Happy 18 months, Grayson!

Grayson, you had your 18 month check up a few days before Christmas and you are....

35 inches tall

28 lbs

19.5 inch head - (still don't know why they measure this or why it matters)

Mimi, come get me NOW! Crazy talk about shots
up in here!

In a 6 1/2 W shoe

in 24mo & 2T tops - still in 18-24mo bottoms

Still in size 4 diapers

We have had a couple of big changes in your growing up that I want to share!

First, you are officially down to 1 nap! Getting on the same schedule as the rest of our friends has been a big deal for me! The unpredictability of 2 naps, sometimes 1, had us canceling and missing a lot of events, play dates, church, etc. It feels good to have a routine with my big boy!

And second, this past week, w/o 1/2/12, you successfully and permanently weaned off the pacifier! I feel so free! It was surprisingly easy and I realized it was ME that was much more dependent on it than you. :) I didn't expect this but it has actually been a huge relief not being dependent on those things, panicking when I couldn't find one, and you even seem to feel more free without being addicted to it! The best part, besides not having to make sure we ALWAYS have one near by, is that you don't immediately cry in the middle of the night or in the morning like you used to when you would realize you didn't have it. You now soothe yourself in the crib and the babbling and talking you now do when you first wake up is a JOY to listen to! It's pretty funny actually. :) It also gives me more time to wake up vs. the screaming you used to do when you realized you dropped your paci out of your crib (sigh). I can't believe we didn't do this 6 months ago!

No more of this! Well, we still love the tongs.

You get what we are saying! You now answer yes and no to our questions. Blows my mind that we can now communicate with that little baby that once came out of my belly. You're a little adult already!

Music! You dance and sing more and more. Your Dad taught you about singing when he was home this past 2 weeks. Singing around the house, making up funny songs, singing you to sleep and watching you join along was so funny! Your dancing is AWESOME but I have yet to get it on video. Here is a video of your Dad teaching you the drums. With a storage bin and my kitchen utensils, of course! :)

You love stacking things. I love watching the random things you will come up with to put into your tower. :)

This is a plastic pitcher with a sippy cup in it, a Christmas
gift box and a spatula. Makes perfect sense.

Passive agressive! ;) Maybe that's not the best term but you will specifically NOT do something we want you to do when the camera is on! Here's a great example ;) 

So curious! You want to know about EVERYTHING we are doing and be involved in it all! You are the biggest helper b/c of this. You feed the dogs, unload the dryer, want to help us cook but you know to stand back when the oven or knives are involved (I love how you are learning!)

Watching the ducks and/or golfers at Mimi's house

Best buds

You just adore being outside and never complain about the weather. Most of the time, I think it's too cold out there but you don't seem to notice. You just HAVE to be let out in the backyard and are completely content with your world when exploring out there.