Griffin is 10 months old!

Griffin is TEN months old today! 

Don't let that grin fool you. This is how most of this photoshoot went:

ha! This boy does drama well.

The stats:

Weight: 17lbs 14 oz.

Height: 27 3/4 inches as of a couple weeks ago!

Clothing: 9 month & 12 month

Diaper:  size 4

Shoe: 2

Eating: You JUST transitioned to 3 bottles a day this week! You are now having an 8oz. bottle when you wake up, right before afternoon nap, & right before bed. You are eating 3 solid meals & a couple snacks. You love the straw sippy cups just like your brother & love getting water! You end up soaking wet but you think you are such a big boy with your own cup. You also love my green smoothies! Your favorite foods right now are: strawberries, watermelon, cheerios, Go Go Squeeze applesauce, shredded cheese, yogurt, & crackers. You still eat a lot of different things & I hope that continues!

Sleeping: I can now say that you SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT! Hallelujah. Sometimes you wake up & cry (I blame all the teeth you are working on currently) but you only stay awake for a few minutes. It's awesome! I forgot what it was like to sleep 7 hours straight! You are still going to bed around 7:30 at night & are waking up between 6:00-6:30. You are an early bird just like Grayson was! You take 2 naps a day & usually sleep for about an hour and a half each time. You have a fun new game of throwing your pacis out of your crib as soon as you wake up. When I walk into your room I see the multiple pacis thrown all over...you've got a pretty good arm!

Firsts this month:

• you got TWO new top teeth over the last few days! 
• going down our little slide on your own
• pulling up & cruising around your toys & our furniture
• standing on your own for JUST a few seconds--you could do it longer if you weren't so nervous!
• starting to stand and push some of the push toys for a few steps
• waving to people all the time! It's so cute!
• you play peekaboo all the time! You love covering your face up with something and you laugh so hard when we say "peekaboo!"

Right now you are loving:

• bath time...you crawl all over the tub! You even dunk your face under & think it's hilarious. No fear! 
• walking while holding our hands
• waving at everyone you see
• any and all dogs 
• balloons

Right now you are NOT loving:

• the carseat--oy. It's awful. You scream a lot!
• being contained
• the baby pool in our back yard--it's too cold for you!

I feel like you have grown up so much over the past month! Your hair is getting so blonde and so much longer & you now have 2 top teeth! Those teeth were so rough for you. You've been pretty pitiful these past couple of weeks! Teething aside, you are such a happy baby. That big smile of yours is contagious & you have the best laugh! You think everything your big brother does is hysterical. He loves to make you laugh. Y'all have such a special relationship already & I love watching you boys interact.  You are ALL OVER the place lately. I set you down yesterday and turned around a second later and you were stuck under a kitchen chair! You definitely love to explore! 

You are a definite mama's boy right now & I don't hate it. I'll take those baby snuggles while I can get them. You are growing up too fast, baby boy! You are the sweetest baby & bring so much happiness to our family! 

Happy 10 months, Griff! 

The Tough Stuff

Last night I had my first taste of the school years with Grayson.  It was the first time I had seen another kid act ugly to him. It wasn't just an issue of a toddler not wanting to share, it was an instance of a child making fun of my baby. And it hurt my heart. A lot.

Grayson is an observer. He loves to watch the big kids in our neighborhood play sports & skateboard down our street. We actually have fantastic middle school neighbors that play with him on a regular basis & he adores them.

Well, after Griffin goes to bed our summer ritual has been to eat a popsicle outside. G saw some kids skateboarding down our street and wanted to watch them while he ate his treat. I got out his tailgating chair and he plopped down on our driveway. Eyes beaming. He thinks these older boys are so cool.

Well, two of them walk by and keep looking back at him and laughing. Then I see them making fun of how he's eating his popsicle. And how he is sitting in a chair watching them. 

I'll be honest and say I wanted to run at them like a spider monkey and tackle their middle school booties to the ground. I mean, seriously. Don't mess with my kid. I didn't tackle them but I did glare at them so much on their way down our hill that I'm pretty sure I burned holes through their heads.

