Tuesday Talk

Things have been quiet on my blog lately (with the exception of Grayer's latest monthly update) because LIFE HAS BEEN KICKING OUR BUTTS. #yesineededallcapsforthat

I don't know how many times I have said to Eric that I just wish our lives were uneventful for a little while. Hasn't happened yet. Needless to say, blogging has taken a backseat, but I am trying to jump back in - what better way than with a fun link-up?

And since I've been MIA for several weeks, the "talk about anything" topic is pretty perfect! :) 

Here we go:

- The House Situation -

I feel like I am constantly explaining this insane situation. Long story short: we sold our house last summer and were scheduled to move in to a new one about a month or so later. We decided to move into a small apartment just for that short time. Well, for a number of reasons, we backed out of that house and continued looking. Lord willing, we have FINALLY found the house for us. It is being sold by a friend of ours, and the whole thing has been such a Godsend - a great neighborhood, best school district, and plenty of room. Assuming that everything gets ironed out in the next week or two, we will set a closing date. The only catch is that they are not moving into their new house until early-mid April. After much discussion, Eric, the boys, and I will be moving in with my parents for the next two and a half months to save money (our apartment rent is RIDICULOUS). It is going to be an adjustment for all of us, but we are thankful for them allowing us to bunk there and save some moolah!

- End of Breastfeeding -

I posted this on Facebook yesterday:

Today is the first day in 3.5 years that I haven't been pregnant and/or nursing. Bittersweet. I am one of those girls that LOVES being pregnant and have been blessed to be able to nurse my boys till their (almost) 1st birthdays. I don't take one single second of it for granted. Lord willing, I will get to do it all again (Eric says I have to wait a little longer between kiddos this time!). But for now, my body is trying to remember what it's like to sustain life for just one person! 

#iworeadresstoday #nursingmamasunderstandthathashtag

- First Birthday -

Grayer turns one in less than two weeks! And I have a LOT to do to get ready for his party! Just like we did for Wells, he is having a "First Fiesta" theme. I was so excited to pick up these balloons from the Target Dollar Spot the other day.

- Sickness - 

Even though it has barely been cold at all here this winter, that hasn't stopped my children from getting sick! They've passed a couple of colds back and forth, and last week Wells came down with Hand Foot & Mouth. IT WAS AWFUL. He was in such pain, and it was pitiful to watch. They don't give medicine for it, so you feel so helpless. He ate numerous Popsicles and watched a lot of TV (gotta do what you gotta do when they don't feel their best), and I am happy to say he is better now. And praise the Lord, Grayer did not catch it! Do any of you mamas use essential oils to prevent sickness at home? If you do, please comment! Sick babies are no joke, and I want to do all I can to prevent it! 

- Potty Training -

Wells has been a rockstar with potty training. We really buckled down about two months ago with wearing "big boy undies" all the time, and he has done so great! He rarely has accidents. We traveled a lot during the holidays, and it didn't set him back at all. And is there anything cuter than a toddler in undies? Nope, there isn't.

- Quality Family Time -

We were able to spend lots of time with each other and also with immediate and extended family over the holidays. We LOVE having Eric back in the teaching field because it means he gets lots of vacation days :) One of my favorite times this season was Christmas Eve Eve at the GA Aquarium while we were visiting family in Atlanta. As the boys get older, it is so fun to watch them experience such fun places! I loved seeing Wells' face during the dolphin show :) Here is the only shot of all 4 of us we got - while walking into the aquarium. And to be honest, this is about the best I can ask for at this stage in life. Ha! #toddlertoobusytosmile #babydoesntknowwhattodo

- Dinner -

I saw this recipe of Shay's last week and am making it for dinner tonight. It looks so yummy, and I am pumped! 

Can't wait to read everyone else's Tuesday Talk posts! Happy Tuesday-that-feels-like-a-Monday!

Grayer is ELEVEN Months!

And just like that, we are less than a month away from Grayer turning ONE YEAR OLD. Our boy is seeming to grow so quick! True to form, he wanted nothing to do with this monthly photo shoot. #samestoryeverymonth

Here's what he's been up to this month:

Weighs: I think he weighed in at around 21 lbs the last time we went to the doctor.

