Growing Graham: 1st Birthday!

Well, it's official. Our little baby has become a toddling one-year-old. His birthday was a lot of fun, aside from me stressing out about silly things (as usual).

I had decided that to mark this milestone, I would give Graham his first ever haircut that morning. The high chair and snacks helped to keep him distracted while I did some trimming with scissors. He didn't mind it. But as soon as I turned on the clippers, he got wary of my plans and wasn't so keen on being stuck at the mercy of his perfectionist mother.

I got most of his hair cut, uneven as it may have been. Mission accomplished!

And my prediction was right--he looks so much more like a little boy with a hair cut! Graham is no longer a little baby (even though I still call him that).

He had nap time a little while later. We got lunch and zucchini bread cupcakes made, decorations up, and gifts wrapped. Then he woke up to a porch full of family and friends there to celebrate with him.

His cupcake smash was pretty low-key. He did really like the frosting.

He got some fun presents too.

A sweet leather jacket!

Best toy ever! When you pull one out, another one appears! Kept him busy and lasted for a long time. 

He sure gets cuter with every day that goes by. I'm so proud of him for how much he's learning and how smart he is, but I miss my sweet tiny baby that I could cradle in my arms. I'm so blessed to have had any time at all to enjoy his happy little personality as an infant, and I'm excited to see the silly and loving sides of him continue to blossom.

I love you, my little baby Graham!

Growing Graham: 12 Months

Graham is by far the best entertainment we have.

He falls asleep in the "stink-bug" position every night.

He's walking now! He started about 2 weeks before his birthday and has hardly crawled since. Within 3 days he attempted running.... in a concrete parking lot (see below). Needless to say, it was not the best of choices and he hasn't tried running again just yet.

He's also learned to climb on things. He climbs on the chairs at the kitchen table and will throw whatever is on the table onto the floor. (My mom has one less glass Pyrex dish now.) He climbs on the 5-gallon buckets of flour and sugar in the pantry so that he can reach his snacks on the shelves that are out of his reach. He tries to climb up me when I'm standing next to him, and if I'm wearing pants or shorts with an elastic waistband he'll pull them right down while trying to do so.

My mom taught him to go down the stairs. She sat with him for about 2 hours just showing him over and over how to do it. Now he's a pro! He's only taken a head-first dive twice down them, and luckily I was standing close enough to catch him before he tumbled all the way down both times. It scared him enough that now he always goes down backwards, feet first. And he's getting faster and faster at it too!

He's been acting really ridiculously silly. He fake laughs when we laugh at him, and then he'll do whatever made us laugh over and over while trying to get us to laugh at him again. He also fake coughs when we cough. And he dances! Well, it's his way of dancing. Any time he hears music, he tilts his head right and left over and over, bounces once or twice, and smiles the entire time. It's hilarious, and very much some "white-boy" dance moves.

He talks a lot. I mean, incessantly. I love it. He has opinions and tells full stories and jokes without saying any actual words at all. But his voice inflections are spot on, and he'll repeat the sounds we make. He's also learning a little bit of sign language. I think he knows more than he lets on. I've seen him ask for more and tell me he's all done eating, although he doesn't do that every time. Amazingly, he knows what I mean when I tell him, "No." Sometimes he does it anyway (avoiding eye contact with me and trying to quickly do whatever it is), sometimes he throws a fit (but doesn't do the thing that I'm telling him no about), and sometimes he stops and does something else without whining at all.

He still loves to eat. And he still doesn't ever seem to get full, not matter how many plates of food he eats. He's gotten excellent at feeding himself. He gets more food in his mouth than on the floor (although we have to scoop a lot off of his lap and back onto his plate 3-4 times each meal) and he tries to use his utensils. He mostly uses his hands to eat, and then will stick the empty fork or spoon in his mouth just mimicking what we do with them. He also is starting to hold his own sippy-cup now too! He still prefers for us to hold it for him, but he won't hesitate to grab it and get himself a drink from it when he wants to.

Spaghetti behind the ear must mean it's good!

We've been starting to teach him to pray. He's slowly getting the hang of it. Before we eat, we pray, so every time we sit down at the table for a meal he'll look around at us for a second, then clasp his hands together for a few seconds, and then wait impatiently until we're done praying and I put his plate of food on his tray. It's hilarious and downright adorable!

One of my favorite things that he does right now is when I smile at him, he'll give me the biggest, cheesiest, squinty-eyed smile right back. I just love it and I laugh every time. He does it on purpose--squints his eyes closed and smiles as wide as he can while tilting his head to the side.

