Fall and Such.....

Hello to our blogspot friends. Im so sorry for the delay in posting a blog update. Life has been crazy - yes crazy!! I was actually sitting with Gray while she played in the tub lastnight and we were having the most precious conversation - and I thought to myself "I really need to update the blog so I can tell the world how precious our little girl is". Of course things happen each day, each hour, each moment and I just wish you were all around to see it. The most amazing things come out of Gray's mouth. She is so funny and so innocent and so HAPPY!!

As the end of the summer was wrapping up our schedule was jam packed! We capped off the summer with an adults-only trip to Anguilla where Paul and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. It was the most amazing and romantic trip and an island we hope to visit again very soon.

Paul and I have both been super busy with work. I started a new job as a Regional Sales Manager early September and I love it. Paul is still doing great at his software sales. October led him to his best sales month ever and top salesman in the company. We are very blessed!!!

A few updates on Miss Gray....

* very advanced with her speech. She talks and talks and talks. I guess she's going to be just like her mommy and never fall short of things to talk about it.

* loves talking on the phone and actually has "pretend" conversations with a small group of friends daily.

* Potty training is going great - we're almost there. She's in big girl panties all day and stays dry - our challenge is #2 and that's been a little messy!!

* Sleeping in a conversion bed - almost in her big girl room and she is so excited!

* grasping the concept of time. It's so cute if we tell her we're going to do something or someone is coming over she says "now mommy.." and if I say "no, not now" she says "tomorrow" or "this weekend" or "after my nap"

* spelling her name G-R-A-Y

* loves drawing. She is so good at drawing people. She draws the body, the legs, arms, hair (long and short depending on who she is drawing), eyes, nose and ears - and for the most part they are all in the right place.

We are so excited about the fall. We're kicking off the cooler weather tonight with a neighborhood cookout and Halloween party where we'll attempt smores over the firepit.

Wish you all wonderful fall season from the Zytniks!! Bring on the cooler weather -we're ready!!

August 2010

I mentioned in my last post how much Gray loves her babydolls!! I thought you might like to see it for yourself. Our neighbors and great friends, The Artemenko's gave Gray this precious Itty Bitty Baby set for her dolls and it now has it's permenent place in our living room. Gray loves this playset!! She takes care of her babies, all 10 of them. She feeds them, changes all of thier outfits atleast a few times per day, changes diapers and even says prayers with each of them before putting them to sleep. She is such a little mommy at heart and we love it!! Here's a picture of the playset... a pic of Gray and all her "children" and also one of her changing a diaper. The blankets on all her children below are washcloths. She stole all of them out of the linen closet and uses them for blankets! How creative!!

2 years.... and then some!

Consider this the 2 year update on Gray. Im aware... she's almost halfway to 3 but, better late than never! The truth is... I was a little behind on booking her 2 year check-up, and now that that's done I can update you all on our little princess!

Two year check up stats:
32 pounds ( 92%)
36 inches - 3 feet (85%)


She checked out just perfect!! The only "homework" assignment we were given was to offer fruits and veggies at every meal!! Gray has become a picky little eater and the doc told us that if we offer them at every meal, even if she only has a bite or two - it's better than nothing! She had a few shots - but nothing a sparkle bandaid and a bag of goldfish couldn't take care of.

I could go on for days about all the things Gray is doing these days:

• Loves, loves, loves her baby dolls. She's such a little "mommy" at heart and I love seeing how sweet and gentle she is with her tribe of children (yes she has a tribe - atleast 10 babies)
• Has discovered a new love for books. She will sit in her room and read for 30 minutes all by herself. She reads in the car, in the stroller and even in the bathroom which is a wonderful thing to occupy her while I get ready for work. Her favorite books she knows by heart!!
• Does not like the bath!!! Im not sure how or when this happened but the last few weeks have been tough. She won't even sit down and hates having her hair washed.
• LOVES SHOES!! Thanks to Aunt Anna this child has more shoes that Paul and I have combined. She loves trying them on and prancing around the house.
• She's a golfer!! Gray loves putt-putt. We introduced her to it in June at the beach and she has not stopped talking about it. I think we're going to need to get her a putting green :)
• Games and prizes!! We have an arcade by the house and she now understands the concept of playing games and winning tickets that you can cash in for prizes. We visit often and even found an arcade at the beach. Gray loves prizes. The bad thing for us is that our house is covered in little "things" like balls, silly bands, snakes, flashlights.
• Loves to pray! Gray says the blessing before every meal and I love her sweet little version of "God our Father" She sings it so perfectly!! At night we say her prayers before bed and she thanks God for everyone in her life.... one by one!!

