18 Months

Grayson at 18 months is my favorite Grayson yet. I know, I know, I say the same thing every single time, but seriously, this guy is just the best ever. He's hilarious, and smart, and sweet, and surprising me every day with things he knows how to do that I wonder where he even learned them. He's just so fun.

At the same time, this Grayson is exhausting in a completely different way than stay-up-until-midnight-screaming-at-the-top-of-his-lungs Grayson was. This Grayson is independent. And determined. And impatient. And easily frustrated. And loud. And tantrum-y. Oh, the tantrums. We have started with time-outs in response to all of the crazy behavior. And they are effective, although at this point he doesn't seem to retain the lesson for long. But from everything I'm reading, he's pretty much exactly like every other 18 month old on the planet.

It's so funny how overnight it seems like he is a totally different boy. It's like he learns things in his sleep or something. He is talking so much, although I'm quite sure only those of us who see him every can really understand him for the most part. I started counting up the words he says consistently on a regular basis, and I got to 50 before I stopped. He's chatty, that's for sure. He also just started putting two words together, like "Addie ball" when Addie was taking his ball the other day...so he officially tattled on her already. He's running, attempting to do somersaults (although he needs help with this),  playing "buhball" (football - which consists of running, squatting down, then diving on the floor), feeding himself with a fork or spoon, drinking from a cup (still lots of usually intentional spills), and just being an all around independent little man.

He's getting much better about playing by himself, although he's honestly pretty much attached to me all day. Every once in awhile I'll get about 10 minutes where he'll entertain himself, but the rest of the time it's the mommy show around here. Makes getting things around the house done a challenge, but I'm learning to relax a little in that area. He's really into stacking his blocks right now, and can get them up to six high. He also "counts" with me when he does it. He skips one, but chimes in with "ooh - eee - ooor - iiiv!" I mean, at least he knows what sounds are coming, right? He also knows when we spell his name and when we are done will say "Gaygan!!!" which is obviously his form of Grayson. He sings for us a lot, and dances alllllll the time.

He is really a funny kid, and he's figuring out what to do for a laugh...and then he will do it many, many times. Really, anything repetitive is loads of fun right now. High fives, fist bumps, doing a "cheers" with his glass, putting toys into something then taking them out - he will do it over and over and over again. He loves to push me down onto my back, fall on top of me, then pull me back up by my hand. Seriously, we do this numerous times a day.

He still loves to be outside, and is perfectly content when we take a long walk around the neighborhood with him in his stroller. He has really loved spending time at Papaw's barn lately, which I know is making my dad insanely happy. When we walk Addie he has to hold her "eesh" (leash) or it's cause for a full on meltdown.

Speaking of meltdowns, nothing gets him going like not being able to "rive", which means drive. He likes to stand in the front seat and hold on to the steering wheel, turn the music up to where it could bust our eardrums, and sway back and forth. He'll mess with some knobs and buttons, turn the music up and down, and generally have the time of his life. If, God forbid, we don't let him do this before putting him in his car seat, it is unlike anything I've ever experienced. The screams. The writhing. The kicking. The tears. It's un. real.

As far as eating and sleeping, he's pretty awesome. He'll eat just about anything I give him, and veggies are actually his favorite. Broccoli, peas, and green beans (or bahki, peas, and bebeans) are probably his favorite foods right now, aside from pasta, soup from his grandma (A's mom), smoothies (smoovies) that his Nana makes him, and the occasional bites of sugar he gets. We just stopped breast feeding about a week ago, and I think we were both ready. The transition has been perfect. We were doing once a day, bedtime only, for about a month, so it was easy to stop.

He goes to sleep around 8 every night, and wakes up anywhere from 6:30-7:30. I put him down in his crib, but he ends up in our room after a few hours every night. I'm totally fine with it, I'll take all the good cuddles while I can get 'em. He's down to one nap a day, around noon, and it last 30-45 minutes. I feel like I was promised a 2-3 hour nap once we switched to one a day, and I feel cheated. Not pleased.

I realize this information is absolutely worthless to anyone but me, but to be honest I'm doing this because I know I'll never remember it all. All of the things that are oh so important to me right now will someday just slip right out of my brain. I always want to remember what a crazy little man he was, how freaking precious and sweet and ornery he was. He's just absolutely perfect to me, as infuriating as he can be at times. I feel like time is passing so very fast, and before I know it he'll be starting kindergarten and this will all be a memory.

Geez. I almost got myself with that one. Tears. Right on the verge. Basically I'm obsessed and in love and can't believe how quickly it's all going, and I want to freeze time, even when I want to speed it up and get to nap time so I can sit down for three minutes and inhale some lunch before he wakes back up. I'm so glad he's mine, and I'm his, and I love how obsessed with me he is and I think I've officially succeeded at turning him into a mama's boy, which can come back to bite me from time to time. But I mean really, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

*This video is one of a million that I have, but it is seriously one of my favorites. I think it captures his cute little personality so well, and well...I just think it's freaking adorable. Enjoy.