the little things

me. a-z.

I saw this on my friend, Sarah's blog today and thought it might be fun to play along!

About Me.

{a} age :: 27.

{b} bed size :: queen (although I dream of a california king one day..haha!)

{c} chore you hate :: doing the laundry. namely putting it away, especially hanging thoe clothes. Oh, how I dread it!

{d} dogs :: none of our own, but Craemer (mom and Phil's dog) belongs to the whole fam!

{e} essential start to your day :: a shower. which usually comes after being up for a few hours nowawdays! it drives me crazy!

{f} favorite color :: turqoise and light yellow. oh, and gray and sky blue. ohhh and red! i kinda like colors! ;)

{g} gold or silver :: white gold.

{h} height :: 5'2 and a half!! (as gramcracker would say!) bahaha

{i} instruments you play :: that would be zilch. not my thing.

{j} job title :: stay at home mama. :)

{k} kids :: this little munchkin of boy hanging around here, Grayson! ;)

{l} live :: in a small little town in Ohio. 

{m} maiden name :: winstead.

{n} nicknames :: nikki-blech!

{o} overnight hospital stays :: the first time was when I had Grayson! it was a 3-night stay thanks to the c-section.

{p} pet peeve :: the crazies on Facebook. seriously, sometimes I just have to scroll down REALLY fast! ;) ha.

{q} quote :: i don't really have one. I'm kinda boring that way, I s'pose!

{r} righty or lefty :: righty.

{s} siblings :: a younger sister, Megan. an older step sister, Tana. and an older step brother, Tony.

{t} time you wake up :: whenever Grayson does! which is usually somewhere between 5:30 and 7 each day.

{u} university attended :: University of Akron-Wayne. goodness, that seems for.ever ago!

{v} vegetables you dislike :: celery. ewww.

{w} what makes you run late :: a diaper change. a spit up moment (which results in an outfit change at times). forgetting something.

{x} x-rays you’ve had :: brain, stomach, lady areas. haha.

{y} yummy food :: lasagna. pf changs beef and broccoli. mac and cheese.

{z} zoo animal favorite :: giraffes and koalas. oh, and hippos!

If you decide to play along be sure to let me know so I can read more about YOU! :)

month five.

Dear Grayson,

Happy 5 months, sweet boy! I still can't believe how quickly the time is going.  You had a busy month doing and learning lots of new and fun things like:

Visiting Chick-fil-a with daddy and I for an afternoon lunch. It was a busy day that day and you were so fascinated with all the kids there and the noise!

You went to your first birthday party! It was for cousin Arron's 3rd birthday in Findlay and you had lots of fun.

You started eating food that I puree' for you in the Baby Bullet and LOVE it! Your favorites are pears and apples. But, you've liked everything you've tried which has been: bananas, peas, squash, sweet potatoes, avocados, oatmeal and rice! You are a very good eater so far!

You still love your jumperoo. You can really make it bounce now and notice all the fun little doo-dad's all around it! You get so excited as you bounce. It's so fun to see!

You also went for your first ride in a swing!  Gma and gpa Frase got it all set up in their backyard for you and cousin Roman. You LOVE it and think you are so big when going back and forth!

You also took your first "toe dip" in the creek! You loved the water and even slashed in it a bit!

You are also quite the little mover!  You often get up on all fours and can also wiggle and army crawl from time to time.

Another favorite thing of yours to do is sit on the counter in your Bumbo while I do dishes or make you a bottle. You love looking out the window watching all the cars and trucks (your favorite!) go by!

You sit up!!  Often though, you'd much rather stand, therefore you get bored and just clunk over until we let you "stand!" Such a stinker!

In other news...your naps are quite as long as they once were. You usually only nap once or twice a day for a maximum of 30 minutes. It's hard to get stuff done, little man! 

You are still sleeping through the night like a champ, so that's a place.  Anywhere from 10-12 hours a night. Usually averaging about 10.5-11 hours.

You are SUCHa little mover! Everyone always comments on two things about you: how observant/wide eyed you are and how you always MOVE! You just want to stand, stand, stand!

You really like your highchair. You just will NOT have it if you're strapped in though.  You sit close enough to the tray to have no slips, so it's all good. :)  You like looking out the big window in the dining room when you're eating though and LOVE playing with the lids and your links!

