Graham and his friend, Grace

I was telling my mom the other day that if anything would make that boy crawl, it would be his cat, Grace. This was on the day before he began to crawl.

Grace is so good with him, so patient. We'll see how long this lasts now that he's mobile!

AND HE'S OFF!!!!

Yesterday: Graham scotted 2-3 feet at a time.

Today: Graham crawled across the living room!!!!

We couldn't be more proud and I'm so glad I was able to capture it on video so you could experience it too! :) Enjoy!

Ky Derby, Bird Feeders and Summer Vaca

Graham and his buddy, Wrigley

Kentucky Derby Party

Well, I can't believe it but it's already almost summer again! Brandon is anxiously awaiting Tuesday, which is his last day of school. I'm beginning to think teachers get more excited about school ending than students. I'm happy because Graham won't have to go to daycare 2x week anymore. The last few weeks when I would drop him off he would just cry and cry. It broke my heart every time. He is in a 'mommy and daddy only' phase right now and as cute as it can be sometimes, it's difficult when he throws a fit if I try to go to the garage to take out the trash. :) We're working on it though. I always do silly stuff like sing him songs from across the house when he's whining for me to return or will play peek-a-boo (his favorite EVER) around furniture to remind him that although he thinks I'm gone forever...I'm really not.

We have some exciting summer plans coming up. Aunt Stephanie (Brandon's sis) is coming mid-June, Papaw and Grammy (Brandon's dad and step mother) are coming in July and my sister and her boys are coming in early August.

I'm trying to convince Brandon to sneak away one weekend so Graham's Godparents, Lindsey and Trevor can steal Graham for a few days. He'll undoubtedly come home spoiled (and water logged from swimming) beyond belief from those few days. :) We are looking into doing something here in FL because there are so many amazing opportunities here that we have not seen/done.

I took Graham to see his doc yesterday, for a combination of things. 1. The whole not crawling/walking thing. He really seems to favor his R leg when we do walking exercises. I almost have to tug him to pull his L leg forward and he sticks his butt way out like he's trying to bend in half. She wants for us to go see a neurologist to check his lower boy muscles. :( 2. He was tugging on his ear...again. 3. Still dealing with constipation issues. We've started soy milk but it hasn't really helped, neither has his prescription, or prunes, or oatmeal, or anything for that matter. For any parent who has ever had to deal with this...we are an elite group of Saints and Angels...we are amazing and wonderful and patient. We are to be commended! :) 4. He sounds like a little bulldog when he breathes. Whether it's snoring, snorting or huffing. Now I love bulldogs as much as the next guy, but I was a little concerned so it looks like we are off to see an ENT doc.

Thanks to all our friends and family for the kind Mother's Day wishes. It was another wonderful day spend with my boys. I wanted a bird feeder (such a 'mom' gift, I know) and thats just what I got. We or should I say, Brandon and Graham, hung it in the back yard so it can be clearly seen from Graham's window and the back door. The birds have been checking it out, but we've only had one visitor-a male cardinal. I think he's trying to keep it a secret so he can eat all the food, but I wish he would tell his friends so we'd have something to watch! :) Graham and I went out and sprinkled stale taco shells (bread hadn't gone bad yet) in a little trail towards the feeder to try and get the secret out. I'll keep you posted.

Crawling.....almost!

Well Graham has finally decided it's time to get a move on! He gets bored just sitting and only getting to play with the toys that are within arms reach. I don't spoil him like I used to either and come running everytime he grunts for something just outside of his grasp.

So this has lead to him going from sitting, up onto his knees. For the past few weeks he has been having trouble getting his left foot past his right knee, which is down on the ground but he's starting to work this little 'issue' out. Yesterday and today he rocked forward, pushing his foot around his grounded knee and lunged ahead with his upper body! He's getting so close. :)

His arm is still amazingly powerful and getting better every day. It might not be the best practice, but we'll tell him 'Get Kitty' and he's chuck whatever happens to be in his hand across the room and usually come within 2-3 feet of Grace. I keep saying if anything will get him to crawl it will be her because he LOVES to watch her and she's as sassy as ever and will just prance right next to him...just out of reach. She'll have a big surprise come her way the day he does learn to crawl and she trots by him like a little Princess!

Graham LOVES birds! I have never seen anyone be as obsessed with anything (except for maybe me with manatees) as this kid is with birds! The second we step outside it's eyes to the sky and that pointer finger out. 'Beeeaaassss, bbeeaasss' which means birds, but sounds like a combination of bees and please comes out of his mouth like 1000x a minute. He can spot a tiny bird far away and he'll keep his eye on that thing till it's out of sight. He's precious when he hears one and he flings his head around to find it 'bbeeasssss!'

