Grady's 4th and Final Birthday Celebration!

Let's start with the cake... is it not fabulous!! Believe it or not, it is not from Superstore, Safeway, Sobey's, or even a specialty cake store. It was baked with love by Nana. When James and Dave were young she would always bake and decorate the cakes for their birthdays (I have the tins in my basement to show for it!). Maybe she is starting a new tradition with the Grand kids.... I sure won't be complaining if that is the case! She did such a good job it was almost a shame to let Grady demolish it... almost.

Thank you Nana!

Here is a group shot (minus Nana) just before Grady got down and dirty. Literally. Notice only Bo and I are wearing our party hats.....



I am pretty sure after all his practicing he knew exactly what to do with this cake! Nana made sure it was nice and messy with chocolate cake and red icing. So Grady chowed down in his diaper. Thankfully it was a smokin' hot day today.

I love taking pictures outside as it is such great lighting. Now if he could only smile for the camera..... I guess this cake eating thing means serious business.

He had cake smashed in between all his fingers (see picture above) so it was quite a task to get this little man all cleaned up. I brought him into the kitchen and sat him on the ledge of the sink. Well he decided to get right in! I took his diaper and let the water pour onto his naked bod and he LOVED it. I called everyone in to witness his sink bath - it was priceless. Notice he still has his party hat on.



Diaper changes around here are interesting. So after his 'bath' I attempted to get his diaper and clothes on. You tell me how successful I was... this is Grady in his birthday suit on his birthday. Notice he is still wearing his party hat.



Grady loved all his gifts and was again spoiled. Now the trick is to find a new home for all the toys!



It was hot day, spent with great company, celebrating the birthday of a sweet little man.... what more can you ask for???

Just me and my Cousin Madison

One of my favorite moments of the trip was watching Grady interact with his cousin Madison. For Grady it was love at first sight, for Madison - not so much. It was so funny to watch Grady try to pull himself up holding on to Madison's arm, leg, shirt, pants, really anything he could get ahold of! The look on Madison's face was priceless! He wanted to play with her toys, read her books, eat what she ate, and sit where she was sitting. I loved watching them and know that as they get older they will be great playmates!

This is Grady playing with Madison's new toy. They appear to be sharing quite well.

Here they are sitting at Grady's new picnic table.

Now they are both trying to sit on Grandma's knee at the same time! Grady doesn't look to impressed about 'sharing' grandma time....

Grady didn't like the stroller any better even when he had company. We had to carry him to the beach.



Sorry to dissapoint... but this was the last in our series of PA posts! Now back to regular scheduled programs :)

Off to the lake we go we go....

One afternoon we decided to head up to Emma Lake to check out the new trailer. It was great! I grew up going to my grandma's cabin at Emma Lake lots over the summer months and I hoped that Grady would love it as much as I did and it is safe to say that he did!! Here are a few pictures from the afternoon we spent playing in the water.

Grady and I just wetting our feet. The water was colder than the pool!!

Grady is thinking 'this isn't so bad'

Just like every little boy... Grady likes to get dirty!

We forgot a hat for Grady so he wore Grandma's shirt.

This was just before the leech incident... but that is a whole other story!

Catching some zzz's!

Grady has fell asleep in the car exactly zero times since he was about 1 month old. We were so proud of him for drifting off with the help of the bottle 3, I repeat 3 times, while we were away!

The first picture is Grady after our afternoon at the lake (post about that to come) asleep on the way home.

The second picture is of Grady on the way to PA from the airport.

What a sleepy young man!

PS - Don't forget to check out the many new photos I added to the picassa link - top right.

365 Days Old (aka 12 Months)

So in ordinary fashion on a non-ordinary day here is the latest in the greatest in the life of our one year old son.

1. Grady is still not walking. Not that we expected it too quickly... he still likes to stand on his toes every so often. Maybe he will be a ballerina. Maybe not. He has taken a few steps in fast motion while throwing his body at me. Not sure if this counts.

