It's 3 a.m. and the party's over here

Yeah, the title pretty much says it all. I have a little guy who LOVES to wake up and play at 3:00 in the morning. No amount of nursing, snuggling, back rubbing, patting or sweet talking will coax this kid to sleep. And as much as a tired Mommy wants to be mad, all he has to do is flash one of his heart-melting smiles and I'm up playing along.

At 3 a.m.

On a work night (I like to think that it's still "nighttime").

Bartender - I'd like a pitcher please - caffeine, straight up.

Bite Me!

My dear mother-in-law came over on Sunday to help entertain the kids while Trent and I caught up on some of the housework. While she was at our house, Bodhi was gnawing on her finger when she proclaimed that she felt a couple teeth and that she was sure at least one would make an appearance soon.

Well, she was absolutely right! Bodhi cut his first tooth (lower right) yesterday as predicted by Nana which explains the two sleepless nights that preceded this new milestone. And contrary to how it might sound in the title of this post - Bodhi, I really would prefer if you didn't bite me. Thank you! :o)

Setting Intentions for Love

A dear friend of mine recently posted about a relationship course she is participating in and she quoted the following from the course manual:

"In the infinite game (of life) we are happy not from our circumstance but from how we face our circumstance. We are happy not from a relationship itself but from how we face and act in each relationship." - Authentic Relationships manual

A dedicated yogi, she also set forth her intentions for her relationships based on this idea. And when I read her intentions, I immediately experienced chills, felt somewhat vulnerable and emotional and felt a wave of understanding and truth wash over me because what I read was true. It was a moment of pure clarity of purpose of knowing that the intentions she set forth are the intentions that I want and need to set forth as well. Especially in relationships with conflict. Here is what she had to say:

"Here is my intention for what I want to cultivate in my relationships:It is my intention to have each relationship, even one with conflict, be filled with actions that show integrity, kindness, intelligence, and timelessness. It is my intention to express love first over any projected fear and defenses that are provoked and act from my soul. It is my intention to experience and live in Ultimate Love, embracing polarities and the flow of life with acceptance and compassion."

This past weekend I had an experience where I did not start from this intention, but once I remembered it and went back to it, it continued to ring true, as clear as a bell in my mind. Once I took the time to re-frame the initial scenario in my mind, I had a much clearer understanding of the other people involved and was able to find my own peace with it. Instead of letting a "bad" event ruin an entire weekend, I changed my thinking around and was able to experience the pure love, kindness, excitement and fun that had been there from the start.

And to help me remember these priceless intentions, I found a beautiful necklace in Sedona that has three charms which say, believe, love and peace and a verse that came along with the necklace that reads:

"Believe in miracles

Have faith in the power of love

And always keep alive the spirit of peace"



Thank you to my friend for sharing her thoughts on her blog - I will return to this again and again as life provides me opportunities to put this intention to work.

Namaste.

Happy Half Birthday, Bodhi!

On August 25, 2008 my sweet little boy, Bodhi, turned 6 months old. I cannot believe how time flies - especially when you have two little ones and a teenager running around the house!

Delaney recently gave a speech where she described why she should be chosen as the next National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) President at her school. She used the letters of her name to describe many of her best characteristics and I'm going to borrow that idea here to describe Bodhi as he is right now.

And, by the way, Delaney totally rocked her speech and was elected NJHS President at her school. I am a proud mama indeed!! :0)

Bodhi at 6 months:

Beginning solids and drinking breastmilk exclusively (i.e. no formula)
Out of his bed and into mamas at 3am daily
Doesn't sleep through the night yet
Happy, healthy and handsome
Is waking up early (6:15am) to laugh, squeal, play and roll around in bed w/ Daddy

Gassy and giggling
Reaching and rolling over
Always smiling
Yanks on Mommy's hair and jewelry
Smiles like crazy at his sisters' antics
Outside is where he likes to be
Not sitting up yet, no teeth yet either

Bathtime means lots of splashing and having fun in the water
Everyone stops and tells us what a beautiful and happy baby we have
Makes stress disappear in his presence
Interested in everything around him - especially new environments
Sleeps in his swing for naps
Holds a piece of each of our hearts in his tiny little hands

Mia's Great Escape

Yesterday I received a frantic call from Trent as I was wrapping things up at a work event. He started off by telling me that he had put Mia down for a nap in her crib as usual, Bodhi was asleep and swinging peacefully downstairs, and he hopped in the shower as he would on any day. He finished the shower and was in the bathroom shaving and about to get dressed when lo and behold, Mia walked in!

And not only did she just walk in, she also had to show Trent two new owies on her knees. Shocked and confused, Trent asked her to tell him exactly what happened. So she began by explaining that first she climbed out of her crib, then she went downstairs and finally she decided to go outside. When she went outside, she encountered a cat in the yard that scared her and as she turned to run away, she fell and scraped up her knees. Her injuries were serious enough for her to seek out the help of Daddy.

Now this having happened on his watch, Trent was beside himself with the details of everything - how did she get out of her crib? She has never attempted anything like that before. How did she manage to get the front door unlocked? What would have happened if the cat hadn't been in the yard and scared her? The questions seemed endless.

And my response wasn't quite what he had expected. Once I was sure that she was ok, I began to chuckle. Then giggle. Until I was laughing out loud at the image of my little girl making her "Great Escape." You see, once the women in my family make up their minds to do something, it's gonna happen. And the stealthy art of sneaking out hasn't been lost on any of us.

