Laundry Day

Today was laundry day. I normally LOATHE laundry. I loathe it so much, it is the reason we do not cloth diaper Grayson. But today, the laundry was not such a task.

Why?

Because I had a little extra help today.

Really cute help too.....

Where is Grayson?

Peek-a-boo

This is fun Mom!

I think we got it all? Anything left in there to fold?

Nope Mom- we are all good!

Grayson loves tagging along while I clean house. He motivates me to clean quickly too. I just put him on the floor and as he crawls and walks towards things, I go over and try and clean the area/pile before he gets to it. Yep, he has been quite the little motivator.

"A New Kind Of Family"

I remember an addiction I had to a certain show a while back. It was a great show, although, looking back- very "corny." Everyone on the show would have similar problems during the same episode, they would all learn a valuable lesson together. The father was a church leader, they preached the importance of waiting until marriage to have sex, yet addressed that teens do engage in this activity before marriage, and the consequences from it. The family loved each other through all these small problems, and even a rebel child who had to be sent to live with the grandparents. YEP- I was addicted to "7th Heaven"


"7th Heaven" now has reruns on ABC Family. I have taken the time to enjoy a few, especially a season I missed during a year without cable, while being a stay at home mom. Becuase of this viewing time, I have gotten to see commercials for the show on this network in the primetime.

Let's pause for a moment and think about the network's name.... ABC FAMILY.... One would imagine that such a network would show uplifting shows with good values, right?

Well, the current shows include : "Pretty Little Liars" "Secrets of the American Teenager" and the such. Each involves young teenage girls who gossip, spread rumors, have sex, often times very casually, and much of it is glamorized. And what is the networks slogan at the end of each commercial: "A New Kind of Family"

It is sad, that we now put on a "FAMILY" network, shows that actually glamorize the actions that are leading to the downfall of a healthy family and society. While it is reality that many teenagers do engage in such activities, there are still those who do not, or those who would not if it did not appear as though the consequences were non-existent on these shows.

I read an article somewhere that MTV actually thinks some girls are now TRYING to get pregnant as teenagers- for the stardom they may be able to find through shows such as their very own "Teen Mom."

The downfall of society begins with the values we teach our children...or rather DON'T teach our children. Should we shun a child that makes a bad decision...no. BUT- we should detour them to the best of our ability, from making such choices. We should help them seek uplifting entertainment that encourages the values and morals we want them to hold.

Satan has realized that the easiest way to destroy the family is from inside the home. While he can't just walk in the door, he has found two very easy entries from television and internet. Both are wonderful tools, but if not used with caution, can lead someone down a path that is destructive to the family and the soul.

I hope and pray that there will be a change in the hearts of man. That shows such as "Pretty Little Liars" will not be on networks that are marketed as "family" networks. I know they will never disappear, but I would hope that they would not be tied to a network that promotes FAMILY in their title or company.

8 Months Old

Yeah- Last minute picture of Grayson for his 8 month post.

I find it hard to believe that it is only 4 months until we will celebrate his 1st Birthday!

Grayson has had a CRAZY growth spurt this week! Leading to wanting 28-30 oz a day of Breastmilk/formula and solids all day long. We had 2-3 days of non-stop eating!!!!!

He now weighs in at 16 lbs 1 oz!!!! This seems so big to me. He just barely got into 3-6 month clothes last month and now, many of them are getting tight. A few 0-3 months still fit him, but only the brands that run REALLY big.

Grayson enjoys food right now. So, I suppose this picture is appropriate. He is enjoying the Gerber Puffs here. Oh, how I hate myself for those (actually these ones are the knock-off Parent's Choice brand). These things are filled with things he probably should not be getting yet- Gluten and Sugar....YUM!!!

I should really accept the fact that this is really such a small part of his diet, breastmilk is super sweet and packed with sugar (although natural), and it is something he really enjoys as he can feed himself, and it eases OUR minds because they melt as he chews them. He also is becoming open to purees- which he formerly despised. This is kind of nice because it is giving us a lot more options for food during the day. I am doing weight watchers now, so I make foods that are geared towards that, not always Grayson friendly. So purees are great for us during the day.