Sleeps: I'm beginning to think that this child will never sleep through the night. It's hard for me to remember that Wells was the same way at this age and still got up once a night, but he did. However, Grayer is sometimes up two or three times every night. I have stopped nursing him every time he wakes up since I am sure that is not helping the situation. Sometimes he will go right back to sleep if you give him his paci and lay him back down, but there are other times that he is awake for 30 minutes to an hour. And there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why some nights he sleeps better than others. None.at.all. On the nap front, he still takes two naps. He takes a shorter one (about an hour or so) in the mid morning. And then he takes his longer nap in the early-mid afternoon. The second nap lasts about 2 hours.

Eats: He is still a great eater, and there isn't much he doesn't like. He eats three solid meals a day with a couple of snacks throughout the day as well. We have started the weaning process, with him only nursing at night, in the morning, and once or twice during the day.

Wears: He is wearing 12-month and 12-18 month clothes. He can wear a size 3 or 4 diaper. .

Plays: This month Grayer discovered the toilet. We now have to keep the lid down or the bathroom doors shut to keep him out. Grayer got a number of new toys for Christmas, including a little activity push-toy. As soon as we opened it up and let him stand behind it, he immediately started pushing it and walking, I was amazed at how well he did that first time, He has been "cruising" along the furniture a little bit, but that was the first time he has ever walked forward. He can stand without holding anything for several seconds but hasn't taken any steps on his own yet. One of his favorite gifts from Christmas is a little first words texture book. He likes to sit and turn the pages and feel the fur on the picture of the dog. Grayer pulls up on EVERYTHING. And he loves to clap whenever you say "yay." He will also give high fives.

Milestones: All Grayer wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth - literally. He cut the top two teeth just a couple of weeks ago. He finally said his first word (other than babbling "dada" and "mama"). We always play the uh-oh game. He'll drop something, I'll say "uh-oh," and then pick it up. And then we do it over and over again - until I'm tired of picking it up :) If he drops something now, he will say "uh." It's funny to note that this was Wells' first word too!

Grayer's personality develops and shines through more and more each day. He is so funny and SO active. He is a busy body who has to be doing something at all times. Nothing keeps his attention for long, and his is still a big time mama's boy. If I am around, I am the only person he wants. He will crawl around the house to find me just so I'll pick him up. I can't believe this crazy guy will be one in less than a month! He has brought so much joy to our little family, and we love him bunches!

Confessions and Christmas Jammies!

I like to link up with Danielle for a confessions post on Thursdays. She is taking a break today to post about some other fun things, but I've still got some confessions :) #cantturnoffthecrazy

*We are spending the weekend with Eric's family for an early Christmas. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon (it's only about a 3.5 hour trip). Wanna know how much I have packed? ...Zero things.

*We get back from NC on Monday and then leave for Atlanta on Thursday. I am exhausted just thinking about it.

*I am OVER all of the colds and coughs this season. I cannot keep my children well. They had coughs (and Grayer had an ear infection) over Thanksgiving, and now they are both coughing again. Calling all essential oil users! I am ready to board that train if you think it helps you and your littles stay well. Comment with your wisdom! Pleeeeeeease!

*This morning Wells wanted a cookie for breakfast. Being a good mother, I firmly told him that no, we don't eat cookies for breakfast...and then proceeded to ask him if he wanted donut holes instead. #sendingmixedsignals

*I am loving all the Christmas playlists on Spotify right now. I am not cool enough to make my own. Ha! Here are my favorites: Christmas Cocktails, Christmas Magic, and This is: Rudolph.

*I was looking forward to joining the Christmas PJs link-up.

And then came time to take pictures...aka: right before getting dressed and leaving the house this morning. Not our finest hour. Here's what I got:

I really do LOVE these PJs, though, and I think they are perfect for little boys! I got them here.

Also linking up with Annie for Thoughts for Thursday!

Stranded!

I am joining Shay and Erika for their "Stranded series," and today the topic is Christmas movies. 'Tis the season! So, here are my 3 favorite movies this time of year:

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

You serious, Clark? This is one of those movies my family has watched as long as I can remember. It is so funny, and I honestly think it makes me laugh harder each and every year. The other day I heard "Here Comes Santa Claus," and all I could think of was Cousin Eddie kidnapping Clark's boss. Ha! You just can't listen to that song and not think of that scene!

The Holiday

I can remember the first time I watched this movie: in an airplane on my high school senior trip to Italy & Greece. I loved it then, and I still love it today. The Holiday is a movie that I like to watch year round, but it is even better to watch during...ahem...the holidays. It will give you all the feels, and if you don't get teary-eyed during the indoor tent, 3-musketeers scene, you don't have a heart.