Then I looked at my precious boy. My 2 year old boy. He was still sitting in his chair, happy as a clam, covered in popsicle, & singing preschool songs. He had no idea that anyone had just made fun of him. I wanted to scoop him up right then & there and lock him in our house forever. I never want him to lose that innocence. I never want him to face those mean kids at school. I never want him to cry because someone is acting ugly to him.

But that is part of life. I can't protect him & shield him from the ugly forever. I mean, society might frown upon me never letting my child leave the house...ever.  I can just teach him how to handle those situations, love him, & pray for him.

Whew. It's hard loving someone so much that it literally hurts you when they hurt. This growing up stuff is tough!

Menu...eh, Tuesday

I hope everyone had a great long weekend! We just hung out at home. Sadly, Ben worked all weekend so we didn't do anything too exciting. Here is what's on our menu this week:

Tuesday: Chicken Burrito Bowls

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Flank Steak with BBQ sauce served with cheesy bacon mashed potatoes & sauteed swiss chard

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Friday: Melt in Your Mouth Chicken, rice, & sauteed squash

Saturday: Boys are on their own...I've got a bachelorette party!

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Sunday: Chicken Bacon Ranch Panini w/ sweet potato fries

Griffin's 9 Month Pictures

We had Griffin's 9 month pictures taken by my friend, Lauren, a couple of weeks ago.  We have lots of green space where we live so we had the pictures taken in our neighborhood. We actually had Grayson's 6 month session in the same spot! I love the way they turned out--Lauren captured Griffin's personality perfectly! 

I love them all so much! I can't get over his bright blue eyes. So thankful for this sweet & happy baby boy!

End of the School Year!

We enrolled Grayson in the 2 year old preschool class at our church before Griffin was born. I knew he would need some interaction with other kids and time away from his mama & new baby brother. I knew that he would enjoy it, but I never realized just how much he would learn & grow! 

This was Grayson on his first day of school in the fall. I can hardly believe it. He looks like such a baby!

We were so blessed to have Grayson's awesome Sunday School teacher, Ms. Barbara, along with Ms. Jennifer, as his teachers this year. It was so nice having the same teacher at school and at church! Grayson talked about his teachers all the time & I know that he adores them. Ms. Jennifer & Ms. Barbara loved on our boy all year & I'm so thankful for that!

On the second to last day of school there was a program. Grayson's class sang 2 songs with their music teacher, Ms. Emily. They had the stage set up like the music class & it was so fun to watch them interact with their music teacher and each other. G had fun singing & using the handkerchiefs and rhythm sticks!

LOOK AT THAT DIFFERENCE. I'll be honest (and totally shallow), I MISS HIS BLONDE HAIR. Good grief. He turned into a brunette! G looked like such a baby to me in September & looks like such a big kid now.

Grayson had such a great school year & we will miss his teachers so much. This year flew by!

So What! Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• after the boys went to bed last night I drove to Chick Fil A for their chocolate chip cookies? By the way, I don't appreciate how they put their calories on the board now. Oink. 
• When I drove to Chick Fil A I was wearing my pajamas?
• I am terrified of taking TWO little boys to the pool this summer? THEY CAN'T SWIM.
• I have a tan line from my tennis shoes?
• I've been bad about using My Fitness Pal? Someone, PLEASE send me some more motivation. 
• I'm excited about my hair appointment tomorrow because it means 3 hours of quiet? I love hair days. 
• my car is full of crushed goldfish, thrown down baby toys, & Grayson's reports from school?
• I am SO happy we're going to the beach in a month but dreading that long drive? I'm thinking it will be about 10 hours. 10 hours with a baby that hates the car. Fun times!
• my favorite show of all time is the Real Housewives of Orange County? It just doesn't get any better than the original! 

Build 'Em Up: Confidence in Motherhood

My level of confidence in regard to mothering has definitely changed over the years. I remember as a first time mom feeling insecure that I wasn't breastfeeding, that I let my child cry it out during sleep training, that we didn't rear face him for 2 years. I knew in my heart that we were making the right choices for our little boy, but I was always afraid of judgement from other moms.  It had nothing to do with other people, it had everything to do with my own insecurities.

