2 Months

Grayson is 2 months old now!  We seriously can't believe how quickly he has grown up and changed in just one month.  Here are some things we have noticed about him this month:

• He started smiling and laughing so much more.  Neither one of us can get enough of his huge grin and infectious laugh.
• He is "talking". They are mostly grunts, coos, ahs and such but we can tell he will be saying his first word any day now. :)
• He loves his black kitty.  We leave it in his crib and catch him "talking" to his kitty before and after his naps.
• He is much more active now.  During his play time, we put him on his activity mat or in front of his activity gym and he moves around.  He kicks his legs and throws his arms everywhere. 
• He finally started taking a schnoolie (pronounced shh-new-ly, a.k.a. pacifier in German).  We didn't think he would ever take one, which was fine with us, but are very glad that he likes it now.  It definitely helps him sleep better and helps to calm down when he is fussy.
• He loves tummy time and sleeping on his stomach.  Even though babies are supposed to sleep on their backs, we let him nap on his tummy.  He seems to sleep much better this way, too.
• At about 7 weeks, he started to sleep 7-8 hour stretches at night!  This was the best part of the month.  The first night he did it, we both shot up at 5am since he had not woken up.  We couldn't believe it!
• He loves to look at himself in the mirror.
• He can put weight on his legs really well.  When we stand him up, he does this thing we call "Frankenstein" where he stands real stiff and sticks his arms out while he grunts. 
• He got to see his first snow!

We are really starting to notice his personality come out now.  Overall he is a pretty happy baby and still very easy to please. 

Here are a few more photos of him this month:

Passed out in daddy's arms

Tummy time on the boppy

Tuesday snooze day with the boys

He falls asleep in the most odd positions

Road Trip
Grayson took his first road trip this past weekend. We went down to my parent's lake house for a couple of nights to hang out. My mother can't get enough of Grayson so we figured 2 uninterrupted days might do her some good. It was pretty cold outside so we spent all of our time inside. My mom and I worked on a couple of sewing projects and a puzzle (a must when down at the lake) while Shane and my dad played guitar. 

Grayson loves his Grammie.  He gives her the biggest smile when she talks to him.  Shane swears it is the biggest smile he has ever seen him make.  It's so big, his eyes are closed shut because his whole face is nothing but smile.  We figure this will only help him as he gets older because he knows Grammie will buy him whatever he wants.  :) 

We look forward to many more relaxing weekends at the lake as he gets older!

Notice how he stuck his hand in grandpa's pocket

Napping with dad

Mommy teaching Gray how to work on puzzles. 
Serious concentration is a must.

Sleeping in mommy's bed

Grandpa and Grammie

Grayson's First Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year!  My family came over this past Saturday for brunch.  After we ate, we opened up gifts together.  Grayson came out with alot of stuff!  He got books, clothes, and a few toys to play with as he gets older. 

On Christmas day, it was just the 3 of us.  I had purchased some gifts for Grayson but Shane didn't know what they were so I let him open them up.  I figured someone should be surprised!  :)  I only got him books and an activity gym that converts into a few different things as he gets older.  Later that afternoon, it snowed!  Grayson's first Christmas was a white Christmas!  I took him outside to get a photo with him but it was pretty windy.  He didn't seem to enjoy the snow too much.  I'm sure that will change in the next few years. 

Although it was a pretty low key Christmas, we wouldn't have it any other way!  Grayson was by far our best gift this year!

Our first Christmas

Grammie & Grandpa with the boys

James Family

 

Grayson loves the Christmas lights

Christmas morning

Christmas morning

Santa's Little Helper

Playing with his activity gym

Tuckered out from opening gifts

Grayson's first snow

2012 Christmas Card

Being a Mom...

I feel like God hired me for one of the best jobs in the world on October 28.  In the past, I always envied my friends and had a tinge of jealousy when I saw them with their kids.  I was always happy for them so I could not figure out why I had these feelings toward their relationship.  I now understand.  Having a child is the most amazing thing in the world.  It is a feeling that cannot be explained or done just with words.

When I was pregnant, I had no idea what kind of mom I would be.  I bet each girl tells herself she will be a good mom, but at the same time she has no idea what kind of mom that will be.  Would she do everything like her own mother?  Would she tell herself there were things she would do differently?  Or does she just figure it out as she goes, hoping not to compare herself to every other mom in the world and always questioning if her actions are the right ones.  I truly believe that no matter what kind of mom you are, you love your kids more than anything in the world and always want what is best for them.

It is still hard to believe that I am a mom.  When I run into people from work or friends of ours, they call me "mom" or refer to me as a "mother".  It catches me by surprise.  I still feel like a regular person but with more responsibility.  The other day, the mother in me really came out.

On Friday, I sat on the couch watching the details unfold from the horrific shooting in Connecticut.  Immediately I felt this need to protect Grayson.  I held him closer and tighter and could not understand where this instinct was coming from.  During other events such as this, I always felt grief for the families but this day I felt it even more.  I now see what was taken from them and I could not imagine how I would cope with something so heartbreaking. 

Growing up, I was not sheltered.  Having a father that is a police officer will do that to a child.  In no way do I see it as a bad thing.  It made me grow up knowing that there are people and things that happen in society that are bad and sometimes cannot be explained.  I truly believe it made me a more mature individual but it also prepared me to have my guard up at all times.  Although I want to make sure Grayson gets to enjoy being a child, I also want him to understand what happens in this world and be prepared for anything.  As a mother, I will do everything I can to protect him but it may mean preparing him for things he might not be ready for.  Obviously these lessons will come at a time and an age that Shane and I feel is appropriate but I think we both agree he needs to understand reality and that life isn't always rainbows and butterflies.

