Even when ...

Even when Grady has a tough night (like tonight) and fusses non-stop for two hours because he is hungry, over-tired, and just plain cranky ... Even then, when he finally falls asleep, I still love to watch him. He looks so peaceful and perfect and I fall in love with him all over again.

Photo Shoot!

Grady with the little stuffie from Grandma Pam and Grandpa Rob

... with the knitted bear from his Great-Grandma Arn


... and one more just because he is so cute!

Further attempts at capturing his smile ...

7 hours!!!

Last night Grady slept from 10pm straight through until 5am ...
7 hours in a row!!!

Life's a Beach

On Saturday, we all headed out to Goose Spit for the afternoon. The tide was out so the guys were down on the beach playing football and baseball. We mostly hung out around the lawn chairs because we had set up an umbrella so that there would be shade for Grady.

I loved being outside and enjoying the sunshine. Grady was pretty good. He did get a little fussy towards the end of the afternoon though, but I think that he was getting hot and tired ... just like the rest of us!

Spending time with his Grandparents and Uncle.

Grandma RonaLee, Grandpa Ken, and Uncle Aaron came for a visit this weekend. RonaLee was here when Grady was born, but this was Ken and Aaron's first time meeting Grady. It was pretty neat to introduce Grady to more of his family. It's a long trip to get to Courtenay and we really appreciate them coming ... thanks guys!

Mr. Fancy Pants

Check out Grady's fancy outfit. (I think it may have been a little bright for him outside ... he wouldn't open his eyes!)

Big Smile!

I was playing with Grady tonight and for the first time (on purpose), he smiled!!! I ran and got the camera and repeated the silly song that I was singing to him and this was the result .... so CUTE!!!

6 week stats!

We had our six-week check-up (and final appointment) with Joanne today. Technically, Grady is 6 weeks 3 days old, but close enough. Today he weighed in at 12 pounds 10 ounces and is 23.5 inches long!!! Joanne said that he seems just perfect and we definitely agree. :)

Grady's First Camping Trip!

Sleeping in the tent.

Getting a washcloth bath in the tent.


Just chillin' in a lawn chair.


Sandy, Grady, and Ryder's tail!

This past weekend we took Grady on his first camping trip! Before we left, I was feeling a little nervous about camping with a newborn in a tent, but we had a great time. Grady was so well-behaved!

During the day, we mostly carried him in his carrier - around the campsite and for walks on the beach. At night, we put him in his red fleece suit and he slept really well. Also, we were very lucky because the weather was fabulous and the friends that we camped with were really helpful. We are already planning our next trip!

A video of Grady "talking"!

BumGenius ... diapers, that is!

Sporting one of his new diapers (front view)

side view

Chubby little thighs and big bulky bum!


Sitting up and looking out at the world.

Now that Grady is a bit bigger and I am starting to get the hang of this Mom thing, I thought it was time to try out the cloth diapers. Before he was born, I did tons of research on the different styles and brands of cloth diapers (there is a lot of variety out there!).

I decided to start our cloth diaper collection with a brand called BumGenius (Sandy laughed so hard when I told him the name of the diapers). Anyway, these diapers are categorized as a pocket diaper because there is actually two parts: an outside shell and an absorbent cotton insert. They come in a variety of colors - I ordered blue, green, yellow, and white. And, they are adjustable to fit most sizes (up to 30lbs.), so the diaper should last through Grady's diaper wearing years.

We've been using them for a couple of days now and so far, so good! They are easy to use, hold the mess well (no leaks!), and come super clean after going through the wash. The one drawback that I can think of is that they are kind of bulky ... I think some clothes might be kind of tight on his little bottom with a BumGenius on. No big deal right now though ... most days I still just dress him in a onesie and a sleeper ... then his feet are warm and I know he is comfy!

What a difference!

I recently read an article online that said a newborn's awake period should only be about 60 minutes. When a baby is one month old, his awake period increases to 75 minutes. As babies get bigger, their awake period increases by about 15-20 minutes ... up until about 6 months.

I decided to try this out, so yesterday after Grady had been awake for an hour, I swaddled him up into a baby burrito and fed him in a quiet room. It only took 5-10 minutes for him to fall fast asleep! During the day, his naps were shorter (about 60 - 90 minutes) than they have been, but he woke up happy and stayed happy for the whole hour.

Here is where the best part comes in: last night he slept so well! He slept for three hours straight, three times (from 11pm-2am, 3am-6am, and 7am-10am). I stayed in bed and slept the same amount and I feel so great this morning. What a difference a good sleep makes!