The Nativity Story

I saw this in theaters when it came out a number of years ago and really enjoyed it. This movie will definitely get you in the right frame of mind before Christmas. I couldn't leave it off of this list, and if you haven't seen it, it really is a must-see. And PS- It's under $5 on Amazon right now.

Anybody with me on these 3 movies? Or do you have a totally different list? Join the link-up and share your favorites!

Also linking up with Jessi and Jenn for What's Hap"pinning" Wednesday.

Grayer is TEN Months!

Ten. Count 'em, TEN months! My goodness, only two more monthly updates and we'll have a one year old on our hands. How did that happen? On a positive note, I finally got a real smile during a monthly photo shoot! #allthepraisehandemojis ...And then he was over it and crawled away.

Weighs: Grayer had an ear infection this past month, so we had to go in to the doctor's office. I can't remember what his exact weight was but I know he's over the 20lb mark.

Sleeps: This kid. He has yet to sleep all the way through the night. Granted, he was sick a couple of weeks this month with a cold/ear infection, but even when he is well, he still wakes up at least twice every night. I don't want to even talk about it. Let's just say, he is lucky he's so cute.

Eats: This boy does not stop eating. Like ever. He wants to nurse, eat a snack, eat a meal, or eat someone else's snack/meal ALL DAY LONG. If he sees that you are eating, he will crawl across the room to you. And you better share.

Wears: Twelve month clothes are probably the best fit right now. A size 3 diaper still fits, but when we have to buy the next box of diapers, we will probably go ahead and bump up to a size 4. He doesn't wear shoes very often, but when he does, he wears a size 3.

Plays: Grayer's favorite toy this month is any kind of cabinet. Haha! He is always in the kitchen trying to get into the cabinets. He and Wells will sit and pull out all of the tupperware while I am cooking. He loves to pull down all of Wells' train tracks off of the coffee table. And it drives Wells nuts. He loves Wells to death. He is still a big fan of the bath and is quite the splasher lately. He loves standing up, so he likes to stand at Wells' play kitchen and workbench. He pulls up on absolutely everything. He likes to babble and yell. He loves when I sing pat-a-cake and do the hand motions with him. He likes to clap, too, and will do it on command when you say "Yaaaaaay!" Grayer has the shortest attention span ever. He wants to constantly be played with or be crawling to the next adventure. He does not play with a single toy for very long before he loses interest. Keeping him entertained is an all-day, full-time task.

Milestones: He is cutting his fourth bottom tooth, and I am pretty positive that I see some little buds (still under his gums) on the top. So, I expect his two front teeth will be coming in this month. Still no words from this boy, but if I had to predict what it will be, I'd say it will be "hi." We are working on waving when someone says hi. He is waving (not every time, though) and he kind of makes a noise, but not definitively "hi" yet :)

Grayer is a ham. He loves people to laugh at him and will copy laughter, too, at times. I basically live in a house full of class clowns :) He is still a mama's boy to the core. He loves playing with his daddy and brother, though, and sometimes they forget that he isn't big enough to wrestle with the same intensity that they do. Ha! We love this sweet boy and are thankful for ten wonderful months with our Grayer-Bear.

Confessional Thursday!

Truth time.

*We are now in full potty training mode with Wells. He is doing AWESOME, but that doesn't mean he never has accidents. Tuesday night marked his first "number 2" accident while we were at church for small group. I still haven't recovered from the clean-up experience. #thatchangesaperson

*I made cookies the other day for our neighbor as a thank you for changing our flat tire the other morning while Eric was at work. On Saturday, I was out for a little while and told Eric to take the cookies to the neighbor while I was gone. I got home and the cookies were still on the table...yeah, he took him the ziplock bag of leftover cookies meant for us instead of the decorative Christmas tin full of cookies. It wouldn't have been so bad if the bag of leftover cookies didn't contain one with a BITE MISSING. #husbands

*I am struggling with the fact that we have to wait a month to find out what happens on This Is Us. If you didn't watch the winter finale, stop whatever it is you are doing and go watch. Seriously.

*This video is embarrassingly accurate. I say all of these things on the regular. Eric is not nearly as old-sounding as me, but do not even try to make him miss an episode of Shark Tank.

