We recently got G's school picture back, and I never posted it, so I figured I would. I was really quite happy with how it came out! It makes me laugh because it's like a little boy version of some Ivy League College photo - like he's a scholar or something.

Just dropping off another belly shot. I am not sure whether I will take another one before my big u/s in about 2 weeks (15 days to be exact). So if you want to take guesses on boy vs. girl, feel free! I do feel like my belly looks different than with Grady (at this point anyway). I guess it looks lower? Not sure.



I wish my husband would take my picture so I didn't look like such a dork, but he seems to think these belly shots are silly, so it's always a big thing. I'd rather just take the darn thing myself!

Well this weekend was up and down. Grady has had a cold so his mood was back and forth. There some crankiness related to being tired, but other than that he has been fine. No fever or major illness.

On Saturday morning we went to Sesame Street Live. We were in the 2nd row - dead center, which was awesome! He loved it, and the show really was nicely done. He did great at the show and then got very tired and cranky on the way home. He had a nap after that and was OK. So that afternoon we got a Christmas tree. He cracked us up at the tree place - excitedly running from tree to tree, talking to everyone who worked there, and finally going over to the man when we found ours to say "excuse me sir, we would like that tree". We are putting it up tonight since we realized we need a new tree stand (ours cracked last year).

Sunday morning Grady was super tired and cranky (after 13 hours of sleep - I swear this child needs ridiculous amounts of sleep), and Eric was working outside on the playhouse. The whole thing is framed now and looking great! He will be taking most of next week off, and my mom will be here with my step-dad, so he can do a lot with my step-dad while my mom and I take G to do fun stuff.

After a very long nap yesterday Grady was much happier in the afternoon. We built and decorated a gingerbread house together, which was more fun that I thought it would be. Grady did a great job and only ate about 1 in 5 pieces of candy he picked up :)

I have also started working on booking not one but two trips. Most pressing is our Puerto Rico trip since that will be in a month and a half - eeeek! But I also have to plan this Bradenton area trip with Eric's family. His family just doesn't get certain things and thinks we should stay in a Country Inn and Suites nowhere near the beach. No thanks. So we are looking for a nice beachfront cottage or condo in one of the nearby beaches. Anyone have suggestions for what areas are good but also close to Bradenton? Siesta Key is too far, I think. We are looking at Lido Key or Anna Maria Island. It makes so much more sense because you can get more space and a better location for a better price. It's really a no brainer, but my ILs are just clueless. Let's hope they don't throw a fit about it or anything.

So wish me luck on finding a villa in Puerto Rico and a house or condo in FL by Christmas! My head is spinning!

Grady's school Christmas show and party is tomorrow. I'm so excited. He is feeling mostly better, and he can certainly be in school based on the school guidelines, so I am definitely not letting him miss it!

When Grady wakes up we are off to pick up our pottery we made for Eric, buy a tree stand, and check out the new baby store in that area. They have lots of furniture, and I need to start thinking about that!

Oh, and by Sunday I need the whole house cleaned and ready for guests, all my shopping done, gufts wrapped, and my Christmas Eve and Christmas morning menu done. Think I'm a little busy? Too bad I can't stay up past 9PM anymore.

I particularly liked this little email I received with pregnancy advice. I basically knew all of this already, but it really is a good list!

*Eat, eat, eat through the queasiness. Hopefully, most of that’s behind you now – but you’ve got license to snack right now, lady. So be religious about keeping healthy, yummy snacks on hand.
• Stay busy – it helps you not obsess over every little thing that’s happening inside you.
• Take a nap every day if you can, at least on weekends if you can’t. You need more than just your nighttime beauty rest.
• Lighten up – consider getting get your hair colored, get pedicures, have an occasional sip of wine (if you feel comfortable with it), enjoy yourself.
• Remember, everyone’s pg experience is different – don’t get freaked out by stories of what happened to other women.
• Now’s not the time to get overly-focused on what the scale says – so don’t feel guilty about eating a few extra cookies.
• Don’t waste time worrying – your bod is amazingly smart, and knows just what to do without you having to give it any thought.
• Eat to your cravings – within reason. We’re not saying you and baby can live on Ben & Jerry’s alone, but we are saying your body knows what it needs. So listen to it.
• When your big day finally arrives, go for the epidural (hey, we’re just passing this on! But we can tell you it topped more than one lady’s list.)

We have a few fun things coming up this weekend. First off, we are bringing Grady to Sesame Street Live tomorrow morning. We have second or third row seats, so I am super excited! I know being that close will really make it exciting for him! Then we plan on getting our Christmas tree in the afternoon and decorating it tomorrow evening.

