Grayson is growing like a weed.

Ray and I have been talking about doing an "update" blog for some time now, but neither of us have gotten around to it. We wanted it to be well thought out because the information we want to share is so happy and exciting.

Since we don't have much free time, I don't know when we'll ever have a good amount of time to devote to composing the kind of blog entry we had in mind. So, without any further delay, I will just share our big news with you without any pre-planning.

First of all, in the last few weeks, Grayson has learned to shake his head NO. It is so funny (and cute)! At first, I'm pretty sure he didn't know what he was saying by shaking his head from side to side. We thought it was something he just discovered and thought was cool (either because of how it felt or how it made the world look when he did it). After all, Ray and I don't shake our head NO. Anyway, I wanted him to learn what he was saying by shaking his head. So, when he shook his head NO when I offered him a bite of food, I listened to him. In no time, he learned what he was saying. Also, my thinking is that when he says NO (within reason), I will respect his wishes - just as when I tell him NO, I want him to respect what I say. It is my way of teaching him mutual respect.

Santa brought Grayson a few hand percussion instruments (hand bell things and maracas). He doesn't like them now, but I have a feeling he will in the near future. I think the sounds they make annoy him (they are pretty loud), but I think as he gets closer and closer to toddlerhood, he will LOVE them. Anyway, he doesn't play with them. They get pushed aside or left in his toy baskets. When I pick one of them up and shake it, he shakes his head NO. G cracks me up!

I know I say it often, but Grayson was born a BIG GUY! We are so glad because he's solid and healthy. But his weight and length have given us a workout - a MAJOR workout for almost 11 months now. Caring for Grayson is quite physical. So, we've daydreamed about the day he would crawl. We knew it wouldn't be the end of our aches and pains, but him being mobile would give us some relief. Ray and I agreed that we would not push Grayson, that he would do things when he was ready. The only thing we did was give him opportunities and support. If he told us he was uncomfortable or unhappy in any way, we stopped. And we felt there was no certain point where Grayson was falling behind. Grayson is a boy (boys are usually behind girls developmentally), and he is a boy of good size. Besides, all kids do things at different times - at their own pace.

Since Thanksgiving, we've seen Grayson make some major changes. He started going from his tummy to sitting up in a matter of seconds. Then, he started trying to pull up. Seeing Gray grown and change like this was AMAZING to watch. As the days and weeks went by, it was obvious Grayson wasn't going to skip crawling like we were told some babies do. It was just a matter of time. As Christmas was approaching and we were doing all kinds of holiday preparations (decorating our tree, baking, gift wrapping, shipping packages, etc), we made a guess that Grayson would be crawling VERY SOON! As a matter of fact, I joked that he wouldn't crawl until Christmas because that would be his Christmas present to us.

Well, a few days before Christmas, I would say was the first time G "officially" crawled. But it was indeed Christmas Day that he was very confident and made quite a bit of distance! It isn't like he's running on all fours or anything, but he is definitely crawling and getting where he wants to go. And he can get there pretty quick before you realize he took off!

What makes me laugh is that he has no desire to crawl to Ray or I. He has before, but what motivates him most are the dogs, the dog kennels, a piece of furniture (the coffee table, the dining table, the dining chairs, etc), his new top (Christmas gift from his Mimi), and anything he knows isn't his toy (our shoes, Ray's watch, an unattended drink, my purse, etc).

Our little boy is growing SOOOOO fast. I can't believe it has almost been a year since he came into our lives. He continually amazes and delights us. :) We look forward to all the family fun we'll be having together in 2008. :)