Graham Crackers

Graham rockin his sunglasses from Aunt Angel and her sweet family! Graham has added many words to his vocabulary these past few weeks. So far we are up to the following:

*UH-HO (everything right now is UH-HO) sometimes he will drop something just so he can say it.

*Da (meaning Dada, which also is used for ceiling, tree, car, fan and many other things!) Da is his go-to word!

*Ma (occasionally...but not nearly enough!)

*Fish (because we often visit them while at the Zoo) *Ca and *at (a.k.a. Cat--just too much work to combine them, I suppose)

*Dog

*Light

*Star

*Moon

*Balloon (unless you are an expert you can't tell moon from balloon as both involved full cheeks and a grunt in the back of his throat)

*Turtle (go figure, kid won't crawl but Turtle was one of this first 3 words to say!) :)

Each word comes with some sort of hand signal/swipe/air grab and or a very silly face. He is such a doll to just sit and watch. He will get ahold of a book and just 'read' it using all of his words.

We are excited to visit with Grammy and Papaw this weekend and next week! They will be here for almost a week and a half and I don't know whos more excited Brandon or Graham. I looked over last night and the 2 were playing on the floor, Brandon with a plastic telephone up to his ear saying 'oohhh, Hi Papaw...what? You want to talk to Graham? Hold on please. Graham, it's Papaw he is coming to see you and needs to discuss plans.' So precious!

Happy Birthday Graham!

Graham's very own Birthday Cake!!

Here Daddy...you get a bite too!

The water in the tub was so blue after his bath. :)

It was a wonderful day spend with friends and family. Graham got some really exciting new toys that he LOVES to play with. He also got some much needed pj's and a swim suit since he was quickly outgrowing his others. I was putting away small clothes last week and once agian was shocked at how much he as grown.

We went to the doc for his one year check up and he actually hasn't grown much in the last 3 months. He spent the first 9 months in the mid to upper 90th percentile and then dropped down to the the mid 40th percentile! It was scary, but he still is very healthy. I think part of it is that he has a new nurse and the other tended to 'stretch' him when she would get his length. When I mentioned it to his doctor she laughed, agreed and said it was funny that I noticed something like that. :) Gotta watch out for my boy.

At the same doc appt she suggested physical therapy since he is still not crawling or walking. That was really hard to hear, but I know he is a little behind in this area. He has developed so much in other areas (throwing, 'talking', chewing) but just not in being mobile. I know he will crawl and walk when he is ready, but I might try the therapy a few times to learn some exercises that we can do to help him along.

I know that having stomach problems hurt his development path because we cut tummy time way back around 6-7 months when he was having so much trouble. His little tummy hurt so much and he would just scream and scream when we would try to put him down on it. He is starting to pull up on things a little and roll from sitting over onto his knees when he wants a toy that is just out of reach. Seeing these things are very exciting for us, since it shows he is finally ready to move towards moving. :)

The best year of my life

It has been exactly one year since God has blessed us with the most amazing joy of our lives. I wanted to take a minute to recap that exciting day. I hope you enjoy it...

Approximately 5:45 AM:

Me thinking to self: Really?? I just finally got comfortable and fell asleep! I don't want to get up and waddle to the bathroom again. I have to be up early for work to do interviews. Whatever, here goes.

Approximately 5:47 AM:
Me thinking to self: YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!! I'm not even back to bed yet! Oh no...wait...no...it can't be.....nah....now way.....oh my gosh...did my water just break???? No, he's not due for another 6 days therefore, my water did not just break. Ok, back to bed...after I use the bathroom again.

Approximately 6:05: Ok these cramps are stupid and need to go away.

Approximately 6:15: These cramps are not going away. Should I wake up Brandon? No, I'm fine.

Approximately 6:23: One more cramp like that and I'm waking him up.

Approximately 7 more 'cramps' like that: Ok...I'm waking him up.

Approximately 6:57: 'Uuhhh Baby, you might wanna wake up. I feel funny.'

Brandon at Approximately 6:58: 'Oh my gosh, we're gonna have a baby' (Flies out of bed, is dressed, has his teeth brushed and face washed by 6:59.)

I decide to take a shower because all the books I had read warned me that once your at the hospital, your stuck and probably stuck in a bed. I don't want to be stuck in a bed with myself without showering!

As I shower Brandon puts my bag (which has been packed for a month) in the car and begins packing his own bag (which I have been reminding him to pack for a month).

