All that Jazz

Yep, I’ve got another one of those posts that is a smorgasbord of cute antics and noteworthy tidbits that have been piling up for the past several weeks. 
So, let’s jump right in:

• Latest art projects:

• Latest water play pictures and video (I’m a sucker for any photo where Graham’s cute little legs are exposed) (2 years, 6 months, 4 days old):

• Most recent texted photos from Graham’s adventures out with Daddy.  Discovering a new park (2 years, 6 months, 8 days old) and blowing Mommy a kiss (2 years, 6 months, 26 days old):

• Oh, and this is what sometimes happens after one of Graham’s adventures with Daddy (2 years, 6 months, 10 days old):

• We hit some milestones! – Disclaimer: I may have blogged about several of these before, but since I can’t be sure, I wanted to include them with the exact dates:  Graham used both pedals on his tricycle to move it up and down the hall instead of scooting it along with his feet (2 years, 6 months, 22 days old).  Graham had his first full phone conversation with me: told me that he saw an engine pulling a train while on a walk with Daddy (2 years, 4 months, 5 days old).  Our little guy started using a nightlight – without the bright digital clock that was in the nursery, his new big boy room is just a little too dark (2 years, 7 months, 2 days old).  Graham took his first successful nap in his new big boy bed (2 years, 2 months, 10 days old), and 4 months later, he took his first nap without his SleepSack in his new big boy room (2 years, 6 months, 11 days old).  
• Graham hanging out at the last appointment with my doctor that he accompanied me to before starting preschool.  That toy cube saved us during many an appointment over the past several months (2 years, 6 months, 10 days old):

• In true Graham form, even when he is sick, Graham makes it easy on us.  He had a mystery 24-hour illness earlier this month.  Instead of being clingy and whiny, he slept in really late, woke up long enough to eat breakfast and then went back to sleep until past dinner time, woke up for some milk, and then slept through the night, waking up healthy and refreshed the next morning.  If I hadn’t been so worried about him, I could have enjoyed a relaxing day off.  
• Baby Boy Millington #2’s take-home outfit! – or at least one option we will be taking with us to the hospital.  At my latest doctor’s appointment, I was 2cm dilated and the Dr. said “it looks like you have a big baby.”:

• Latest favorite phrase: “if you want to.”  Graham will say things that he wants and then add, “if you want to” to make it seem like he is willing to do it but only if we want to.  Ex: “I’ll just have a little nectarine, if you want to,” “we can go on a walk maybe, if you want.”
• Graham has started enjoying nursery rhymes before bedtime.  Tonight he surprised me by finishing each line/singing it with me as we went through the different rhymes.  It was very sweet <3
• Graham’s favorite new activity – taking all the cushions off the couch and then driving his truck over the “bumpies.” (2 years, 6 months, 4 days old):

• We had fallen into a rut of going to McDonalds.  It is one of the only drive thru places in town, which is so convenient with Graham.  Graham is willing to eat the chicken McNuggets, and McDonalds is surprisingly low in calories, which has helped Nick with his diet.  Apparently, we were going a little too often, because Graham started saying things like “I want to go to Old McDonalds, right now,” and then reciting our order verbatim when we were in the drive thru line.  Graham threw up yesterday, probably unrelated to a recent McDonalds trip, but the correlation was still there, so we have vowed to end our McDonalds habit and now Graham insistently says “I don’t like to throw up, I don’t like chicken McNuggets, McDonalds is bad.” 
• The rooms have officially been switched and Graham is settling right in to his big boy room.  The nursery looks almost identical to when Graham moved into it (but I included a picture anyway) and the drawers are now full of newborn size clothing, tiny diapers, and a few special new outfits, blankets, and toys.  I’ve taken a bunch of pictures of Graham’s transition into his new room, including shots of what the room looks like (although somewhat still a work in progress) and pictures of Graham being a big boy and sleeping/waking up without his SleepSack then happily reading books by his bookcase before he calls for one of us to come get him (2 years, 6 months, 11 days old):

• What do doctors know?  We really like Graham’s pediatrician, but decided to ask for a referral to a dermatologist for Graham’s eczema (which he was diagnosed with, by the pediatrician, within his first few months of life) and a strep infection on his bum (which was unsuccessfully treated by the topical antibiotic that the pediatrician prescribed).  When the dermatologist examined Graham, he basically said that a topical antibiotic wouldn’t work for the strep and that Graham doesn’t have eczema, he has something else called Keratosis Pilaris – sheesh, would have been nice to know several years ago!  Basically, the keratosis pilaris is little bumps on the back of Graham’s arms that can also appear on his cheeks.  About 50% of all people have some form or another of keratosis pilaris, it is harmless and requires no treatment, has no cure, and usually resolves itself by adulthood :)  We can use exfoliating creams to smooth the skin, but the little bumps don’t seem to bother Graham at all, so right now, we are going to just leave them be.  The dermatologist prescribed an oral antibiotic that Graham took for 10 days, but the strep on his bum is still there, so now we are trying baking soda baths and hydrocortisone cream…  Updates to follow.  I got a cute picture of Graham (skin fully exposed) waiting for his appointment with the dermatologist (2 years, 6 months, 18 days old):

• While Daddy is doing testing with the Sonos, depending on what Graham thinks of the song, he will either clap and dance to the music or march over and mute the Sonos (much to Daddy’s dismay).  
• We still lock Graham’s door from the outside, so he can’t get out without our help.  When he wakes up, he usually entertains himself for a while, then knocks on the door when he is ready to come out.  He recognizes the sound of us unlocking the door, but if we actually open the door, he gets upset and says, “don’t do that!”  Once the door is unlocked, he likes to open it himself and peek around the corner, then he will smile and say, “come on in!”
• Daddy was jealous of Graham’s signature flap happy hat and wanted one of his own.  When it arrived, Graham opened the box and modeled, so we could send Daddy pictures of his new hat (2 years, 6 months, 23 days old):

• I guess it is worth noting that Graham had his first, well ever, middle of the night wakeup, since starting to sleep through the night.  In the middle of the night, he knocked on his door to come out and announced it was playtime, when I went to get him.  He was fairly easy to coax back to bed and he hasn’t done it again, but it gave me a reminder of what we are in store for when #2 arrives.  
• Awww, four roses from Nick for our fourth wedding anniversary (also highlighting our upcoming change to become a family of four) <3:

• When Graham starts to throw a tantrum, sometimes I will cry and say that it makes me sad that he is upset and he will stop his tantrum and say “no, don’t cry anymore, don’t worry, I still love you.”
• I heard Graham cracking up and when I went to investigate, I discovered that Graham and Daddy were playing basketball and every time Daddy made a shot, Graham would fall on the floor laughing and yell "nothing but net!"
• I can never resist a good set of corn-on-the-cob pictures (2 years, 7 months, 3 days old):

• We often refer to Graham’s meals as his feast (to help entice him to eat).  The other day, he heard the microwave beep and squealed with delight “my feast is ready!”
• Nick was cleaning up Graham’s dinner and removing his tray from his highchair.  Apparently, Graham wasn’t quite done, so he said “no, don’t do that Daddy, Daddy is a mean man.”  I explained to Graham that it wasn’t Daddy’s fault because I had told him to clean up, so Graham responded by saying “then Mommy is bad.”  We couldn’t help laughing :)
• Graham has started eating at the table (instead of in his highchair) about 50% of the time.  Doesn’t he look so proud of himself, being such a big boy at the table?! (2 years, 6 months, 8 days old):