We are CRAWLING! CREEPING! AND CRUISING!

....and getting into EVERYTHING! :) Maybe I can blame the lack of posting on that?

So Friday, October 26, 2012, during Beckett's physical therapy appointment, he took his first crawling on hands and knees (which they call creeping) "STEPS"  YAY! Let's just say the whole room was cheering! And sure enough, then Kelli asks me if he is cruising (which I haven't really been trying because we wanted/needed him to crawl first), and he DOES THAT TOO! He even started bridging the gap (being brave going from couch to ottoman, etc.)

SO. SO. Thankful. I am so proud of my Beckett boy. He CRAWLS pretty much all the time now, and pulls up on EVERYTHING! It's so cute seeing his tiny little self trying to act all grown up. So he is now 10 months adjusted age, and around 13 months chronological age. Pretty good, I'd say.

This past week, he also had a bit of a cold. I don't know why I'm not fully convinced that it wasn't a full-fledge cold, but I'm not. BUT Beckett did great. No labored breathing. Just runny nose, productive cough. Wasn't sleeping well, but still ate pretty decent. So I was super proud of him. Now it seems Ellie has gotten another cold. She and Davis are asleep right now, which is why I have some time to write. Beckett may or may not be playing with Ellie's princess haircare set, which she always snatches out of his hands with great force. That's right, buddy, chew on that brush and flat iron while she is sleeping! ;) She will never know!

Things have just been going so well here. I think it also helps that in November, I've been doing the Days of Thankfulness. Sure changes your heart posture to really appreciating the things God has blessed us with in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for. So. much. As Beckett continues to grow, and get into things more and more...it just amazes me as I sit back and realize how far he has come. He's so boy, and I love it. He is definitely keeping me on my toes, but I wouldn't want it any other way!

Even if you don't post it on Facebook, or a blog...would you just identify one thing you are thankful for each day the rest of the month? Ellie and I made a "thankful tree" and so each day we put leaves on it with the things we are thankful for. This is definitely something I want Ellie to grasp...we have so much to be thankful for. She does get it...but she is also four...hey we gotta start somewhere. So here's Ellie's thankful list: God who saves me at night when I'm scared, Colors, The color Red, Dad, Beckett, I whom I love (which I think was inspired by an Awana verse), Aunt Audrie, and Davis Dore. :)

Here's my list:
Day 1: Jesus, who gives us hope, heals and loves us unconditionally.
Day 2: My Ben Gramkow
Day 3: My Parents
Day 4: That Beckett likes to Eat
Day 5: Ellie
Day 6: The USA
Day 7: My sister, Wendy
Day 8: Dr Hall and the DRG (Ellie and Beckett's neonatologists)

And here are some super cute pictures of my super cute kiddos!

BIG Boy Beckett eating BIG Boy Food!

I posted on Facebook that Ben and I should have gone out on a date to our dinner table. Why you ask? Because the kids were both still sleeping. Pumpkin arts and crafts clearly must have worn them out today. However, it wasn't two minutes after Ben got home and I posted that B-man started screeching from his room.

So we decided to dine as a family, like normal, but TONIGHT...

BECKETT ATE PEAS AND BANANAS BIG BOY STYLE!

That's right. I try every once in a while with table foods, but no luck. Either the gagger triggers for the texture, or he doesn't want to pick it up. But TONIGHT. He did. First he ate peas. Whole. He is getting the hang of the pincher grip, and he fed himself. And chewed. And chewed. And made funny face. And chewed. Swallow. SUCCESS!

And so then we tried cutting up some banana. Same deal. He liked these better because they stuck to his finger so he could make sure they got into his mouth. We're still shoveling a bit but hey, it counts. It's an EAT. An EAT like a BIG boy eats!

It had already been a great day, but this just topped it off! So proud of you Beckett Boy! I wonder how long you'll still take baby purees...

Another display of his big-boy-ish-ness is that he is PULLING UP TO STANDING on everything! Yesterday was the day. Everything. Of course with that has come bumps and his he earned his first real one today. (As seen on the ol' forehead above.) Poor guy. He knows how to pull up, but not get back down. He still isn't "crawling on hands and knees," but PT came today and said she thinks he is getting closer. He actually had some progress, and tolerated some support under his chest while practicing the crawling. Before he used to fuss and cry, and work against you. He is doing some left and right arm motions, so we still have hope!

He's so funny. He will even pull up, let go with one hand, look at you and SMILE. He knows he is BIG stuff these days.

Special Pumpkin

Ellie and I went grocery shopping tonight. On the way home we had a deep conversation.

Mama: Ellie, thanks for helping mama shop for groceries tonight. 
Ellie: Yep.
Mama: I love you.
Ellie: I love cookies.

This may or may not have also been the grocery store visit where Ellie asked to get a pumpkin to carve. I agreed. She picked one on the bottom of the pile of course, I think because it had a

long stem. I start trying to pull out the chosen pumpkin, whereupon the pile starts to come apart and I immediately have to bust out my defensive stance and shuffle so that all of the bowling pumpkins don't go crashing on the floor. I also may or may not have said "this might be my worse nightmare" as people walked by. I rearranged the pumpkins. Seriously ... who piles them like that anyways! I got out the chosen pumpkin, and Ellie says "Oh, mom, not that one ... not the dirty one." I tell her this is the one she chose, we must go on. She then asked if we could get one for Beckett. I said no. So we put the pumpkin on the belt to pay and sure enough, this pumpkin looks like the leaning tower of Pisa!

What a special pumpkin Ellie got this year!