we have crawling.

a week ago last saturday (that's june 20, fyi), grayson started crawling. i was at jo's baby shower when i got the text: "gray is crawling" from landon. i asked him how it was possible that he hadn't got the memo that you never text a mother when her child does something for the first time. you wait for her to see it and celebrate along with her in her blissful ignorance.

this is gray tonight, doin' his thang. he was 10.5 months when he started crawling.

bring on the baby gates.

happy father's day!!

happy father's day to all our dads, daddies, granddaddies, grampas, pas, peepaws, pawpaws and pop pops!
we send 1 million kisses!

update on baby gray.

grayson had an ultrasound this morning. the radiologist still needs to read it and send the results back to the pediatrician, but the tech was very informative (thank God) and able to quiet our worst fears about the ordeal. it is likely gray's doctor will refer us to a specialist who will determine whether or not our little guy needs surgery.

from what we've heard, the surgery he would need is not too big of a deal as far as surgeries go. we certainly do NOT want him to have to have any kind of surgery, but, as i said, are very thankful that he is perfectly fine except for the possible location of some things in his sweet body. the surgery would move those things to their proper place and be sure they stayed there.

after landon was sure that his boy was OK, he wouldn't quit singing. so cute.

i really don't mean for this to be so mysterious. it's just if i post the details to the internet, they'll remain on the internet forever. and pre-teen/teenaged boys are ruthless. :) i'll tell you anything you want to know. email, text or call.

also, i wanted to thank everyone who's prayed. lots of family members and friends, the sweet bible study ladies and everyone who happened to be lingering in the foyer at church on wednesday night. ellie prays, "jesus, help gray gray. in jesus name, amen." *heart melting!* and landon prayed a confident prayer as we walked into the hospital this morning, butterflies in our tummies being told sternly to quit their fluttering. *heart melting again!*

God is so faithful to hear and answer our prayers! hallelujah!

dirt cheap entry decor.

i've changed the items resting on this cabinet several times since i purchased it.

here's the current arrangement:

the entire thing cost about $20, and only that much because the candle was $10. the candle is far and away the most expensive of the whole lot. most all of it is from the salvation army thrift store, my most favorite place to shop.

"sing, sing, sing!!!" art print: free!, indie fixx

indie fixx has an amazingly cool project going on called "feed your soul: the free art project." you can go to the site and choose from dozens of free prints. new ones are added every week. you click them, they're downloaded to your computer and then you print them on cardstock. you can frame them, or, as i've done here, just hang them on a binder clip held to the wall by a nail. nothing fancy. just totally awesome.

white, plastic-framed mirror that reminds me of milk glass: $3.89, salvation army

oldish, classic children's books: $1.39 and $.69, salvation army

old glass bottle: $1.79, salvation army
old creamer: $.69, salvation army
(i have officially, without premeditation, started a creamer collection.)
hanging welcome sign: $4.99, home goods in san antonio
ikea frames: free, my closet
printed family snapshots: $.12 ea., HEB
lavender-sented soy candle: $10, HEB

and there you have it. you may like it. you may not. it isn't pottery barn. but it makes me happy. the sense of accomplishment i have for displaying things i enjoy while spending very little money is my favorite part.

now, i need to quit staring at my entry decor and do the dishes.

slip & slide.

yes, i did just post 18 large, centered photos of slip & slide. jenny invited us over for 2.5 hours of splashy fun this morning complete with goldfish and watermelon. she was watching wendy's boys too so it was great fun. my favorite part? the fact that i'm sitting in a dark, cool, SILENT house right now. yay for wearing your kids out with the sun and water. (you'll quickly realize how in love i was with grayson eating watermelon...)

(his teeth! soooo cute. had to torture the guy to get the shot. sorry, gray gray.)

kix and chicken noodle dinner handsomeness.

10 months (and 9 days).

you haven't gained much weight (20 pounds, 7 ounces) and you haven't started crawling (you're thisclose!), but you have grown so much this month, my sweet grayson.

you are talking a lot, and are oh, so expressive. you have mastered your first official word, and you love to say it over and over -- "buh, buh!" along with the cutest baby wave ever. i ask you to do it over and over. i can't get enough. you also love bathtime, and have graduated from the bath chair to sitting in the tub all by yourself.

ellie cracks you up with her enthusiastic greetings every time she sees you. "hi, gray gray! hi, bubba! i love you! hi, grayson! hi, grayson! hi, grayson!" ..and that's just first thing in the morning. you two are peas in a pod, that is for sure.

we made it to summer, and you're still nursing 3-4 times a day. i am so glad. i say that if you decided to wean now, i'd be OK. because it'd be our decision, not one forced by a job. it does not appear, however, that you are ready to wean. you are a mama's boy through and through. as long as you can't see me, you're happy to play. if you see me, in my arms is the only place you are satisfied.

you also got your top two teeth this month, and i check them out all the time. they're so cute! they are still on the way in, and they have the sweetest little space between them. such a big boy, you are.

i'd say the highlight of your month has been eating. while you still nurse, you are super into eating anything and everything from the table. soft pretzels, bread, eggs, waffles, bananas, peanut butter (oops..), beans and, of course, every type of baby food under the sun. the only thing we've found that you don't like is peaches.

we are still waiting to find out whether you are in the clear with the condition i've mentioned a couple times before. at your appointment this morning, the doctor said he'd still like us to go ahead with the ultrasound on friday. just to be sure. i know God formed you perfectly, my love, and He holds you in His big, safe hand.

i love you. for the 2 millionth time. if i say it 2 million times for every 10 months of your life, maybe you'll realize how intense the feeling really is.

but probably not.

love a million times a million...mama.

the many faces of ellie.

happy!

sad!

scared!

sleepy!

perfect...