You have moved up to size 3 diapers and are a few 3-6 months, but 6 month size fits you best in most things.

You reach for daddy, grandma, grandpa and i now! It melts us all!

You still LOVE grabing those feet and toes!  You're even fascinated with other people's feet now too...always staring!

You still love, love, love Mickey Mouse, but you're a new fan of "Chicka" on Sprout, as well as Dinosaur Train! We always dance and chat during those shows. You love the bright colors!

You also LOVE your daddy! Love him! You're so fascinated with everything he does and light up when you see him first thing in the mornings!

Oh, and as of yesteray you have two little "buds" poking out from your top gums!  Teeth are on their way! Yey. ;)

You are our pride and joy, Grayson. We love you times a gazillion. Plus one. :) You make life splendid. And I am SO blessed to get to be your mama!

Love you always and forever.

Love,

Mama and Dada

(we're trying to get you to say dada and you seem to be close!)

my little sitter. and reader.

!!!!

Guess who's sitting?!

He's still a bit wobbley at times, but for the most part he's on his own! SO BIG! :) (forgive the scruffy cell phone photo-it was the first night he did it and I was SO excited I had to grab whatever I could to take a photo!)

He's also a big fan of books! (heh. who would have guessed that? ;)) His grandma and grandpa Frase brought him back this super cool talking Mickey Mouse book from their trip to Virginia last weekend and he is obsessed with it! He loves hearing the sounds and touching each page! It kinda melts me. :)

I call this his "baby bird" face! It's the new look when he knows "real" food is on its way! 

It's unreal to me how quickly the minutes are turning into hours and the hours into days and the days into months. UN. REAL. 

I was told for years by so many people that when I had kids the time would just fly. I never fully grasped that until now. The time really, truly does go so much faster. I am so grateful to enjoy the time with my sweet baby boy. I really do treasure each moment, good or bad.

He keeps me on my toes and I don't have the kind of "me" time I once had, but you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything!

I am one lucky girl.

loving...

a new, bigger basket for all of Grayson's toys in the living room.

making all of Grayson's food myself using the Baby Bullet. that little thing is so nice to have and super easy to cleanup!

finding cheaper and safer ways to clean around our home. the latest being 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle to easily clean off all baby toys and surfaces. I just spray it on a small cloth and wipe. quick and disinfected!

watching this guy learn something new every, single day. yesterday and today it's been watching him reach for things he wants (the mobile, a ball, a book...and Nate and I!!) LOVE it!

new crock pot recipes. like this and this. we've tried them both this week and both are YUM!

labeling a few of Grayson's favorite things with these new labels that came today! I purchased them from etsy as my first deal as a Heartsy member, so I saved 71% of the original cost (including shipping!) and am SO pleased! they're dishwasher safe, too! so I can put them on bowls and sippy cups in the future...or pretty much anything I'd like!

how observant he is. this is a new favorite thing for both of us. his bumbo safely beside me as I wash the dishes and he watches the cars go by out the window. he LOVES cars!

these bowls. they're by Munchkin and have a suction bottom, so my little explorer can't knock them over when I'm feeding him!

summer. and all that it brings! like swinging at Grayson's grandma and grandpas's...

or dipping our feet in the creek! (he was a big fan, by the way! :))

i'm also really enjoying taking the time to budget better, clip more coupons, meal plan and prepare a bit more. i'm also anxious to start purging some stuff around our home soon. we have too much STUFF and for what purpose? blech! i love a good purge every now and again!

all about trying new things

We're getting pretty bored eating the same ol' thing around here, so while Grayson was taking a much-needed nap this afternoon and Nate was off to work, I decided to cruise through the internet (note: mainly Pinterest!) for some new recipes to try.

It all started while I was looking for a quick and easy recipe to try for after church tomorrow using the chicken breast I have thawing in the fridge. I found a quick, easy recipe for BBQ chicken made in the crockpot. Perfect, as Nate is feeling a bit under the weather and I am exhausted from the busy week we've had with traveling, family, doctor and chiro appointments, etc. So, the easier, the better!

So, once I saw that, I decided to go ahead and look for some more crock pot related recipes. 