Sunday Eric will be working on the play house pretty much all day. I want to make it a fun, Christmasy day with Grady, so I have to plan out some things to do. One thing is that I bought a gingerbread house kit, so I can build and decorate that with him.

In other fun news, a friend of mine just called me today to tell me she really wants to do a small baby shower for me and my other friend who is due 2 months before me. I am excited about it. The reason I don't feel strange about it is because I will be sharing it with my friend, and it is just like a ladies' lunch with all my friends in the neighborhood. We are all close, and they are all SO excited for the two new babies coming this spring that I think it will be a great way to celebrate. Of course they want me to register, which is fine since I was already planning on it anyway. I actually already started a registry, though I can't do too much until I know the gender. Anyway, it will be January 30th.

The final exciting thing going on is that we have decided some things about our Puerto Rico trip. Despite all of your wonderful advice to the contrary we have decided to take Grady AND my mom and step-dad. They really are so very helpful and G loves them so much. So we look at it as win-win. We can have Grady with us and enjoy showing him all the cool things in PR but also get date nights and down time for us. Seriously, when my mom is around I am about 100 times more relaxed because she just does everything to help without me asking. She knows a ton about PR and has been there many times too, which will be great. We are going in February and will definitely have it booked by Christmas, so now we just need to do it! Grady is already thrilled that we will be visiting the "jungle" (rainforest) and asks about it daily. He is expecting something similar to the movie Madagascar, I think ;) I can't WAIT!

SO that's it - I am off to do my grocery shopping list - SO BORING.

It's interesting because lately I have been getting a lot of questions from friends about when Grady is going to switch to a toddler bed (he still sleeps in a crib). Even my mom has asked. The main reason he is still in a crib is because he loves it, never has tried to climb out, and sleeps very well in it. I really see no reason he HAS to switch. But most people think he is getting really big for it. Well today I was reading "the most common sleep mistakes parents make" on Babycenter.com and this was #6:

6. Mistake: Going from a crib to a big bed too early
Your child turns 2 — what a big guy! — and you want to celebrate by buying that cute toddler bed you saw on sale. But as soon as you make the switch, he starts getting up after lights out or waking up in the wee hours.

Why? Before the age of 3 or so, many kids are just not ready to leave the crib behind. "They don't have the cognitive development and self-control to stay within the imaginary boundaries of a bed," says Mindell.

Good habit: Wait till your child is ready for a big bed

When a child is close to 3 years of age, it might be time to move him to a bigger bed. Might is the operative word: If your preschooler has difficulty staying in bed at that age, you can always give it more time.

Much like temporarily going back to diapers after a few disastrous attempts at potty training, returning to a crib is not a failure. "If it's not working out, there's nothing wrong with switching back," Mindell says. Your child will eventually be able to handle a big-kid bed — and may even ask for one. "There's no child going to kindergarten who is still sleeping in a crib," says Mindell.



We are planning on making the switch relatively soon, but I am not worried about it or in any big hurry. I mean, there is plenty of room for him, and the toddler bed will be the same mattress, so there is really no difference. I already planned on doing it around 3 since "The Sleep Lady" (whose book I have always used with much success) suggests that. But I guess I had been questioning it since people had been asking me about it and seeming surprised by my answer. This just confirms my decision. I'm not saying everyone SHOULD wait either. I'm just not one who likes to parent based on what everyone else does. It's not a contest, and we will do things when it is right for Grady and us. Geez - why is everyone so concerned with what everyone else is doing anyway?

So little Grady has been very interested in religious/spiritual things lately. We don't go to church (though we REALLY do want to find one here and start going) but he goes to a church preschool, so this may have something to do with it. He always asks about God and will sometimes say "God made that" or "God did that" about certain things. Now he is fascinated by Jesus and the fact that Christmas is when baby Jesus was born. He also loved the Nativity scene at the end of the Christmas show we saw in TN and asked all sorts of questions about it. I am glad that his school does chapel (only 20 minutes once a week) starting after Christmas because he is going to love it. Oh, and his favorite book is now our Children's Bible he got for his Baptism. How funny.

So that all seems normal, but here is what seems odd - he has been asking all about dying lately too. No one we know has died - not even a pet or a friend's loved one or anything. But he will randomly ask "what happens after you die?" So we talked about heaven and everything. Well the other day he says (seriously out of NOwhere as we were not talking about anything related) "when people die do they come back to life as something else?" Seriously!? My child is wondering about reincarnation? Very strange. Maybe he will become a Buddhist.

