The Eight Nights of Hanukkah 2012

We had a great Hanukkah this year!   Grayson, the lucky guy that he is, got several presents each night.  I do not know why I spent hours wrapping them as he really doesn't understand the concept of something wrapped having something awesome inside.  So we basically had to unwrap everything for him to take notice. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised by how interested he was with almost all of his new gifts.  He sat right down or came over to play with his new toys.  Below are some pictures from each respective night with some of the gifts that he received.  Thank you all for sending cards, checks, and gifts to help our sweet little boy celebrate his second Hanukkah.  Check back to last December and see a similar picture of Grayson and I lighting the menorah on the first night of Hanukkah.

 This year we tried to stick withe all educational or "learning" games.  On the first night he got a new music CD of children singing, which he LOVES. We listen to it every morning.  He also got these "eggs."  They have little chicks inside that peep and have shapes on the bottom of the egg that correspond to the same shape on the bottom of the egg carton.   A little advanced for us now, but we will grow into it!

 On night #2 he got a wooden puzzle and some books.  No pictures from that night as Mommy and Daddy were racing out to a friend's house and G had a babysitter.

Night #3 he got this peg and pegboard set.   Again, we will need to grow into this, but he has had fun playing with it in ways that he knows how to now.  He likes to take the pegs out and will put them into the board when we play with him hand over hand.

 On Thursdays we have our play therapy with our infant/toddler developmental specialist.  She brings this shape sorter with her that Grayson loves!  It has tubes inside of it that when you push the shape down, they make a noise.  So I decided that that needed to be a toy that we had at all times. :)

 Night #5:  Elmo book and Elmo doll.   Grayson was so excited to see Elmo that I could barely get him out of the package!  He kept yanking him away while Elmo was still attached!

 We love Elmo!

 Elmo came with a neat book that has buttons that make noise.   It is so cool!  Layla is in the background very bored with it all.

 A great picture of Grayson with Daddy playing "Who's hanging on me?"

 Night #6:  Tiny Pteranodon from Dinosaur Train.  We need to get some other characters because evidently they talk to one another!

 One of Grayson's new favorite toys is to totally destroy the foam letter mat that he is sitting on.  Mom and Dad are reallllllly sick of cleaning that up, so we decided to get him a smaller version.  Rip away buddy!

 Good work for fine motor skills as well.  We practice taking the letters out and pushing them back into place.

 Night #6 was a heavy one here.  This is another one of Ms. Kristen's toys that she brings on Thursday. You slip chips into a piggy bank and it counts and sings.  Super cute.

 Night #7  Bristle Blocks.   Grayson was more enamored by the top of the container than the actual blocks themselves.    Again, I am hoping that we will grow into this toy.

 He did like to take off the things that we would build.  A step in the right direction!

 So on the morning of night #8, Grayson has all kinds of new toys and old toys to choose from.  What does he go for?  That's right.  My kitchen cleaning gloves.

 Oh gloves aren't fun enough?  Next step....socks!   Keep him busy for hours!

 Night #8 The Grande Finale!   Elmo that sings, dances, plays the drum and tambourine.   Saw him at first- loved him.  Big smile.  Then I turned him on.   Scream crying.  Sigh.   Hope over time he will like him more.

 Happy Hanukkah....with my Daddy!

 Happy Hanukkah....with my Mommy!  (I am sure the fact that middle finger is sticking up is just coincidence, right?)

Again this year, Grayson loved the candles.  We had the real menorah in the kitchen and the electric one in the family room.   He definitely knew they were similar.  He would stand and look at one and then run to the other room to look at the other.  Maybe we need to have them out year round?

The final picture is of our Christmas light looking adventure.   The picture on the left is from last year and the right is this year.  Not too much difference in size, but look at all that hair!!

We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Happy Holidays!

Hanukkah photo shoot

 I will tell you it is soooooooo hard to have a photo shoot with a mobile man.   This was the best of what we got with our little muffin.

 He LOVES being thrown in the air.  I am an expert photographer these days!

 Shayna Punim.

 2 year molars are coming in and we can't wait for them to get here!  Constantly chewing on his hands. But he does so with a smile on his face!!

 A rare shot of photographer Mommy with Grayson.

 What a great moment.  Love the moss dripping off the trees above Daddy and Grayson holding hands.

 So happy to be walking around. We stroller him to the pond and then he likes to get out and walk the rest of the way home holding our hand.

 On the walk back home we spotted an airplane in the sky.   I could just eat that face up.

Halloween/playgroup/Thanksgiving

 I totally forgot to post some pictures from Halloween.  Like I said before, the stomach flu worked its way through this Mama so we didn't get to go trick or treating, but we had a great extended playgroup with our group of 7.   Since Grayson will not keep anything on his head, we were headed for a costume that had no headgear.  We decided that he would be a football player.  Gators, obviously.
Below is a picture from the Halloween party playgroup.  There are a few friends of another Mom in there, but our whole posse of 7 is there.  Not one kid is looking at the camera. :)

 A picture in the backyard before we left the house.

 We had a pre-Thanksgiving playgroup at the house. We had a great time playing in the house and then moved into the backyard for some bubble and swingset fun.

 The bubble machine on/off button was the highlight of the day.  Grayson made sure that it was kept on at all times.

 We were down south for Thanksgiving this year.  Not too many pictures from that trip as we were so busy!  Here are a few shots of James and Grayson fighting over balls.  Of course that is all they wanted to play with!  Too bad I didn't get a good shot of Grayson yelling at James to give him the balls!

 I got em!!!   Run away from Gramps!

 I love when Grammie spins me in this chair.  Raise your hand and foot if you love Thanksgiving!

Here is a great video we caught of Grayson discovering his shadow.  What a great moment!

October fun!

 We have had a lot of fun with bubbles!  Now he interacts with them instead of just staring at the machine and turning it on and off. :)  

Sorry for the delay of blogs....the stomach flu worked its way through the Anker household claiming Mommy and Grayson.   Daddy was AMAZING.  He cared for Grayson alone for 4 days while Mom was laid up in bed.  Good father son bonding if you ask me.

We have started  Grayson in an early intervention program called Early Steps.  Mostly because he seems to have some social anxiety and sensory issues.  He also doesn't have any words yet.   We went through an evaluation and he qualified based mostly on his lack of verbal communication.  Two weeks ago we started our weekly therapy with an infant/toddler developmental specialist.  She comes to our home and does play therapy with G once a week for an hour. Her background is in speech so we are hopeful she can assist with that area as well. We also have a monthly consult with an occupational therapist.  Will definitely keep you posted on his progress!

 He likes to walk through the bubbles with his eyes closed.

 Trying to pop them!  It's funny.  He gets his eye on one and it is his mission to get "that" bubble.

 We had a fun visit from Nonny!  She spent the week here with us.

 Here are some action shots of playtime.

 Grayson has become quite the builder.  He can stack the blocks on top of one another when you say "put on."   Nonny was holding the bottom steady so he could build a tower.

 Fall weather is here!  Last weekend, before the stomach virus, we went to the Jacksonville Zoo.  This is the first time we have been since Grayson started walking.   He LOVED it!   We got a few pictures of him with his favorite animals.

 He thought this anteater was hilarious.  It really liked him too!  It kept pacing in front of the glass and Grayson would march in place and make loud noises.

 Next we went into the aviary.  All he wanted to do is touch the birds.  We had to keep him very close to us.   He got close to grabbing them a few times.

 After we walked around the zoo, we hopped aboard the train.   It gives a behind the scene tour of the zoo.  It was nice to be off our feet for a bit.

 Onto the petting zoo!   Grayson thought these goats were funny looking.