*This is totally my new favorite ornament. The picture is a little fuzzy, but it says "Wells" in glitter. My boy made it at school and it melts my mama heart to see it on the tree.

*I am so undecided on what toys we are going to buy Grayer for Christmas. He is 10 months old, and it's like I can't remember what babies play with at that age. He has so many of Wells' toys from when he was a baby, but I want him to have new toys, too. Any of you ladies have favorite toy picks that you have gotten your (nearly) 1-year-olds?


Linking up for with Danielle for Confessional Thursday and Annie & Natalie for Thoughts for Thursday!

Friday Favorites!

I have been a little MIA this past week or so, but our Thanksgiving holiday week (and the first part of this week) was filled with two sick kiddos. Can I just say that sick kiddos are NOT a favorite?? Especially when they are both sick at the same time...while traveling...and while seeing family that you only see a few times a year. #reallife

Now on to some favorites!

House Hunting

As I have mentioned a few times, we sold our house back in September. We had another house lined up and ready to close and do renovations on. The plan was to stay in an apartment during the month or so overlap time between the 2 closings. Well, two delays later and then a snafu on the lender's part and then Eric's job change, we decided to part with that house. We were sad but knew it was the best decision to make at the time. All that to say, we are STILL in the apartment. It is less than ideal but totally worth it to find the right house without rushing. We are now back to looking at houses in full swing and hopefully something amazing will happen soon :)

This Snack

Earlier this week, I needed to use an avocado quickly before it turned to mush, but I wasn't trying to get fancy! So, I just mashed it up, mixed in some feta cheese. a dash of garlic salt, and a little bit of lime juice. And then I devoured it with some tortilla chips. It was so good and may be a new favorite snack!

Our Christmas Tree

Due to the aforementioned delayed stay at the apartment, all of our Christmas decorations are in storage...like at the bottom and back of the HUGE mountain of boxes in our unit. So, I had to suck it up and only decorate minimally this year. We decided to go with a small tree (that we have set up on an end table) this year for a couple of reasons. First, because of the apartment, we don't have a lot of room. And secondly, Grayer would be inside the tree and pulling all of the ornaments off if he could reach it. I was not happy about having to buy a another tree, but I LOVE our new one. It is a 4ft Canadian Cashmere tree from Walmart - only $25 and looks so real. I love the muted green and much more real-looking branches than a lot of the artificial trees usually have.

Christmas PJs

I saw these PJs on Amazon and had to get them. Are they not PERFECT for little boys?? Can't wait to check the mail today and see my two guys in them!

Good Neighbors

Yesterday morning as I was headed out with the boys, I noticed the dreaded orange exclamation point on our van dashboard. We had a flat tire (we literally just bought new tires 2 months ago. sigh.). Eric was at work and couldn't come home, and I couldn't even tell you where to find a spare let alone how to change a tire. Enter our sweet neighbor, Mr. Brad. He changed our tire for us in the chilly air and made sure we were good to go. I am planning to take him and his wife some brownies and a homemade card from the boys tonight to say THANK YOU FOR SAVING US!!!

The Tupperware Cabinet

So, picking it all up isn't a favorite, but the boys love dragging out all of the tupperware in the cabinet. And if it gives me a few minutes of uninterrupted cooking, I don't mind (too much. ha!).

This Easy Meal

Okay, it isn't the prettiest or most impressive dish, but goodness is it tasty, cheap, and easy! And if those aren't 3 qualities you want in a weeknight meal, I don't know what are! We had this yummy rice last night, and we all ate it up. 

Augmentin

Yes, as in the antibiotic. Grayer was diagnosed with an ear infection last Monday. Well, I took him to Urgent Care this Tuesday because he was still not feeling well and was running a pretty high fever after 8 days on medicine. Turns out the antibiotic they had originally wasn't working for him. They prescribed augmentin this time around, and my sweet boy was already feeling much better by the next day. 

Wells' Christmas Songs/Sayings

Wells has been singing Christmas songs all week, and I LOVE it. There is nothing cuter than a two-year-old singing about figgy pudding! :) Also, we were reading the Christmas Story in his Bible the other night, and I was telling him that a star appeared. Every time he sees a nativity, now he will say "star appeared," and it melts my mama heart.

We've got a pretty busy couple days ahead, but I am hoping we find a little time to relax. #yeahright

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, & Narci for Friday Favorites.