Bye Bye Curls

It was a sad day in the Reker house. Graham got his first haircut. We had to say goodbye to his cute little curls. This was just another sign of how my baby is growing up.

He did very well. He sat nicely in the airplane chair, which was adorable by the way, and ate Animal Crackers and watched Barney. It didn't take very long. Maybe 15 minutes start to finish. But he was a trooper. I was very proud of him.

Here is my little guy with his new hair!

Before the haircut. Look at those curls!

Before- Front view

My Harvard Bound Baby

I know Harvard will be calling soon. Graham is a Mensa man for sure. LOL!

Check out Graham's new communication skills! He does some talking and some sign language. Too bad he wouldn't say Momma:(

Nails on a Chalkboard

That is how my singing voice sounds to most people. As a rule I do not sing. It is bad, really really, bad but my kid LOVES it. I sang to him a lot in utero, like when I was driving down the road belting out tunes or when I was listening to my 80's channel cleaning house. I guess since that is all he ever really heard he thought it was good.

I continued singing. I butchered "You Are My Sunshine" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on a daily basis when he was tiny. I remember one time him screaming bloody murder because he did not want to take a nap. The only thing that calmed him down was me singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" over and over again. Poor Chris had to listen to me sing for a long time that day. I am sure his ears ached for days;)

To this day my insanely awful singing puts Graham at ease. Last week he was fighting naptime. I went in to sway and rock. He wouldn't calm down so I began to sing. I sang any song I could think of. I sang songs where I just made up the words. That actually happens a lot when I am singing. I am known for not knowing the real words to songs. I just make them up as I go. Within a few seconds he was calm and a few minutes later he was sound asleep in my armpit. Who knew such terrible singing could be so calming.

I love that Graham loves my singing but I feel sorry for anyone else that has to hear it;)

Rocking My Baby To Sleep

That is my favorite part of the night. Graham and I snuggle down in the rocker in his room. It is dark except for the soft glow of the nightlight in the corner. He almost immediately puts his hand over his eyes and buries his head in my armpit/shoulder. Side note- he has always loved buring his head in my armpit. He started doing that before we even left the hosptial. It is quiet. So peaceful!

We sit and rock. I soak it all in. The yummy baby smell is gone but he still smells good. I sniff as many sniffs as possible. His arms are draped around my waist. His legs hang down. I can't even begin to imagine how he is comfortable but yet he buries down deeper on me. We breath together in and out in and out. He gets heavier and heavier on my chest. And right before he goes to sleep he looks up at me. It is the sweetst most rewarding look as if to say "Mama I love." It melts my heart everytime. All of the stress goes away and I am thankful. I know one day my little boy will be a big boy and will not want his Mama rocking him to sleep anymore but until then I will rock my baby to sleep.

Step by Step

Chris and I are proud Daddy and Mommy. Graham took steps all by himself today. I knew it wouldn't be long until his walked. He was really trying the past few days but I just didn't think it would happen until later in the week. Well today Chris saw him walking back and forth in his crib without holding onto to anything. Then he was cruising around the furniture in his room and just let go. He took about 6 steps and fell down. It was AWESOME! We are so proud. Now we must babyproof everything in the house and buy new running shoes;)



I hope I can get a video to share later this week. GO Graham GO!

13 Months

My little baby has turned into a toddler. He has a mind of his own and he knows what he wants. And he will let you know if he doesn't get what he wants.

The toddler days have begun around our house. I think it all started about one week after his first birthday. Graham now throws tantrums when he doesn't get his way. The arching back, go limp, fall in the floor kind of tantrums. It has been interesting to say the least. The good news is that he still has a fairly laid back personality. He is a happy kid that smiles and laughs a lot.

His hugs and kisses are intentional now and I love every single one of them. When I pick him up from school every afternoon he crawls over as fast as he can and reaches up for me. I pick him up and he immediately gives me the biggest hug and sloppy breathy kiss ever. It melts my heart each day.

He is still enjoying school. He has lots of friends and is learning many new things. The artwork that comes home is priceless. I am saving all of it:) The only part about school is stinks is that Grahamy gets sick a lot. His poor nose runs a lot but so does mine. Maybe he comes by it honestly. I just wish we could get completely well. If he doesn't get the germs now he will just get them later, right?

He weighs 21 lb 14 oz. Growing like a weed. He loves eating plums, tortellini with pesto sauce, spinach ravioli, and apple anything. He has 12 teeth. I think he could eat a steak with all those teeth. LOL His new favorite toy is his ballpit. He loves to take out the balls and try to crawl around with them in his hands. That, of course, doesn't work out too well. He is pushing his push toy around the house without any assistance. It won't be long before he is walking. He is "talking" away. The new words and inflection in his voice are super entertaining. If only I knew what he was saying. He is growing and changing so much everyday.

I love my ball pit.

I also love Bella.

The Canadian Snow Birds(airshow planes) are really cool.

Oh mom not another picture with the pumpkins.

My new tricycle! How does this thing work Papa?

Family Vacation

Yes, yes this post comes about a month and a half after the fact but better late than never, right?

We went on our first family vacation to Hilton Head, SC at the beginning of September. This was Graham's first trip to the beach. I was so happy to make it to the beach before his first birthday. I just had to have baby pictures at the beach.

This vacation was very different from all the other vacations I have ever been on. There was no relaxing or sleeping in. There was no leisure time laying in the sun or shopping at the mall. This vacation revolved around Graham's schedule. We ate when he was hungry. We played when he was awake and happy. And we all crashed for naps and at night. I think that is the new meaning of vacation.

He wasn't sure about the ocean and sand but it didn't take him long to figure it all out. The ocean was like a big bathtub. He laughed as the water rushed over his legs. He pointed as the seagulls flew over head. He loved digging in the sand. He also loved eating the sand. I can never understand why kids like to eat sand. It was so fun watching him experience the beach for the first time.