't have any easy fix. They would take time, patience, and a lot of grace to conquer.

As I began to feel more insecure as a mother, I started to look at other mothers and babies. I did this mostly for guidance, but it soon became about something much more. I've always struggling with comparing, but becoming a mother has really made my insecurities surface. I started seeing pictures of other babies doing this and that and thinking...why doesn't my child do that? What am I doing wrong? I would hear stories of babies much younger than Grayson eating solids 3 meals a day and sleeping through the night at a few months old (two major ongoing struggles for us) and immediately felt terrible about myself. I would look at the successes of other mothers and their children and deeply question myself and my abilities to parent. Comparison soon became a parasite in my life, sucking a lot of the joy and confidence out of my days. As much as I love social media and keeping up with other moms, sometimes their posts and pictures were challenging to see. It was hard not to feel jealous of their successes while I was over here feeling like I was barely able to keep afloat in this ship called raising a child. There is a quote that says, "Comparison is the thief of joy" and that is so very true. Instead of feeling happy for others, comparison stole the joy right out of my day and brought me so far down. I needed positivity, confidence, and support and comparison was giving me the opposite of that.

As time goes on and with a lot of encouragement from others, I am realizing that my journey as a mother isn't going to be perfect. I'm not going to have a perfect child or have perfect parenting skills. I'm still very new at this and I am constantly learning. My son may not sleep through the night or eat many solids or let other people hold him half the time, but that's okay. Every child is different and each one of them has strengths and weaknesses. And those areas that need improvement aren't necessarily a reflection of my ability to be a good mom. Love is what makes me a good mom (or so I'm told). I love my son so stinkin' much and I am constantly trying my absolute best for him. And at the end of the day, that's all I can do. These insecurities are still something I'm dealing with on a daily basis, but I wanted to share a little bit of my journey with you all. I hope that if there are any other moms out there who also struggle with these things that they know they aren't alone in these fears. No day with your child is going to be perfect, but that doesn't mean it isn't rich in love and joy. And that's what really matters, isn't it? Your ability to be a good mom doesn't hinge on your child hitting milestones or acting angelic all the time. So keep going, keep trying, and keep smiling. Find that inner confidence because you ARE a good mom. It's going to be messy, loud, hard, trying and so much fun...oh the journey of motherhood!

My Stewardship Journey

Every year my church has a month dedicated to talking about Stewardship. Stewardship is (by definition) an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. In short, how have you chosen to manage what God has given you? Each Sunday, a family shares their Stewardship Journey, and at the end of the month, we have a time where we pledge what we will give to the church the upcoming year. Each year as different people share their testimony of giving, I always think of how I also have a story. I'm not one who loves to publicly speak (I save that for my husband who is a preacher) and I certainly am not one who wants to discuss the controversial and even awkward topic of money, but each year I feel God tugging at my heartstrings during this Stewardship month. I couldn't help but feel the urge to share my story of giving, not to draw any attention to myself, but to share of God's constant faithfulness in my life. When I think of this particular topic, I just can't stay silent or deny God's hand print stamped all along this road I've traveled. God has weaved together such a beautiful story of giving, providing, faith and trust in my life that I felt compelled to share my Stewardship Journey.

In high school and college, I would see the offering plates pass during the church service and automatically count myself out. I thought I was somehow exempt from giving to the church. The passages in the Bible about giving weren't directed towards me, but "future me" who had it all together and was living a "comfortable" life. How could God expect anything out of a poor high school or college student? When I graduated college and got a full-time job, I began to feel like my excuses were running out. I started tithing each month and I truly was happy I was finally able to give back to the church that had so heavily poured into me and invested in my life. But in all honesty, it wasn't the biggest sacrifice to give at that point. I was living at home with my mom and had very few bills. But, at least it was a start!

Around that time, Josh and I became engaged. We had many discussions about giving to the church once we were married and we both knew that if we didn't implement this discipline from the start, we may never. There would always be something to stand in our way if we let it. So once we got married, we tithed each month. Some months were harder than others, but we always gave something. And God always provided. At that point, we were newlyweds living in a basement apartment in Atlanta and we weren't making much money. We didn't have much, but we always had exactly what we needed. In December of 2013, we bought our first home. It was a dream that I didn't even think would be possible for years to come, but we managed to make it happen and were thrilled about this huge step in our lives. But as everyone knows, "with great power comes great responsibility". We had more, but we also had more to pay for, take care of and manage.