Yesterday was a busy day. Eric got started building Grady's playhouse! He laid the "foundation", laid the floor, and framed the back wall. It is already looking like something. He will work on it for a few hours in the evenings and then do a lot of the work over the next 2 weekends. It is going to be 9x8 with a 2x8 front porch. Ceiling will be high too - high enough for an adult - 9', I think? They have to be high too because it will have a loft! I think this may be the coolest part. There will be a built-in ladder going up (like to a bunk bed) and then a little area up there that we can set up with pillows and stuff. The main area will have a kitchen (we are buying a wood one to just put in there - that way we can always remove it if he doesn't want it there later) and a flip-out table with 2 chairs or stools. It will also have three working windows, and I am planning on making (or buying if I find something super cheap) curtains for them. The outside of the house will be hearty plank siding, which we will paint white. There will also be flower boxes at the windows. The inside will be beadboard (walls and ceiling), which I think we will paint very pale blue. I am so excited about this! It may not be 100% decorated by Christmas, but it will be built (we hope!) and ready for playing. You know I'll be posting pictures!

So while Eric worked like crazy Grady and I went to the Christmas parade. It was lots of fun - G's first parade, I think! They were giving out so much candy it was insane though! He got more than he got at Halloween. Luckily he loves candy canes! He got lots of other stuff too. We even got packets of cocoa and other stuff. I wasn't even thinking of that when we went to the parade. Good thing I had a big bag with me! A nice couple stood behind us and were very friendly, but it was a little odd because they kept talking to other people and saying "He's getting so much candy - must be because he's such a beautiful little boy" (about Grady). Well other people clearly kept thinking they were with us (like grandparents or something) and saying "yes he IS so cute" and stuff. I'm not sure if they were just lonely or what.

Not a great day today - G woke up coughing for the 10th day in a row (I've been counting!). It causes him to wake up earlier than usual, so he ends up tired and cranky. I can't blame him because he IS sick (I guess - he has no other symptoms of any sort) but it is frustrating. Today I totally lost my temper because he was so bratty at our playdate. Just not himself at all. UGH! I hate how one little thing like the coughing can just throw everything off! Now he is resisting his nap. WHY? I have no idea but I may just scream! OK - I'm off to do deep breathing or something...

Today was very Christmasy around here. This morning Eric put up all of our outdoor decorations while Grady and I went to buy a wreath for the front door. We also went grocery shopping. Then, after nap time, we went downtown to see the "Festival of the Trees". It is a charity where several large hotels downtown have trees in the lobby that have been decorated by local businesses. Then I think they sell or auction them to make money. But to go look is free. The trees were incredible! I got a few pictures I'll post. There were also so many - maybe 50? They were also having the Greenville Christmas parade this evening, but it was too late. So we are going to the Simpsonville one (we sort of live between the two but our address is Simpsonville) tomorrow afternoon. Now we are listening to Christmas music and planning on decorating the mantel tonight. We always have to wait on the tree since we get a real one. We'll do it next weekend. Eric is also going out to Home Depot later to get the supplies for the play house he is building Grady for Christmas. It will be his big gift. Eric has professional plans, but no kit. He has very lofty goals for this house, so let's hope he can pull it off. I think he will - he's pretty darn good at stuff like that.

OK - off to do more online shopping. I have decided that's how I am getting most of my shopping doe this year. I can't deal with the crowds this year!

Since I am only a few weeks from finding out the gender of this baby (and therefore starting on the nusery), I thought I would post some of my favorite nursery bedding ideas. I'll post cribs and other things over the next few weeks too. That way, once we know the gender I can refer back and get going! I need to start early because there is so much to be done. We'll be moving the whole office, combining it with the guest room (and basically redoing that room) and then doing the nursery over from top to bottom.

OK - first girl ideas because this one is easier. I am 99% sure we will go with the first one if it is a girl. I just like it so much more than anything else out there. It is the perfect combination of cute and stylish in my mind. It's also not pink! There's a little, but there are other nice to colors (like blue!) to work with.

( pictures )

Well since some of you are sending cards to LJ buddies, I realized that I would really like to send you all a Christmas card too. If anyone wants one from me, leave me a comment with your real name and address. I will screen them.

So this post has been very difficult for me to write, and if I don't just do it, it is never getting done. I guess it has been hard because Grady is SUCH a person now, at three. He's a happy, mischievous, warm, kind, and loving person. We laugh and smile together all day long (with some exceptions, of course!). We are just like best friends, seriously. That sounds silly, but it just feels that way to me. We are so very close, and I am so greatful about that. So it just seems impossible to put that all into words. How can you possibly describe what is great, special, and important about your child? How can you CAPTURE them in words? I wish I could, but it's not possible - not even close. Grady is a larger-than-life sort of guy, and my love for him is certainly larger than anything I ever imagined could exist.

