Goodbye December

I clearly remember thinking… good riddance 2009! I was beyond ready to put that year past us. Now the time is drawing near to say goodbye to 2010. Another year that seemed to slip away.

So many people have observed Matthew and I with Grey and they always seem to advise… cherish these moments because they will be gone before you know it. There is much truth behind that statement. Lately I’ve been torturing myself with videos of Grey as a tiny infant. How do I watch these videos without getting that awful lump in my throat and yearning to hold his infant form? It makes me think of the quote… the good times of today are the sad memories of tomorrow. This isn’t always true but seems to fit how I feel about baby Grey. I love looking at the joyous photos, especially when we first brought him home, but then I am sad that it is gone. Sad that I cannot stop the clock- for just one minute.


Okay, enough with being sad that Grey isn’t a tiny baby that needs to be held by me every second. Grey is still on track and continues to amaze us! He’s really starting to talk! His favorite past time is to be carried around the house while pointing to objects saying, “I need that!” Oddly enough, he seems to need everything! I’m still convinced he is the world’s top Meddler. Matthew and I never got on board with all the baby protective stuff (I know it sounds bad) Well now all our cabinets are vulnerable to his curiosity. He’s masterful and can empty them in seconds! It is often that I find a pot or pan in my bedroom closet or my toothbrush in the toilet (icky!) And I won’t even rattle your nerves with the climbing stories… but its unreal.

Playing with his trucks: thanks Gigi and Poppie



One of the many familiar faces of December



We took Grey to Opryland to see the lights - the hotel is still amazing even after the May flood



Grey looks like a big boy in this pic - but he's not :)



We love you all and hope you had a wonderful year!

Pancakes in the Morning...

There are very few food items that Grey actually enjoys. However, we have identified one that he really likes... pancakes!!

We have pancakes sometimes for breakfast, lunch & dinner. We load up on the butter & syrup! Other than pancakes, he favors healthy foods like apples, grapes, strawberries and cheeses.

This morning we got up and made pancakes... again!

Family Photos

We recently traveled out to the farm for some family pictures. We had a fun time. Grey was intrigued by his surroundings! He loved the creek and desperately wanted to play in the water and leaves.

Below are some of my favorites









Grey Grey ending the shoot with a mini fit!

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

We at the Stokes house are fighting for the bulge! Greyson had his 18 month appointment yesterday. We also had a follow-up appointment with our nutritionist. The stats were not shocking… Grey is small for his age – to be expected. However, he’s a bit smaller than anyone of us would like. He weighed 18lbs 14 ounces. I have to admit I was a bit shocked to see the numbers. I was just telling a friend the other day that he weighed close to 20 lbs. I guess I was fantasying about someone else’s chubby little baby. Sitting across from the nutritionist discussing Grey’s diet in detail, I was beginning to have doubts. Am I doing all I can do? I should be working harder – I should be working smarter. Every bite needs to count! Every calorie is important. We decided to take Greyson off Neosure (high calorie infant formula) and begin giving him strictly Pedisure – 3 cans a day. He also needs to have 3 high calorie meals along with 2-3 snacks a day. I can tell you right now… this is more than he is interested in eating. At this time, Grey eats about 2 meals a day with numerous snacks throughout the day- however; these snacks may result in the consumption of 2 grapes. He is so picky and antsy when it comes time to eat.

I have my work cut out for me with this new challenge – I have to get creative! Last night he had a pedisure milk shake ( pedisure & pumpkin pie ice cream), tater tots with ketchup & mayo, lots of cheese and numerous sips of water. His little belly was probably turning. Grey’s newest obsession is my water glass - he demands sip after sip. Of course he chooses a zero calorie interest… sad.

We have also decided to proceed with having tubes placed in Grey’s ears. Middle ear fluid still exists in both ears. Last week we had our 3rd hearing screen and the results remained the same - middle-ear fluid pressing on the eardrum preventing it from vibrating normally, which keeps Grey from hearing properly. The test shows he can hear but not at normal levels. We’ve waited long enough and I feel tubes are a wise decision at this time. We have our surgery scheduled for Jan.

Well, that’s what’s new in our world.

City Street

City Streets

We spent Saturday running errands and strolling around downtown Nashville. Matthew and I both have a love for the city and I am especially interested in urban life. Living in a small downtown condo sounds ideal to me. I am especially interested in “walkable” options… we currently can’t walk anywhere, except the neighborhood pool. Maybe one day in the future I can convince my husband that urban life is for us. All 3 of us cramped into a tiny downtown condo- fighting for closet space – and alone time. I’d make the trade for a stress free commute and a within walking distance grocery!

We had lunch at Ru Sans and attempted to share some sushi bites with Grey – he wasn’t interested. He actually wasn’t interested in food at all today. Unfortunately, I think he is battling a cold and I pray it stays at the cold stage and doesn’t progress into something more serious. I was actually just researching foods for 18 month olds. I’m starting to feel like Grey eats the same things every week. Tater tots, grapes, strawberries, bananas, and peanut butter are the main foods of his diet – kind of lame. Of course I add the occasional squash, sweet potatoes and carrots but he’s gotten very picky. He’s not interested in my homemade baby food- which makes me a bit sad. He prefers to eat items that he can pick up or jab around with a fork or spoon. I think he has surpassed baby food. If anyone has any special toddler recipes or ideas to share- please pass them along. I do my best to introduce new foods but lately I’ve gotten boring in the kitchen.

Below are some pictures from our day. Yes- my hair is no longer blonde – a decision my hair dresser surprised me with this weekend…

The Bebes

Gigi recently had the babies’ pictures professionally taken by Robin Reed, Fullness of Grace Photography. She did a great job and managed to capture some fine photos of 3 active toddlers- I wasn’t there to witness this balancing act but I can imagine it was pretty impressive. We will treasure these pictures for years.

Grey Grey, TT & Maine Maine















I love these babies!

the barn

We are still getting settled into our new home. Now that all the unpacking is complete we’ve had the opportunity to pause and enjoy some details. I absolutely love our back porch. The view is so simple and peaceful. We are fortunate to not have any homes behind our house… just a country view. Matthew and I have been drinking coffee in the mornings and discussing the old remnants of a barn that still exists. This old barn is so cool. I would love to see an old picture of what the barn looked like in its prime years. Today we ventured out to get a closer look…





Of course Grey tagged along...









And then back to the porch again to rest and admire the old barn



You know, I'm tempted to contact the developer of our community just to let him know how much we enjoy the old barn. I’d be terribly sad if I woke to find it demolished and a new home foundation in its place.