The Great Outdoors

Right before Thanksgiving, we decided to go camping for Mike's 3oth birthday. We left on a Saturday morning and camped at Lake Somerville (one of the only campgrounds in Texas without a burn ban). Joe, Lacey, and Jeff were able to join us and we had a blast! We were definitely a little nervous taking a toddler camping, but Greyson had the best time ever. He napped fine, and slept through the night. We had so much fun, we can't wait to go again! However, we did decide we better invest in a little bigger tent, as I don't think 2 pack and plays are going to fit in our 4 man tent!

15 Months

This post is long overdue considering the fact that Greyson is 15 1/2 months now, but oh well...I do what I can.

At 15 months, Greyson is:

30.5 inches long (50%)

24.12 lbs. (50-60%)

Greyson is learning new words every day. Some of his new favorites are no (with the head shake and all), more, shoe, sock, star, snack (nack), outside (side), and door. He now knows most of his main body parts and will point them out to you when asked, and will even say some of them as well (eyes, head, hair, nose, feet, hands, mouth, ears, tongue, belly button, and even his you know what).

He is becoming much more independent! Runs every where, wants to feed himself with a spoon or fork (although he is still very messy), and definitely knows how to express himself when he doesn't want something or when he does.

He is as much a joy to be around as ever and especially loves his daddy! Often times he'll be eating dinner in his high chair and will see Mike's car pull into the driveway, to which he responds Daddy, Daddy! What a great thing to witness!

A baby on the way!!!!!!!!!

Just in case some of you don't already know, we are having another baby!!!!!!! Greyson is going to be a big brother, and we are so excited! I am 15 weeks along and the new addition is due on May 19th. I am very glad to be out of the first trimester as it was a very rough 12 weeks for me! I was sick all the time and most days I was sick 2 or more times...so, needless to say I am so excited to be in my 2nd trimester. I had morning sickness with Greyson, which I thought was pretty bad, but that paled in comparison to this one. The baby is doing well and is right on track. Oh, and we are going to be surprised this time around and not find out the sex. I am excited about waiting, but it won't be easy for me since I'm not exactly the most patient person!

Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!!

These pictures are long overdue! Greyson was a rooster for Halloween and loved his costume. We went to a neighbor's for early dinner and then continued to trick-or-treat with cousin Brody, Aunt Sheryl, and Uncle Toby. Greyson had a great time!!! He loved riding in the wagon and walking up to the door at each house. He even tried to go into a couple of houses! He's definitely not shy! Unfortunately he has been plagued with the stomach virus 3 times in the last 2 months, and actually got it the next night. He is doing much better, and will hopefully be well for a while!!!!

Crockpot Mondays

Mondays nights are our swimming lesson nights, so we typically don't have time to prepare anything for dinner. These have become our crockpot nights which has made it a lot easier on us these days. I made this one yesterday and it is definitely a keeper! The whole family enjoyed it. We hope you enjoy it too!

Crockpot Shepherd's Pie

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I used the instant since I was short on time and didn't have any leftover--I recommend the brand that's ingredients are just potatoes and butter--no additives like the others)
1 lb. ground turkey or beef (I used turkey)
2 cloves garlic, chopped (I minced, since it was easier)
2 cups frozen veggies (I used peas and corn, but you could use anything)
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika (and a bit more for garnish)
1 cup water
2 cups shredded cheddar

Brown meat and onion on stove and drain any fat. Toss meat with spices and garlic before placing in the crockpot.

Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray. Put meat in crockpot and stir in frozen veggies, and a cup of water. Add two cups of cheese on top. Press the mashed potatoes down on top of the cheese and meat. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hrs or high for 3 hrs, then remove lid and cook on high for 30 minutes to release the condensation and allow the potatoes to brown a bit on top.