Life is good. Being 2 is great!! Of course we have the challenging days but i have a feeling Gray is skipping the terrible 2's which makes me a little nervous about 3. Stay tuned... we're getting serious about the potty training and the switch to a big girl bed will be soon!!

A Week of Bliss....

A week of bliss... that's what it was!! The last week of July was a week for mommy/daughter time!! I recently acccepted a new job and decided to take a week off before starting this new chapter. I got to enjoy the week with Gray and we did nothing but play, play and more play!! I must admit going into the week I was a little nervous. I've always been a working mom. The weeks we have spent together consisted of vacations and crazy travels. I was anxious to have her Monday - Friday and more importantly, anxious about figuring how to fill up our days with fun and cheap activities!!! Well...my week was a success. We had the best time. By Friday I was trying to negotiate in my mind how I could decline the job offer and stay home with my baby full time. It was a week of bliss!! I tip my hat to all of the women who stay at home with their children. It's a full time job. It's harder than anything corporate america could ever throw your way.
Our week started off with a day of running errands!! Since my last job was a work from home position, I was able to get a lot of my errands done during the week. It's tough running errands with a 2 year old. It took a lot longer than usual but we had so much fun doing it. We spent atleast an hour at the Target dollar bin - and Gray racked up on some new goodies. Cheap and fun!! We had lunch with Paul at his office... Gray loved seeing where her daddy works.
Tuesday we packed up early, drove to the lightrail station and began our venture to Discovery Place. It was awesome to take Gray to a place where I played as a little girl. She loved it. There were so many things to do. She loved the aquariums and the water tables. She touched a snake and we walked the drawbridge in the rainforest. Aunt Anna was able to join us for a few hours too - so that made it even better!! On our way out we made a pit stop at the gift shop where she picked out her dinosaur silly-bands. She still has not taken them off!!
Friday was another big outing... we met Holly and the Wilder boys at ImaginOn. This is a HUGE library downtown with so much to do. The kids listened to a story-teller and put on a puppet show. We wrapped up with lunch downtown and hopped back on the train for our ride home. Gray loves riding the train. She made a few friends and even pointed out to a homeless lady that her feet and hair were dirty. Oh how I love the honesty of a two year old.
Above, Gray is amazed by the shark tank at discovery place!! Below - smiling for the camera on the lightrail heading downtown!!
Jack and Gray outside of ImaginOn. The stuff outside is almost as fun as everything inside! Bubbles on the back porch...

A few more pictures from ImaginOn.

What a wonderful week it was! My little girl is growing up right before my eyes.... I wish I could stop the clock and hold onto every moment. And now, I've made a promise to myself. There's no need for vacation or crazy plans. A WEEK OF BLISS will be a tradition for us every summer. I can't wait!!

Summer Days.....

We have been lucky enough to snag the family beach house for a few long weekends this summer!! Our beach house is my favorite place on earth... yes, it's a long drive and with a 2 year old that can sometimes prove to be a bit challenging. But once we get there... it's sooo worth it!! Early July we got to spend 5 days with the Bazley family at our Oak Island get-a-way!! Our days were filled with fun in the sun, swimming, building sand castles, feeding the birds, walks on the pier and our nights were made of great food (thanks Doug) ice cream, putt putt, walks on the beach and 2 very tired little girls!! Saturday we made a trip across the island via ferry and ventured to Carolina Beach. You get to drive your car right on the sand and Paul even tried to fish for a bit. Daddies are the best - we love this picture of the guys spelling out the names of thier sweet little girls!!

We also ventured to Southport... it's a quick drive from the house and has beautiful views. This picture of the Bazley family was from a pier the girls had a blast playing on!!

While visiting Oak Island this trip we discovered a new spot for dinner!! I would have never guessed Oak Island had a yacht club. We had dinner right on the water. This picture makes me smile!! Amy and I were roommates in college - and look at us now!! Our girls are three months apart and the sweetest of friends!! The Bazleys are expecting baby #2 at the end of the year and we are so excited to be a part of this journey with them! I am so thankful for our friendship and look forward to us growing old together and sharing many more memories!!

Calling all child modeling agents... isn't this picture precious?? The girls had matching suits that demanded a snapshot. They really could be in a magazine doing an ad for the sunscreen gray is holding. Gray and Ella just light up when they are together!! I personally loved hearing thier sweet little conversations

Our last night at the beach was an adventure. We played a rather successful round of putt-putt, considering the players were 2 years old. Paul and Doug were trying so hard to teach the fundamentals of putt-putt. Amy and I just enjoyed watching them run wild and attemp to hit the ball in the hole. I don't think we have created the next Tiger Woods.... that's for sure!!

