Grayson LOVED everything about birthday cake (this was an early celebration)
His cake
He wasn't shy about attacking that huge piece
Can't leave any frosting on the plate
Delicious! You know at some point it becomes unattractive to be covered in your birthday cake - but at this point in life it is super cute!!!
His new very fun blow up toy from the Johnsons
Eating lunch - I made him some fancy mac-n-cheese
G & Aunt Liss
Opening presents - more stuffed animals - HOORAY!
Enjoying watching me open his presents - laying on my lap!
Grayson officially turned one-year-old on August 13th. How is it possible that my little baby is one already?!? I know everyone says it, but I feel like I am constantly aware of how fast this time goes and how blessed I am to have this time with all of my little boys. At the doctor, Grayson was 22 lbs 4 ou (45%) and 31 in tall (75%). At one-year-old: he walks all over the place, he consequently falls all over the place, he only says a couple of words (mama, a version of dog, and dada) but he really tries to communicate a lot of things, he LOVES stuffed animals (specific only to G in this house!), he likes to chase a ball or push a bigger car along the floor, he really enjoys food, he likes to be in the pool, he thinks he can do anything his brothers are doing and his smile in absolutely contagious. I have enjoyed him as a baby very, very much! He is pretty even tempered, a great sleeper and loves to love on his momma (all good things). In my mind he is my baby, but I see him do things everyday that remind me how big he is getting. The other day I was making my bed and talking on the phone (so I wasn't really watching what he was playing with:) and I heard him fussing at me while I was fixing the sheets. I looked down and he was whining because he was trying to show me that he was handing me the pillow to put on my bed. The other funny thing he did last week was he brought me a box of Rice-a-roni from the pantry and was pointing at the picture on the box to tell me he was hungry and wanted the picture of the food. It was almost like he thought that bowl of prepared rice was waiting for him in the box. There isn't really any food that he doesn't like, so far. He is pretty willing to try anything. He didn't really eat much baby food - his nine teeth were ready for real food early in life. He really loves noodles with meat sauce, pizza, any kind of fruit but particularly cantaloupe, and the reliable pbj sandwich is his favorite treat. My favorite thing to do with him is cuddle him before bed and do anything silly to make him smile because he has the world's best smile. I pray many things for Grayson, but above things, I pray that God would give him a heart to love Him and know and understand the things of God. I so look forward with hopefulness to what God could do for His Kingdom through the three boys together.
Grayson was my earliest walker by several months. He was taking random steps as early as 9 months and was really walking by 11 months old. I'm not sure if this is the reason, but he is such a clumsy walker. It is worse than when they are learning to crawl. He bonks his head multiple times a day and some of the bumps are quite bad. This knock on his forehead was one of his worst, but sadly he got another today to match! My poor little dude needs to grow out of his wobbly legs.
Grayson has not really enjoyed the sand much at all this year. He HATED it in Atlantis and was pretty unhappy to be down at the beach in Coronado this year also. During the July trip, he warmed up to the idea of playing with some toys on a beach towel but he didn't venture beyond that at all. It has been a little bit difficult to really play with the other boys on the beach this trip because there weren't any extra people along who could keep him to sleep while I took the boys to the ocean. When we were walking down this morning I literally said, "Grayson, today will be the day you learn to love the beach." I didn't really believe it would happen, but today he LOVED the beach. It was very uncrowded, we were really the only ones down there for a couple of hours and he was walking and crawling around everywhere. He even chased a bird into the water and let some waves come up on his legs. I was pretty excited about it. What kid of mine doesn't like the beach?? He had sand in every crevice possible and I will probably still be finding those gold/black flecks in his hair and ears for the next couple of days - but he really enjoyed himself . . . FINALLY!
We took a whirlwind 24 hour trip to Duncan with the AK cousins. It is fun to make a visit all together. I know that the firehouse with Uncle Brad was a highlight for my kids, as well as their slumber party on Gram Boyd's floor and lunch at Gimmee's. (Parker is missing from the picture with Gram Boyd because his nose injury was only minutes old and he wasn't getting out of my arms for anything!) A highlight for me was lunch with Great Grandma Jeanette. We really had a sweet time together and Grayson was really loving her. I love to see them growing those relationships with the fabulous extended family we have been blessed with. All in all, it was WELL worth the drive! (All five kids, April and I all in the Acura by the way - it was officially packed to the gills)
When I think about these kids, I am just so very thankful to God for each of these little kids and also the great relationships that they have with one another. Even though they don't all get to see each other all the time, when they are together, they are best friends. What a sweet gift from God. I can't even begin to recap everything that we were able to do with the AK cousins in town the last two weeks. The highlight for my kids was just getting to do the day-to-day stuff with their cousins - swimming, dinners, play dates. It is busy and hectic, but completely worth it because the kids enjoy one another so much. I know Davis was especially thrilled to have them come to church with us two Sundays and have Clay in his class. My kids also had a blast on our whirlwind overnight in Duncan. It is so great to have them in town.
So sad - a picture doesn't even really capture how bad Parker's nose looks. While I was packing the car in the Duncan, Parker fell and landed very hard on the handle of a metal shopping cart. I could tell from outside that he was hurt really badly by the way he was crying. It immediately swelled like a golf ball between his eyes at the bridge of his nose. Now he is left with black eyes and lots of swelling. I am hoping that it will heal well and that it starts feeling better. Parker is not a complainer at all - but you can tell it is very sensitive. My poor, sweet baby!