On to other milestones- Grayson has ditched the army crawl for real crawling. Well, usually. Sometimes he realizes that he can army crawl faster (maybe because he did it for over 2 months before moving on) and will drop down to the army crawl.

He has been pulling himself up to a standing position for quite some time now and has also been walking all around the living room using furniture.

Recently, he has taken a few steps every day with no support. However, he is not confident enough in himself to do anymore than that. I hope he continues to be timid with walking. I am not ready for him to be that mobile. He is already getting into everything!

Grayson has fought sleep a lot more since we returned from Texas. We have been trying to work on this, but after 2 weeks of trying to get him down for the night and him waking 30 minutes after he falls asleep, then fighting sleep for 2 hours, we have decided that we are going to go with the flow a little longer. However, during the middle of the night we are working to get him to realize he can put himself back to sleep and not comfort nurse every hour. Since we do not use "Cry It Out" this is taking some time, but we have seen improvement.

He is extremely talkative and has been playing with the words DaDa and MaMa- although I am still sure he has no idea what they mean.

Grayson has a sense of humor that is really starting to show through. He loves to make people laugh. He also has no problem letting you know if you have displeased him, taken away something he wants, not giving him food fast enough, etc. He loves to bounce on our legs and will bounce up and down if we stop- letting us know he wants to do it some more. He will dance to music (bounce up and down).

This has been a fun but exhausting stage. I have learned that mental and physical developments are so much fun, but also exhaust both baby and parents. I look forward to everything that we have yet to experience but am trying to treasure the here and now.

FOOD

Just wanted to share a few pictures of Grayson exploring food.
We have found Grayson has little interest in purees and so we are doing Baby Led Weaning/Solids. The name may be a little deceiving. (That is why I put Solids next to the word weaning) It is not about weaning from nursing. It is about how you introduce solids. It is a way of skipping purees for the most part and letting your child lead you in starting soft, solid foods that are in managable bite sizes. Letting the child learn to feed themselves. Now, we do give Grayson oatmeal and some purees- but not many.
Grayson is quite fond of bananas if they are the real thing and not purees. He refuses to eat pureed bananas.

However, his face today when we gave him broccoli was just too funny. I had to get the camera out. This is after about his 5th taste that I was able to catch one of his expressions on camera. After that he was not even willing to put the broccoli in his mouth. I guess we will try again another time.

He is also learning to use a sippy cup. I am not a fan of the ones with handles. For some reason they always seem like a step backward to me. Bottles do not have handles and regular cups do not have handles so why would I want to give him a sippy cup with handles.

Avent does make an insert for their bottle to replace the nipple and turn it into a sippy cup. So we bought some of those. The best thing- the water will not come out if you are biting!!!! Hoping that will help detour him from biting too much once he gets his top teeth in (during breastfeeding that is).

I must say, I never thought I would be on the *crunchy* side of parenting. So many of our parenting choices have suprised us. Baby Led Weaning is one such choice.

Top Moments of 2010- Part 3

4) Halloween

We enjoyed our Halloween this year as we were able to dress Grayson up (as Mickey Mouse thanks to Terrie) and go to the ward party, family members homes, and a few friend's houses. Mike used this as an excuse to collect candy for him to eat.

Mike and I decided we wanted to dress up a little as well so we had our friends bring us back a few accessories from Disney World. This is not a very good picture but it will do.

This was at Carma's office on Friday before Halloween.

3) Christmas

The first Christmas of a child- particularly a family's first- is more fore the parent's than the child. We were so excited that Grayson was old enough to help open his presents, crawl around, and enjoy the toys and other gifts he was given without too much help from Mommy and Daddy. However, I think we will enjoy watching him next Christmas even more.

Since I just posted pictures from this a few posts back- I think I will leave this moment pictureless.

