19 months and counting!

Our little man turned 19 months old today! (I normally do a 18 month post but somehow never got one together!) Hard to believe this guy is already one and a half - and it makes me wonder how I survived having Griffin when Avery was 2 months younger than Graham is now!


Graham is currently a handful! He is following in Griff's footsteps in terms of his activity level - he's full steam ahead 24/7! He runs constantly; climbs everything in sight (including tables, counters, etc); takes something he knows he shouldn't have and runs away with it laughing; is proficient at climbing up and going down the slide by himself; can go up stairs easily but needs to be reminded to come down on his belly...

Graham loves to be outside - playing ball, digging in the sand, going down the slide, going on walks, collecting sticks...He is very amused by both Avery and Griffin. Avery is good at taking care of Graham and making sure he is "obeying." Griffin is good at entertaining Graham and they already rough-house together. Graham LOVES music and LOVES to dance! I absolutely love to see his little booty shake!

Graham is pretty smiley. He's mostly over his major stranger anxiety - sometimes he takes a minute to warm up - but he only cries about 25% of the time when I leave him at school or in the church nursery. He loves to wave and flirt with whoever is around and paying him attention. Graham still loves his momma and loves to hold onto her hair, but this little guy also loves his daddy! He holds onto Brent when he is attempting to get out the door to work in the mornings and squeals and runs to him arrives home from work. Graham definitely has a temper but it seems to be diminishing some as his communication skills are increasing.

Graham still doesn't have many words - momma, dada, down, done, juice, and I can't think of what else! But he has learned to communicate well with pointing, nodding yes/no, taking my hand and leading me to what he wants, patting on the fridge when he wants a drink, etc. This little man wants to do, eat, have everything the big kids are doing/eating/having. He has had more juice boxes, Popsicles, and sweet stuff than the other 2 had in their first 3 or 4 years of life! Thankfully, Graham is by far our best eater. He loves salty, tart, spicy and all the things the others still don't like!

We gave up the morning nap about 3 months ago and I think he's finally adjusted. Hard transition - wanting to be asleep by 10 but then couldn't make it until bedtime at night. Most of the time, he can make it home from getting the big kids from school (around 1:15) or he crashes in the car on the way home...He goes to be around 7 but wake up varies greatly - anywhere from 6:15 to 8:00! Totally unpredictable!

We had Graham's 18 month MD appt this week - he weighed in at 24 lbs 13 oz, right at the 30% for weight and he is 32.5 inches tall, right at the 50% for height.

I am so thankful for this little guy, even during this exhausting season of his life! He makes me laugh daily and keeps my love bucket full of cuddles!

I noticed a sudden "silence" in the house yesterday when just Graham and I were home - this normally means trouble...but he had gotten into Avery's room and was sitting quietly in the doll crib - talking on the "phone" (AKA calculator)!

Graham Update (overdue!!!)

I seemed to have missed the time for a 15 month update on our little guy....so lets count this post as a 16 month one!

This little dude has changed tremendously over the past 3 months. He is now running more, falling less, and can climb like its nobody's business! He loves to be loose and outside; dig in the sand; climb up the slide; and run around with toys hanging out of his mouth.

Graham is our best "eater" and eats as much (literally) as Griffin. We took our time getting rid of bottles but once we settled here in Augusta they disappeared quickly! Now Graham only wants to use Griffin's "Cars" cups and pitches major fits when he sees Griffin with one.

I am mourning the loss of the morning nap, which has suddenly vanished over the past few weeks. That was my time to take a shower and get a project done. Now I just stink and can't accomplish anything!! Thankfully he does take a good 2-3 hour afternoon nap and still goes to bed by 7:00.

Here he is with a cigar. (it does still have the wrapper on it!) Graham is super busy and is always pulling things out of drawers. In fact, I think his favorite pastime is merely emptying drawers. Not playing with what he finds, just throwing it over his shoulder! When we moved in, I had Brent put cabinet locks on only a few cabinets -- but I now want them all locked! I get so tired of picking up tupperware, lunch boxes, glass pyrex, etc...

speaking of emptying cabinets...

Graham is going to "school" one morning a week now. Here he is on his first day. He goes from 9-1 and even eats lunch there. Yeah for mommy! Graham has come leaps and bounds in terms of his separation anxiety. He cries when I leave him but they say he is over it in a few minutes...and he's normally playing happily when I come to get him.