At this point, Josh was still in seminary full-time and working at the church part-time and I was working full-time in Atlanta. While we were working extremely hard, we were struggling to make ends meet. We were staying afloat, but barely. There were many months that we seriously debated not tithing. We could have easily justified it, especially when we added up how much we were tithing each year. It was hard to see those numbers and know what a helpful impact that would have made in other areas of our life. It felt like such a sacrifice and one that I was struggling to make. We were a very young couple who had very little and it would have been easy to tell ourselves that it was okay not to give and somehow talk ourselves out of it. But despite all of the opposition we felt, we continued to give. But I'll be honest; it was a little begrudgingly on my part.

Around this time, I felt like God really moved in my life in the area of stewardship. Being a good steward is effectively managing what God has given you, but that's what I was struggling to see. In my mind, my money, my things, my house, my work ethic, the things I had worked so hard for....they were just that, mine. I finally had the revelation that I was holding on so tightly to things that actually weren't mine, they were God's. I was the first to say how much God had blessed me, but I wasn't willing to admit that everything I had was because of Him. Everything I had was His. It was really easy to look at the things I had and think, "I worked hard for those things. I earned those things on my own." But in actuality, God had given me a job. He had blessed me with parents who taught me how to work hard and how to manage my money well. God had given me the motivation, dedication, and passions that I had. When I finally accepted that everything I had wasn't even mine to begin with, giving became a whole lot easier. I began to understand the true concept of stewardship which is managing what God has given me not hoarding and keeping from God what was His to begin with. I also started to understand the concept that giving didn't mean just giving my money. Giving meant sharing my time, talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts with the church, the church body, and my community. God gave me those gifts to share with others, not keep to myself.

While this concept might seem constraining or even imprisoning to some, it has been the most freeing experience for me. If anything, it has opened my eyes up to all that God has given me. And wow, I am one blessed woman! Instead of feeling like nothing is mine, I am filled with peace knowing these things are God's, I am God's and God takes care of His sheep. This is where my story gets emotional for me and if you have made it this far in reading this, I promise this is where I was going all along. God has provided for me and my family in phenomenal ways. I am a worrier by nature and I cannot tell you how many times I was convinced that we weren't going to make it, but we have never, ever gone without. God has given my family exactly what we need right when we need it and not a second sooner. This journey has pushed my faith and trust in Christ in ways I had never experienced. I have been forced to rely on Him to come through for me and He always does. We have received everything from used furniture, diapers for my son, used toys & clothes, money for a suit for my husband to preach in, random bonuses at work, extra scholarship money that came from out of nowhere, jobs openings that came right in time, discounts on services because my husband is a clergy member, meals and extra food galore, free babysitting...I could seriously go on and on and on. We have been blessed with the most amazing church family who have literally been the hands and feet of Jesus to my family and who God has used to bless our family more than they will ever know. Not only has God provided for us with monetary things, but He has also blessed us with amazing relationships with people that we would have never had the pleasure of knowing had we not relied on Him for all we have.

While this journey has been a difficult one for me, I can say it has allowed me to testify of the goodness of God in my life. What I love about a testimony is that it's your story and no one, no matter who they are and what they believe, can argue or mess with your experience. It belongs to you and it is precious and deserves to be treasured. God has always provided for me. He has never fallen short and He has never failed me. God has never abandoned me. I am continuing to learn to trust Him with all that I have and all that I am. It isn't always easy, but I can assure you that if you give yourself to God and trust Him with all that you have, God will enrich and bless your life in immeasurable and unexplainable ways. It is now my joy and honor to give because God gave and continues to give to me. 

Grayson's 8 Month Update!

**This post was originally written on September 4, 2015

It's that time of the month again! Our little man is officially 8 months old and fun as ever! I couldn't get a decent 8 month shot, but I thought these pictures were a good snap shot as to what Grayson is like at 8 months old. He is ALL boy and on the move!

Weight & Height: Grayson is weighing in at 19 lbs 7oz., although to me he is solid! His height is between 27-28 inches. It's hard to get an accurate measurement with Grayson squirming! 