Approximately 7:12: We are now on I-95N. Brandon needs to run by his school to put out lesson plans for a substitute. We are nearing the hospital exit first, I'm having a serious contraction. I scream at him that theres no time...this baby is coming NOW! Contraction ends and I laugh and tell him to go on to EGHS. We pass the hospital exit and another contraction comes. I start screaming...how dare he make me go to the school. Does he hate me and our unborn (but not for long!) child? OOOUUUCCCHHH!!! Contraction ends and I laugh and tell him noooo, it's ok you don't have to cross the emergency median 5 minutes ago, shoot we might not even have this baby today. I'm fine.

Another contraction comes while in the school parking lot. It's dark, parking lot is empty except for the random car that pulls up next to my passenger window. Strange man in a suit is looking in at me. I'm convulsing and screaming in a car by myself. Where is that husband of mine anyway? Come to find out...that was Brandon's department head. Awesome.

Brandon returns and I'm mid contraction. In an oh so sweet voice kindly remind him that his 15 hour errand to his classroom (in reality it wasn't even 15 minutes but I wasn't exactly being rational at this point) he had better have Googled how to deliver a baby because he was about to do it! Contraction passes and I suggest going to breakfast.

Twenty minutes later we are at the hospital. I tell him to park in the lot, I'm fine to walk across the street instead of using the 'mom in labor drive thru/drop off zone.' Mid way across the parking lot I feel Graham trying to sneak out my belly button. I'm dying. I'll be in the bushes dead if you need me. Thanks. Contraction ends. I skip into the maternity wing of the hospital.

Upstairs they take their time getting me to a room, thinking I'm in too good of a mood to be in labor...contraction returns and they make a room available REAL fast! Darn, I don't get the room with the jacuzzi tub. Oh well, turns out my water has already broken. Did that at 5:45 during my repeated bathroom trips.

My sweet nurse asks waaaayyy too many questions and pokes my arm like 5 million times but she starts making the arrangements to get the anestheologist (sp?) up with my epidural, so I forgive her.

Graham is a natural basketball fan so it was no surprise when the doctor (not my regular OB) came in and immediately started talking hoop with Brandon. It was the first weekend of march Madness and why talk about the baby we are about to deliver when we can talk brackets? Now I can't sit here and say it was all Brandon because I take my bracketology very serious so I was just as guilty as the next guy. Maybe I was too relaxed because an hour or so later when I had been pushing for 30 or 45 minutes and it was time for Graham to make his appearance the doc was nowhere to be seen. Turned out later he was down in the lounge watching the game. Go figure. Doctor almost missed the birth of a child he was supposed to deliver because of a baskeball game. At least Brandon was there cheering me on (or maybe he was cheering for the game playing over in the corner of the room. :)

Either way, it was a fairly easy delivery. The epidural was a no brainer. I'm no hero. I mean I'll give mad props to you ladies who want to endure that pain, but not this girl! If/when Graham gets a sibling, it will be with the assistance of an epidural then too.

Push push push, and here he is....my little 7lb, 3oz angel. I remember that first cry. I don't think I will ever forget it. I wanted to hold him and love him and make everything in his little world perfect, because he just done that for me.

The next two days were a blur. Lots of nurses, doctors, delivery of yucky meals, visitors and not much sleep. They would come and take Graham to the nursery area for tests/rest time for us and I would miss him terribly. He would come back and we would just stare at him and hold him for hours. It was such a special time for us to bond as a family but we were really anxious to get home.

Leaving the hospital was the strangest feeling ever. It was a combination of 'what now?' and 'oh my gosh, this is the first day of the rest of our lives!' I couldn't help but tear up as we strapped him in his little seat, loaded our balloons in the car and drove off. I was happier and prouder in that one moment than I had ever been in my life.

Graham was welcomed home with open paws...

I just want to say thank you to all of you who have been involved in this past year. Whether is our amazing family who has flown and drove all over the country to see us or allowed us with all of our baby paraphanalia into your homes. We love you all and couldn't have done it without you and your support.

Friends who have been as crutial as family, espeically since we don't have family here in Florida. Thank you to all of our friends for being great and loving Graham from before he was even born.

One friend in particular has made this past year possible. Jamie, I love you and would be lostwithout you and your friendship. You have taken time off work, given up job opportunities, skipped dates with boys, drive across Brevard County countless times, run the most riduclous errands with me and just listened when I needed a friend. I am so excited to walk along side of you as you experience the joys I have gone though in finding your soul mate and starting your own family. I love you LDT. ;)

Auntie Lindsey and Papa Smirk. Thank you for adopting Brandon, Graham and I as part of your family. Thank you for our riducously fun vacations and family game nights. Thank you for loving Graham as if he were your own child. We are so excited for the journey you have ahead and so thankful to be a part of it. You guys will be wonderful parents and Graham can't wait to have cousins. :)

Ok, I am going to end this entry before the blog site tells me that it's too long and I'm forced to remove something. Thanks for taking the time to read it and recap this last year with me! :)