I hope I can continue to be a good mom to Grayson.  And as he gets older, I hope he knows that I love him unconditionally.  I think that is something kids need to always understand; that no matter how badly they behave or make their parents angry, that they are still loved and appreciated by their parents.  That at the end of everyday, moms and dads have one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.

My Graduate

Shane is a graduate!  He officially completed his Masters Degree in Administration from Lamar University this past Saturday!  We had alittle surprise party for him here at the house with both of our families.  Grayson and I are so proud of him!

Grayson's Best Friend

Grayson already has a best friend!  Grayson received alot of stuffed animals as gifts, but one has become his favorite.  It is a black and white kitty (that is super soft).  I set it in his crib when Shane brought it home since it was black and white (those are the colors he can see right now).  Every now and then I started to catch him looking at it.  Over the last few days, he has started making more sounds and smiling more.  Now when I put him down for a nap, he will just lie there and "talk" to his kitty until he falls asleep. It is the absolute cutest thing ever!  Tonight I got a picture of them together.  I have never seen him so happy! 

Grayson and Kitty

 

I am not sure if we need to be upset that it his best friend is an inanimate object, but he seems super happy when they are together so I can't complain!

Santa

My mom and I took Grayson to meet Santa yesterday!  Of course Grayson slept the whole time but Santa didn't seem to mind.  Grayson is definitely on the "nice" list this year!

Grayson's Newborn Photos

I finally got Grayson's newborn photos back from the photographer!  They are so cute!  Again, a huge thanks to Mike & Jess at Absolute Photography.  I am really happy with how they turned out and some of the cute pictures we captured of him when he was so tiny. 

*Note, you may not believe this, but we did not pose his left hand...he did that naturally!
Saw'em off!

*My absolute favorite!  :)

1 Month

Grayson is 1 month old! 

Here are a few things about Grayson we noticed in his first month:

• He loves to be swaddled.  He seems to sleep better when he is swaddled so we have been using swaddle sacks every time he goes down for a nap or at night.
• He seems to favor his right side.  When he is swaddled or lying on his activity mat, he rolls to his right side.  This has me concerned that his right ear is going to be permanently squished.  :)
• Each time he sneezes, he sneezes 2-3 times in a row.
• He loves to be held.  Neither of us object to this!
• He doesn't cry alot.  But we are starting to be able to decipher between all of his cries now (hungry, dirty diaper, gas and needs to sleep).  We did endure some long crying sessions a few days/nights.  Now that we know what each cry sounds like, we have been able to calm him down much quicker or allow him to cry it out and put himself to sleep.
• He is very independent.  He wakes up on his own alot and just lies in his crib until I come get him.  I can even lie him on his activity mat and he can entertain himself for alittle bit before going down for a nap.
• He eats really well.  Sometimes I have to fight to keep him awake so he can get a full feeding but most of the time he does great.  Currently he eats 8 times a day.
• He is a good sleeper at night.  Usually he sleeps between 4-5 hours at a time so I only have to get up once in the middle of the night to feed him. 
• When he first falls asleep after I feed him, he smiles and laughs out loud.  It is really cute!
• He gets the hiccups all the time.  He had them when I was pregnant, too.
• He enjoys getting a bath.
• He loves tummy time with his mommy and daddy.  We try not to let him fall asleep on us too much so he doesn't get used to it. He loves to sleep on his stomach though.

It was a fairly easy month for us overall.  From the advice of many friends, Shane and I decided to follow a book called Babywise in order to get Grayson on a consistent schedule.  So far it has worked out pretty well.  Grayson pretty much put himself on a 2 1/2 to 3 hour schedule so the transition was easy.  We learned something new every week so I think we have the hang of things now.  There is still alot we need to learn but I think we have a good routine in place. 

I can't believe how fast this month went by. I tried to enjoy every minute but sometimes it can be hard when you're trying to figure things out as you go. I also wish I would have taken more photos. :( Believe me, I take alot of photos, but I felt like I didn't get enough of him during the smallest phase of his life. I spent so much time just trying to take it all in that I would forget about my camera.  I can say without a doubt, this has been the best month of our life and we are looking forward to so many more!

Here are a few more photos from this past month:

Other November News
We took Grayson to meet his great grandparents last week.  This is my grandmother and grandfather on my mom's side.  They were all so happy to meet him.  My grandfather, Bob, is 96 years old.  I am so glad he was able to meet Grayson!   (Side note: my grandfather's real name is Bob.  He didn't want to be called "grandpa" or "granddad".  He said those names made him sound old so we have always just called him "Bob".)

His great grandfather, Bob

His great grandmother, Great Nana

 

His great great aunt, Hestie
(my grandmother's twin sister)

We also had our first Thanksgiving together as a family.  It was delayed until the Saturday following Thanksgiving because one of my nephews was pretty sick.  We decided it was better to delay the holiday than risk Grayson getting sick.  My brother was kind enough to host our family at his house.  Shane and I definitely have so much to be thankful for this year!

Aunt Kissy with Grayson

Our first Thanksgiving
(Shane is covering up the A&M logo on his outfit)

Grammy and Grandpa

Someone lost their first tooth!
The tooth fairy was very generous, too! 
We plan on sending Grayson to their house when he loses his teeth.  :)

Three generations