Graham: 8 Months

Spontaneous Graham Poetry:

Oh my big, fat chunk of Graham,
Since you were born the doth scram.
To me, your birth was yesterday,
But the crawling days aren't far away.
Stay sprightly and chipper, my dear son,
For you the fun has just begun.

I know, I know, talent beyond measure!

Graham loves to raise both arms in the air and then whack them simultaneously against his flexed tummy.  He does this about 100 times a day.  Sometimes I'd assume he was hurting himself?  He's just full of vigor and vim.

He weighs over 22 lbs!  My left arm often feels like it's going to fall off.

We finally had to lower his crib; he's getting gutsy in the movement department and is pushing up onto all 4s.  I was very sad about lowering his crib.

He and Jude are 2 peas in a pod, which is pretty awesome since Graham can't talk or walk.  I take solace in Graham's expedited growth knowing that the bigger he gets, the more the good times will roll for these "brudders".

A couple of weeks ago Graham became sturdy enough to really sit on his own.  7.5 months, the exact same age as Jude.

He loves to be tickled endlessly and a song will produce a million dollar smile.

Graham yells and yells and yells.  Jude will crinkle his nose and say, "Too loud, Gammy, too loud."  I laugh to myself because I am certain Graham learned allll about yelling from his mentor and elder brother Jude Man.

He is just all about loving and happiness, absolutely delicious.  He is a constant bright spot and we love and appreciate him every single day.

Why We've Loved Summer 2013:

+ Beach days with pals -- we've actually gone so much it makes me feel like we're getting our money's worth (mas o menos) with California's hellish cost of living.

+ Breezes cooling off the house in the evening.

+ Hopping over to the pools.

+ Hopping over even more to the park.  Sunscreen was slathered, scooters brought along, moms sat under a tree on a blanket or stood in the shade of the park structure, and the kids were adorable.  Jude has really gotten gutsy and independent and the park is not a chore to me anymore (most days).  He doesn't need me to escort him up and down the structures like he used to, he goes up and down the ladders, steps, slides, and I just make sure he is playing nicely and not pushing anyone out of his way, and then I clap and get excited for him when he goes down the "wee" or slide.

+ Jude sleeping in just his diaper, and Graham sleeping in his sleeveless blanket-sleeping bag.

And now I'm ready to be done :).  Sand in my car, sand in the stroller, sand in the shoes.  Sweaty all the time and concerned about sunburns on the boys and Jude's ear tubes.  I'll be excited again about summer next time it rolls around, but for now I welcome the break.  Now Fall just needs to actually arrive.....

And now some mem'ries in photo version:

A hug for Dad after playing in a fountain at an outdoor mall.

Woop woop!

I'm sweating like a toasted cheeser!

Jude and his red scooter

Jude still has a belly button, FYI.

Brothers

His idea to hold my hand while riding his scoot scoot to the park.  Swooooooooon

Plotting all sort of mischievous deeds, one can only assume.

Pizza party to kick off summer in the neighborhood. 

Love em both

Sometimes he holds my hand while I read him books.  Honestly, it fills my heart with immeasurable joy. 

Graham and Lyla's little brother Eli.  I think these two are going to have a great time together, but for now they just sort of grab each other's faces.

Graham, the sunburn possibilities on your porcelain skin scare me a little.

My turn to wear Jude's hat.  This hat got lost somewhere this summer.

2 Merzy feet and 1 Jeff foot

There's the omnipresent scooter + Beckham

As recent as last Christmas Jude would NE-VER have touched this slide with a 10 foot pole.  Now it's his oyster.

4th of July at Baby Beach

Mom -- LET ME OUT!

Shocker -- they found trucks on another blanket and stole them.

Apples and tomatoes on the counter

Getting to work lining up cars and trucks, OCD style

I love him.

I love him too.

We started solids, much to Graham's delight.

It was all we could do to keep him from climbing in through an open window.

Dance Central with Cam and Kacie

Meeting BFF and Cousin Rower

$1 smoothies at Jamba Juice.  I know being a kid can be rough, but really, I don't see any of it here.

Graham thinks Jude is 100% entertainment.  Jude could sneeze and it would have his little brother in hysterical, gleeful laughter.  They just love each other.

Thanks, summer!  You've been good to us!  Now it's time for "pumpkin everything" season.

Sleepy Jude

Except for my nieces Julia and Sadie, I've never known any toddlers that look forward to sleep.  So I don't blame Jude for thinking he wants to party his entire life away.  I am not fooled, however, when he plays in his crib throughout nap time, because he then goes to bed at 6pm, and falls right to sleep, and every few days he will take an 18 hour nap, that is he goes down at 3 or 4pm and doesn't awaken till the sun rises again.  

So he still needs quite a few REM cycles.

But before I forget forever, here are a couple little tidbits about Juju related to sleep.

