Our big project this week was mastering getting Graham to go to bed in his crib, and we made it! It gradually got a little easier each night. He has definitely learned that "night-night" means to lay down in his crib, but he likes to have his back rubbed for a little bit to help fall asleep, but that appears to be doing the trick. Most nights he is sleeping through the nights, 10 hours or so, but now if he does stir, just rubbing his back seems to settle him right back down. So, we are very excited that he feels comfortable and happy falling asleep in his crib at night.

On Monday morning we will go back for the re-check on his ears and hopefully that will all be good. He did finish up his medicine so that was good. He is starting to get a little bolder about standing on his own and taking steps here and there, but he hasn't taken off completely yet, but it does seem like he is getting closer every day.

On Sunday, we went to church with Michelle, Al, Adam and Dean's parents in Blacksburg to attend cousin Adam's confirmation. It was a nice service and then we had lunch at their house afterwards. Then, after that we got to visit Brad and Kelly and Grey as they newly arrived back in Virginia, settling in Christiansburg. So, a big day of visiting. Graham had lots of fun playing, but was very tired at the end of the day!

And, finally, Halloween arrives this week. Graham is going to come trick or treating at my office and then we will also visit the neighborhood. He is a Pirate this year, but no luck getting him to pose in the hat! Maybe on Halloween, I will have more luck! And, I guess mommy and daddy will eat all his treats! ha!

Graham seems to be over the ear infection and just has a few more days left on the new medicine, so far so good. We take him back in next week for a re-check on the ears, and hopefully they will be all clear. His appetite wasn't affected, he continues to try all kinds of new foods at daycare and has found a few favorites that he likes at home. His favorite veggie seems to be peas and he is all about carbs, bring on the bread and potatoes!

Right now, we are working on putting him to bed in his crib awake. After he stopped wanting to be rocked to sleep with a bottle a month or so ago, we started putting him down with a sippy cup of milk in his bouncy and then after he fell asleep, I would go in and transfer him to his crib. So, now, he isn't taking quite as well to falling right asleep in his crib. He has started doing that at naptime at daycare, so hopefully, he will get the hang of it at home too.

We spent Saturday at home taking it easy (first time in awhile). Then, on Sunday, we went to church and then met my parents and some visiting family from Tidewater on the parkway at Explpore Park for a picnic lunch. It was lots of fun and a gorgeous day for it. Dean suggested that we load up Graham's new four wheeler and take it with us and he enjoyed driving it around in the leaves. And, it made for a great photo shoot!

Stay tuned....Halloween pics coming next week!

We are officially DONE with bottles! Graham started going down consistently for his mid-day nap on Tuesday without a bottle and we havent had to give him any at home either! So, I have packed them all away! It seemed to go pretty smooth, I guess since we did it really gradual eliminating a bottle at a time and / or converting them to cups, so that apparently did the trick and he doesnt seem to miss them one bit!

On Thursday afternoon, daycare called and needed me to come get Graham because he had a high fever, 101.7, then 102.2 by the time I got there, so we went to the doc and got our first ear infection of this season! They got his weight and he was a whopping 24.7 pounds. She gave us augmentin and we headed home. He threw up after dinner Thursday night and a couple times early on Friday, but then seemed to be doing okay. He stayed home with Dean on Friday. And, even with being sicky, he was okay without bottles! He was fever was down by Friday morning too.

We had a big day on Saturday! We met some friends and their two kiddos at Sinkland Farms Pumpkin Patch in Christiansburg. It was amazing. We went on a hayride to the pumpkin patch and there were tons of pumpkins to pick and lots of photo opps! Then, rode the tractor and wagon back to the main area and checked all the pumpkins and had some kettle corn. We watched the pony rides and visited the farm animals. It was a really neat place and a gorgeous day!

Then, we met Deans mom and dad at their new house site and then went out to lunch and back to Aunt Michelles house for a visit. We enjoyed visiting with everyone. Graham slept all the way home, he was wore out!

We did start to notice some little red bumps on Grahams face and belly on Saturday afternoon and called and talked to the nurse. She talked the doc and the plan was to stop the augmentin and bring him on Sunday morning. So, we did that. His ears seemed to hurt him some during the night Saturday night and the doctor confirmed on Sunday that they are still infected and he gave us a different antibiotic to start on Monday and some eardrops for the pain. So, he wrote in his chart that he is allergic to augmentin. He goes back for a re-check for his ears in two weeks. He has also lost 4 ounces and was back down to 24.3, probably because of the throwing up and not eating as well that first couple days of the infection. So, we are hoping that this new med will do the trick!

I finally got all caught on the photo albums, so be sure and check them out!

Well, we spent last week recuperating from the party! Graham loves all his new toys and books. He hasnt gotten to wear many of new clothes yet since they were mainly fall clothes and it was still so warm, but looks like it wont be long now and he will be wearing them!

Graham had his big one year doctors appointment on Wednesday. He weighed in at 24.2 pounds, 69th percentile and 31.5 inches, 92nd percentile, they continue to maintain that he will be a tall boy! We talked about eating and bottles and biting and walking and all. Then, he got FOUR shots, MMR, Chickenpox, Hepatitis and half the flu shot. Then, we went to the lab across the street and had a vile of blood drawn. They do a standard lead test, but the doc also wants to do some allergy testing since he has stayed so congested. The test if for wheat, eggs and milk. Hopefully, the tests will turn out fine! He screamed for the shots and then calmed down and then screamed in the lab, then calmed down. But, he went on it to daycare and played and ate and napped like nothing ever happened so that was good!

We are completely transitioned to whole milk and he seems to like it just fine. So, NO more formula! It sure is a lot easier to pour some milk in a sippy cup than to make up a bottle of formula! We have eliminated the bedtime bottle and all that leaves is the one for his big mid-day nap. A couple days we have done without it and a couple days he has had to have it. So, hopefully, pretty soon, we will be rid of that one too and officially be all done with bottles!

Everything is about the same with walking and eating. He still would rather crawl and climb than walk, although he is standing alone a little more. And, he is still trying new table foods while also eating his jars too. Every time I buy jars I think it is gonna be the last time and then I end up buying more!

We had a pretty busy weekend. On Saturday, we went to a Blessing of the Animals at our church. Of course, Graham LOVED looking at all the doggies. Then, on Sunday, Dean played the organ for both services at church. Then, after church, Mama and daddy stopped by on their way from the beach and had lunch with us. So, that was nice.