One last note on the beach!! Gray was not too excited about the water this year. Last year she hated the sand... so we're making a step in the right direction. She will be a beach bum... she must be a beach bum.

We really did have a wonderful trip! Amy and I were remembering the days of our beach trips in college and pre-kids. We would lay out all day and fry our skin to a crisp. Life is different now... there's no more sitting in a chair and working on our tan. There's something wonderful about being a mom and being covered from head to toe in sand. I'm speaking for both of us... we wouldnt' change it for the world!!!

July 4th, 2010

happy july 4th!! We hope you had a great holiday and took a moment to remember the ones who fight for our freedom, past present and future!! We had a wonderful holiday weekend and the best part was he homecoming of our little girl. Gray was invited to visit MiMi in Durham for 9 days!! She had such a great time and was spoiled rotten!! Although the 9 days apart was tough - we realize how lucky Gray is to have a MiMi that loves her more than words!! I remember when I was a little girl - i would spend a week with my grandmother every summer!! I have the best memories from those trips and I know Gray is going to have the same. With all of the "free" time Paul and I were able to do things outside of our normal routine. We had such great week together. So thank you MiMi for keeping our little princess!! Gray arrived home Sunday afternoon July 4th. We had a housefull of friends over Sunday night for a cookout and then the entire crew went down to our neighbors house for a fireworks show!! Gray loved the fireworks and was such a little helper picking out the one to light next and handing them to the guys in charge!!

It was such a joy to celebrate with Gray this year! She is growing into such little lady and she takes advantage of any opportunity to celebrate!! As I laid her down to bed on Monday night she put her hands in the air and said "TICK, TICK... BOOM... Goodnight Mommy". I guess the fireworks made a lasting impression on her little mind!!

Gray - 25 months...

Circles

Circles... Circles.. Circles. Gray loves circles. She was drawing perfect circles at 20 months old and she loves them now more than ever!! Everywhere we go she finds circles... if you are wearing glasses she sees the circle lenses. If you are driving a car, she notices the circle wheels. If you turn on a celing fan, she sees that it's going in circles. I had to share this picture, as it captures her daily drawing on her magna-doodle board.

The Birthday Girl Gives Back

We all live together in this not-so-perfect world. We hear of those that are homeless and hungry and yet, we manage to give back so little! I was raised by a wonderful man that taught me the importance of giving back. I watched him donate his time, him money and his encouragement to families and less fortunate children my entire life!! As I have gotten older I now appreciate these values so much more. I am lucky to be married to a man who too loves helping others. We try our hardest to help those in needs and we make it a priority to dedicate ourselves to several projects each year!! When it came time to talk about Gray's birthday party we decided that she didn't need the toys...and what a great opportunity this was to start teaching her the lesson of giving to others. We found a local organization called Smart Start and found they were in need of childrens books. In lieu of gifts we asked each child bring a childrens book to Gray's Ice Cream party. All books were donated to Smart Start, an organization that is dedicated to helping less fortunate families and children in the Charlotte area. It feels so good to help others and as parents it feels so good to have your child be involved. Of course she's young - she really didn't understand but one day she will... and what a wonderful story to share. Marble Slab Ice Creamery did a great job with an ice cream and toppings bar!! The kids had five flavors and eight toppings to choose from.

Here is a shot of all the kids, each holding one of the books donated to Smart Start. Gray is a lucky girl with amazing friends!!

And here she is... the birthday girl and her basket of books ready to donate!!

Birthday Fun!!

Here are a few snapshots of Gray's bday activities! Thank you so much to everyone that was able to celebrate this big 2 year milestone with us!! Gray had a wonderful day and just loved having all her friends and family around to spoil her rotten. Gray anxiously awaiting the arrival of her friends at Pineville Park.

Daddy and Gray testing out her awesome new bubble machine!! This little girl loves bubbles and we really love this no-spill container!!

2 years old Paw Paw bought Gray her first bike!! Im hoping he's planning on purchasing her first car too!

The birthday girl - covered in streamers and bubbles!! Whew.... what a celebration it was!!

Pizza... Pizza

We love Friday nights!! A few Friday's ago the Sipe Family came into town and we managed to entertain all three girls with a pizza party! The girls just loved it... down to the last bite!!

Duke Blue Devils.....

