Photo Op? Hardly...

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day. Gary and I were so looking forward to it because we actually had nothing planned. There is a church not far from our house that has a pumpkin patch, so we decided to take Grant for a few cute pictures.

"I don't think so, mom!" Grant has this thing now where he does not want to be held in any form or fashion. You can't hold him because he squirms. He can't hold his hand because he'll lie down. You can't touch him because he'll scream. I know that one day in the near future someone is going to call CPS on me because they think I am trying to kidnap him. Grant also loves to run on sidewalks or in aisles or rows. Anything that goes in a straight line and then suddenly turns. Grant, PLEASE, look at the camera...

Yeah. I think you're getting the idea. Our photo op was a bit eventful. Although Grant did burn lots of energy. Unfortunately, it was after his nap.

This picture just makes me laugh. What kind of face is that?

Someone was hosting a birthday party at the church while we were there. And they were passing out orange and white balloons. Grant really wanted a balloon, but we kept steering him away from them. He eventually made his way over to a playground. There were two little girls sitting under the playground looking at all their birthday loot. They also had two balloons with them. Can you see where I am going with this? Grant made a beeline for those balloons, grabbed them up and ran as fast as his little feet could carry him. Then decided he was going to let go...

I was a few feet behind him and couldn't get to them in time. Gary was blocking him in from the front and just managed to grab the balloons before they became small specks in the sky. We gave the balloons back to the girls, apologized to the dad and left (our heads hanging low).

There is so much I love about this age (and about this kid). But his streak of independence is starting to wear a little thin. Every time I get frustrated, I try to remind myself that he is going to grow up to be a strong, successful leader. He will not follow the crowd. He will not have low self-esteem. He will not let others walk on him.

Big Boy Bed

We have been slowly working on Grant's Big Boy Room. It used to be our guest room/craft room. We no longer have a guest room (sorry!) and the craft room is being relocated and demoted to a 'craft area.' Last weekend, Gary painted three of the four walls in Grant's new room. It's a beautiful cornflower blue. I love it. There's a surprise waiting for Grant on the other wall... I'll post more on that later.

This weekend, we put up blinds and assembled Grant's Big Boy Bed. We still need to add the rails and find a head board, but it looks super cute. After we had finished, I rested on Grant's bed. He was playing cars and didn't seem to notice at first. After a minute or two, he walks over to me and pulls on my hand because he wants me to get off the bed. I told him, "This is your big boy bed. If you want me to get up, I will." So I did. He proceeds to climb into bed and get under the covers:

"Look, mom, I'm in my Big Boy Bed!" Already sleepy!

If you tell Grant to 'go to sleep,' he pretends to fall asleep. Then wakes up laughing.

I told him to close his eyes. Whenever I tell him that, he just covers them with his hands.

While he was in bed, he started pointing at the light switch. My cue to turn off the light. So I turned off the light and the music and closed his door. I left it cracked just enough so that I could watch. After a few moments in his bed, he jumped out, pulled the comforter off and 'went to sleep' on the floor. He makes me laugh! I am hoping all of this means it will be an easy transition to his new room. We plan on doing that in just a few weeks, so any advice or prayers are welcome!

18 Months Old

Grant is 18 months old today! I really can't believe it... I no longer have a baby. He wants to do most everything by himself now and he can TALK to me! I ask him questions all day long and it is so much fun to listen to how he answers me.

MOMS Club was also celebrating October birthdays in the park today. A cold front is on its way towards us, so I decided we needed to take advantage of some rain-free outdoor time. I think all the other moms were worried about the rain and just didn't show. Jennifer, Presley, Grant and I had a great time, though!

Grant celebrating October birthdays by eating an orange cupcake. "Oh, was I not supposed to get it on my face?" You can tell the cold front was blowing in on us... look at that hair!

Q: Why did the duck cross the road? A: To get away from Grant!

"Mom, this is lots of fun!"

My sweet boy saying cheese for the camera. Oh, I could just hug him right now... but he's napping, so I better not.

Some Quick Tidbits

Ok, I just love my boy's personality lately (especially if we're just at home... going out into public is getting a bit tough). He is growing by leaps and bounds and he does the funniest stuff!

1.) Grant is VERY good at saying please and thank you... if you prompt him. We practice it all day long. Today, I gave him his bowl of cereal and turned around to go get my bowl. What do I hear? "Tank You." Totally unsolicited! That's only the second time he has done that, but I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing it.

2.) Grant now needs alone time. He loves to play cars in his play room. I'll walk in there to play with him or just to sit and watch. He'll look up, put down his cars and walk over to me. You're thinking, "How sweet... he wants to be with his mama!" Nope. He grabs my hand and leads me into the hallway. He then puts his hands up and goes back into his room.... BY HIMSELF! Apparently, I'm just in the way.

3.) I love to put Grant in button up shirts. Why? Because if you leave it unbuttoned, he will hold one side of his shirt with his hand. Then, when he catches your eye, he slowly opens it as if he is undressing for you. He quickly pulls it back and laughs uncontrollably. Let's hope this isn't an indication of a future job opportunity!

The Cereal of Champions

Since Grant had a stomach virus, he wasn't allowed to have any dairy products. Well, he has been feeling better as of late, so I reintroduced dairy with a bowl of cereal. He loves to do whatever I am doing, so he now eats cereal for breakfast.

His grip sometimes varies, but he usually gets the job done! (Notice which hand he is using to hold the spoon... I know it's still a bit early, but we may have a left-hander - like his Daddy and Grandpa.) "Look what I am doing, mom!"

I taught him how to drink the milk from the bowl. The best part is when he gets close to the end... he gets so excited about drinking the milk that he takes out the last few pieces of cereal, places them on his high chair and starts gulping the milk!

Brrr... It's Getting Cold In Here

Last Tuesday was the first official day of Fall. Along with it, it brought our first "cold" front! The highs were in the 70s and lows in the 60s. Perfect weather, if you ask me. Since then, we have had some weak cool fronts pass through, as well. I love the fall season!

Grant preparing for the winter. He sits in his chair and pulls that blanket over him to keep "warm." Really I think he does it because he just loves blankets. Many people have called my child 'Linus' because he is constantly dragging one behind him.

Stomach Virus

Grant has had a runny nose and cough since Monday. Nothing I can't handle. Last night, as he was walking down the hallway, I saw poop just dripping down his leg. He had the worst diarrhea I have ever seen. Then, this morning, he started vomiting. He hasn't been eating much for a couple of days, which now makes sense. The doctor said he has a stomach virus (apparently it's going around) and to make sure he gets plenty of fluids and doesn't eat anything for 24 hours!

How do you NOT feed your baby? We were just snuggling on the couch for the past two hours. I picked him up to put him down for a nap and as I turned around, he spotted the bananas. I felt like the worst mom in the world for denying my sick baby of a simple banana.