Graham is a very happy and laid back little guy. He does seem to have a temper but I'm still holding out hope that it goes away once he can communicate! But for now, if I can't figure out what he is pointing at or wanting, he runs around screaming and pitching major fits! He absolutely loves Avery and Griffin. They always make him laugh. He is drawn a little more toward Griff - I think he likes the rough house mentality of his big brother! Graham loves to cuddle when he wakes up and when he's getting tired. His all time favorite "lovey" is my hair - he holds onto a handful of it and rubs it between his fingers when he's tired or being rocked.

and when i'm unavailable, he rubs his own hair!

The kids love whipped cream and strawberries, thanks to Big Daddy. Last time I made Avery and Griffin some, Graham had a fit because he wanted some...and once he actually had a bite, he was in heaven!

Graham, you keep us hopping...laughing...frustrated...chasing...smiling...tickling... and on our toes. We love you!

Graham's first haircut

Following in the footsteps of the first 2 Parnell children, Graham doesn't have a ton of hair...however, he has had these long, wispy pieces around his ears and the back of his head for quite a while now. Brent hates them and has been complaining about them for months. But, I am notorious for delaying first haircuts - I hate losing that "baby look" and making them look older than they are. Also, when Graham gets sleepy, he rubs/pulls the long hair right behind his ears - and I didn't want him to lose that!

I finally gave in on Friday night and let Brent give Graham his first haircut. Graham did not hold still, even though we gave him his first sucker in hopes of keeping him still.

I was really nervous as Brent was cutting because Graham was SOOO wiggly and Brent was saying thing like "This is such a hack job!"

Talk about a moving target!

All in all, the cut turned out well! Graham does look older though!

One of the Cutest Boys Ever!

Here are a few pictures of what I think is one of the cutest baby boys ever!!

Graham @ 9 months old

9 months old already!

Graham turned 9 months old on Thursday. I truly cannot believe it. The time seems to go by quicker with each child...and I sometimes fear that I don't spend enough time just enjoying Graham, but instead merely drag him around as I care for the older 2. I've really had to make a conscience effort to remind myself to sit down on the ground and do "patty cake" for 20 minutes or sit and babble with him just for fun.

Graham had his check up on Friday - his noggin' is still McBrayer-sized (AKA: large), his height is 28.5 inches (50%), and his weight is 18 lbs, 1 oz (dropped down to the 10%). Other than decrease in weight %, Dr. Cooley says he looks great. Graham has had 3 ear infections in less than 2 months, UGH! I'm hoping that now that we are over #3, his appetite will pick back up...and I'm crossing my fingers that we don't get another one!

We've met some major milestones this month: Over Christmas break, he started army crawling, doing the inchworm, and attempting a crawl on all fours. Since then he has pretty-much perfected his crawl. And then just this week, Graham learned how to pull himself to standing...and is now continually standing. He has virtually ZERO balance, yet thinks he can just let go of what he's holding onto. Needless to say, he currently has 3 bruises on his forehead.

As he has become more mobile, the time he tolerates the jumper and exersaucer has greatly diminished! He still enjoys them, but only in short bursts...which makes my life harder since I need to be focused on him and within arm's reach when he's loose! I've also had to move to constant "floor patrol" - making sure no polly pocket pieces or plastic bolts or whatever else the older 2 are playing with are left for Graham to discover!

Graham is loving finger foods and seems to prefer feeding himself to being spoon-fed. Its become a challenge to get enough in him. But he will eat as many puffs, yogurt melts, graham crackers, cheese, and banana pieces as you'll give him! But if you come at him with a spoon, he's bound to swat you!

This little man is still all smiles and he loves to flirt with strangers! He is extra entertained by Avery and smiles the second he sees her! He laughs at everything she does and she seems to thrive on his giggles! Griffin continues to be my main helper and loves to retrieve toys or pacifiers or diaper or whatever I need.

We're looking forward to the months to come!

Happy 8 Months Graham!

Somehow, another month has passed us by! We've arrived at month 8 all too quickly! Graham continues to be our smiliest baby yet, quick to offer a smile to just about anyone. He has developed a little stranger anxiety though - he put his hands over his face the last time he saw both Gammy and Big Daddy! He warmed up pretty quickly but was a little gun-shy at first. Overall, Graham remains pretty laid back and low key. He loves to be entertained by Avery and Griffin. Avery is sooo good with him - she tickles him and talks silly and loves to make him laugh. Both of the older kids are great helpers with baby brother.

Graham finally began sleeping fairly well by 6 months or so - sleeping from 7 until 5 or 5:30 AM. Like Griffin, his sleep is easily disturbed by teething and sickness. Speaking of, Graham currently has his 2nd ear infection in less than 2 months - not fun. And he is cutting his 3rd and 4th teeth this week. Kinda funny that they aren't his top middle 2 teeth, but the ones on the outside of those instead! He takes 2 good naps a day - 1.5-2.5 hours long, depending on the day's activity.

