On the move...... Finally!

Grady is finally crawling! He has been pretty consistent since last night! After 2 months of 'practicing' he's finally figured it out! Here is a little clip we took this morning. YEAH for Grady!

Grady's Favorite 'Toy'

Grady has already removed the 'Enter' key on his 'toy' and I cannot figure out how to get it back on! So for over a month we have to use a little button in the center of where the key should be. I have been using it as bait for Grady to crawl... so every once in a while when he gets there I let him bang for a bit. Yesterday - I almost lost the shift key....

How can 9 months have passed already??

I cannot believe how fast the time is going by! It seems that the closer we get to the end of my maternity leave, the faster the time goes. I am really enjoying every day that Grady and I spend together. We are doing all sorts of things from shopping to walks to swimming to play dates. I must tell you we have a pretty hectic social schedule! Grady is a social butterfly! On to this months highlights:

1. The biggest event of the month has to be our trip to Prince Albert. Grady and I had our first solo flight and he was such a little prince. On the way there the man sitting next to us commented on what a good little flier I had. I was so proud. He even travelled well in the car both ways. An hour and a half in the car twice and not a tear cried! Finally we are having some success in the car. Must have just been excited to see Grandma!

We had a very busy agenda while we were away. We went to cousin Drew's second birthday party on our first evening there where we also visited with great aunts and uncles. Grady even got to try some ice cream! We visited Grandpa Lorne, Grandma Sheila, Aunty Kolby, and Aunty Blaire 2 evenings for supper. Evenings are not Grady's highpoint but he did well considering all the new places and faces over the week. Grady even got to play with toys from when his Aunties were younger. Uncle James and Madison came by for several visits and even had a sleepover one night. Of course it was the night that Grady decided to cry for 30 minutes at 4am! We also went to visit great great Grandma Eva to take a 5 generation picture. Grandma Eva turned 99 in January!

I have uploaded the pictures that I took on our trip... but I didn't bring my own camera this time as I had no room in the suitcase - so all I have are the pictures that Grandma Paulette took.

2. Grady continues to explore new foods and textures and express his likes and dislikes. Some of the new foods he has liked are toast and Cheerios. He is not so sure of cottage cheese, grated cheese, and strawberries. He also LOVED the potatoes and gravy that Grandpa Lorne fed him in PA! He still hates chunks and gags if I try to feed him baby food with little particles of carrot or meat. I am working on it still!

3. Grady has mastered going from his belly to a sitting position. I still think it is a little bit of a fluke... but he has done it more than once - so maybe he does know what he is doing! It makes life easier as he usually goes onto his belly and then cries to be put back in sitting position.

4. Grady and I also have much more time to play as he is now staying up 3+ hours between naps. Some days he has stayed up for close to 5 hours if we were out and about. It is really nice as we have more time to plan outings and get out of the house. He schedule is finally coming together and I know what to expect most days.

5. Speaking of sleep.... most of you know that Grady liked to wake up at 530am a few weeks ago. When the time changed - we decided to use it to our advantage and started keeping him up until 8 and hoping it would help Grady sleep until 630 - and it worked! Not every day, but most. He is now getting up between 6 and 715 is the latest we have seen. He is also sleeping through the night on a regular basis. Yeah for more sleep!

6. Grady is also getting more strength as he is constantly trying to pull himself up onto objects around him. Whether it be the crib, the coffee table, his toys, me... etc etc. He can only get as far as his knees - anything else and he topples over. He still stands on his toes so he is still far from standing.

7. Grady's newest trick is that he learned how to clap his hands. He seems to do it most when he is excited. Maybe it is because patty cake is his favorite game.... it always makes him giggle. Especially when we make a 'low fat' cake for Dad when we sing it for him :)

8. We have little to report in the crawling department. He is still on all fours rocking back and forth. He has moved as far as a meter - but not consistently. It seems to be a fluke that he moves and then forgets how he did it. Hopefully by month 10 we will have progress in this area. The gates are purchased so we are ready!

9 Grady also popped a new tooth this month. He got only one of his upper front teeth. It came through much quicker than the bottom 2 as it is already visible in his mouth. I can't believe we have to go through this whole teething thing how many more times????

I think that about covers it. I look at Grady on a daily basis and just can't believe what a little boy he has become. Seems like only yesterday we were bringing him home form the hospital. I hope the next 18 years don't go this fast!

Mommy, Grady, and Friends!

Grady and I just got back from our trip to PA/Stoon and had a great time! I will have more details on our PA trip in a different post... I really wanted to post a few pics of our visit in Stoon first.

Grady and I had a chance to do lots of visiting with my friends and his as it was Candace's birthday and we threw her a surprise party. It was fantastic! Happy Birthday Candace!



This is a picture of the whole gang! It was so nice to have everyone together as this doesn't happen very often!



Grady and I had a chance to meet his little buddy Koen this week. He is such a little cutie! This is a picture of Grady and mom, Koen, and his mom Carmen. The boys even napped for an hour so Carmen and I could get a power visit in!



