Grayer is ONE!

My precious baby boy is one year old. What a year! Life with Grayer is sweet, constant, and definitely entertaining. This year has been so fun, so hard, and so good. Looking back on this year brings a flood of differing emotions. This year has been hard. Grayer has already seen two different medical specialists, had surgery to get tubes put in his ears at 7 months old, and survived a trip to the ER. He has required breathing treatments and a great deal of worry from this mommy. (I realize that he is still a very healthy boy, and for that I am thankful, but all of this has been a new experience for our family.) I struggled with the routine of having 2 little ones more than I thought I would. BUT--this boy has brought a joy to my life that I cannot even put into words. I melt every.time I look at him. His sweet grin and sloppy kisses send me over the moon. I am IN LOVE with our contemplative, yet silly; mischievous as can be, yet sweet to the core little boy. He is so serious, especially with new faces. Grayer is a miniature Graham and I wouldn't have it any other way. Even though it means a struggle with smiling at new faces, I know he is like his daddy, which will result in an incredible man.Grayer Moments/Mannerisms:

Grayer loves to wear his angry bird eyes and keep his arms out to the side 90% of the time.

He is quite used to his breathing treatments by now...

Grayer is MESSY. If I let him feed himself, he goes immediately to the bath afterward. He devours anything placed in front of him with great speed and special technique. By grabbing fistfuls of food in each hand and bringing them to his mouth, he works the food through his fist, out through the hole made by his thumb and pointer finger and into his mouth. It sure does sound nasty when he is eating bananas. Ew. Grayer can make ANYTHING messy. You may think that a plain cracker or tortilla would be safe, but no. Bibs are always required.

Grayer takes off his right shoe EVERY time we are in the car. No matter the pair of shoes. No matter the weather. Only the right shoe.

Little man cruises everything, including the wall. He will crawl to his walker, stand up, and proceed to push it wherever he wants to go. He stands up with great stability, but just will.not.walk. by himself. We don't get it. He even holds our hand and walks beside us with ease. I am quite alright with prolonging the whole walking thing because this boy is into everything as it stands. He gets into the toilet almost daily--even when the lid is down. He can open every cabinet and has some sort of magical power where he can find any electrical outlet. Anywhere. We obviously have covers on ours at home... but everywhere else... he finds them... within a few seconds. Will he share his daddy's affinity for electricity?

My sweet little guy is prone to mischief. Disciplining is quite a task because it requires a straight face, which is not easy to keep because the dude is so funny. When I am able to keep it together, a stern, "NO" is all it takes and the little boy falls apart. It is so sad... so sweet... so funny. Everything about this boy makes my heart happy.

I am so thankful for Grayer's little life and look forward to what this second year will hold. I do wish the first year could last longer, but having a front seat to watching this boy grow is such a gift! Happy Birthday, sweet Grayer Guy! You are our precious budsy!