We gave him fresh cooked beets for the first time. He ate every last bite of them!
And then he had purple poop for 2 days afterward.

Such a ham!

But my all-time favorite thing he does right now is the way he expresses his love. He doesn't blow or give kisses (I don't know if I'll ever be able to teach him to do that). He doesn't really hug either. But he does press his forehead against whatever part of your body he can reach--be it your leg, arm, lap, foot, hand, toe, shoulder, or your own head. Sometimes when he's in a really affectionate mood, he'll sit in my lap and just press his head against mine over and over while making the sweetest, most content cooing sounds I've ever heard. Oh, it just melts my heart!

There's never a dull moment with him. I love him more and more each day. I'm so happy to have a
growing Graham as my bouncy little boy!

Growing Graham: 9 months

Okay, so I did a little bit of photoshopping on this. But I didn't have to do
anything to his eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes look like that normally!

I can't believe that this boy is already 9 months old! And he won't slow down, not even to nap.

Graham hates taking naps. I think he feels like he's going to miss out on something if he does. He nearly squirms out of my arms when I walk into his room to lay him in his crib. He screams, cries, arches his back, kicks, pushes away with his little hands, and rolls over and over when we go to lay him down for a nap. But at night he goes to sleep without a fight! After dinner and a bath I'll usually nurse him until he's nice and full, hand him his favorite cotton blanket (which he immediately sucks on and snuggles with), and as we walk from the living room into his bedroom, he closes his eyes. By the time I'm through singing the single verse of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" he's out. I lay him down, cover him with his quilt, and I don't hear anything from him until 4am.

Speaking of, he still can't quite sleep all the way through the night. He makes it to 4, sometimes 3:30 or 5:00, but never until 6am or later. And he's always ravenously hungry when I go in to get him at that time. He eats until he's full and goes back to sleep, usually until 6:30 or 7:00am.

Bob gets up with him in the morning since I get up with him at night. I sleep until 8, sometimes later, and when I get up Bob always tells me how happy and fun Graham is during those fun couple of hours they have together. And when Graham sees me after I finally get up, he can't contain his excitement and I have to hold him.

He still rarely snuggles. But when he's sick or tired, he tends to lay his head on my shoulder when I hold him. But that only lasts for 10 seconds if I'm lucky.

He babbles all the time now. He's exploring the sounds he can make, from the high to the low pitches, the ways his tongue moves, the way it sounds when he moves his lips, etc. He's gotten away from blowing raspberries and into making "ba-ba-ba-ba" sounds. Often times, he'll whisper that instead of saying it loudly.

And Graham has an entire range of faces that he makes. Most of them are hilarious.

He absolutely loves bathtime. When he's cranky or too tired, he loves it less-so, but usually, he gets so excited for it. As soon as we go in the bathroom and I push open the shower curtain, he starts bouncing in my arms. I can't lay him down to undress him anymore--he has to be standing by the tub, watching the water fill it. If I try to lay him down to strip him, he won't stay still and keeps trying to roll over to the tub so that he can try and get into it. And if I don't get him naked quick enough, he tries to crawl into the bath tub without my help. He just can't wait to get into that warm water! And the funny thing is, once he's sitting in it, he usually just wants to stand back up and explore every corner and play. But he's happy the whole time. Until I rinse his hair by pouring water over his head. It startles him and he whines afterward. But he is getting more used to it and sometimes just wipes his eyes and continues on with what he was doing before.

This kid eats a lot! I don't really know what's normal, but on any given day, he'll eat 8 containers of pureed baby food (3.5 ounces each), mashed beans or avocado or banana, about 4 ounces of infant cereal, as well as breastfeeding 5+ times a day. I'm already having visions of what he's going to be like as a teenager. I don't know why I'm surprised though, since his dad needs about 3000 calories a day to maintain his weight. I probably should have considered that in preparing to have a baby.

But he's still so skinny! The other day I tried to see how much baby fat he has on his tummy. I pinched it between my thumb and finger, and it was all skin, measuring maybe a quarter of an inch. He's still toned and mostly muscle, although he has a single little roll on the inside of each thigh still. And it's so cute!

We sure love this boy! Sometimes, Bob and I make up our own words to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Mine usually go like this:

I love you my Baby Graham.

You're my favorite little man.

And one day you'll grow so tall,

But I'll still love you--height and all.

So for now you're Baby Graham,

And I love you, yes I do.

And I mean every word of it!