Graham's favorite past time is the johnny jumper. He goes to town in it! He has gotten much better at sitting by himself but I still prop pillows around him to prevent some head trauma when he throws himself backwards! Graham is working on crawling. He has started getting up on all fours but he keeps his head down and uses it as additional support! He can get to anything he wants by rolling and scooting.

Graham is an eating machine. He gets so excited (and impatient) when he knows food is coming. His arms start flapping and he makes a high pitched shreak. So far, he likes just about all the baby foods we've tried. And we just started with table foods - puffs, yogurt melts, and some banana bread/muffins.

HAPPY 8 MONTHS BUDDY!

Happy 6 Months Graham!

GRAHAM CHARLES

My baby boy is 6 months old! (yes, this post is about 2 weeks late but we just had his doctor appointment this week...) How can it be?

He has continued to be a really relaxed and go-with-the flow baby, crying mainly when he is overly tired. He has been teething the past 2-3 weeks so he's been a little out of sorts - but one bottom tooth popped through on Monday and the other should be through in the next few days.

So far so good with eating...still nursing well and tolerates a bottle when needed. He didn't really care for rice cereal and pears aren't his favorite, but he's willingly eaten everything else I've offered.

He has become a great napper - normally sleeps for about 1.5-2 hours in the morning and about 2.5 hours in the afternoon. The past week has brought great progress in the night time sleeping department! I finally broke down and did some sleep training last weekend. (this is a new thing for me because the other 2 learned to sleep by themselves...) He is now sleeping from about 7 or 7:30 until 5 without fussing...and then he cries out a time or 2 before falling back asleep.

His favorite activity is the johnny jump-up thing. He goes to town in that thing!! He also still really likes the exersaucer - probably because he's upright and because he can see what it going on. He likes to roll around on the floor too - but gets ticked off after being on his belly for too long. (he then screams - why he doesn't just roll back over is beyond me!) He has started doing the "inch bug" - while laying on his belly, he puts his head down and scoots forward. He can sit up by himself - until he tips to the side or back! He's almost there though!

His laryngomalacia has him breathing louder than ever these days...Brent and I affectionately call him Darth Vader! Supposedly, the loud breathing peaks between 4-8 months and then slowly subsides....we'll see!

At his well-baby checkup, Dr. Cooley said everything looked great. He weighed in at 16 lbs, 11 oz which is 25 %...and he was 26.5 inches long, around the 50%...so he's long and lean! And he has inherited the "McBrayer Head" - 97%!!!

he loves his bath!

what a handsome dude!

looks so big sitting up!

Four Months

Graham turned 4 months old exactly one week ago...but didn't have his appointment until today. He weighed in at a whopping 15 lbs, 3 oz; length was 25 inches; head was 42.5 cm. (all numbers were roughly in the 50 %). I got out the other kids baby books just for kicks - avery was only 12 lbs, 5 oz at 4 months and 15 lbs 8 oz at 8 months!!! griffin was 14 lbs 6 oz at 4 months. So Graham is our biggest so far - but he started out a full pound ahead of the others!

Graham remains a very happy and smiley baby. He doesn't have the typical dinner time/evening fussy time that our others had. He loves his playmat, likes the bouncy chair, and tolerates the swing! I am about to get the exersaucer out and a jumper for the door. Graham prefers to be upright when held so I think he will love those new activities.

As far as sleeping goes....he was doing well until he hit a growth spurt at 3 1/2 months! Then we went back to eating every 2 hours around the clock for 5 full days! ARG! We have had a little sleep training going on in the Parnell household this week so I think we are about back to sleeping all night again! He has done great with naps. I un-elevated his bed, took his sleep positioner out, and stopped swaddling him this week - and he's done great. He normally rolls up on his side to fall asleep.

Graham started rolling onto his back about a month ago and figured out how to roll onto his belly just last week. He only tolerates tummy time for 7-8 minutes but is getting better.

Graham still eats every 3 hours and naps at least 4-5 times/day. I think once school starts I will switch Graham over to a 4 hour feeding schedule and attempt just 3 naps/day. I am planning on holding off on rice cereal/baby food for about another month - I hate baby food!!!

Avery and Griffin continue to be enthralled with their baby brother. Avery still loves to hold Graham, sings to him when he cries, and is the best pacy helper every, especially in the car. Recently, Griffin has started telling every person he sees that , "this is my friend baby graham." Too cute! Griffin is my official diaper thrower-awayer! He always says, "is it wet or poopy?" but takes it to the trash regardless of the answer!

Time is flying... but we're having fun!

3 months old, already?