 

 

Feeding: Grayson is still breastfeeding, but he is only feeding 3-4 times a day plus his bedtime feeding. He goes about 4 hrs. between feedings and isn't as interested as he used to be. (He also has bitten me a few times recently, so that's been fun...not!) I'm fine with this because I hope to have him weaned by his 1st birthday. Grayson has done much better with solids this month! He is still very moody when it comes to food and can eat nothing or a whole jar in one sitting depending on how he's feeling. His favorite food is yogurt. Grayson loves puffs and drinking water out of his sippy cup. He is very independent and loves to hold the cup himself. Grayson has surprised me this month by liking pumpkin and spinach in the little pouches. (He loves to chomp on the plastic nozzle.) Grayson is at a fun age with food where he is able to try more random things off my plate that meet the texture requirement and lately, he has enjoyed mashed potatoes, refried beans, and beef. I believe that teething really takes a toll on him when it comes to wanting to eat solids. When he is in pain and cutting a tooth, he wants nothing to do with food, but when he is feeling better, he will eat much more.

Sleeping: At the beginning of this month, I was at my whit's end. I was delusional from exhaustion and so discouraged because Grayson was still sleeping horribly. I decided to try to get him to bed between 7-8 pm and stick to a more strict bedtime routine (bath, lotion, pjs, feeding, rocking him to sleep). I had tried this a few months back and it didn't work, but I wanted to give it one more good try. It's worked really well! Every night isn't perfect, but as a whole, Grayson has slept much better this month. He wakes up 1-2 times a night as opposed to 3-4 times. He gets a bath around 7 and is in bed around 7:30 most nights. He has had a lot of 7, 8, and even 9 hour stretches of sleeping straight by going to bed earlier. Some mornings are rough because he wakes up early (cue the 5am wake-up calls), but usually he sleeps until 7-8am. Grayson takes a morning and afternoon nap. He isn't a big napper, so they are usually only 45 minutes each. Overall, Grayson has had a much better month of sleep with this new schedule and I'm extremely grateful!

Clothes:  Grayson is in 6 month and 6-9 month clothing. He still wears a size 4 diaper.

 

Mood: Grayson has been much happier this month! Although he has been cutting teeth, he has handled it like a champ. Grayson is so much fun these days. He is full of energy and personality. He lets you know when he doesn't like something or when he isn't happy, but he is the first to give a stranger a huge grin at the grocery store. He loves being around other people and children. He observes, smiles, and giggles at them. Grayson is still very vocal and chatty. He cracks up laughing all the time, sometimes at completely random things. I love that he is full of so much life! He has started cuddling and reaching for both Josh and I. It's so sweet! He is still stubborn and determined. When he wants something, he goes after it and doesn't give up. (I wonder where that trait came from...?)

 

Teeth: Grayson cut 2 teeth this month which makes the grand total 5! I can see the 6th tooth coming in too. He has had a runny nose for most of the month and some diarrhea. Cutting teeth is tough business!

 

 

School: Grayson started "school" aka Mother's Morning Out this month. I was really nervous because he was going through separation anxiety at the beginning of the month and wasn't doing well being passed to others. But that was just a confirmation that being around other adults beside mom and dad would be a good thing for him! The first few times were rough, but Grayson has been doing really well recently. There have been minimal tears and he is really enjoying the other children. As a mom, I was really worried each day he went to MMO in the beginning (especially because he was always so upset), but I'm getting better and starting to let go more. The positive reports and happy pictures really help! I'm excited for Grayson to get to have that interaction and fun with other kids. I think it's important for him.

Milestones: Grayson said "Da-Da" for the first time this month!, he started school, he can get himself down from laying on the couch to a standing position on the floor, and he loves to put his hand over his mouth while talking and make funny sounds (like the Indian chant).

 

Loves: Standing up (he barely needs support these days), any dog (he cracks up laughing and giggling around animals and I'm so happy he is an animal lover!), jumping like a mad man in his jumper, people and children (Grayson is a people person! He might not always love being held by a stranger, but he smiles and laughs at them all the time. He loves watching other kids play and is very interested in other children.) and playing "catch" by rolling a ball back and forth (again, the giggles and cracking up start almost every time we play!)

Things I Want To Remember:

-- First Tea Party - Grayson went to his cousins', Emma & Sophia, tea party birthday party and looked very snazzy in his little tux outfit from my father-in-law! He reminds me of a baby James Bond ;)
 

 

--First Day of School

 

--Playing With His Hair - I couldn't let Grayson's long hair go without doing this at least once. Although this was a good indication that a haircut was in his future. Grayson has the thickest and prettiest hair! Sorry buddy! ;)

 

--Uncle Taylor Visiting - My brother was able to visit this month and he hadn't seen Grayson in person since March! I loved watching these two interact. My brother had never even held or been around a baby until Grayson, so it's sweet to see them bond. I love Grayson's expressiveness! Ha! In all seriousness, he loves his Uncle Taylor!