Dear Graham, Weeks 15 and 16

Dear Graham,
There's so much to say about the last two weeks! The reason for the combined letters is that we were out of town last weekend. However, over the last two weeks you experienced many firsts, including:

• Your first trip to both South Carolina and North Carolina (you've now been to 4 out of 50 states by week 15)
• Your first time meeting your great-grandma and great-aunt in South Carolina
• Your first wedding
• Your first stay in a hotel
• Your first ear infection and upper respiratory infection (and therefore your first antibiotic)
• Your first time using the Bumbo chair
• Your first time being featured on a blog other than mommy's: http://sarahromingerphotography.com/asheville-photo-booth-the-official-launch-of-the-cliqueit-booth/

Mommy's best friend Krista got married in Asheville, NC over the long Veteran's Day weekend. In the week leading up to leaving for the wedding, you had a dry cough. Somehow the night we landed, it had transformed to an evil, wet sounding cough that woke you up at least five times a night every night we were gone. Fortunately you were such a trooper and you didn't let your cough stop you from being a happy baby during the day. You enjoyed your first wedding...especially being danced around with your grandpa and uncle. You also again were wonderful on both flights, despite not feeling well.





Daddy was on vacation this week and he stayed home with you while you were sick. It was a good experience for the both of you, although you sure know how to wear daddy out. It was fun for mommy to leave my boys home together and come back to you both here.



You've discovered a few new tricks over the last several weeks. The first is blowing bubbles...you love to blow spit bubbles, which means there is always drool on your cute chin. You have also learned that you have legs and feet, so while sitting in your bouncy chair you stick your legs straight up into the air and hold them there in front of your eyes as if they were a field goal. It can't be comfortable, but you don't seem to notice. You have also been grasping your hands together, almost like you're praying. Most times you're trying to get both of those grasped hands into your mouth.

While we've enjoyed the beautiful color blue that your eyes have been since birth, these last few days they really appear to be changing to brown right before our eyes. I think this will cause you to look even more like your handsome daddy...which is just fine by me.

It's become especially evident lately that you recognize mommy and daddy and want to be in our company. We are having so much fun with you and love watching each of your cute developments.

Love,
Mommy

Dear Graham, Week 14

Dear Graham,
Well, everyone said week two of daycare would be easier than week one, and they were right. Although, I don't know that I'd consider it "easy" yet, we both definitely got a bit more used to the routine. Daddy has been taking you to school on the mornings that he's home, and it's so much easier on mommy those days. I love leaving you here with him and coming back home to find my two boys together.



While we made progress on our morning routine, our evenings are still so busy. You're often exhausted when you get home from school, so I try to spend as much time as you'll let me together before putting you to bed. Normally this involves spending some time outside together, as you continue to love to be outdoors. (Even one of your teachers commented this week that you like going outside!)



Well, on Monday after work you and I went out to our back porch and spent time together. As I decided to come back inside to give you a bath, I learned that I had locked us out of our house. Without my cell phone. Without a pacifier. Without any possible thing that could help us. And to top it all off I was wearing PJ shorts, flip flops and my the cami I wore under my suit to work. Classy.

So, we walked as quickly as possible around the block to our neighbor James, who works with mommy. He helped us to call a locksmith, who then proceeded to charge us an arm and a leg get us into the house. You were not at all amused by this whole ordeal and were exhausted by the time this was done. At least you can now add getting locked out of the house to your list of "firsts."



My favorite time with you is our mornings together, as you're always so happy. I hate that we are often rushing to get out the door, but I always try to carve some time just for us to interact and for you to brighten my day with your smiles. Those smiles are what gets me through to the end of the day when I can see you again.



Throughout the first 14 weeks of your life, and especially in the early days when you were often so fussy, mommy would sing to you to calm you down. (In hindsight, you were probably crying to get me to stop singing!) In addition to normal lullabies, I'd sing you songs that were stuck in my head. One of those is the Sugarland song, "Stuck like glue." Now, I every time hear that song on the radio, it makes me smile though tears thinking of you, my sweet baby.

You and me, baby, we're stuck like glue.

Love,
Mommy