How stoked was I to find this one?! VERY! I am on a huge soup kick lately and Nate and I both love tacos. So, I'm anxious to give this a whirl too!

Oh, and I also found the recipe for these babies. Not crock pot cookable, but looking mighty scrumptious anyway!

Then, I remembered, "hey! I have a brand spankin' new book from America's Test Kitchen (one of my fave shows, by the way!) that is ALL about cooking in your crock pot! DUH!"

So, I snatched that off the counter and made a list of recipes to try first:

Beef and Noodle Soup

Chicken Vesuvio

Sweet and Spicey Shredded Pork

...and then the baby woke up, so my list came to a hault. But, I promise there will be more!

I have my grocery list started and when I get enough time I'll be heading to the grocery store and butcher for all the supplies!

So, tell me...what have you made lately that has become a staple in your family's dinner plans?

all mine

Hands off, ladies. This one's all mine! ;)

Grayson is totally infatuated with our bed lately. I only keep him there for a moment usually, but this morning, just after Nate had rolled out I caught Grayson looking so grown up. So precious. So sweet. (uh, isn't he always? ;)) and I had to snap a few photos.

I know I say it all the time, but goodness, I truly, truly LOVE that boy! He is so his daddy, too!

He smiles just like him. He crinkles his nose like him. He melts me...just like him.

sigh.

It was such a beautiful day today! The weather and temperatures were near perfect. We didn't leave the house at all, but I wanted to be sure to get out and enjoy it. Afterall, Grayson is a big fan of the outdoors!

So, I loaded up a Walmart bag with some toys, a blanket, my cell phone and camera and we ventured to the back yard! Grayson really enjoyed himself!

He laid on the blanket, then I sat him up (where he is almost sitting up by himself!) and we played for quite a while.

He LOVES that ball! I purchased it when he turned 3 months old after reading reviews somewhere and am so glad I did. It's a great price and is lightweight and the holes are perfect for little hands. He also likes the colors and the rattle inside. It's definitely one of his favorites. (this would make a great baby shower gift if you happen to be looking!)Oh, and the Take Along Tunes are also a big hit around here!

He's also a big fan of this little crinkle book I found before he was born. He loves the crinkle sound and the handle since it's a hard rubber and is perfect for all that chewing he does!

I can't wait to take him outside and do it all again! Counting my blessings!

We came inside where my little piglet scarfed down some sweet potatoes and a bit of pears he had left from this morning!

He's loving this "big boy food" stuff!

Me on the hand? It's bittersweet for me!

Oh, and I got a bit tickled just before we started packing to head back inside when I noticed this:

a little blade of grass stuck between those sweet baby toes. :)

all sorts.

Whoa. What a busy last few days this has been! Thank you for the birthday wishes-so sweet!  The first day of 27 was a good time! It started with going to church as a family, then Grayson went home with my mom and Phil so Nate and I could grab lunch (I chose Panera-I was dying for some mac and cheese!) and then Nate took me to see Crazy, Stupid Love. What a true hubby he is-taking me to see that movie because he knows my absolute love for Ryan Gosling! Nate even said, and I quote, "what better gift could I give you than seeing Ryan Gosling shirtless?!" LOL! He knows me so well! ;)

After the movie and before picking up Grayson, we went to our favorite icecream shop, Hartzler's where I got my hands on this goodness:

a big ol' homemade icecream sandwich made with homemade chocolate chip cookies! gah! it was delish! I could only eat half of it though. I had the other half the next night! And please forgive the hair. It was a beautiful day. Perfect for roling the windows down, opening the sunroof and cruising! ;)

After we picked Grayson up from my mom's, we went home and just chilled as a family.

It was perfect!

Monday, Grayson had his 4 month appointment, finally!

We had to wait an hour before he saw the doctor (our usual pedicatrican is on vacation this week, so we saw someone different)...blah, but he did so awesome! He just played the whole time while Nate or I held him...and smiled at the little girls in the waiting room! ;)

He weighed in at 13lbs. 12 oz. (25th percentile) and is 24 1/4 in. long (20th percentile)!