2. Grady does stand much more and his balance has improved substantially this month. He usually picks up a toy with one hand and then holds it with 2 hands, he quickly realizes he is standing and grabs the closest sturdy object. He then breaths a sigh of relief that he didn't' fall over!

3. Grady's current favourite foods are anything dairy. Minigos and yogurt are the front runners right now. We do offer him everything we eat and he lets you know what he does and doesn't' like. He still likes to be fed by spoon and isn't big on fruit. We are working on him every day to expand his taste buds....

4. Grady LOVES his bottles (which are now 100% milk as of Sunday). He just can't get enough. He squeals with excitement every time he sees it and sometimes even starts to cry because you can't get it made and in his mouth fast enough. Right now we are working on the sippy cup being the daytime beverage dispenser of choice, but he still prefers the bottle. Of course.

5. Grady currently wears a size 3 diaper. Last week at Costco I bought one box of size 3 and one of size 4. I haven't opened the box yet but I am sure they will fit our young man's milk gut!!

6. Grady's naps are all over the place these days. He was consistently taking 2 1.5 hour naps and as of recently it has been a challenge to get him to nap at all in the afternoon. I thought that stage was over... but it is back. We think he may be transitioning to 1 nap - which would be fine - but this whole getting there really sucks. On the plus side... one day in PA he slept for 3 hours in a row. wow.

7. Grady is still sleeping really well at night. He usually goes down about 8 and sleeps unitl 630 or 7am. This month we even got a few days after 8am!! I hope this keeps up! Then I'll go back to work and we'll have to wake him up early :(

8. Grady has 7 teeth.

9. Grady finally learned how to wave. We have been 'waving' at Dad everyday when he goes to work which consisted of Grady starting out the window not even at the car. We are really excited that he finally learned this motion.

10. Grady also can give high five. Technically when you say high five he jsut raises his hand and you have to hit his hand. But gets a big smile each and every time.

11. Grady weighs 23 lbs 7oz and is 29" long per the doctor's visit on Monday. I'll know the percentiles when we go for his vaccinations on Friday.

So while we officially end the first year of Grady's life I am excited to see what the second year of his life will bring. We love him to pieces and are so proud of him!

Happy 1st Birthday Grady!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRADY!!!! I can't believe how fast a year can go by....

Grady - then



Grady - now

Our little man is no longer a baby. We have survived the first year! Bring on the next year.... we can't wait to see how Grady will grow and change!

Party #2

Saturday Grandma Paulette hosted an'infamous' coffee and cake gathering in honor of Grady's first birthday, aka party #2. It was fantastic! There were kids, cake, icecrean, presents, and sun! Who could ask for a better day!

Here are James, Grady, and I with our party hats on. Grady didn't hate the hat as much as I thought he would which is a good thing since I have more hats for party #3.....

Grady in his birthday shirt! If were lucky maybe he will get to wear it again next year as it is size 2! Wishful thinking...

Grady was very interested in playing in the cake... but not in eating it! He was a very clean little boy after he was done considering we were prepared for the worst! James did decorate his cake with vanilla over chocolate icing which may have been key. Each kid at the party got an individual cake to eat (including Grady). I think Willis like his the best. mmmmmm cake!

Grady opening Iggle Piggle from his cousin Madison. She was so excited to for him to open it she insisted Grady open her gift first. It is a hit so far!

These are the sons of my friends back home. We had a blast getting them together ans snapping a few photos. Easier said than done!



This is the chaos of trying to organize 5 girls and 3 boys under 2 to take a photo. Especially when one boy (to remain un-named) throws a ball into one of the big girls forehead. So fun to have everyone together!



Grady had a blast and got some great loot... thanks for helping us celebrate Grady's birthday!

Congrats Auntie Kolby!

This is the first in a series of posts about our weekend in PA....

The whole purpose of our trip was to watch my littlest (yes I know this isn't a word)sister graduate from high school. Can she really be 18??? Well she did it and we have the pictures as proof. Congratulations Kolby - hope you had a great weekend as I know we did!