When I was about Mia's age, I too, decided I wanted to go outside. So I made my way out of the condo in the middle of the night and climbed into my dad's dunebuggy and play raced the time away. A stranger encountered me there and asked where I lived and where my mommy and daddy were. And, as the story goes, I refused to tell him anything until he came back with a cookie bribe! When I called my mom to tell her, she recounted how my sister, Kristen, also snuck out one night at about the same age. Kristen made her way 2 houses down to my grandparents and proceeded to ring the doorbell again and again until Grammy discovered that the "phantom" doorbell ringer was her granddaughter - she was just so little that she couldn't see her standing at the foot of the door through the peephole. Eventually Grammy kept her post, looking through the peephole and saw a tiny little arm reach up to ring the doorbell and found Kristen standing innocently outside! And then there's the story about Traci, who at three years old, also escaped from her home and walked about a half of a mile to 7-11, pockets full of pennies, ready to score some candy.
So it looks like the Gray family genes are strong and have not skipped over the next generation of little women. And although keeping my escape artist safe means extra vigilance, I couldn't be more proud to see reflections of myself, my mom, sister, aunts, Grammy and Great Grandma in my sweet, independent little girl, Mia.

Prayers, please

This morning, Trent, Delaney, Mia, Bodhi and I avoided our plans to get the house cleaned up and decided to rearrange Mia and Delaney's rooms. We assembled Mia's new big girl bed, moved the crib to another wall, put the dresser into Delaney's room, moved D's bed to another wall and completely changed the way things look in their rooms. Delaney and Mia did the "crazy" dance in D's room, Bodhi sat in his special seat, entertained by the girls, Trent and I joked together and we all had a truly fabulous and fun morning. I watched it all happen feeling the warmest and most content feelings. My family is here. My family is whole. My family is safe, healthy and above all, happy.

So, why the request for prayers?

Well, although I heard about a local family involved in a plane crash recently, I did not read the entire story to understand the extent of their tragedy. Just minutes ago when we took a break from our picture-perfect family morning, I read an e-newsletter from my favorite yoga studio about a benefit for this family. As I read the details of their story and the terrible situation they are in, I was instantly in tears, unable to comprehend how this will affect each and every one of them. Below you will find details about their story as well as a fundraising event that will take place Sept. 21, 2008 in their honor. I plan on attending and encourage everyone who reads this to pass the information along and attend, or contact me if you are interested in sponsoring me for this yoga fundraiser. And whether or not you are able to attend, please keep this beautiful family in your prayers - the more we can send their way, the better!

Here is information about the Nielson Family as well as the upcoming fundraiser:



The following was taken from Stephanie & Christian's newly designed website to raise funds for their recovery: "On Saturday, August 16, 2008 Stephanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor, Doug Kinnear, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinnear passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital.
Christian & Stephanie remain in critical condition at Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns on over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie's body was burned over 80%.
For the past four years, Stephanie has welcomed us into her charming abode through the NieNie Dialogues. Far from being a product of creative editing, the Nielson's don't just shine through the selective lens of a blog. They are ingenuous examples of family devotion, eternal romance, and Christ centered faith."
The Nielson's have four children between the ages of 1 and 6. She is a fellow yogi and has brought the gift of yoga to many students who adore her. Their recovery is expected to last for months and cost millions of dollars. It is our turn to help Stephanie and her family in their time of need.
For more information on their recovery please visit her sister, Courtney's blog.

Inside The Bungalow (48 N. Robson Mesa, AZ 85201) will host our fundraiser on September 21st at 6am. You do not need to complete all 108 sun salutations to participate. Refreshments will be served afterward. There are two ways to donate.
1. Donate $20.00
2. Ask friends and family members to sponsor you. Set an amount for the sun salutations ($.10, $.50, $1.00, for each sun salutation. You could raise $108.00 or $1,008. You get the picture). ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT STEPHANIE, CHRISTIAN & THEIR FAMILY.

And if you would like to visit their recovery blog or to donate:

Who am I?

i am me.

i am: a daughter, sister, cousin, niece, wife, mother and friend
i think: people should try and understand each other more
i know: that my family is a priceless gift
i have: love for the people around me
i wish: all of my family lived in AZ so that my kids could see their cousins and grandparents more
i dislike: negativity and mean-spirited people
i miss: taking dance classes
i fear: that by discussing my fears that they will manifest
i feel: "with my hands" - that's for you, Grandpa and Grammy
i hear: the dishwasher
i smell: black bean mango salsa - yum!
i search: my soul for answers to questions that trouble me
i wonder: what my children will grow up to be like
i regret: signing up for a credit card in college
i love: with my whole being
i care: immensely about the people closest to me
i always: want people to be happy
i worry: about how everything will get done
i am not: a neat freak
i remember: falling in love with my husband - it changed me forever
i believe: people are truly good at heart
i dance: with my daughters often
i sing: even when Mia tells me not to
i don’t always: wish people a happy birthday when I should (and I'm not proud of it!)
i pray: that my children will grow up knowing how much I love them, that my mom will experience greater levels of peace and resolution very soon.
i argue: passionately about breastfeeding, keeping boys intact and making informed decisions about my children
i write: everyday
i win: when I stop and give my children my undivided attention
i lose: when I am too stubborn
i listen: to others when they're having a rough time
i don't understand: why people behave the way they do sometimes
i can usually be found: at work, at home, or at my mom's house with the kids
i am scared: about anything bad happening to my kids
i need: to feel loved and appreciated
i will: get this posted tonight
i forget: how early I have to wake up . . .
i am happy about: my life

i tag: kewal, melissa and anyone else reading this post!