You Are My Heart....

walking amidst the world.

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My dear, sweet, Grayson~

You amaze me.

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Pure and simple.

I find myself getting so emotional lately. You have turned into this captivating, heart-stirring individual in the past few weeks. A little man who says, "Mom" and grabs my hand while walking through the sliding doors, before the thought even enters my mind to grab yours.
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing A little man who says, "Gras as Momma, I wuv voo" for allowing you to have a frosted cookie from the Target bakery. A little man who craves his Mommy's back scratches and his Daddy's shenanigans. A little man who thinks it's cool to drink icecream through a straw.

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We are in awe, son......of you.


Your vocabulary has exploded into a hundred different words and phrases and sentences. You say something new every.single.day. and we just stare at one another, your Daddy and I, and laugh. How did we get here?

Here.

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The place where our son grabs our hands in a crowded Mexican restaurant and bows his head to say Grace. Amazing.

It is extremely rewarding for us to see how far you have come in 26 months. From a helpless newborn who needed us for everything, to a willful one year old who needed to do everything himself, to this. An enthralling two year old.

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We have found our balance. We've figured one another out, I believe.

You get me and I get you. And this is my most favorite time. Right here. Today.

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Sure, I miss our co-sleeping days when all I needed was to nurse you and all was right with the world......oh, how I truly miss those days. And sure I daydream about swaddling you like a baby burrito and staring at your sweet little peach fuzzy head.......but look at you now! I love your hair......I love that we can walk from our car to your Sunday School class and get no less than 5 compliments on your beautiful hair. I love the way that your crooked little teeth are just perfect in your crooked little smile. I love that you can say, "Mamma look, I tee-tee on tha potty....yay....yummy yums".....that's right, angel, you did go tee-tee and now you get an M&M and Mommy and Daddy are so very proud of you!


I get it now.

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This is who I am supposed to be and I've never been more content than right here. Right now.

I am so incredibly blessed to be your Mommy and to be your Daddy's wife. And though your little life is far from completion, you are my most amazing accomplishment.

~Love Mommy

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"Star white, star white. First star at night night night."

For Pappi

(Pause the music to the right and enjoy!)


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Nappily Never Nafter

I come from a long line of nappers. My father was a napper on the verge of narcolepsy, often falling asleep on the couch with my brother and I in his arms, while reading us books.

It would start with:

"I do not like green eggs and ham..."

And then not two seconds later...

"Hhhhhhhhggghhhhhhh Psshhhhhhhhh*."

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up and tell us more of this Sam I Am person!!"

He also tends to nod off while viewing most sporting events on t.v. (golf, football, golf, basketball, golf...).

My Mom is also an outstanding napper. She will fall asleep after preparing every Sunday afternoon meal, during every movie she starts past 8 p.m., and most times while reading.

I love sleep. Therefore, I love naps. Can't get enough. Ever.

And Grayson? Grayson was born to nap. For two years his naps have been like clockwork. Three - four hour naps practically to the minute. Every.Single.Day.

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Until now.

At the time I thought it was normal infant/baby/toddler behavior. I now have a new understanding of just how remarkable it was.

W.A.S.

He napped 1pm-5pm every day for two years and I totally took it for granted.

Of course, because I'm not very smart, I figured he would continue these napping episodes until he was a freshmen in high school......but-not-so-much-no-way-not-even-close. He's done. He no longer believes in napping. And he has been telling me so all week while jumping up and down in his crib screaming, "Maaaaaaama, no naaaaaap! No naaaaaap Maaaaaama!"

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I've tried everything to get him to nap.

We do the exact same bedtime routine for naps as we do nighttime.....minus the bath and the brushing of the teeth. My best friend has told me time and time again, "Maybe he's just done with naps.....you know so and so stopped napping at two". And I've chosen to ignore this statement....time and time again.

But, I have to admit.......she's right. Dang it!

He's getting plenty of sleep. He goes down around 8 p.m. and sleeps till 10 a.m. I guess now that he's a big two year old, he's decided that 14 hours of sleep a day is just dandy.

Dandy.


I've tried singing Grayson to sleep but instead he just laughs hysterically because my voice is a train wreck.


He loves for me to reach over his crib and scratch his back before falling asleep, and I love it, too, until my arm goes numb and my fingers start falling asleep (dang carpel tunnel).....if only they had magic napping powers.



It's sweet, really. My son only sleeping when I sleep. Wanting to be awake so he doesn't miss out on anything. Really, he probably thinks I lounge around in my underwear on the couch watching Handy Manny re-runs, while popping M&M flavored bon-bons in my mouth, and squirting Bentley with the water gun. Because that's what he would be doing.

It's a little annoying, I must admit. I love him so much, but it's almost like having a 6 month old, again....they need you to entertain them. I used his nap time for my "me-time"......and well, now there's no time for "me- time" you know like: clipping coupons, planning dinner, writing on this blog, eating bon-bons....etc.