Above all, what I would say about him is that he makes me so proud. When I see a bunch of kids playing or his class walking out of his school, I look at him and think how very grateful I am that HE is my child. I guess that is how every parent feels, but it has just been hitting me like that lately. Your children are born already being who they are, to a large degree, and I am just so happy that he is the person he is.

So that's the emotional aspect of it all, now let me try to capture some of his latest milestones and developments...

*He was incredibly easy to potty train. I think this was a combination of him and the fact that we were very laid-back about it. He has been PT'd during the day since September. We had about 2 days with a few accidents, and that was it. There have been a couple random ones here and there since but not anymore. He still wears a pull-up at night and for nap. He wakes up dry when he naps, but when he has "quiet time" sometimes he's wet.

*I still consider him a somewhat picky eater, though I think I may be overstating that based on what I see other children his age eating. He is funny though - doesn't care for french fries but love some really healthy things like fresh fish and yogurt (has to have that basically every morning). He'll even eat plain yogurt with just a little honey and fruit. He loves fruit in general and will eat basically any type.

*He's really a great sleeper. Naps are hit and miss now, which I really think is normal at this age. If he doesn't nap he has "quiet time" for about an hour. He really does stay quiet and relax too. If he takes a nap he sleeps about 12 hours at night (7-7) and if he doesn't nap, he sleeps about 13 hours at night (6:30-7:30). He goes to bed with absolutely no problems at night.

*He is now a very healthy little boy. The reflux seems to be gone, and he is now off of the Prevacid. And this summer he was tested again for food allergies, and they found none. Our food trials confirmed this, and he can now eat anything without problems.

*He is a very good sharer and really always has been. There will be times I have to remind him, but it seems to come naturally to him. His teachers have even commented on it.

*He LOVES trucks and always wants to learn all about them. He can name most types (excavator, backhoe, etc)

*He asks tons and tons of questions. Iw ould say this has been for about the past year. But now he often asnwers them. He'll ask something and before we can answer will say "I think it's because..." He also asks very involved questions and lots of follow up questions.

*LOVES babies - this was true even before I was pregnant. If there is a baby in the room he will be attached to its side. He is SO very excited about me having a baby. He asks when it can come out about every day. He also often refers to it as "my baby". He hugs and kisses my belly a lot.

*He is VERY observant. He just notices everything and you can pull nothing over on him. He definitely gets this from Eric because I tend to have my head in the clouds a bit.

*He is starting to get more excited about getting big. For a while he would say he wanted to stay little. Now he has been saying "I am getting to be a big boy!" But he generally refers to himself as a "little boy".

*He can do simple little math problems. Like if we ask "if you have three and take away two, how many do you have?" he can figure it out. We actually started with this because he asks all the time "what is five and five?" Maybe we DO have a future engineer on our hands!

*He's a very verbal little guy, especially for a boy. He is more verbal than most girls I see, and I don't just mean his great vocabulary. He just talks more than really anyone I know or have ever met - oh, except for myself.

*He knows just about every letter in the alphabet consistently. J and S still confuse him though. He also can tell you the sounds that many of them make. And if you ask him what letter a certain word starts with, he can often figure that out too.

*He will give his full name (first, middle, and last) if asked.

*He knows lots of states (it helps that we have relatives all over and have travelled to a lot of those places with him) and seems to love geography. If he sees a globe, he will shout "the world!" and want to look at it.

*Probably the thing that defines Grady and what everyone notices is his HUGE smile that is almost always on his face. It's not just a smile but a full body excitement that he gets over every little thing. He just seems to love life.

*He is very social and loves to meet new people, especially adults.

*He is a very affectionate boy. We get so many hugs, kisses, and "nosey noseys" every day that I can't even count.

So this is more for my reference than anything, as I know I just wrote a book. But trying to capture the essence of Grady is (as my journal title says) "like trying to catch the wind". I just truly enjoy that child.

For a little fun...

Grady on the day he was born



On his first birthday



On his second birthday (Thanksgiving)



And here he is at three!

So I just ordered our Christmas card, and I am really happy with how it came out! I ended up using a professional picture of the whole family from our summer shoot. I just loved the picture and we didn't do family pictures recently because G had school pictures and then Santa pictures.