Graham turns 3 months old today. Wow. It doesn't seem possible!

He is a very content and laid back baby thus far. Rarely has a major crying fit. He peeps a little when he's ready for a nap, but other than that, he's mainly smiles. He smiles and laughs a lot. Maybe we just offer him good material to smile about!

He seems to be getting the hang of sleeping just this week. Saturday night, he ate at 9 and then slept until 4:45; sunday night he ate at 9 and then slept until 5:15; and last night he ate at 9 and not again until 7 this morning (he woke up once but a pacy was all he needed).Praise the Lord!

He loves his play mat and smiles at the star as soon as it starts singing. We've also started using the bumbo seat - and unlike the other 2 - he loves it! He has always preferred to be upright so it works great for him. It also allows him to watch the other kids whom he finds very entertaining.

Happy 3 months old little man!

Graham @ 2 months

Graham turned 2 months old on Monday. That is really hard for me to believe. He now weighs 12 pounds, 13 ounces. We have continued to be transitioning fairly easily and are doing well. The hardest thing for me during this transition has been the inability to run errands. Its just not worth it to drag all the kids out for errand running. I depend on Brent to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work if I am desperate for something... and I have to do my running around on the weekends when I can leave someone at home with Brent!

Our little man is full of smiles and offers them freely. He even laughed at me a few days ago. Its so rewarding once babies start to interact like that - it makes them seem more human or something. And it just makes my heart smile to see!

Graham is very laid back and easy going and has yet to have a real screaming fit. (knock on wood.) He is on a pretty good schedule, eating every 3 hours (@ 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 9) and having his "awake time" and then a nap in between each feed. Our nights still vary but he normally wakes around 3 to eat. I am hoping our nights will continue to stretch out. He does most of his napping in his crib now, except his afternoon nap - that has been mommy/graham time since day 1! I lay on the couch and just let him sleep on me. He doesn't get too much undivided attention so I have really tried to use that as his special time.


Avery and Griffin have continued to be great big siblings. They love to get right up in his face and talk to him. Sometimes they even fight over who he is looking at! They love to hold, hug, kiss, and sing to Graham. He is quite entertained by the 2 of them!

All in all, I am amazed at how the time is flying by. I am excited to continue watching Graham grow and see his personality start to emerge.

6 weeks old already???

As of 2:30 this afternoon, Graham is officially 6 weeks old! I can hardly believe it. The last 6 weeks have flown by and have been a whirlwind! I can honestly say that I feel like we've made a pretty seamless transition. Not that life is 100% easy or anything - but not at all what I was anticipating. Granted, I feel like I need an extra set (or 2) of arms some days and I am definitely exhausted by the end of the day...but we haven't slowed down or missed a beat. We are very blessed to have friends and family who have given us tons of support - from fresh picked strawberries with chocolate to dip them in....to 3 weeks worth of dinners...to phone calls...to offers to hold or help out....its been wonderful.

Graham is doing great. Week 2-3 had its rough spots as we discovered that Graham is following in his brothers steps with reflux. We started him on Zantac at 3 weeks old and gave that a week to help...which it didn't. So after 4 nights of no sleep, our pediatrician switched him to prilosec...that seems to have done the trick. We are still sleeping upright in the bouncy chair but at least we are sleeping! I normally feed him at 9 and then put him to bed. We've even had 2 nights this week where I've only gotten up once to feed him.

Graham started smiling at about 4 1/2 weeks old which seemed early to me - but it has continued (and increased) so guess it was the real deal! He is making "talking" noises as well and is so cute! Graham has had full blown baby acne for 2 weeks now. I am a "picker" so this drives me crazy!! He hasn't been weighed since he was 2 weeks old and I am dying to know how big he is! I know he is growing because he has already outgrown a set of clothes!!!

The kids have continued to be great big siblings. Avery had a few weeks of meltdowns, starting about 2 weeks before Graham was born - but those seem to have stopped. And you would never know that Griffin had had any major life changes. They love to get all up in Graham's face and actually fight over who gets the closest. They continue to love helping with little tasks like getting diapers, finding pacifiers, picking socks, etc.

We made the long trip down to the gulf coast last week. We spent half of the week with Brent's family in Mobile, AL and spent the rest of the week at Grayton Beach with my family. The kids did great with all the driving - 12 hours each way. It was fun for Graham to meet most of his immediate relatives at such a young age. (He has met everyone except Brent's sister Cara and her fam in Birmingham and my brother Justin and his fam in Colorado. Not bad when you consider the size of our family!) This picture is of Graham and cousin Leland. (Garrett and Crystal's newest). She is about 2 weeks older than Graham.