Its been too long!

Way too long!

GG is not 16 months!!! I cannot believe I haven't taken more time to write here. I'd like to say that I'll do better in the future, but let's be honest - I have a toddler... that may not happen! He's been walking for 6 months now and he keeps me running.

I can't believe I never posted photos from his birthday here. The last time I did a picture post he was almost 11 months.

GG's first birthday

13 months

14 months

15 months

16 months & his first haircut

At 16 months GG's favorite tv show is.... BARNEY. Yes, he still loves Barney. His favorite movies are Despicable Me 11 and Cars. He's been watching a few more things, but those are his all time favorites, in other words, we watch them over and over and over.... and over...

There are still many things he says that we cannot understand, but here are a few that he can say:

Hi, Hey, Hello
No
Stop
I'm done
I did it!
Who's there?
That
Owie, Owe
Outside
Go
Come On
Hannah
Kaylie
LaLa (Aunt Taila)
Momma
Daddy, Da, Da-Da
Dog, Doggy
Bear
Kitty

He finally also said Nana just yesterday. Only once, but that's how it starts! I know I'm missing some words, but those above are the ones he says most.

His favorite pass time is singing and dancing!

Lifestyle Changes!

Balsamic chicken and garlic & lemon cauliflower. Hands down the best meal I've ever made! I've been making some awesome lifestyle changes and today we began our new food journey. Took out over 50% of our pantry and went to Fresh Market.

Chris and I will be 80% paleo (100% gluten free) while GG will be 50/50 for now. Tonight he was given what we ate and he LOVED it. I was so happy. Can't wait to share some more recipes!!


On another note, I'm now an Independent Wellness Advocate for doTERRA. Check out my page here: http://www.mydoterra.com/dionawilliams

GG updates:
He's walking and running everywhere
Knows a few signs, more and finished to be exact
Has five teeth and several more on the way
Almost 100% potty trained at home, still working on when we aren't home

Mommy Protocol

Question to experienced moms. How does one approach another mom about a play date.

I ask because today GG found a cute little guy to play with. He looked to be several months younger and had an older sister. GG was very fond of this guy's mommie as well, even to the point of following her around and letting her hold him. She was very sweet as were her children. 

I was clueless though as to how to bring about the idea of a future play date. She and I were strangers... how weird would it have been of me??? I'm also a little awkward around people that I don't know at times, so I really didn't want to come off crazy!

Is this something anyone else has struggled with? 

Where in the world have we been??

I cannot believe that I haven't posted any pictures on here since GG turned 6 months! He keeps mommie busy!

Month 7

At 7 months he began feeding himself more independently. He know who all of our immediate family is. He also started pulling up on just about EVERYTHING!

His favorite toy is his Super Grover remote along with his puzzles and of course Scout.

Month 8

 

At 8 months he began saying "taytay" for thank you. He started using a sippy cup and saying "da-da" as well. 

Month 9

 

At 9 months GG is 28" long, 18 lbs and 11 oz. He has been pointing to things he wants and LOVES to give kisses!!! His favorite thing to do is to climb up on things and also he enjoys to pretend to drive.

Month 10

At 10 months GG is 28" and 19 lbs. His eyes are a blue/grey hazel. He says "hi", "hey", "da-da" and waves. He's taken a few steps and had his first big accident by flipping his walker. 

His favorite song is "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", he can do some of the motions. He also enjoys playing patty-cake and waving at everyone.... randomly. He gives HUGE hugs and big kisses now! Oh yeaaah, and we finally have two teeth!!

Tomorrow our little big man will be 11 months!!!

Why we don't celebrate Santa

I get crazy looks and have even upset a few people when they hear that Chris and I will be teaching GG about Saint Nicholas, but not doing the "Santa" thing. We want GG to grow up giving, not expecting to receive. We will absolutely teach GG to respect that others believe in Santa and not to tell them any differently. I hope and pray, that with how we will be raising him that he will have a loving heart and not want to ruin the ideals that other children have - not just about Santa, but other things as well.

I found this in an article over at The Huffington Post and loved it, it's very wonderfully said.

"Kids' sense of wonder does not rely on thinking things are "real" or not. There is a fine line between pretending and believing, and that's where their imagination lives. I also don't believe in using Santa (and definitely not the creepy, Big Brother-like Elf on the Shelf) as a means to make my kids behave." 