Now that I have a 2 1/2 year old and I know a lot more moms, I know that everyone parents differently.  And as long as it doesn't affect my children, that's totally okay!  I've also learned that if there are people that do judge me for parenting differently, then I have to just cut them out. I don't need people in my life that cause me to second guess myself.

 My confidence has grown since we added Griffin to our family. I know that I love my boys & I know that the decisions we make as parents are right for them...even if they aren't right for other people. I've even done things way differently with Griffin that I would have judged someone for previously. (hello? cosleeping for 5 months?! I would have never thought that was okay with Grayson but it worked for Griffin. And that's okay!)

I may not be the best mama in the world, but I know that I am the best mama I can be for my boys. I'm confident about that.

Menu Monday

I am linking up my menu with Rachel today! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you need to. She has so many recipes & meal ideas! 

Here is what we are having this week:

Monday: Veggie Quesadillas (bell peppers, onions, muchrooms)

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Tuesday: Hamburgers for Ben & G and Zucchini Turkey Burgers for Griffin and I...serving these with sweet potato fries!

Wednesday: Quinoa with spinach and cheese

Thursday: Pei Wei's knockoff Honey Seared Chicken with fried rice

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Grilled Chicken, skillet potatoes, & green beans

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Sunday: Pretzel Chicken, sweet potatoes, & sauteed squash

G's Sense of Style

If there is one thing I have learned about mothering a toddler, it is that not every battle is worth it.  The battle in which I give up on 6 days a week (Sundays don't count) is the crazy outfit Grayson chooses to wear outside the house.  Toddlers have a crazy fashion sense. Well, at least mine does. 

On any given day you can find Grayson wearing snowboots, a men's Steelers hat (no, we aren't Steelers fans), and a truck tshirt. This is his signature look. Okay, fine, sometimes he just prefers a diaper. He will usually be carrying around his weed eater or perhaps even be using a broom as his "blower."

Most recently he has fallen in love with a pair of Crocs that are a size too big. G tells me they are his yard work shoes. Crocs are bad enough, but Grayson makes them even more fashionable by wearing them with socks. It. Is. Awesome. 

I'll be honest, this new found opinion on his wardrobe annoyed me at first. He hates his nice church clothes & I mourned the loss of my big boy wearing jon jons regularly.

Then I realized how ridiculous I was acting. Grayson is 2 1/2 and definitely has an opinion. He's getting more independent by the day & part of that means picking out his clothes. It makes me laugh every day to see what clothes we picks out to play in the yard. The best part is that he wears his snow boots, basketball shorts, "ment mixer" shirt, baseball hat, & sunglasses with such pride.

I hope his personality is always this big & I hope he keeps this confidence forever!

So What! Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• I seem to cheat on this healthy eating thing every night?
• I attempted to hang curtains this week, spent an hour drilling holes & zero curtains were hung?
• I've already been to the grocery store 3 times this week? Oy. Mama brain at its finest.
• I am counting down the weeks until we are BOTTLE FREE?! I hate that chore so much. It's 11, by the way. 11 weeks until my baby is one. 
• a pile of folded, clean towels has been sitting on our couch for over a week?
• I haven't had my hair done since October? Yikes. 
• I'm 27 and STILL bite my nails?
• I forget I'm still 27 & typically think I'm 28? I age myself. Who does that?
• I bought myself flowers for Mother's Day? Haha. Granted, they were only from Publix....but still. I needed some fresh flowers in my life.
• G's boost seat got cleaned for the first time in about a year this week? Do you know how nasty a toddler booster seat can get? EW.

Menu Monday

I made this week's menu in about 5 minutes so there is nothing new that we're trying. It is all pretty basic! 

Monday: Marlboro Man Sandwiches -- these are Ben's absolute favorite! You can't go wrong with anything made by the Pioneer Woman!