We also got a chance to visit with Willis and his mommy Deena. Deena was nice enough to let Grady and I stay overnight and Willis let Grady sleep in his crib as he had a sleep over at aunty's. Deena and I have known each other for 25 years so it is very cool to have our boys 'play' together. Grady and Willis haven't seen each other since Grady was 2 weeks old. This is a pic of Grady, Willis, and their mommies.



This is Alynne, Mark, and baby Karter. Karter was such a good little boy during the party. It was great to meet him for the first time. Grady is so lucky to have all these little friends to play with while I visit!



This is Sara, Kris and the first baby girl expected to join the posse in July!



As you can tell from the photos... Grady has lots of friends to play with and we love every moment that we get to spend catching up! Can't wait until the next playdate!

As an added bonus these are a few photos Deena took of Grady bright and early on Saturday morning before we left for the airport while I was showering. She has a great camera that takes fantastic photos. Oh, and she is talented behind the lens as well!

If you look closely at this one you can see all THREE of his teeth!


What man doesn't like to read the paper first thing in the morning at the kitchen table???

Hope you are having a great weekend!

PS - I swiped these photos from Deena and Carmen's FB photos. Hope you don't mind! Can't beleive I didn't have camera!

Sweater

My Grandma Rice made this sweater when I was little and now it fits Grady! He wore it just long enough for me to take a few pictures! As you'll notice... smiles were hard to come by that day! I think it looks adorable anyway :)

Also note that these pics were taken pre-haircut!

Grady's First Haircut!

Before you get really excited... it is not as drastic as you may expect. I will tell you that the pictures don't do Grady's new hair cut justice! We may have botched his hair in some spots... the back (Dad's fault) and the side (Mom's fault). Overall it was well overdue and we saved some hair for the baby book! Grady looks like such a big boy now!!

Before:



After:

Here Comes MORE Trouble!

Yesterday Grady made his first prank call. He was playing with the phone (his favorite toy) and I was sitting on the floor beside him. The phone started beeping so I pressed the off button. Less than 10 seconds later the phone rings. It is Deena asking if I just called her. No - not me... Grady. She said it sounded like he was rubbing the phone on his sleeve. No - just sucking on it. And there you have it - Grady's first prank call!

PS - I know 3 posts in one day is alot... don't get used to it!

Here Comes Trouble!

First, no Grady is not crawling yet... he has found a new way to keep us on our toes!

I started putting Grady to bed at 3:00 - it is now just after 4:30 and I can still hear him in the crib... we have had some 'issues' this afternoon. When I put Grady down the first he talked and played for 15 minutes and after that the 'talking' increased in intensity and became quite a loud scream/cry. I went upstairs to check and couldn't believe what I saw - Grady pulled himself with the crib bars into a kneeling position and couldn't get down. When I went in there... he was screaming with huge tears with his head poking over the top of the crib. What a sad sight.

I took him out and read him a few books to calm his down and started our second attempt. This time I stayed very close to his room as I expected that the he could attempt this trick again. He again started crying loudly and I found myself back in Grady's room. This time he is sitting in the crib. Usually this wouldn't be a problem except the crib was too narrow for him to fall onto his side like he usually does.

This time I took the little man downstairs gave him some bottle and I allowed to him to watch 'In the Night Garden' (his favorite TV show - if you have kids you should try it out. 530 pm on treehouse) once before going back upstairs for our third attempt!

So far - no more tears and I am about to go check on the little rug rat! Looks like naptime is about to get interesting.

James - If you are reading this on your blackberry... you have a job tonite... lowering the crib mattress!!

Spider Grady

Nana is back from Victoria and bought Grady the cutest little sweater! Thank you for the sweater Nana and we are very happy to have you back home!

Adventures in Diaper Changing

Notice we have moved the diaper change pad to the floor... After looking at the pictures you'll know why!

Grady vs. the Fan

Daddy and Grady Day!!

Yesterday, I took a well needed day off to go to the spa with my friends. We departed for Banff at 830 and returned just before 630... so it was a full day of relaxation for me. And how did the day go for James you ask?? SUPER! Although I had hoped James would get a glimpse into the day of a stay at home mom.... Grady was the ideal baby and slept for 5 hours total during the day! James claimed he must have tired him out playing so much. They had plans to walk to Starbucks for a 'Daddy Happy Drink' as I like to call lattes.... but I had Grady's hat in my purse and he really would have needed it yesterday! So instead they spent a quiet day in. I would have loved to share photos but James didn't take any. All I can tell you is what a relaxing day I had and how happy I am that James and Grady had a great day together. I have a great hubby!

I also got a glimpse into what James goes through leaving Grady every day for work. I was fine until we were about 10 minutes away from the city then I started getting really anxious to get home. I didn't even take my jacket off when I came in the door... I went straight for my litte man. It just melted my heart to see the big smile he flashed me when he saw me. That was rewarding enough for me not to have a spa day for a really long time - or should I say 2 weeks as I have another half day planned in Calgary (don't worry Jenn we are still on!). Happy wife.. Happy life!