Chelsie's Wedding

I'm no photographer, but I love taking pictures and editing them. I am looking forward to the day when I can own a DSLR camera and take legit photos for friends as well as my own creations and events. Until then, I'll make due with Bob's little broken-screened Canon.

Chelsie is a very close friend of mine--like a little sister I never had. I met her while serving as a missionary for 18 months in San Antonio, TX. A few years later, Bob and I let her live with us for a month while she got back on her feet after couple of exceptionally difficult years of life and trials. Once she got her life in order, she met a fantastic man named Josh, and they fell head-over-heels in love. Within a matter of months they were engaged, and married shortly thereafter.

The wedding was in Salt Lake City, UT, and it wasn't until after Bob and I had moved to San Diego. But Chelsie means enough to me that I was willing and excited to drive up for the celebration and help her out in whatever ways she needed to make the wedding as special as possible.

So while there for a week, I helped her make her veil, her bouquet, and Josh's boutonniere. She's not the extravagant type, so a simple little bouquet and a plain veil with a ribbon sewn around the edge was all she wanted. I also fixed her hair for her.

I was going to add a train to her dress too, but I came down with the flu the day I was going to do it. Miraculously, I was perfectly well during the entire day-of the wedding, but the following day I was back to feeling sick and recovering for two or three weeks after that. Weird, but I'm so thankful that I was well enough to be there for the full day of celebrating!

Here are a bunch of photos I took from her wedding day. 

 They were so happy as they walked out of the temple where they were married for time and all eternity.

 Cute and simple bouquet & boutonniere. 

And just look at the love oozing from them!

 Chelsie's and Josh's families combined.

 Chelsie & her mom. I love both of these ladies!

 Me and Chelsie. 

I was so happy and the sun was so bright that I couldn't help but get squinty-eyed.

 And this is my favorite picture I got of them. They're so in love it's absurd. And wonderful.

Congratulations to you both! 

I couldn't be happier in your choice of spouse--either of you!

2 Years!

On November 21st, 2009, I married my best friend. We've been through a lot in just 2 years of marriage. In some ways it feels like it's been longer, while in a lot of other ways it still feels like our wedding was just a month ago.

2 weeks into our marriage, our apartment flooded.
1 month in, my cousin lived with us for 3 months so she could get on her feet out in UT.
6 months in, I quit my job, then went to Singapore by myself for a month for school.
9 months in, a close friend lived with us for a month so she could straighten out her life.
10 months in, we moved to a better apartment and I got a better job.
12 months in, we celebrated 1 year of marriage & took a road trip to visit family in CA.
15 months in, I quit that job because it wasn't actually better.
16 months in, I really did get a better job.
17 months in, I postponed school until I could figure out what I want to get a degree in.
18 months in, Bob finally quit his demeaning and awful job.
21 months in, we found out I'm pregnant & moved to San Diego in a big leap of faith.
24 months in, we celebrated 2 years of marriage.

And throughout the whole thing, Bob has been patient, kind, and loving toward me. I've made incredible progress in coping with my diagnosis of PTSD and the challenges it brings, all due mainly to Bob's help and support. He's made progress with his diagnosis of ADD, and together we've learned to make the weaknesses it's caused him into strengths that he can use to his advantage. We're happier now individually and together than ever before in our lives.

Allow me to brag a little bit  some a lot about how amazing of an anniversary we had.

We completely splurged. It's our last wedding anniversary without children (until we're old and retired), which in our minds also means we only have a few months left to use our money irresponsibly until we need to use a big chunk of it for this baby boy we're having in a few short months.

So......

We went to the Loews Coronado Bay Resort. 

I'd never been over to Coronado before, so let me tell you about it. It's a small island right off the bay by downtown San Diego. It's got a very elite-feeling little city on it, with adorable little shops and houses lining the streets, a small military base, and several hotels and resorts strewn along it.

We checked in on Sunday around 6pm. We told them it was our anniversary and that I'm almost 5 months pregnant, so they upgraded us to a better room with a better view--3rd floor, king sized bed, and a bay view from the balcony. It was magnificent!

I didn't take this picture, but this is what our room looked like (thank you Google!).

We had dinner at one of the little restaurants there that night, called the Market Cafe. I ordered what was called the chicken duo (and it was, by the way, the best chicken dish I think I have ever eaten--seriously!) and Bob had braised short ribs with truffled potatoes, bone marrow (yes, it was a cooked bone sliced open showing the marrow to scoop out and eat), and steamed seasonal vegetables. We got an additional side of grilled asparagus, because I love that stuff--especially when it's cooked right. It was all SO good! Later we got some chocolates for dessert, and just explored around the resort for a little while before relaxing in our room for the rest of the night.