Crazy title for a blog post huh? Well before I start writing I want it to be known that Im doing this post for Grandpa Mike. It will only happen once and after this is posted I would like the war between Duke and the UNC Tarheels to be put to rest :)

Let me explain... you see Paul's Dad (Grandpa Mike) is the BIGGEST Duke fan I have ever met. The man loves Duke Basketball. And those of you that know my husband, you know that he is the exact opposite. This house always does and always will pull for the tarheels. For those of you from NC - you understand this rival is a big one - so to have it between father and son is almost dangerous!!

When Gray was born Grandpa Mike did the unthinkable... he traveled to Franklin street (right in the heart of the UNC Tarheel campus) and actually went into a Tarheel Fan Store and purchased Gray and entire wardrobe of tarheels attire. She's got t-shirts, hats, shoes, socks, cheerleading outfits and the list goes on. She has size newborn to 5T - so she's set for most of her childhood on tarheel merchandise. So this was a big deal - what Duke fan would do this?? Grandpa Mike would. He's made friends with the folks who own the store due to his frequent visits. They know him as "the Duke fan who is here to buy clothes for his baby grandaughter tarheel fan". It's quite funny!!

Well this year at the start of the NCAA tournament Paul and his dad made a friendly agreement - If Duke won, Grandpa could buy Gray a shirt and we would let her wear it. Why... why would Paul make this bet when the Tarheels had thier worst season ever. Our hopes were high that another team would win and it came down to a final, nail-biting game where Duke was crowed the National Champions. Grandpa Mike then went out and bought Gray 2 Duke shirts.... they came wrapped in Duke shiny wrapping paper with a big Duke Blue Devils bow and on her 2nd birthday she wore her duke shirt all night long.

Here you go Granpda Mike... here's the pictures to show the world (well the very small portion of the world that follows my blog) that Gray for one day was a duke fan!! We love you!!

Birthday Girl

Look at this happy little 2 year old!! Gray has been highly anticipating her birthday for weeks now. She's been singing the birthday song to herself everyday for weeks - so needless to say she was very happy when the day actually arrived. This little girl is spoiled rotten. She had four - yes four birthday celebrations. She's been pumped full of junk food and sugar for almost an entire week. Birthdays are big around here so celebrating for a week is just our style!!
I must admit this birthday was a little tough for me - I couldn't get through the happy birthday song without tearing up. Each day with Gray is so special but there is just something monumental about 2. The baby days are over and I find that each day our little girl is becoming so much more independent. She's getting herself dressed, brushing her own teeth, she will not hold my hand going up or down the stairs and the list goes on and on. Paul and I fall more and more in love with each new day. She is the light of our life!! Here are a few "gray updates" and stay tuned for birthday pictures later this week.

• Loves to sing!! She sings Happy Birthday, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jesus Loves Me, Open Shut Them. Her little singing voice is just precious!!
• Knows all of her shapes, numbers, and colors. Her favorite shape is the trapezoid (yes, I had to look this one up online because he asks me to draw it daily). Her favorite color is pink and her favorite number is 2.
• Sleeping great - but we have a rough time every morning getting her up and dressed. I swear the child would prefer to stay in her pj's with a soaking wet diaper all day.
• Says her prayers everynight and will not going to bed without saying the names of all of her friends and family members.
• Her favorite book is Goodnight Moon and she waves goodnight with each page we read
• When she has a poopy diaper she yells "MOMMY, I didn't poop... I didn't"
• She has full conversations with our dog Jake. And everytime she looks at me and says "Mommy, Jake's not listening to me."
• She loves to tell Paul he is cute and just started telling me that I am pretty.

One quick story for you. There is a little girl named Kallie in the neighborhood that goes to school with Gray 2 days a week. We have decided to start carpooling and last week Gray got into Kallies car and off to school they went. About half way to school this was the conversation.

Gray: Where's my mommy

Kristin (Kalli's Mom) You're mommy went to work.

Gray: Where's my daddy

Kristin: Your daddy is at work too

Gray: Why???

Kristin: Because they went to make money.

There was a long moment of silence...

Gray: Well I don't have to work because I have lots of money in my pocketbook.

She is our sweet and simple girl - and now I want to stop the clock. 2 is old enough :)

Love Thy Neighbor

I've written before about the special love Gray has for her friends - well our neighbor friends are right at the top of her "special friends" list. Laura, Andrew and Caroline live just down the street from us and little Caroline is just 2 weeks older than Gray. They are the sweetest of friends and they can't get enough "huggies" from each other. Caroline is the cute little one without clothes in the picture below!! Gray just adores her and honestly Paul and I love the wonderful new friends that we have made... and they live just a few houses down!