"If Santa is your family's cup of tea, go for it. It's just not mine. And I think Christmas is pretty magical without it."

Some of the main reasons that we won't be teaching GG to believe in Santa:

1. Realizing that Santa isn’t real can cause hurt. Children are often devastated, heartbroken even, when they discover that Santa doesn't really exist. It's a hurt that sticks with some for years and into adulthood. My children may or may not react the same way, but it is a hurt I do not want to risk.
2. Santa’s mission is materialistic. Christmas’s focus encompasses getting gifts and therefore glorifies Santa because he’s the supposed gift-giver.
3. Santa encourages wrong motives. Christmastime has become all too materialistic, but it also teaches the lesson that you should only be nice (or extra nice) to others when you want something or you’re going to get something from it. 
4. Santa is given attributes that belong to God alone. “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good…” It gives Santa two important attributes that belong to God alone. Omnipresence (he’s everywhere at once watching all the children sleep) and omniscience (he knows all). 
5. Santa is dead. Yes, there once lived an honorable, gracious man who did great things…but he lived a long time ago and his time has passed. He was not immortal and his efforts, I’m pretty sure, were not intended to be translated into what they have become today in our modern Santa Claus.
6. Give credit where credit is due.  I want GG and any future children to know that they are blessed with toys and necessities because their father is a hard-working man.
7. Santa is a lie. I don’t know who decided to start teaching their children to believe in fictional characters like Santa, the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny, but I personally don’t want to be viewed in the eyes of my children as a deceiver. I want them to know that what I am teaching them is the truth and is full of honor. 
8. Jesus is the reason for the season. Not Santa. Not presents. Gathering together with family is a close second, but, ultimately, the celebration of Jesus’ birth, His arrival to earth to deliver us from our sins, is THE reason for CHRISTmas. 

BUT.....

"You’re ruining your kids' imagination!"We foster imagination in every day activities. We will still read GG stories with Santa as a character he just won't be raised to believe that Santa is a real person.

"Santa, in our culture, is personified to such a degree that there's no room left for imagination. Children know what he looks like, what the North Pole is like, what the reindeer look like, and so on. Kids can even go online and follow his progress on Christmas Eve. If I believe something exists, it's not my imagination I’m using, but something else entirely."

“You’re taking the magic out of Christmas!”I, as an adult, haven't believe in Santa since I was in elementary school, but it has NEVER ruined any of the magic of Christmastime! To think that the spirit of and magic felt from Christmas is solely due to Santa is sad in my opinion. Just the lights alone during Christmastime fill me full of magical-child-like-wonder. 

Santa teaches our children that only "good" children deserve to be rewarded. Thus, those children that's families couldn't afford to get them gifts must not have deserved them. When this is believed we are reducing the degree that we're supporting the real spirit of Christmas.

"The "magic" of Christmas for many children remains in the realm of commercialism. Children are concerned with presents, wish lists pages long, and a sense of entitlement that is antithetical to anything magical. How many kids tear through opening presents because all that matters is seeing what they got? How many end up sad and upset because Santa didn’t get them what they wanted, especially when they were “good”? The magic of Christmas lies in what you do with it and the kindness you show to those around you. You don’t need to think Santa is real, you just need to make sure you create an environment that is filled with love and happiness, and that can be done with or without Santa."

1/2 of a year already!

Little G turned 6 months last Saturday, he keeps me so busy that I'm a week late with this post! He's 27 1/2" long & 16 lbs, 8 ozs. He got his first virus a few weeks back and lost almost a pound, but he's been gradually getting it back.

He has such a personality! 

Not only is he hitting all of his milestones, but he's also hitting all of his 9 month milestones as well - I think we have an over achiever on our hands. He can go from laying on his back to sitting up in 0.5 seconds and is walking everywhere in his walker... even running and turning sharply - he chases the dogs all over the house! He also sits up all on his own, for as long as he wants. Last week started crawling forward (finally after doing it backwards for some time) and gets better (and faster) every day!

GG is grabbing anything he can get his hands on as well. If we're carrying him in a store we have to make sure to keep him away from the shelves. He can be a little stingy with his smiles though, unless you're a pretty girl. Yup, he's already a huge flirt!

He has a huge love for animals just like Chris and I. He's also really starting to enjoy visits to the zoo to watch all of the animals!

