A Year of Graham

Graham turned one this month.

I can't believe he has been in our lives for a whole year. 

Our sweet baby is not so much of a baby anymore.

We have delighted in watching him grow and change and learn. It's pure magic.

Audrey's Farewell

My sister-in-law Audrey is one of the loveliest people I know. She just entered the MTC to prepare to serve a mission in Santa Rosa, CA. We are so excited for her.

Erin and little James came up from Texas for her farewell, and it was such a delight to reunite Graham with his only cousin. They are five months apart and I love to watch them interact with each other. Graham loves to grab and squeeze James in the face while James smiles and laughs.

Summer is underway! We love the warm weather and being outside. Graham is almost nine months old. He crawls everywhere, pulls himself up to furniture, has two bottom teeth, and does jazz hands and feet when he is really excited about something. He has been to the swimming pool a few times and loves to splash the water with his hand. He is such a joy to Russ and me and we love to watch him grow.

Happy Mothers' Day

"Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." -Elizabeth Stone

Graham isn't walking yet, but it's absolutely true that my heart is rolling, scooting and lunging all over our living room floor. I'm eternally grateful to this little sweetheart for making me a mother. I could never express how much I love him, how even the tough stuff - like when he fusses loudly during church, or chucks my bottle of foundation on the bathroom floor and it shatters, or spits up all over my suede shoes  - is 100% worth it. It is overwhelming, hilarious, scary, humbling, empowering, and delightful to be his mom.

I'm also thankful for the wonderful examples I find in my mother and mother-in-law. What kind, creative, wise and amazing women!

Happy Mothers' Day to mothers everywhere.

Easter Pictures

Grandma Lee made Graham a sweet little outfit so he could celebrate his first Easter in style.

My wonderful dad took these pictures of us.

At six months, Graham sits up alone, rolls all over the place, sleeps 6-7 hours in the night, puts everything in his mouth, 

loves drinks of water, and is the cutest thing we've ever seen.

Fun in the Sun

Like every other Utahn, we are so eager to be done with the bitter cold of winter. 

The snow is beautiful, but let's be honest. WHO likes scraping ice off their car windshield 

and taking a breath only to let their lungs fill with frozen toxic smog?

Russell and I are so happy that spring is just around the corner. Last week was his spring break, so we took advantage of the warm weather and went to Sugar House Park, hiked Ensign Peak, and visited the animals at the This is the Place Heritage Park.

Graham loves being outside. He is getting used to a variety of methods of transportation - the Solly Baby wrap, the BabyBjorn carrier, and the stroller. He is also getting used to a variety of weird hats because I'm afraid of his little head getting burned.

Goodbye February

Hello March! Where did February go?

We learned that Graham looks hilarious in a turban.

We started doing a bedtime routine (bath, lotion, books, singing) and sleep training.

We had great fun at the Leonardo museum.

Graham watched (and loved) Baby Mozart.

We celebrated Valentine's Day with a pervert 'stache and dinner at Olive Garden.

Graham learned a new trick; we call it the Kim Chee squat.

He also learned how to turn around in his Bumbo and knock over the box of cereal.

He loved wearing stripes just like Mom. 

He wore these overalls for the first and last time. They are already too small because he is growing like a weed.

Hello February

Am I the only one that is not sad to say goodbye to January? Christmas over, dark and dreary mornings, icy roads and failed resolutions.

I set impossibly high goals (like no eating sweets EVER and writing in my journal EVERY WEEK and finishing Les Misérables IN A MONTH) and, starting about January 7th, began actively rebelling against them like a sullen teenager against a curfew. I became depressed when I fell short, and decided if I couldn't be perfect, I might as well ignore my journal, scroll Instagram instead of picking up Les Misérables, and eat an entire package of Cool Mint Oreos. Bad ideas.

But now February is here, and I have adjusted my expectations and gotten back on track. I am exercising and eating (mostly) healthy and reading my scriptures (and Les Mis - slowly but surely). I love playing with Graham every day, and cleaning and organizing when he's asleep. When the sun is out, I put him in his snowsuit and we go for walks.

Graham is four months old. What a darling age. He is fifteen pounds and has a wonderful double chin. He rolls over and kicks wildly in the bathtub. He loves to put everything in his mouth. He smiles and coos at everyone. He is learning to sleep by himself in his crib. I wish I could keep him in my bed with me every night, but someday he's going to be ten years old and things could get weird if we stayed on that trajectory.