Graham at 5 months

Graham is five months old today! Where has the time gone?!?

Grahambo does loves his Aunt Crystal!

He is so expressive and learning so much. He has two little front bottom teeth poking through.

He definitely can fit those toes in his mouth and has hit the stage where EVERYTHING goes in his mouth to chew on. He is drooling all over everything including me. He laughs so hard and has the sweetest little cheeks. He laughs at his daddy making noises and he has been spending lots of time with his Grandma Cathy and Papa Joe while Corey's been traveling. Papa Joe has already gotten him a go-cart made for a ten year old. He walks him outside to see it everyday. Graham is already showing his little opinions. It is amazing to me that someone so little has so many opinions :).

Others tell me that he is a very vocal baby. I thought so but I didn't know if other babies "talk" as much as Graham. Here's a video of what I mean!

Graham is big enough now to sit in his high chair. He is also eating rice cereal and bananas and loving it!

A few things Graham did this month: We went up to the North Carolina mountains with Aunt Crystal and Graham got to meet Sandi and two of her girls a few weeks ago.

We also made a stop by Camp Tekoa to see Carrie and her kiddos.

Thanks, Aunt Carrie, for my Tekoa shirt!

 Plus, Erin came to visit from New York and Wendy drove up from Matthews and spent the afternoon with us.
We also had a family get together with my mom's side of the family, The Mills. My grandmother was Frances Mills Drake. It was such a nice time seeing everyone after not being together for many years.

So much for a happy pic with daddy before his trip....I'm sad when he leaves too but I'll spare you pics of my tears :).

Here's another recent video of little Graham Drake.

Praying that as our sweet boy grows up, he will know Christ and make Him known through his character and joy.

Leaning In or Falling Over?

By now you've probably heard of the book by Sheryl Sanberg, Lean In. While I agree with so much of the ideas in this book in terms of fully pursuing your dreams and not short changing your abilities or checking out early, I have to say I had a thought in the shower the other morning and I had to laugh. 

I thought, "If I lean in any more, I might just fall over." My life has been a whirlwind for over a year now. While many of the changes in my life have been amazing blessings, I'm not going to lie, some days I feel completely overwhelmed and torn. I've always had a full schedule but these days I feel much more divided than ever before.

I have a wonderful life and don't want to complain but I'm sure I am not alone. Trying to learn what it means to be a wife while moving out of NYC and starting a new job and becoming a mom has been challenging to say the least. I find myself thinking frantically about my to do list and google calendar. My schizophrenic to-do lists says things like, "Make Graham's doctors appointment, call vendors for fall events, turn in the requisition, buy salsa and dish soap, mail hospital bill, get the car inspected, don't forget Corey and dad's bday, go for a RUN!, plan fall retreat." The list is long and mixed between work and home and ministry. I can't keep separate lists because the reality is at home I'm thinking about work and at work I'm thinking about home so to keep me sane I have a running to do list and calendar that are both work & home.

How do you manage?

I love my job. I work in student activities at a community college. I like dreaming of the events we can do to liven up the campus. I love investing in students and their futures and their development. I have great colleagues. I get excited about all the potential for this college and these students. But, I'm not one to be able to leave work at work. Just the other night I was excited about an upcoming student leader retreat and couldn't sleep so I started watching Ted talks on leadership at 11pm to help with planning. I was taking notes and planning on a paper towel because that's all I had near me. 

I also absolutely love this wonderful husband of mine and can't get enough time with him. I know we are still newly weds one only a year under our belt but I can't soak up enough time near him. He has been traveling a lot lately for flight school and for work so every minute with him feels important.

Then, you got this amazing chubby little man, Graham, who I think about all the time. I think about his laugh while at work and almost cry. 

Even when I can be fully focused on the task at hand, my body reminds me I am a new mom and I have to go and pump to make bottles for my little one. To be completely honest and vulnerable, sometimes I find myself feeling jealous of my male counterparts at work because if a meeting runs late, they aren't worried about the embarrassment a new mom could face if she misses that pumping session but that's another potential post :).

Once again, I've never been one to be bored. I most always have found responsibilities and joys to fill up my day. I have just never felt so torn in my heart and thoughts as I do now. I need to take care of my body and go for a run but I'm having such a hard time doing that after being away from Graham all day. There's always things that need to be done around our house and work is only going to get busier as the fall semester is just around the corner. 

I'm looking for balance and need to be proactive versus responding to the needs of the day. I do find that my heart is mostly as peace and I don't feel frantic internally. I have to attribute that to Christ because his peace surpasses all natural understanding.

We also know that a bruised reed He will not break so I guess as I lean in as wife, mom and professional I just might lean all the way over to the ground but hopefully through His grace, I won't fall on my face but to my knees in prayer!

Thanks for reading! I would love your feedback.

Graham: Four Months Today!

Our sweet "Grahambo" was born four months ago tonight. That is incredibly hard to believe but some days I do wonder where my tiny little baby has gone. Graham has developed such an incredible personality and he is full of energy! He has learned to screech at the top of his lungs which is quite hilarious...most of the time. He has discovered his toes and can now reach them to his mouth. He can now belly laugh. We took him for his very first swim on Saturday (Thanks, Kelley!)

We are praying that Graham will grow up to have character and to live out what he believes. He lights up when his daddy enters the room. I hope he will always admire and respect his wonderful daddy.

Here are some pictures from the month and a few videos as well....ENJOY our little boy! He is so special!

Fathers

It has been a lovely day with my dad and just now welcoming my husband home from Flight School in Tennessee for his first father's day. I'm feeling overly blessed by the gifts that God has given me. My dad has one of those laughs you can hear from a mile away. He loves downtrodden people easily and has given his time and talents to so many people, asking nothing in return. He is constantly telling stories, life lessons or sharing something he discovered in scripture. He loves deeply and forgives quickly. He is tenderhearted yet capable and strong. I hope to be like him when I grow up ;).

Graham getting a little lesson from his Papa Joe

My handsome husband has risen to the surprise occasion of becoming a dad in our first year of marriage. He is patient, fun, silly, tender, helpful and loving. Even now he is out mowing the grass after flying all morning and then driving back to NC from Tennessee. He cares so much for Graham and I in very tangible ways. I am not ignorant that having Corey in my life is a complete gift that I do not deserve whatsoever.

I just spent the afternoon at the Humphrey's house having a cook-out (barbecue as we would say in NYC). Don and Charlotte are second parents to me and grandparents to our little Graham. Having my brothers, Jenn & Crystal there all holding and loving on little Graham made me a bit emotional.

We got to see my Papal Drake this week too and he also got to hold and love Graham. I definitely miss my Paw Gene today. Normally we with cousins, aunts, uncles would all gather around him as a family reminiscing our childhoods on the Alexander farm. Also, I can't forget my new father in law, Roger. He raised this wonderful man I get to call my husband and supports us so generously in so many ways.

I know that with a day of celebrating for many also brings sadness for others. I'm thinking of a few friends who are going through this weekend without their dads and some for the first time. Praying the Lord's presence as your father is felt and is salve to your hearts.

Happy Father's Day to my dad, my husband (for the first time), to Roger, Don, Papal Drake, my uncles and the other men who have shaped who I am today.