Friday night we went out to dinner with Laura, Andrew and Caroline. We enjoyed a little mexican and then a walk down to our favorite ice cream shop. The girls had a wonderful night and we realized how much easier it is to go out to dinner when there is another "little person." They kept each other entertained the entire time. Saturday night we had a last minute cookout with Laura, Andrew and Caroline... and other neighbors, Kristin, James and 3 year old Cali joined in on the fun. The girls had a blast playing in the pool and running in the yard. We enjoyed the adult time and we started a cornhole tournament that looks like it will last all summer long. Andrew and Paul got lucky with 2 wins in a row - but watch out boys, we are planning mid-afternoon practice sessions. Oh the joys of working from home!!

And yes, Gray did manage to jump in the pool AGAIN - but this was right after I changed her into dry clothes. This child loves the pool!!

This weekend was just perfect... lots of yard work, lots of flower planting, lots of time outside. We just love it when we have a weekend at home with no kind of agenda or set schedule- it's time that we all value so much!!

Spring...Spring... It's a Beautiful Thing!!

I had a dream last night about this blog... which to me is a true sign that I needed to log on and do an update. It's been over a month since our last post and I promised myself I would create this blog and keep it up to date. So here I am....
Spring is HERE!! It has been three back to back days of high 70's tempatures and we love it!! Our afternoons are spent outside... and Gray just loves it!! She's just like her mommy - she loves the warm sun, and being barefoot in the grass. Our new evening tradition is walking hand-in-hand through the neighborhood and saying all the things we see "Mommy, there's a mailbox.. and another one...and another one." or "Shhhhh.... I hear birds". It's the highlight of my day!! I can't begin to list all the new developments that Gray has had in the last month - but I can tell you that she's growing up. Oh how I wish I could stop the clock... I feel like it was just yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital and now Im planning a 2 year old birthday bash. She is talking... and talking...and talking. Full sentences... full conversations - and nothing gets by her. She's wild and always being silly - but there are still those quiet tender moments that make us melt. She is finallyshowing interest in sitting down to watch a movie and she actually wants us to "snuggle" on the couch with her. She begs for quiet time with her daddy in between books and bed... they rock in the chair and every night Paul comes downstairs and says the same thing... "Im so in love with that little girl." She started a new thing called "huggies" where she bear hugs us around the neck and presses her cheeks to ours. She is simply amazing - no better word to describe it. The terrible two's monster has reared its ugly head a few times in the last couple of weeks. Paul and I are really working hard to develop our own discipline plan and so far so good.... challenging and rewarding at the same time.
The attached picture is from last month. We need to purchase a new usb cord connecting the camera to the computer - it's on my long list of to-do items this week.

Happy Easter to everyone -we are beach bound for a weekend of fun in the sun and easter egg hunts in the sand!!

Weekend Retreat

We just returned from a wonderful weekend retreat to the mountains of NC. We spent the weekend with the Bazley family in Asheville and had such a great time. Amy was my roommate in college and our girls are only 3 months apart....little Ella is just precious and Gray had the time of her life!! We were a little worried about the weather due to the snow the NC mountains have been getting all winter - but we got so lucky and couldn't have asked for better weather. Temps were in the mid 60's and our entire weekend was spent outdoors!! We can't wait for spring!!! Gray just loves being outside and we are already working on our list, planning for a summer full of fun activities!!

Saturday was perfect!! We packed a cooler and packed both families up in the car for a day of hiking! We visited Dupont State Forest and hiked to Triple Falls. The waterfalls were beautiful and overflowing with water due to all the melting snow and recent rain. The hike was an easy one, thank goodess!! Parts of the trail were still covered with snow and ice. Ella and Gray loved every minute of it. We even met a group of horseback riders and we got to pet the horses. Gray just loves animals and still has not stopped talking about the horse licking her hand. We had a picnic lunch that was picture perfect.... Saturday night was "make your own pizza night" and we got to catch up The Peckham Family and The Parris Family. It was great seeing both families and the kids played all night long!! Sunday we got up and went to the park - another beautiful day where we went on a trail hike and let the kids play. Swings, slides, monkey bars, basketball, sandbox... whew!! Thanks to the Bazley family for a wonderful weekend!! We look forward to another trip this summer!

On a side note.... these waterfalls were just amazing. It only takes a moment to realize that the simple things in life can make us the happiest. Gray is at such a fun age and it's things like a hike, a waterfall, a horse or a little bit of fresh snow can make her giggle all day long! Our goal: To be appreciative for the beautiful and SIMPLE things in life every single day!