2) TEXAS 2010!

We LOVE our friends The Bolander Family. We were so sad to see them move from Boise. However, we have enjoyed visiting them in Texas a few times. It is nice for us to escape the cold and head somewhere warm. We lucked out- Boise had some pretty cold temperatures while we were gone, and Texas stayed warm until about 2 hours after we were dropped off at the airport.

I learned a lot from the trip to Texas-

I will not take a baby who is teething, fights sleep and sleeps well in their own bed on a trip where they willl share a bed with mom and dad, be completely sleep deprived, and have to suddenly adjust to 5 kids who adore him, ever again.

Ok- I probably will, but needless to say, we are still trying to get Grayson to sleep in his own crib again, he is not napping well AT ALL, and has become SUPER CLINGY ever since the trip.

1) May 20, 2010

The Birth Of Grayson

Was there any doubt that this would be #1?

Grayson blessed us with his arrival on May 20th and has continued to bless our lives every day since.

He looks every bit like a Farrar but acts every bit like his Daddy.

He is a complete ham, extremely active, attentive (which is the only thing that resembles me and NOT Mike), and curious about the world around him. He enjoys walking along furniture, crawling, books, and any toys that he can make move, light up, or make sound.

To read Grayson's birth story CLICK HERE

2010 was definitely a year of changes, adventure, and BLESSINGS!

We look forward to 2011 and all that it holds.

Top Moments of 2010- Part 2

7. Road Trip-

When Grayson was just shy of 2 months old we took him, along with my parents, on his first road trip. We went to Omaha, NE and visited Winter Quarters- This is where my parents served their first mission- We also visited the Henry Doorley Zoo. If you have never been to this zoo- it in itself is worth the trip. It is AMAZING!!!!! We also went to Mnt Rushmore and Cody, WY where we visited the Buffalo Bill museum.

It was a great trip, Grayson did well, but I don't think I will do a 8 day roadtrip with only 1 day not driving, with a 2 month old again. However, it gave Grayson the claim that he had been to 7 states before he was 2 months old.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE POST FROM THIS TRIP

6. Last day at the J-O-B!!!

May 5th was so surreal to me! I couldn't believe that day was finally here. It was the last day at my job at Shearer & Bonney, PC- Attorneys at Law!

I still go back, with Grayson, and visit the old job and the last time I was there, I even trained a gal on something...LOL! At times, I miss getting up and ready everyday and going to work, but I would never give up this opportunity to stay home with Grayson.

5. May 12th comes and goes!

Yep, May 12th, my due date, came and went! I felt no hurry to push Grayson out before his due date, but being anti-induction, I began feeling a bit anxious. Between that and the constant emails, texts, and Facebook messages asking if I had gone into labor yet. I began walking, using the birthing ball, and so much more to encourage Grayson to drop and labor to begin. However, none of it seemed to help. I never got to the point of being "done" being pregnant, maybe that is why none of this worked.

Taking a little break

I am taking a little break from the family blog. I will probably be back within a week or so, but right now I am focusing on getting healthy and a few other things so taking the time to do lengthy posts is not at the top of the list. So yeah, the top ten moments- well, they will be put on hold.
Hope everyone is enjoying this new year and using it to accomplish the goals they have set.

Top Ten Moments of 2010- Part 1

Well, Grayson is napping and I honestly don't feel like doing much- so I figured I could start my Top Ten Moments of 2010!

#10- Farrar Family Reunion

This year we had the first ever Keith & Mary Farrar Family Reunion. Last year, my sisters were kind enough to nominate me (haha) to organize it. Of course- this was before I was expecting Grayson. So, organizing this and preparing for him was a lot of fun (plus other things I had to organize for).

Everyone made it except Eric and his family, and some of Merlin's kids. Hopefully next year EVERYONE will make it!

One of the best memories (besides Madison (Alicia's little girl) telling us how she is "Lovin on Michael (Jackson)") was when Mike and Ryder took the canoe out. There were AWFUL winds and yes- they swam it back. Here are some pictures of them emptying out the canoe and draining the items that were soaked/full of water.