Yesterday afternoon I took Grady to a pottery painting place right near our house. I had never been before, and it was so much fun! He loved it! He also (of course) found a new girlfriend there. He hugged her and followed her around while I was paying and stuff. Anyway, he made Eric a coffee mug for Christmas. He painted it, then we did a handprint on it. On the other side we did two of his fingerprints (a small one and a thumb) which I then put little faces, hands, and legs on to look like him and Eric holding hands. I think Eric will love it. We still have to go back to pick it up though. I think we may make something for each of the grandparents too since he enjoyed it so much. They would each love a gift like that from him.

Today I am so happy to be taking G to get his H1N1 vaccination FINALLY! I FINALLY got mine yesterday through my OB. So now we will both be all set on both flu shots. His 3 year check-up is next week.

I have to get him up soon for the doctor, but I am planning on doing his 3 year post tonight. Today was actually his due date, so I am not too behind!

So this will be my final trip post, I promise! Hope I haven't bored you too much!

( pictures! )

I had my OB visit today, and it was uneventful (in a good way). The doctor told me I get an A+ on everything, which made me happy. We heard baby's heartbeat right away, and it was 155 bpm.

On an exciting note, I scheduled my next appointment, which will be the big u/s! I will only be 18 weeks (just because of how my visits are falling) so if they can't see everything they need to see, they will do another one at 22 weeks, but they said they should be able to tell the gender and probably see everything.

So my big u/s is scheduled for December 30! I am so excited - hopefully the holidays will keep my mind off of it so I don't obsess too much!

I think that's it. Grady is napping, so I am off to make myself useful. We may go paint pottery this afternoon.

Well I just wanted to note that I am now wearing maternity clothes. I really tried to hold out, but I was down to like 2 pairs of pants and all of my shirts were getting stretched out. I honestly am not a fan of the Bella Band (a friend gave me hers), so I had nothing to wear. Most of it fits pretty well and looks reasonable, though some of my bigger pieces (since I was in my 3rd trimester during the cold weather last time) are too big. My mom got me the cutest maternity dress to wear for holiday parties and stuff, so I am excited that it should look good.

In other news, I decided to start a baby registry for our own reference. Even my mom, who is basically opposed to ALL registries (don't ask - she is super old-school) thought it was a good idea. I guess I won't make it private since I know lots of family will be asking what we want/need, and I can just direct them there. But I also won't be having a shower (I don't think - the ladies in my neighborhood have said they want to do one, but I am not expecting one). I am also narrowing down my choices on a crib. I am seriously leaning towards getting another Bassett Baby one. They are so solid and nicely made. Grady's is that brand, and we have never had a single problem or ever been involved in a recall. They also fall in a more reasonable price range ($400-500) than some of the other really nice ones I like. But we will see. Anyone have recommendations on cribs they love? It has to be solid wood and convertible because I really love the furniture that can grow with the child.

You know I will be posting far more about my baby/nursery shopping in the upcoming weeks, so I'll leave it at that.

The final part of my trip recap will be coming later today!

The next day was Friday, which was Grady's birthday. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night Eric had some stomach virus kick in. It only lasted about 12 hours though, which was amazingly lucky. So he slept in the morning but was totally fine by afternoon - very odd.

( pictures! )

Our first full day in Tennessee was Thanksgiving. Most things are open there anyway, so we headed into Gatlinburg. There was definitely a good dose of cheesiness, but there was also an amazing aquarium. It was just voted best aquarium by Tripadvisor. I really just didn't expect it to be so nice, but it was incredibly clean, new, and different from others I have been to. The coolest part was probably this moving walkway that you ride through a large area. You basically go through a giant aquarium - it is above you an all around you - like you are in a tunnel. There are all sorts of amazing animals in there - sharks, turtles, fish. Grady also got to touch sting rays and horseshoe crabs, and I saw some amazing jellyfish (they ha da whole section on them). Very cool and well done.

( pictures of day 2 )

I have my next OB appointment tomorrow, which is always fun. And I can set up the big U/S too, which is very exciting! It should be in about 4 weeks. Anyway, I know most of you have children, and I have done this before, but it is still fun to see some of the things baby is doing now. I thought this one was particularly cute, so I'll post it:

Week 14 Of Pregnancy: Fetal Movement
If you could peek inside yourself now, you'd see a baby the size of your clenched fist (and come to think of it, at 14 weeks of fetal development, your little one can clench his or her own fist!). As fetal development continues, your baby also has the coordination, strength, and smarts to wiggle his or her fingers and toes and even suck a thumb (how cute is that?).

Off to wake up Grady for school!