I don't know how long this sleep "program" will last, but I am definitely going to enjoy it for now.

(Oh, and the spitting up has drastically decreased. I think that I was just feeding him too much! Since he was staying awake for too long, he was getting fussy because he was tired and thinking that he was hungry when really he just needed a nap ... that's my theory for now anyway ... we'll see how long it lasts!)

Tummy time

I'm not sure exactly how much "tummy time" I am supposed to be giving Grady, but whenever I think about it, I lay him down on his stomach for a little bit. I think it is supposed to help strengthen their neck muscles ... plus it gives him a different view of the world.

Grady tolerates it pretty well for a couple of minutes and then he kind of starts to fuss ... guess the floor isn't actually that interesting after all!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day was wonderful for lots of reasons: Grady and I slept in, Sandy cleaned the house for me this morning and made us a fabulous brunch, we spent the whole day together, and went for a nice walk this evening ... pretty much a perfect day!

Although, the main reason that my first Mother's Day was so great is that I have a baby boy who amazes me every single day and who I love so incredibly much ... oh, and a pretty great husband too :)

He's in there somewhere!

Grady and I went to the ball field last night to watch Sandy play ball. It was a bit cool out so we tried out Grady's new fleece suit (from his Grandma Liz). It is sized at 3-6 months so it's still a little big, but it definitely kept him warm!

I am a GENIUS!

I am feeling very smart today! Grady has started spitting up a fair amount and by a "fair amount" I mean A LOT! We were changing outfits after every feeding ... and inbetween feedings ... and before feedings!

Well today I finally figured out that if I put a bib on him, it catches the spit-up and I only have to change bibs instead of changing whole outfits!!!

After reflecting on my discovery, I realized that putting a bib on a baby makes perfect sense and is not a novel idea .... but it sure seems like one!

"Who does he look like?"

We get asked a lot: "Who does Grady look like?" Even though Sandy desperately needs to shave, I still think the answer is pretty clear!

One month old!!!!

One week old

One month old

Even though these aren't the greatest pictures of Grady (he doesn't like lying in the nude ... I think he must get cold or something!), you can really tell how much he has grown in the past month.

We had his four week check-up today. He weighs 11 pounds 4 ounces!!! And, he has finally gotten a bit longer - 22 1/4 inches. His head circumference is 14 inches. He is doing really well and growing right on track.

Grady is changing so much every day. He has started to actually focus on things and people. He loves to look at a painting of the ocean that hangs in our living room. And he will look towards people's voices when they are talking to him.

He can lift his head up for a few moments and seems to be getting stronger by the day. His grip is pretty amazing!

I can only imagine what the next month will bring ...

"Grady's Way"

There is a trail behind our house where I walk Ryder every day. It's a really nice area where Ryder can run off of his leash and we both really enjoy it.

However, there is a stream that we have to cross. Ryder (being a dog!) just runs right through it. I (wearing runners and not wanting to get soaking wet!) carefully walked across a make-shift bridge consisting of a couple of fallen logs held together by a rope. Well, this "bridge" was slowly rotting away and wasn't very safe anymore ... especially when you are carrying your baby in a carrier.

So, this past weekend, my Dad and Sandy hiked in with some lumber and built a bridge so that we can safely cross the stream. It is very sturdy and there is absolutely no chance of me (or Grady!) falling in. When Sandy was telling his Dad about their project, Rob named the bridge "Grady's Way".

*To be totally honest, I probably would have continued to carefully cross the fallen logs, but my Dad, being older and much wiser, decided that this was not a good idea. Now that the new bridge is built, I definitely agree with him and am very happy to have it ... THANKS DAD!

Almost a month old ... some new photos!

He's growing up so fast!

Grady is growing up so quickly!

Yesterday I had him lying on his back on the bath mat while I was in the shower. When I peeked around the shower curtain, I saw that he had rolled himself onto his side and was just hanging out there! Not even a month old and he is already starting to move himself around.

Grady is getting squirmy too when we are holding him. His neck muscles are getting stronger by the day and he can hold his head up for longer periods of time now.

He is also using his hands so much. He will hold onto my shirt with his little fist and he has even started grabbing at my hair! His grip is getting pretty strong.

And, to top it all off, he's got his first cold. Poor little guy :( It's just a case of the sniffles but he sounds pretty congested. I wonder if you can teach a 3.5 week old how to blow his nose???