Dear Grayson

Dear Grayson,

You are only 10 days away from being 8 months old, and you are shooting up by leaps and bounds.  When you and Ben were brand new, it seemed like Ben was hitting all of his milestones just a little ahead of you because he was born a little bigger.  Now you are leaving Ben's shadow and finding new things to do all on your own.  You are certainly learning to stand all on your own terms.

You love movement of all kinds.  If anyone is nearby to offer a hand, you pull your little self up to stand on your legs, and look around from your new tall-boy perspective.  You love jumping up and down, when your moms toss you in the air, zooming around the room like Superbaby, and kicking your legs every moment you aren't standing on them. Not only that, you love to watch movement of all kinds.  The ceiling fan offers you an endless source of entertainment, the dogs are fascinating, especially if their tails are wagging, and the mobiles we have hanging around the house are sure to make you smile if mama blows them around.  You love watching whatever is going on, and moms sometimes have a hard time keeping your attention on them for much conversation or eating dinner. 

You are a great sleeper, and have been sleeping through the night for several months now.  We only have to give you a blanket and turn on your "TV". The crib-side music maker that lights up keeps your attention until you can't fight your drooping eyes any longer.  This month you have decided that learning to crawl is more important than sleep sometimes.  We often find you in strange places in your crib, sound asleep on your tummy with your knees tucked under you and your little tushy poking straight up in the air.   You aren't quite there yet, but as soon as you can stay up on both your hands and your knees at the same time, you will be off like a rocket. 

While it takes quite a bit to get you to laugh out loud, you are quick with your smiles and will offer one up to anyone who wants to say hello.  You love making friends, and seeing new people.   While you sleep well at night, you take short naps during the day because you just don't like missing out on the fun. You love your brother, and are very patient most of the time.  You seem to understand that your mommy can't always get to you right away, and you pleasantly wait your turn without protest, sometimes more often than is fair.  When you do cry right out loud, it's the saddest sound in the world, and great big crocodile tears run down your face...no fake crying for you, you really mean it.

You are an amazing baby and I can't wait to see what kind of little kid you grow up to be.

Love forever,
Mama