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Tuesday: Chicken and veggie quesadillas

Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken (using this batter) with fried rice (from Whole Foods)

Thursday: Grilled Chicken, roasted broccoli, & mashed potatoes

Friday: Cajun Chicken Tortellini Bake (this got two thumbs up from my husband who HATES pasta. I know. WHAT?!)

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Saturday: We have a birthday party so we will probably go out somewhere afterwards!

Sunday: Cheeseburger for the boys & Turkey Zucchini burger for me!

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Five on Friday

1. Last weekend we promised Grayson we would go bowling. He was so excited and talked about it all morning. Well, when we got to the bowling alley there was an hour long wait. SO, we headed to Chuck E Cheese. It was also slammed. We felt bad so we took him to Toys R Us & let him pick a fun prize. This is what he picked out:

This child is truly obsessed with yard work & it cracks me up. Grayson has played with this wheelbarrow & shovel ALL WEEK. He's our future landscape architect!  

2.  We had Griffin's 9 month pictures taken yesterday & I can't wait to see them. He wore my favorite bubble & it was ridiculously cute. 

It just doesn't get much cuter than a baby boy in a bubble!

3. I've recently rediscovered our neighborhood's gym. They updated the equipment about a year ago & it's really nice! I've been taking advantage of it--might as well since we are indeed paying for it! It's nice to get out of the house for a work out...I need to switch it up sometimes!

4.  I made the Pepperoncini Beef sandwiches last night for the first time & loved them. Ben approved, too! 

The recipe is linked on Monday's post. Go make these!

5. I am loving the Old Navy knock off Native shoes for G! Stride Rite quit selling our favorite waterproof rubber sandals this year but these are working just fine!

They were $14 & are great for playing outside because I can just hose them off when they get all muddy! I think I'll be going back to get one more pair!

Georgia Trip

A week and a half ago I took the boys on our first solo road trip to Georgia to spend time with my family. I was a little nervous considering that Griffin is not a fan of the car.  The ride down went just as I suspected: horribly. It rained for a lot of the drive AND Griffin screamed for about 75% of the trip. My ears were bleeding by the time we got to Atlanta!

 

 Griffin was excited to be out of the car by the time we got there! 

The first night I was in town I was so excited because I got to meet up with some Twitter/blog girls! I love my friends who live in my computer:) 

Amy, yours truly, Hether, Amy T, & Stephanie

We met at Chuy's and I loved getting to actually talk to these girls! It was so fun & much needed after a stressful day of driving. Aren't they all so cute?!

The next day we got to visit with lots of family. My cousin Blakely has three little boys ages 4 and under. We don't get to see them nearly enough & I knew I wanted to get all of our boys together! 

 This is what taking a picture of FIVE little boys looks like--ha! It's like herding cats!

Ashton (4), Collin (2 1/2), G (2 1/2), Griffin (9 months), & Embry (14 months)

This was the best group shot I got that day...these boys were busy! I love that we both have boys. I just wish we lived closer so we could play more often!

We also went to see my Papa and Carol. My boys are so lucky to have 2 sets of great grandparents that they will get to know. Again, it makes it so hard to live far away...I wish my boys could see their extended family more often.

Is this not the sweetest picture? Papa loved seeing his great-grandboys! 

We also got to go back to Zoo Atlanta while we were there. Along with every single school in metro Atlanta. Grayson loves the zoo & was SO excited to go. He loved the rhino because he saw him pooping...typical boy. Ha! 

I had to make the boys take a picture with Willie B. I love the way Griffin is looking at the gorilla! 

Grayson had such a great time & loved seeing all the different animals!

We spent the next day at my Grandmother and Granddaddy's house. Blakely & the boys came up too and it was a fun visit. Granddaddy has a great driveway for riding the plasma car & that is what the big boys did all morning! I can't believe how fast G can go on that thing! 

I absolutely love this picture. I seriously can't believe we have 5 boys between the two of us! They are all so sweet. Grayson has been talking about the boys since we got back & keeps telling me that "I like my cousins. They're nice." We'll have to visit again soon!

I'm so glad we got to go for a few days & spend time with everyone. I don't see my grandparents and cousins nearly enough!