13 and 14 months old

Greyson's 14 month old birthday is today! We skipped posting for the 13th month, so here are some of the new things Greyson is doing:

* Greyson is talking a ton! He says: Mama, Dada, ball, meow (or ow--just tonight Mike was reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" to him, and after he was done reading to him, Greyson opened the book to the cat page and says "Meow"--it was so cute!!!!), bye bye, hi, bat, eyes, mouth, apple, baby, night-night, down (this is his favorite--he says it even when he wants up--we are working on the word up)
* Greyson loves to shake his head no
* He follows directions quite well (when he wants to)
* He loves giving kisses
* Greyson loves playing hide and seek
* He loves to give high fives
* He has a very healthy appetite
* Greyson can point to his belly button, mouth, and eyes when asked where they are. He can also say the words to go along with them (although belly button sounds more like "be be butn")
* Greyson is such a delightful boy! He has always been an easy going child and continues to be. I think he definitely has a lot of Mike in him in that respect!!!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins

A couple of weekends ago, we visited a pumpkin patch in Elgin. Greyson had tons of fun, despite the heat!

Riviera Maya without child

In late September, Mike and I took a trip to Mexico without our little man. It was much more difficult leaving him than we had imagined! He stayed with my mom (Grandmother) a few days, and with Mike's parents (Grandma and Grandpa) a few days. Apparently, he was great for them and even learned a few new tricks like saying, "E-I-E-I-O". Our vacation was wonderful! The resort was awesome! Not to mention the sleeping in! Thanks so much Grandmother, Grandma and Grandpa! Here are a few pics from our amazing trip:

El Dorado Royale Resort

Mike and me at the beach

A night out in Playa del Carmen

Road Trip

In September we went down to San Antonio to visit Grandma, Grandpa, and Grandmother. We also celebrated our friend Jason's 30th birthday. Happy Birthday Jason!

I love this picture of Greyson! He loves Grandpa's old pedal cars and is definitely ALL boy!

We are back!!!

Its been a while, so check out all of our latest posts to get up-to-date!

Naked Cowboy

Mike has been having fun breaking out the guitar lately. Greyson absolutely loves it! Last night, since he has a pretty bad diaper rash, we decided to let him dance around in the buff.

Fun with Brody

We babysat our nephew, Brody last Saturday. Grey and he had so much fun! They were chasing each other around the house all night. It was so cute to watch them interact. We love the fact that they live so close!!! Here they are...

" Look Mom and Dad, Brody taught me how to climb the hearth!"

A two man band

Bathing with Brody is so much more fun!

Fall is on its way

Since the weather's been really nice, we've been enjoying time outside....

Greyson now knows the word outside...the minute you say it, he runs to the door and starts pounding on it! We'll have to start spelling it now!

Peek-a-boo

Look Mom, I found a rock and an acorn!

I love to climb!!!!

Mom, the leaves are turning!

What's been happening

I've been really bad about posting to the blog lately, so here's the run down of what we've been up to lately:


Labor day, we went for a run on Lady Bird Lake and enjoyed a picnic afterwards.

Daddy and Grey on the lake

Proud Mama

Mmm...Mom, this KFC is finger licking good!

Candids of Greyson

A few weeks ago Greyson, Mike, and I had our pictures taken by a photographer by the name of Nicole Whelan. Today we got the pictures back, and they are awesome. We couldn't be happier! She was great! Here are a couple of my favorites. To view the rest, look here:

http://greysonsphotos.shutterfly.com/

See more of Nicole's photos on her blog at http://www.nicolewhelanphotos.blogspot.com/

We highly recommend her!

San Diego

Last weekend, I travelled to San Diego to honor my Aunt Nancy's life. While there, I was able to spend time with lots of family (my mom, cousins, cousins children, etc.). Given the short trip, Greyson stayed home with Daddy. They had a great time too. They swam, watched football, visited Lowes, and played outside a ton!

The Fam

Mom and me

***Pictures to follow of Mike and Grey's weekend***

Great Salad Recipe

Roasted Vegetable Salad w/ Goat Cheese

This was fantastic and refreshing! I doubled the recipe, since it only makes enough for one.

Ingredients
Serves 1
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch matchsticks (I used baby carrots)
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small red onion, cut into wedges, layers separated
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon sherry or balsamic vinegar
1 small head Boston lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (1 ounce)
Directions
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots, zucchini, and onion with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
Roast until vegetables are tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing once.
In a serving bowl, whisk together vinegar and remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce, and toss. Top with roasted vegetables and goat cheese.