Monday morning was our anniversary date. I woke up around 6am to the most beautiful sunrise! 

The horizon was bright orange and I could see across the bay to the city of San Diego and the mountains behind it raising up out of the low-lying fog.

Look across the bay at all of that fog covering San Diego!

After taking those pictures, I laid back down in bed and dozed for a few more hours until Bob woke up. We ate muffins and yogurt in bed for breakfast, then got up as slowly as we wanted. I had a prenatal appointment at 11am. We went and heard our son's heartbeat again. He's strong and healthy and so am I.

We went to lunch at City Deli in downtown San Diego, just a few blocks from my doctor's office. 

I got the BBQ brisket sandwich, and Bob got a Reuben.

I'm such a carnivore sometimes...

A messy carnivore.

Mmmm..... Look at that amazing Rueben....

Last bite!

Then we walked enjoyed downtown a little. We went to Village Hat Shop for about an hour and tried on dozens of fun, weird, and stylish hats. Bob bought me a really cute one that he wouldn't let me put back once I tried it on.

Here I am sporting my new hat while admiring these cute little birds in a huge birdhouse at Loews.

We drove back to Loews, relaxed a bit, and then Bob sent me to the spa for a 50 minute prenatal massage while he stretched out and relaxed in the spa hot tub. The Sea Spa itself was amazing. I was handed a comfy robe and sandals when I checked in for my appointment. The halls and rooms were filled with candles and lounge chairs. The locker room was the classiest locker room I'd ever seen. The showers were complete with fantastic shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and even shaving cream. There were complimentary lotions, shower caps, razors, hair spray, deodorant, and a hair dryer. And my massage was exactly what I needed! All the stress and tension in my back, legs, and feet had disappeared and I felt like my age had decreased by several years.

While I was at the spa, Bob had snuck back down to the car to get my anniversary present that he'd left hidden behind the back seat. When we made our way back to our room, I walked in and there on the bed was a big box wrapped in gold wrapping paper. As I changed and put on my robe, I pulled out a little sealed envelope for Bob, feeling silly at how small my gift looked compared to his. We ordered room service for dinner, since we were far too relaxed to go anywhere, and then while we were waiting for dinner to be delivered we opened our presents.

Bob got me a Blendtec blender. I've been wanting one for years! And let's be honest, it's just as much for himself as it is for me, not that I mind.

I gave Bob a home-made card, and inside I'd folded up 2 vouchers for a paddle board class. Bob's been wanting to try paddle boarding, so I bought 2 so he could decide if he wants to take me or take one of his friends. Of course he wants to take me, so my gift to him is just as much for me as it is for him.

What perfect presents to celebrate being married--we get to enjoy them together, not just separately. 

Our dinner showed up, and it was incredible! Bob really wanted hot wings. So we got some hot for him and some mild for me, along with some parmesan french fries on the side. I ordered an Italian pasta dish. We brought some sparkling cider with us so we got some wine glasses along with dinner, plus some complimentary chocolate covered strawberries. It was absolutely lovely and so romantic to have an intimate meal in the privacy of our own room.

After eating and letting our food settle a bit and before going to bed, we took those drink vouchers downstairs to the lounge, and enjoyed some delicious non-alcoholic drinks, mixed nuts, and M&Ms. We both got these drinks called Blushing Bubbles. They came in champagne flutes with a little lemon rind twist decorating the top and were utter bubbly-raspberry-lemony bliss.

Tuesday morning we woke up and had muffins and hot chocolate on the balcony. 

Then went back to the Sea Spa to enjoy the free amenities before we checked out of our room. 

Ahhh.... The fresh morning sun quickly warmed up the chilly morning air.

We might have spent more money than we probably should have... But--my goodness--it was worth every penny! We did enough that we felt accomplished instead of lazy, and that's what has made me feel so good about or stay-cation. That's what made it feel longer than just a couple of nights. And none of it was stressful--we had no schedule, but we had lots of possible activities to enjoy.

Happy 2-year anniversary to us! 

We sure know how to celebrate, if you ask me. We'll see how much we can simplify our celebrations in the coming years as we tighten our belts while having kids and preparing for the future. I'll be perfectly happy to go to romantic restaurants instead of having all-out extravagant evenings.

All I really want is to be with Bob for a few special hours while we reflect on our courtship, our beautiful wedding, how strong our marriage is, and the reasons why we're still madly in love with each other.  <3