He has started "sharing" his food when you ask him for a bite and he's beginning to give mommie kisses nowadays. His favorite food these days? Big people food! He'd rather have real mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, mac'n cheese or bread any day. He still gets baby food, but he's started blowing it out some of the time. He typically gets baby food three times a day, big people food with two meals and then he's still drinking lots of formula throughout the day. My little man loves to eat!

He has three favorite toys: a Grover remote, his blue owl (lovie) and a round teether.

Me & Bobby McGee can still get him to sleep, but not always, however, if I'm playing any type of mellow indie song it will get him to sleep in no time. He still fights to stay awake at nap time... almost every time!!

Barney is his favorite thing to watch on t.v., Phineas and Ferb is second best. I've recently introduced him to The Nightmare Before Christmas (being the huge Tim Burton fan that I am) and he's begun to like it pretty good too.

If I had to guess, I'd say giraffes are high on his list of likes. When he sees one in a store (pillow, toy, plush, ext) his eyes light up, he gets excited and tries to go for it! Yup, that's my boy!!

Still going on the potty the majority of the time. When he was sick he had diarrhea and that's been the only time, with the exception of one accident, that he hasn't pooped in the potty. We're getting much better at catching him before he pees and getting him to the potty.

He's trying to pull up on everything and wants to walk so bad he can't stand it. He has a large red ball that he's recently used to take two steps... alone, without our help!!

Thinking Thoughts

I'm sitting here, I'm suppose to be working... but instead I've been getting a little caught up in my thoughts. GG is sleeping peacefully beside me in his rockin' pod. He went to sleep holding his bottle, he started holding it all on his own yesterday. He is so precious. He's currently pooping in the potty 98% of the time and peeing in it about 40% of the time. We're getting there! He's only pooped in a diaper once this week that I'm aware of and that's because we were at my doctor's appointment... and you guessed it - he went right before the doctor walked in, so yeah.... however he was ready for that nasty mess to be off of his booty immediately! What a little stinker! He's so intelligent!!

Chris and I have been married for 4 years as of Tuesday. Sometimes it seems so much longer though. I feel like I've just always known him. It's crazy to think about the fact that we meet in July and got married on the 2nd of September - yes, in the same year. Everyone probably thought we had gone insane! We were both not long out of failed relationships. We each prayed to find the person meant for us and God came through... much quicker than we ever could have expected. When I think about my life before it feels almost as if it was the life of someone else entirely. I wanted to write this post up before our anniversary, but ran out of time... better late than never!

Christopher, 

     You have given me more than I could have imagined was possible. You love me passionately and unconditionally. I don't think anyone else realizes just how truly wonderful you are.. at least not to the extent that I do. You stood by me in the beginning and rode  the wave of emotions I was on,with me. Always my shoulder to cry on, always there to keep me on my feet when the tides crushed in around my head. You were perceptive enough to know that while I truly loved you, I was still going through the pain of a failed marriage & relationship that had lasted nearly half my life. You held me when I felt like I was too weak and needed to feel the strength of another person. You lifted me up and made me laugh when I thought all laughter had died for me. You also let me be there for you and help you through all that you were going tackling. Together we were able to stand and fight our raging seas. God knew exactly what he was doing with us!

      I'd go through everything all over again just to end up with you. In the past 4 years you have shown me what true love is. You never let a day go by without telling me that I'm beautiful/sexy/pretty/amazing - you will never know how much just that in itself means to me. You have helped me build my confidence level to where it should have been all along. With you I have become the woman I was meant to be, the wife that I am and now the mother that I am still learning how to be. You have always made time for me and showered me with attention and affection - 4 years later and you still do, everyday, and that my dear is a HUGE deal! You miss me when we're apart and voice the sentiment. You love me as I love you. It's wonderful to know that I am so loved. 

     Chris, you have well exceeded my expectations of you as a husband AND a father. You are loving, protective, unbelievably smart and a total push over when it comes to our son. I love you even more than I did in the beginning. My love for you grows leaps and bounds each and every day. I pray that as GG gets older he will realize what a truly wonderful father he has - I'm sure he will! Thank you for being all that you are. I wouldn't have you any other way (even when you leave shoes all over the house!). I love you sweetheart, to the moon and back; as far as the east is from the west; as much as the sky and more, I love you.

     Forever. Diona