Helpful Hint
Goat cheese is a smart choice for cheese lovers. It's lower in fat than most cow's-milk cheeses and is a good source of calcium and protein

Courtesy of Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Portraits

We had pictures of Greyson taken this evening. It was lots of fun, but he kept Mommy very busy!!! Here are a few of my favorites:

A New Man

Greyson had his first haircut last night! This was both a sad and exciting time for Mike and I. Sad because our baby boy no longer looks like a baby! But, exciting too because he looks really cute with his new hair-do! Am I the only one that thinks the 1st haircut is emotional? Probably, but oh well! Enjoy the pics!

Before

Nothing like a little lollipop bribery

Spitting image of Daddy

You'll always be Mommy's baby!!!

1 year Stats

Here are Greyson's 1 year stats:

Weight: 22 lbs. and 12 ounces --50th%
Height: 30 inches --50th%
Head: 48.3 cm --90-95th% (must be the brains!!!)

Greyson has started whole milk and loves it!!! He has also transitioned from the bottle to the sippy cup completely with no problems.

First Birthday

Greyson's 1st Birthday!!!!!

Our friends, Katie, Trevor, and their son Miller, as well as Greyson's 2nd Uncle Jeff, came and stayed with us on Friday night which was a blast!!! The guys helped Mike with yard work on Saturday morning before the party (thanks Trevor and Jeff) and Katie and I had a fun time icing cupcakes and hanging out with Miller and Greyson. Didn't we Katie? Big laugh!

Greyson started out a bit grumpy on his big day (thanks to an ear infection which was later detected this Monday at our well check visit), but he quickly came around when the cake was put in front of his face, and everyone began singing Happy Birthday! We had such a great time! Thanks for coming everyone, and thank you for all of the wonderful birthday gifts for our little boy! He is loving each and every one of them. Here are some photos from the big day:






***If you have pics from the party, we would love to see them!!!***

Feliz Compleanos a ti

ONE! Wow! Our little Grey turned ONE today! At 6:35 a.m. last year, Greyson Michael Martin arrived. What an amazing year it has been! Here's the short story on our little boy:

*Greyson is a very HAPPY baby. Mike and I were talking the other day and we were wondering how he stays so happy all of the time. He falls, he gets back up and smiles. Even when he's sick, he's still a laughing machine.

*Greyson is a very active boy. He took his first steps in his 10th month and walks everywhere.

*Greyson loves to eat. Some of his favorites are: watermelon, bananas, grapes, Gerber pasta pick-ups, Gerber stars, cranberry roast, chicken, peaches, pears, peas, carrots, YoBaby yogurt (he actually laughs hysterically when you pull this out of the fridge). Some of his NOT so favorites are: Gerber weenies, and avocado (I know! So sad. We are working on this one!). I'm sure there are a few more, I just can't think of them right now.


*Greyson loves anything outdoors. He loves collecting. Acorns, rocks, sticks, you name it! Oh no, Daddy and I are in for a treat. Add one more pack-rat to the clan.

*Greyson loves books!!! Greyson's favorite book is 10 Little Ladybugs. He loves to touch the raised surfaces of the ladybugs and loves to point them out when you ask him to.

*Greyson's words are: Dada, Mama, cat, book, down, done, "I love you"-see my previous post on this, Uh-oh (he loves this word!!!!),hi, bye, and apple.

*Greyson's got rhythm! He loves to dance. His dancing consists of tilting his head back and forth and bouncing up and down. He will even dance on command!

*Greyson loves our cats, Berkeley and Stanford! He chases after them, loves to pet them (otherwise known as, pulling their fur and yanking their tails), and sometimes just laughs hysterically at them for no reason whatsoever.

*Greyson still naps twice a day (once around 9 a.m. and the other around 2 p.m.)

We love our little boy so much! I can't imagine our lives without him. Happy Birthday Grey!

***Greyson's party is tomorrow, so stay tuned for more pictures and details. We also have Grey's 1 year well check on Monday, so we will have the latest stats then.***