#9- Sienna Visits

I love every year when we get to spend time with Mike's niece- Sienna! This year it was a little more low key then in the past. No roadtrips anywhere. Since I had left my job and stayed at home, we didn't have to worry about Mike and my mother-in-law Kathe getting days off so someone would be home to watch Sienna either.

Sienna was a great help to me with Grayson. I also enjoyed taking her out to the park, zoo and Discovery center (a museum/activity science center).

Sadly- I am not able to locate the memory card that has the 2-3 pictures of her visit here. I had actually taken SEVERAL pictures but my memory card was on the fritz and they ended up being "warped"

#8- Great Grandmas!

Grayson met both his Great Grandmas this summer.
Grayson met my Grandma Farrar at 2 months on the way home from his first roadtrip.

2-3 Weeks later he met Mike's Grandma Hayward when we were picking up Sienna. This picture was taken when we brought her back to Lewiston.

I feel blessed that we were able to take him to meet both his living Great Grandmas

I am sorry to say that Poppy- Mike's grandpa who raised him was not able to hold Grayson on this earth as he passed away in August. However, I am grateful for the knowledge that one day he will be able to be with Grayson.

The Rumors Aren't Always True

There is a popular rumor that goes around about Breastfeeding. That rumor- that you lose weight super fast while breastfeeding. I LOVED that! I was looking forward to the weight just coming off after I had Grayson.
Well, fast forward to actually having him....
First off- I had a c-section...so my hard core workouts were put on hold due to the incision. Second- I did lose 30 pounds within a month of Grayson being born. This seems minor, until you understand, I only gained 10 pounds while pregnant. I was SUPER excited with my lower weight, my pre-pregnancy clothes fitting better than before I conceived, and the fact I was doing it without hard core exercise.
Well, as I am quite open about- having PCOS/IR made it hard to establish a good milk supply. During one of my many visits to the local LC we discussed what I was eating. She kindly, but firmly, explained that my weightloss was great- but if I wanted to get my supply up, I needed to be eating more. I was hardly eating 1300 calories at the time. A breastfeeding mother needs a minimum of 1500 calories- preferably closer to 1800, to maintain her supply.
So, sadly, as I increased my calorie intake- I gained back all 30 pounds (remember again- I only gained 10 while pregnant). I promised myself I would not worry about it until Grayson was at least 6 months old. Well, he hit 6 months and then it was Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving I started thinking a lot about my weight. Every time I have tried to lose weight while Breastfeeding, my supply has tanked. By this time I was so down about my weight I was ready to wean if I had to start in January. However, Grayson started asking to nurse and both of us were enjoying the nursing sessions. SO, I was torn.
A visit to my OB, the LC, and a lot of research later- and I am positive there is a happy middle ground.
SO- I am beginning my weightloss journey. Hence, the ticker on the side of the blog. I actually started making some changes about 2 weeks ago and have lost 4 pounds already! My goal is to be down the 30 pounds I gained back by the time Grayson is 1.
I know a lot of people have their miracle diets, etc that they are using right now. I am happy that they have found something that works for them. However, one thing I have noticed, that in my personal opinion, these diets do not follow my personal guideline of what is healthy (The Word of Wisdom found in D&C Section 89), and with much prayer, I knew these diets were not in line with that guideline. I will be using that scripture as my guideline for my foods. Eating mostly fruits and vegetables, then whole grains and lastly meats. I feel the Lord knows what is best for the bodies that he designed for us, and so I will follow what he has set forth as healthy living standards.
I plan on doing Zumba (I have the original DVDs) and walking 3-4 days a week with a friend while her oldest daughter is in school.
Other than that, I hope to just be healthy in my choices, avoid junk foods and find small ways to be more active.
I normally don't share these goals, worried that it will be humiliating when I publicly fail...but that is just giving myself an out. If I share these goals, then I know I will need to succeed as others will be watching me.
So- what are your goals for 2011?