The doctor said he looks fantastic and was very impressed with his strength. She said his head control is excellent and was also impressed that he can sit almost by himself now and that he's bene rolling over both ways since he was 3 months old. That made us, as new parents pretty darn happy and thankful! :)

Grayson got 2 more shots and some medication orally. He was a champ!  He cried for a few seconds, but once he got a bottle he was good to go and fell asleep in the car on the way home!

Lately, he's super fascinated with us and drinking. He for sure knows what a cup is used for. Prime example below!

He stole my Wendy's cup on the way to Findlay Saturday! ;) He seriously LOVES cups and also loves when I give him water drops from the bottom of my straw! He's getting so big!

Grayson's also a big fan of a puppet that his grandma Sandy bought him that we thought he'd for sure not like:

We were wrong! He loves that thing!  It's a cowboy and I named him Clarence! He loves when I talk to him with it using a southern accent! Haha.

This week has also brought along firsts with solids. He's tried bananas (not a fan), sweet potatoes (super, big fan of those!) and pears (which he's still not too sure about just yet). I can't believe my baby is eating food! Unreal! He took to the spoon RIGHT away and even tries to feed himself (okay, I'm sure he's just trying to chew on it like he does everything else, but it's still so cute!).

He sat in his new highchair for the first time this morning while trying out the pears I made in the Baby Bullet (love that thing, by the way! Separate post coming soon!). He did SO well in it! After he ate, he just sat there, hanging out, listening to Nate and I talk...probably looking for Clarence? ;) Ha.

The days are going much, much too fast. Please, Lord, slow them down!

Yesterday morning as I was rushing around the house getting some stuff done before my inlaws arrived, I kept hearing some chatting going on, followed by some giggles.

I had to stop what I was doing to walk around the corner of the living room. That's when I saw this:

My boys, hanging out on the floor. Talking about all kinds of boy stuff, I'm sure!

Grayson is so fascinated with his daddy! He notices Nate from a mile away. He loves him like crazy and I love it! Nate really is such a great dad. Grayson is very blessed!

It's been a crazy, busy few days around here, but nothing but good times! Life is grand! :)

so long 26!

dear 26,

you've been a good year for me. full of LOTS of wonderful, happy memories that i am so thankful for!

at 26 i...

went to key west for the first time!

flew on an airplane for the first time!

enjoyed serving at the pregnancy care center.

enjoyed the exciting journey of pregnancy!

enjoyed SO many great times with my amazing hubby!

found out i was gonna be a mama to a baby boy!

found out the true meaning of nesting.

tried LOTS of new recipes.

enjoyed being pregnant with my sister and closest cousin!

tried my hand at handstitching for the first time!

became an aunt for the very first time!

had an amazing baby shower thanks to the best family ever!

put together a very special room.

received THE most amazing gift!

have enjoyed learning about being a mom and 98% of it has been a blast! ;)

have tried to continue documenting this good life as much as possible. :)

relived my youth by going to an nkotbsb concert with girlfriends!

have enjoyed my role as a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. i have been so blessed!

i'm looking forward to 27 beginning tomorrow! hoping to make it another wonderful year!

remembering...

...to enjoy the little things.

...that life is not sunshine and rainbows all the time.

...to thank the Lord every day. Praise Him for everything.

...how quickly time goes. Record as much as I can.

...today is not just "another day." It's truly a gift.

...to laugh. a LOT.

 

How good it is to remember that there will be moments of self doubt, frustration, and sadness. It's even better to remember that this too shall pass.

Sometimes in my relationship with my sister Megan we struggle. With each other. With our differences. With our choices. Sometimes I am right. Sometimes I am mistaken. Sometimes all of that causes us to clash. I hate when we argue. We're grown ADULTS. It shouldn't happen. But unfortunately it does. And it did.

In an instant we went from laughing and joking to flat out arguing. Something I am not proud of. I'm embarassed, actually.

I'm the big sister. I should have just stopped. But I let something get to me and kept going. Blech. I'm still learning to calm my emotions with her sometimes, I guess.

I am not a fan of drama (good grief, who is?). I just want to be "okay" again. Such a struggle sometimes. Our differences sometimes bring out our number one likeness; stubborness. Yuck. What an ugly word. I'm working on it.

For now, I'll continue to pray she returns my call and we can make this better. Life is too short to be mad at each other over something so ridiculous.