(and the camera lives! some super strong lithium
batteries have revived it for the time being. hooray!)

showers: 2 down, 1 to go. (etc. etc.)

phew! last night, i returned home from nine days in the dallas area for various activities. i'm hoping to get more photos, but i don't know for sure. my camera has officially died so i've only got my cell phone and other people's willingness to share at this point.

laura's bridal shower at the art centre of plano was last saturday (the 6th), and i think it turned out great. kelly (scott's wife), becky (scott's mil) and i put it together. kelly and i fleshed out our email- and gmail chat-born vision quite well!

this past saturday (the 13th) was laura's lingerie shower and bachelorette party. the photo above is from that glorious shindig. kelly planned it all on her own, and we had a blast at the iron cactus in downtown dallas. we had dinner first and then moved upstairs to hangout on the rooftop patio until the wee hours of the morning. as you can see from our shiny, happy faces, it was quite warm. we were happy to endure it, however. (oh! and i totally saw my old friend curtis from the people newspaper days. cra-zy!)

in between there was a great district council during which landon, the kids and i mangaged to sleep pretty darn well in one hotel room. i think it's because i prayed. that situation could have been miserable, but it really was not. the key: run the kids to exhaustion before trying to make them sleep in pack-n-plays in the same room. works like a charm. God REALLY showed up on tuesday night for an awesome, awesome service. there were wonderful pieces of inspiration and information strewn throughout the entire week, and i'm feeling motivated to truly allow God to grow the dreams He has placed in my heart.

grayson also turned 10 months while we were gone so i have that post to catch up with. it'll include the news that i believe is pretty miraculous regarding the delicate situation i posted about before we left town. we'll be getting confirmation that all is well at an appointment with his pediatritian early tomorrow morning. keep praying!

this week, i'm working with rhonda to finish my bridesmaid dress for laura's wedding. really, rhonda is skillfully creating a custom dress while i attempt to sew darts, rip them out 'cause they're terrible and just resign myself to visiting with her while she makes it right. i told her i'd fold her laundry or something. she wouldn't let me.

also this week, we are finishing up all we need to have kylah's baby shower on saturday! woohoo! it's going to be a bit different from other baby showers we've thrown, and i'm very excited. being in dallas with my newphew on my mind proved very good for his closet and very bad for my purse. let's just say i am staying true to henry-kotze-piland aunt status with the rather tall stack of tiny-baby-clothes goodness folded lovingly in my closet. yay!!

finally, a post is coming in which i put words to my mounting excitement and anxiety over the fact that I WILL BE TEACHING IN THE FALL. i've recently been made aware that i get to pick my ela AND journalism textbooks as well as all the novels we'll be reading in my 6th grade classes. that combined with the fact that i have several workshops to attend and a classroom (or 2?) to outfit on like, half a shoestring budget, and i'm a tad overwhelmed at the moment. i'll enumerate on all that in the next couple days. i'll be looking for some tips from all you creative peeps out there. now, is NOT the time to hold out on me. i'll need everything you've got.

who said teachers don't work in the summer?!!?

haircut.

pray for gray.

grayson has his 9-month checkup at 1:40 today. (yes, i know he'll be 10 months in 4 days.) he'll be evaluated and his pediatrician will decide whether to recommend surgery for a certain condition he may have. just in case his friends decide to google him in 15 years, i'm gonna refrain from typing the specifics of his possible, ahem, condition. email me if you want to know details. just pray for his health and safety, no matter what the doctor decides!

also on the topic of grayson, he has cut his top two front teeth. they popped out this weekend in san antonio, and i can't stop looking at them. they're so cute! they're still pretty far up in his gums so far, but he'll be biting with the best of them before we know it.

unrelated: the past couple photos on this blog were taken with my phone. my camera has officially died. i hope to remedy that soon. in the meantime, camera phone pictures are it.

is this normal?

her toes turn in when she walks. and when she stands, she's the knock-kneed-est thing..

expect regular blogging in july.

i'm so glad school is out!! woohoo! it means i get to be with my babies and husband more, i get to shower laura and kylah with love for their respective life events, i get to start planning and working on my OWN classroom, etc. etc.

with all that excitement, june is going to be total madness.

right now, i'm still in san antonio at kylah's house. she's gone to work and everyone else is sleeping. as soon as delana and grayson are up and ready, we'll be heading home.

when i get home, the craziness begins.

• june 1, 2 & 3 -- work with rhonda on my dress for laura's wedding (yes, we're sewing it); finalize details for laura's bridal shower
• june 4 -- drive to dallas for laura's shower; dinner with natalie and (hopefully!) molly
• june 6 -- laura's shower
• june 7 through 12 -- district council in waxahachie
• june 13 -- laura's lingerie and bachelorette party
• june 14 -- drive home to san angelo
• june 15 through 19 -- finalize details for kylah's baby shower in san angelo
• june 20 -- kylah's shower
• june 22, 23, 24 -- to san antonio for curriculm workshops
• june 24 -- drive from san antonio to dallas for laura's wedding
• june 26 -- laura's rehearsal dinner
• june 27 -- laura's wedding and travis' 18th birthday
• june 28 -- family fling in granbury

oh, my goodness. i think that's the first time i've written all of that down in one place. maybe that was a bad idea... just the packing organization and forethough that this schedule is going to take is pretty scary.

i need to go back to bed!