It Looks Like:

Just a quick thought-
It looks like Toys R Us threw up in my living room....
Grayson sure was spoiled by his Aunts this Christmas.

Grayson's First Christmas Part 1

Just wanted to post a few random Christmas pictures. But I felt I should give a little summary of events too.

So here it is. On Christmas Eve we went up to Carma & Amanda's house in the mountains (near Idaho City) to celebrate. It was a lot of fun. Good food, games, great company.

Here is a picture of Grayson with Aunt Joyce.

We played Christmas Carol Pictionary. This is my older brother Brian taking his turn.

Grayson enjoyed the wrapping paper, ribbon, and tissue paper!

He was spoiled plenty. We headed home and he slept the drive down. So, when we got home he was WIDE AWAKE! We tried to go to bed around 11:40, during which time Santa arrived, but Grayson was still not sleepy- so he opened Santa presents at 12:10 am.

He did a great job opening most of his gifts.

He finally fell asleep around 1:45 am and then woke up to eat around 3:30. After that we all slept (with one more nursing session in there) until 9:00 am.

I am quite tired (I actually have the stomach flu today) so I think I will end there for tonight.

Merry Christmas from the Robins Family

7 Months and Mobile- VERY MOBILE

Grayson is 7 months old today! I feel like time is just speeding by. I realized, some of the things that entertained him when he was little are just plain boring now. Funny things he used to do- he hasn't done in weeks, or even months.
Here are the stats:
Grayson is weighing in at 14.5 pounds and is just under 25" tall.
He is just now starting to really fit into 3-6 month clothes, although many 0-3 month Carters still fit him (but that brand runs very long)
He has one tooth that is completely broken through the gum and it's friend is making it's way through right now...Looks like he will be getting his two front teeth for Christmas

Latest Tricks Milestones:
Crawling- very quickly
Pulling himself to a standing position
Walking along the edge of the couch, mom, dad, diaper cases, and anything else that is the right height
Getting into EVERYTHING
Leaning himself up to get out of the car seat
"Headbanging" his head in the direction of something he wants
Slapping his hand on things
Saying "neh-neh" when he wants to nurse

His Current Interests:
Mickey Mouse
Books- LOVES BOOKS
Anything he can bang on
Getting into things he shouldn't be- cords, plastic bags of groceries, the Christmas presents
Dancing around the house with mommy

Food front:
Not to interested in purees anymore, although Oatmeal is still yummy
Loves the puffs that melt while they chew them
Loves bread, bananas, mashed potatoes, tiny pieces of apple
Still mostly breast/bottle fed

Now, for the best part- Pictures! He is such a ham and talking all the time!

I have given up on trying to keep him from walking too early. Others are pushing him to walk so there is no point in Mike and I trying to slow him down.

Also, he has gotten to the whiny momma's boy clingy phase. Half the time he won't even go to Mike. He just wants his mama! So, that sad sigh from a 3-4 months ago when he no longer wanted to just be held....yeah, now replaced with the, "Please let me just get some lunch without you crying because you can't see/touch me."

This age is fun, exhausting, and entertaining. I hope that time will start to slow down a little after Christmas so I can just enjoy this time with him.

Standing

So Grayson has been pulling himself to a standing position for a while now. Unfortunately, I have never caught it on video and now he is really fast at it. He has also started trying to go from one item to another! I need him to SLOW DOWN! I think he has inherited his Uncle Eric's daredevil-gotta-get-moving gene. Hoping he is not RUNNING by 9 months like Eric! YIKES!
Anyways, normally he is too fast for me to get the camera and catch him pulling himself up on video but he had fallen a few moments ago and bumped his head on the floor so he was moving more carefully this time. He had only gotten to his knees before I could start filming.
Ignore my messy floor. We are still decorating (hence the box of ornaments) and had toys all over to keep Grayson entertained...but I guess standing with a box of diapers is more entertaining.