This is a picture of Kolby and I at the cap and gown ceremony in the morning. Thanks to Grandma Paulette who kept Grady so both James and I could attend.

 

Sisters... we needed this picture to replace the one we took at Blaire's grad 2 years ago. Can't remember if this was before or after I raided the 'lunch' tray where I only took dessers and passed over the sandwiches completely. Don't worry - Grandpa Lorne ate enough for the 2 of us! Yummy!



Auntie Kolby and Grady at the grad supper. Grady loved the sparkles and gems on Kolby's dress so it was hard to get a picture of him looking at the camera with his thumb out of his mouth. (See last picture).



Here is the group shot of siblings, spouses, and kids... thought this was a really nice picture until I realized I am holding Grady crotch. Sorry little man. And is it just me or does Grady look like he is half my height. Am I really that short???



Just lounging in the sun after dinner... after a morning of rain the sun came out and it got smokin' hot. It rained at some point everyday we were there....



Aunty Kolby and Grady minus a thumb because it is hiding in his mouth. The usual place for it these days. When oh when will this habit pass!



Congrats Kolby! We were so happy to be a part of your day!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day James! I hope you enjoyed your day despite the rain, the flight, the long line at Peter's drive in, and the trip to Safeway you had to do for milk after our long day. Grady is so lucky you have you as his Daddy not just today - but everyday. We love you!

Our little family of 3 just got back from a few busy days in PA and man are we tired tonight. Grady had a 40 minute nap in the car (of all places) on the way to the airport and then stayed up for the rest of the day. All things considered he was in a pretty good mood and we managed to get a few cute pics.

This is Grady and Daddy after many attempts to get one where Grady was not trying to wiggle out of James arms and get back to his playing on the floor. Double chins aside, I think this was the best one of Daddy and Grady.

Because you can't see it in the first picture... I wanted to take a close up of the shirt so you could read it. My Daddy Rocks. Enough said.

I am in the process of putting together some posts about our week as I can't fit them all into one! We were THAT busy. So stay tuned this week as i plan to post often in order to get you up to speed on our weekend festivities!

Happy Birthday Nana!

Hope you enjoy your gift! I had fun unwrapping it for you and especially playing with the paper afterwards! Hope you had a great day!

Love,
Grady

Heel n Wheel a-thon 2009

Grady, James, Marla, and I headed over to Fish Creek park this morning for the 2009 Heel n Wheel a-thon! Grady came in like a lion and left like a lamb..... I find with a little one you never know until you get there how the day was going to play out. Keep in mind that Grady got up at 6:15 and the walk was at 10:00. Nap time should have been at 10:00. See progression of pictures below.

This is just before the walk. Mom and Dad are happy and smiling. Grady is already showing signs of what is to come. Time - 9:55am.



Grady, Dad, and Nana. And the decline continues.... Time - 10:05.



This is the view of the walk from the end of the line. We were nearly last in departing as we try to give Grady a bottle and settle him down before we even crossed the start line... Time - 10:15.



Grady screamed for the first 20 minutes of the walk at which point we made the executive decision to turn around before the half way marker. Time - 10:35.




I carried my 25 pound sack of potatoes all the way back to the finish line. When the end was in sight, Grady put his head down on my shoulder and closed his eyes. Finally he fell asleep. We laid him in the stroller and he slept for nearly an hour. Time - 10:55.



The adults enjoyed their burgers and pop and admired the sleeping angel we like to call Grady. Despite the rough start with our little 'lion' we had a great time and will attempt the whole thing again next year....

Thanks for your support!

Pissy Pants

Yesterday morning was an early morning. After 2 mornings this week where Grady slept past 7, yesterday he woke up at 4:55am. Yes 4:55am. I fed him a bottle and he went back to sleep for 30 minutes and then we were officially out of bed for the day before 6:00am for the first time in quite some time. So... I put him on the floor to change his diaper, removed the diaper, and of course the little man rolls over and just lays there with his head down. I thought to myself 'awwww isn't that cute he is still tired'. WRONG. He rolls over again and giggles. It is at this point I see the large puddle of pee that he left behind just off the blanket we were changing him on.

