Tag: baby

Graham is Twelve Months Old!

January 29, 2022

48 weeks – day light savings time got to us all

48 weeks – napping with Aunt Jody while Mom and Dad went to the Panther’s game. (day light savings time at it again!)

48 weeks – first time in a grocery buggy – of course it was at Total Wine

48 weeks – napping with Mommy. This will never get old to me sweet boy.

48 weeks – eating spaghetti

48 weeks – First Chic-Fil-A

49 weeks – eating stir fry and cheesing it up!

49 weeks – dinner at Moe’s – the black beans were a hit – one of your first times in a restaurant (Covid Kid)

49 weeks – Your First Thanksgiving

49 weeks- post Thanksgiving nap

50 weeks – home for a sick day with Daddy – Facetimeing Mommy at work

50 weeks – In a real pickle – stuck under the bar stool

50 weeks – lounging at the table out to lunch

50 weeks – Christmas at Old Salem

51 weeks – starting to learn how to use your cup

51 weeks – your favorite face to make

51 weeks- Reynolda Gardens

My sweet Graham how can it be that you have been ours for over a year! It has been the hardest, most challenging, sleep deprived year, that has been the most wonderful time with SO MUCH JOY! You are the absolute love of our lives and watching you grow this past year has been just the most rewarding experience. At 12 months you are cruising around with ease and getting anywhere you want to go. You’re not quite walking but it will be here soon enough. You happily eat most anything we serve you and are getting better and better at using your sippy cup and feeding yourself. You want to do it all with no help! You’re sleeping through the night very well now, which we are SO THANKFUL for. You’re doing lots of jabbering and talking. Your first word was “ba” for ball. You are almost always happy and smiling, and able to go with the flow most of the time. You still love playing ball with Bertie. Books are becoming more interesting to you. We are soaking up this time with you because you are just SO MUCH FUN right now! I’ve said it before but you were such a bright light for us in a challenging time for so many. While 2021 was certainly better than 2020 for us, we are so thankful for the light and joy you brought to us! We love you so big little one!

Graham’s One Year Photoshoot

January 25, 2022

We had family photos taken a few days before Graham’s birthday. We used Amber again and I am so happy with how they turned out. She is so wonderful to work with and so good with Graham. The location she picked and the time of day is just perfect!! Sean’s parents were in town for Graham’s first birthday party already so we asked them to join in on the photos as well. How cute is Graham in his bowtie and suspenders!?! I just love these photos so much!

Graham is Eleven Months Old!

November 10, 2021

43 weeks – playing in your ball pit with Daddy

43 weeks – playing with Mommy

44 weeks – Ms. Tamara caught you standing at school for the first time

45 weeks – ON THE MOVE! Playing with your reflection in the faucet!

45 weeks – playing at home

45 weeks – swinging at the park

46 weeks – the weather turned cold and you (and Mommy) were not a fan!

46 weeks – you are the sweetest little boy

47 weeks- your first Halloween

47 weeks – you can do your bottle all on your own, but only when you want to!

You and Bertie have become best friends at the table this month! You love to let her have a bite of your food!

47 Weeks – Diwali lighting the diyas

47 weeks – Saturday couch naps with Mommy are the best!

11 months old – heading up the stairs on your own!

Eleven months with you! It is so hard to believe that in a few short weeks we will be celebrating your first birthday! This has been a huge month of milestones for you! You already seem like such a big boy compared to only a short time ago. You started pulling up to stand on everything this month. You first started around 44 weeks and as soon as you did that it was off the the races, you can pull up and walk along the couch now, the wall, the kitchen cabinets, and the bath tub. Anywhere really. Your crawling is getting faster and faster too! I know its only a matter of time before you can walk on your own! At the prodding of your teacher we finally expanded your diet this month. You’re eating meat, beans, noodles, and pretty much all the fruits and veggies now. Within a few days of starting to eat more food, you decided you were done with breastfeeding. At 45 weeks you nursed on Wednesday morning before school, and then on Thursday you were all done, wouldn’t hear of it. I was glad to be done if I’m being honest (you have eight teeth!), but I was more happy that it was your decision and it really wasn’t an issue at all! Your eating SO much food now! It is shocking to your Dad and I how much you can eat at a meal. You’re taking less and less milk from a bottle and have even dropped a bottle fed this month. We celebrated your first Halloween. You were the cutest avocado if I do say so! Dadima bought your costume since it’s still your favorite food it just seemed perfect to her. Mom and Dad went away on long weekend vacation to the mountains and you stayed home for a few nights with Dadima and Poppa Bob. We are so thankful that they have been so helpful and love being with you! You had a little sleep set back at the beginning of the month, but the last few weeks you have been doing great, sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. We are still working on naps, you’ve been taking a long nap at school, but so far won’t do that at home. You are talking more and more now and are a waving man! You wave at everyone we come across. On your 11 month birthday you surprised us by taking off up the stairs, you made it all the way up on your first try without any help! You are turning into a little boy right before our eyes and it is such a joy to watch! You are the sweetest boy and we love you so! We love you big little one!

Graham is Ten Months Old!