In May it was getting close to nap time and I don't remember what it was he did, but it was something naughty enough to warrant Time Out.  Usually he'd crash around in Time Out (which takes place in the Harry Potter closet under the stairs) and a couple of minutes later I'd go get him when he started calling, "Hi Mommy!  Hiiii, Mommy!" which is his way of starting fresh.  He still does that, like he's hit the reset button and wants to begin again with a greeting.  Cute.  

Anyway after a minute I realized it'd gone all quiet in there.  I was waiting for him to be ready to start fresh.  Another couple of minutes went by silently and I went to check on him.

I carried my little boy upstairs, gave him a big hug and kiss, and he continued his nap in his crib.  

Story #2:

A couple of months ago we were at the park with friends.  We all started packing up when it was getting close to nap time, and not surprisingly Jude was not excited about the prospect. As I walked to the car with my arms full of sand toys, Graham, my purse, keys, and a blanket for us moms to rest our bums on, Jude begrudgingly followed.  He was actually shuffling his feet and moping and whining.  I called back to him, "Jude, are you sleepy?"  With his chubby little cheeks framing his pout he answered, "Yeth."  I turned to look at him and just a second later it dawned on him, his fatal mistake.  He snapped out of the daze and defiantly corrected himself, "No!" but ah, the dye was cast.  I chuckled and loaded everything up in the car and then scooped him up to buckle him in.  He was totally giving me the stink eye but I was quite charmed by this whole thing.  As I buckled him in I asked with a huge smile, "Juju, can I have a kiss?"  And he said "NO."  He was caught, and he was not happy about it.  :)  It didn't matter though, because in any case he had been headed for a nap.  And of course he fell asleep immediately.

31 -- or now I'm in my 30s.

30 felt, of course, like a fairly significant milestone, but I think from here on out the numbers will all feel very underwhelming until I hit 40.  Now I'm just "in my 30s".

BUT, I do still relish a birthday.  I love the birthday of any person I love, and I love my own birthday too.  Like bridal and baby showers, they have at times made me feel guilty or sheepish or like I'm on attention overload, but now they are a hoot and a holler.  I'm sure this is to do with being a mom and not having days off -- it's nice to have a day of "I'm the birthday girl.  That's right -- ME."

As it was, though, this year there was not a babysitter available in a 15 mile radius, and all my close friends were out of town, so I just dragged the boys along to do what I wanted to do and did not feel guilty a snitch.  And now I can't even remember all the details.  I do remember it started off with a favorite.  Now it's officially a tradition that Jeff whisks us all away and we go get breakfast at a local Panera-type place.  I get the vegetarian breakfast burrito.

Then Jeff went to work and I think my little boys and I went to the mall to cash in on some bday goods....and I just ran indulgent errands and went to Sonic and the park (which was for me in a way to keep Jude happy because a happy Jude means a happy me).  All day long people were texting me and asking what Jeff and I were doing that night.  I would always answer, "I don't know, but I hope it involves See's Bridge Mix and if it doesn't I'm going to go buy my own."  Well my darling husband waltzed in the door after work with a rectangular package in black and white checked wrapping and I knew he loved me and knows me like the back of his hand.  He asked if I wanted to go out to dinner with kids or stay in and get take out.  Hmmm -- after 0.1116 seconds of careful consideration I chose to skip the restaurant meltdowns and he went pick up Thai food.  We watched The Bourne Legacy on Apple TV and ate more than half the bridge mix.

And, as always, I milk my birthday some more with an Eaton celebration at my parents' house a few days later, and then a week after my bday when all my friends were free and/or back in town, we went to Nordstrom Cafe for one last hurrah.

This year I felt the love.  I wasn't pregnant and grumpy.  I have 3 wonderful boys that put an extra spring in my step.  I have a lot to be thankful for in life, and here's to another year of it!

Me and my besties at Nordstrom Cafe.

Graham: 7 Months

Just like Jude did at 7 months, Graham has taken an eager interest in phones, remotes, and all other things he mustn't drool on or eat.  

He's still a very happy baby, but is now determined to get his little mitts on what he wants and fights those that restrain him, so taking him to a friend's birthday dinner last night was maybe a bad idea.  He didn't want any of the toys or the sippy I brought for him half as much as the salt and pepper shakers, forks, etc.  

When Jude is not around and Graham gets to play with one of his ENGINE toys, he is absolutely gleeful; I think he knows he's getting away with something.

Which brings me to: Jude wasn't really interested in "things that go" at this age, he just wanted anything that was novel to him.  But Graham, being the Jude worshiper that he is, wants those trucks and choo-choos most.  I love having this house of engine loving boys -- it is so fun and new for me!

Graham sticks out his tongue when he's really excited about something.

His feet have a happy home in his mouth.

I went in to check on him in his crib this morning and with his eyes shut, still asleep, he was kicking his legs up in the air.

He chews and sucks on Jeff's face.

He's starting to wean himself. ?

He sat up for about 30 seconds today, but while I was grabbing my camera to take a picture he plunked over and was very sad about it.  

Graham Cam, you make life so good.