So cursing under my breath I move Grady over and start cleaning up the 'mess'he left behind. I turn around and see that pissy pants (or 'pissy no pants' in this case) is peeing AGAIN off the blanket. Keeping in mind that he is a little boy - the stream of pee is not going down but shooting right at me. Really. It is only 6:00am - who can handle 2 puddles of pee at 6:00am?????

So after putting a diaper on first to avoid and more episodes and then cleaning the 2 puddle of pee he left behind.... we loaded in the car and drove to Second Cup for a vanilla bean latte. I drank it breathed a sigh of releif and thought 'this morning is not so bad after all' Thank God for Second Cup!

Swimming with Celebrities!

Today Grady and I headed out for our weekly pool visit and we swam with 2 Calgary flames - Adrian Aucoin and Wayne Primeau. Well... technically I didn't know who they were until one of the other moms pointed them out. I guess we didn't really swim with them.... but we were in the same water in close proximity. It was an exciting afternoon :)

My Little Thumbsucker!

For months I wanted this kid to take a soother or suck his thumb as all the 'happy' kids at the mall always had something plugged into them. My son chooses to start this habit at age 11 months. And I don't find him and 'happier' then he was before. Go figure. It is really cute though :)

Early Birthday Celebration!

Today we had our first of three birthday celebrations with our prenatal class and babies. There were 9 birthday kids in total and a good time was had by all. If I were being perfectly honest... I would tell you that Grady missed his second nap to attend the party so James and I spent most of the time trying to put him to sleep or keep him from fussing.... But instead I'll tell you he was an angel the whole time :)

Here is a picture of the birthday cake. If you notice, there is a smudge besides Grady's name on the cake. Apparently, the spelled his name 'Graddy' and one of the moms demanded that they fix it. The cake was very yummy!

Each birthday kid got a piece of cake with a '1' candle in it as we sang happy birthday. Grady loved the flame and really wanted to get his hands on it until he realized he liked the cake better - see next picture.

Against Dad's wishes... Grady dug into the cake. Let's just say he was mild compared to Finley eating next to us. Not only did Finley feed himself cake... but he fed his Dad as well. Grady was just practicing for his next 2 parties! Watch out cake... here Grady comes!

Grady was very excited to choose his gift... can't you tell??? We left shortly after this picture was taken to avoid any further meltdowns. Ahhhhh the joys of having a 1 year old. Yes I said it... a 1 year old.

Dear Nana

Thanks for taking such good care of me last night while Mom and Dad had a date night (whatever that means). I know I was a little grumpy and tired but Mom said you must have done something right because I slept straight through until after 7am!! Mom told Dad that if I slept past 7am that she would take the morning shift so I got to play with Mom again today! Mom says she lost that bet (again whatever that means)

I am so lucky to have you in the city so we can play, read books, and go for walks. Can't wait until our next adventure!

Love,
Grady

Heel 'n Wheel 2009

This is our fourth consecutive year of partaking in the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada's Heel 'n Wheel event. Essentially is it a 5k run/walk/ride/rollarblade event to raise funds for a cure. I have really enjoyed doing this and am very excited to make it a family event this year. See here for pictures of 9 month pregnant Christy and Grandma pre-walk.

If you are interested in pledging me, just go here and search for my name. Make sure it is the 'Christy' in Calgary!!

Let's hope for some sunshine this year! I'll post some pics after the event on Sunday June 14, 2009.

Safety First!

Grady says 'safety first' when it comes to playing in the sun!

Mom - make sure you get some of this sunscreen on my arms and legs!

These sunglasses are pretty cool - Thanks Grandma!

Who are we kidding, I prefer the hat this summer. Maybe I'll like the glasses next year!