Instead it's, "Momma. side. me. (watch me go down the slide), Momma. at side. me. ( I want to go outside....very close to go down the slide, but different), Momma. mo boose. (more juice), Momma. meenie meenie. (Handy Manny), Momma. wah wah me peese. (Fill my water gun up, please) Momma. iiii've vooo. (Momma, I love you)And he's smart.....so smart. "Momma. noooooo naaaaaaap. iiiiii've voooo." He knows by saying this, he has me wrapped around his sticky, dirty, little fingers.

It's pretty much become impossible to get on the computer during the days, so my nights have become the only time I can type. Sorry for not updating the blog for over a week, but seriously......now you know why.

And then there's today, like right now for instance. 4:28 on a Thursday afternoon and I can FINALLY BLOG! Quick! Before he wakes up! TYPE FASTER!

Wait.....what? Yeah, that's right, he's asleep. How can you go a whole week without napping and then, "Oh hey Mom, I think I'll take a nap today".......s.i.g.h.

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Seriously though. I want to have another baby soon. How in the world can I go through a second pregnancy without napping? Right?

I mean...

Right?


***

*that was supposed to be a snoring sound.

G. D. O.

A couple of months ago, while we were living with Mimi and Pappi, I decided to start a new tradition. I would choose one day out of the week, to do something fun....just me and you. A Grayson's Day Out (G.D.O.).

It wouldn't be anything expensive.....maybe a cheap-date lunch at Pei Wei or McDonald's, a day at the park, a picnic, or just going to get some ice cream and letting you get messy.

I live for these days. I need them. And I know you do, too!

You do everything I ask you to do during the week. "Grayson, Mommy needs to go to Walmart, let's get your shoes on and be a big boy" or "Grayson, Mommy has to run up to Walgreen's so I can get my free candles, printer ink, and flu shot....let's go".

Never, "hey Gray....let's run around outside in our diaper all day and blow bubbles" or "I know, let's draw on the walls with your new Crayola Markers!"

I want you to think of me as the "fun parent" every once in a while. I know I don't play XBOX or Wii with you like Daddy or let you eat pizza every time he's at work, but I want you to have fun with me, too.

So today, that's just what we did!

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We went to Gatti Town and ate "pete's-a-pete's" (your word for pizza) and we played till we were worn out!
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo PrintingMonday's, mommies eat free and because you are 2, you don't know the difference between an arcade game that is out of order and one that needs 75 cents to play. Score for Mommy!!

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You are content just sitting in the seat and moving the stick shift back and forth, while steering the steering wheel. You don't need it to say, "On your mark, get set, goooooo", because in your eyes, you are doing all the work!

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I know this will probably only last another year or two, so I will enjoy the free arcade games while I can.

We played and played and played. We got a blue balloon. We even threw the biggest two-year-old fit I'm willing to bet, was the biggest that place had ever seen.

All in all, it was a great day! A perfect G.D.O., in my book.

Now it's off to naptime, my dear, sweet, angelic, little, precious boy.

I really appreciate the dagger eyes.....really I do.

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Picnic in the Park

Yesterday was one of my most favorite days with you and Daddy and Bentley. We slept in till 10 and packed a picnic and headed to the park.

It was a beautiful day.
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing The sky was a vibrant blue after so many days of grey. The sun was shining and the birds were singing.

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We sat still for about 15 minutes, eating our sandwhiches and sharing our chips with Bentley.
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Just relaxing and people watching.

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After lunch, Bentley decided she needed to cool off.
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing It had been too long. Way too long, girl!! Yes mam, you may jump in the off limits pond and chase the taunting ducks....go get 'em, sister!!
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And she did! For about half an hour. This is who she is.....a water dog, and I'm not about to deny her this big pond that God intended for her to swim in.
So, we watched from the pier.

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And let her have her moment.
When she just couldn't seem to heave her 80 pound, soaking wet body out of the water anymore, we knew we could call it a day. She was happy and exhausted and ready to go home.

Now it was your turn. We needed to tire you out so that you would take a good nap, also. First, we hunted for crawdaddies.

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Apparentley, this must be done barefoot. Second, we let our 80 lb doggie take you for a walk.
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Then we took the looooong way back and this is what you started. All.By.Yourself.

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"Step on a crack, break your Momma's back"...how on Earth did you know to do this?

We drove home, with the radio up and the windows down (nothing stinks worse than a sweaty boy and a wet dog). Daddy gave Bentley a shower and Mommy put you down for your nap. Then Mommy asked Daddy very nicely if she could go get a mani/pedi with her giftcard. He said "yes" as long as you were really asleep. I waited for about 30 minutes without hearing a peep from the monitor. Good boy.

So, while I'm getting the royal treatment on my feet, I receive a text from Daddy saying that you're yelling, "No nap" "No nap" from your bedroom. Ah....good boy, way to wait till Mommy's out of the house!

Love you, Bubba!