October 21, 2021

39 weeks – avocado is your favorite!

39 weeks- Mommy loves these sweet Sunday naps!

39 weeks – neighborhood adventures

40 weeks- you discovered the pantry

40 weeks – trying tomato soup

40 weeks – Bertie is the best playmate

40 weeks – 9 month check up

40 weeks – ready for game day

40 weeks – this game is a real hat biter

41

41 weeks – Dash game!

41 weeks – Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad – you should really hang this on the wall!

41 weeks- Our family on our second anniversary! Crazy how quickly things can change!

41 weeks – fall is here! The cutest little boy in the cutest little cardigan!

41 weeks – Game day ready again!

42 weeks – cooking with Dadima

42 weeks – almost able to pull yourself up on your own

42 weeks – reading a new book

42 weeks – playing in your ball pit

42 weeks- trying out Sesame Street for the first time

42 weeks – Happy Fall Y’all! Carolina beat Dook!

43 weeks – standing on your own – still need a little help to get up

43 weeks – Cheerios!

Ten whole months with you! Only one more monthly update and you will be one!! You are such a joy! We had your nine month check up and you are still growing like crazy. This month you got so much faster and are on the move EVERYWHERE! We can hardly keep up with you. You found Bertie’s food and water and we have to be quick to keep you out of her bowls. You discovered playing in the pantry with all the condiments. We’ve been working on slowly adding in more and more food to your diet, but avocado is still your FAVORITE! We went to a Dash game with Papa Sam that you really enjoyed. Aunt Amy gave you a ball pit that has been a big hit, you love playing under or inside things. Under the furniture especially. You’re showing more interest in books now, you play with them on your own and turn the pages. Mom and Dad celebrated their second anniversary, the last two years have flown by! Keeping up with the past months, you got sick from daycare again… this month was hand, foot, and mouth. We were so lucky that it never bothered you. You had a rash all over your body that you never even noticed. We’ve been spending most of our weekends on the back porch watching football and you just play and play in the floor. You’re still not the best sleeper, naps are not your jam and you’ve been going through phases of sleeping well at night and then getting up several times at night. You have eight teeth now and your little grin is just the cutest! We love you big little one!!

Graham is Nine Months Old!

September 15, 2021

35 weeks spending time with Grandma and Grandpa while Mom and Dad are away

First time trying blueberries – 36 weeks

Sick boy napping with Mommy and Sister – 36 weeks

36 weeks reading books

Mommy’s Birthday – 37 Weeks and Mommy’s 37th Birthday

37 weeks practicing standing on your own

38 weeks – the pools were all sold out and it was HOT

38 weeks – reading books to Mommy

38 weeks – the Amazon man came through with a real pool!

38 weeks – football Saturday’s are here

39 weeks in – 39 weeks out

39 weeks- playing ball with Bertie

Another fun month has gone by with you, our little joy boy! Time just seems to be speeding by! This month Mom and Dad went away on our first real vacation in a long time. We were away for four nights. Because of Covid, the last plane I was on was in February 2020, and Dad last went on a plane in November 2019. Our last big trip together was our honeymoon to Paris in November 2019. It was wonderful to be able to travel again and to see friends that we hadn’t seen in a few years. You stayed home with Dadima and Papa Bob, and they had the best time with you! This month you started banging your toys together when you play around 35 or 36 weeks, waving at 37 weeks, and at 38 weeks you began trying to stand on your own. Now if you hold on to our hands you can go from sitting to standing with no problem. You can also go from sitting to crawling, and you are everywhere QUICKLY now. You love playing under things, your jumper, the dining room table, the chairs. You discovered how to play ball with Bertie this month, she has been SO patient and will wait for you to throw it or roll it and will even give it back to you when you come after it. It is the CUTEST. You’re feeding yourself like a champ and the foods that you eat continues to increase. You still LOVE avocado. Midway through the month you and your friends at school passed around a GI bug that was absolutely no fun for anyone. We also have been going through quite the sleep regression. Mom and Dad have be le tired this month since you have been waking at night quite a bit. You started to cry a little at school when we leave and and night when you’re waking you just want to see that we are still there, so I think you’ve developed a bit of separation anxiety this month. I cannot believe how much hair you have now, it is so thick and you are just the most handsome boy! We love you SO big little one!

Graham is Eight Months Old!

August 16, 2021

31 weeks – loving bath time

31 weeks – visit from your aunts while Dad was away for the weekend

31 weeks- four new teeth peeking through

32 weeks – four new top teeth

33 weeks – learned to clap your hands

34 weeks – first trip in the big boy car seat

34 weeks – first visit to West Virginia

First trip to Frostop!

School Fun!

You love feeding yourself! The messier the better!

Future Mountaineer!

Another month of joy with you! You are just the most fun right now! You are laughing and squealing with delight, and still the most smiley kid around! You love feeding yourself, you basically won’t let us help at all. Bath time is still a big hit! You’ve mastered sitting up on your own this month. You are officially on the move mostly by barrel rolling where you want to go or scooting backwards on your butt, but you’re also sort of army crawling on your belly now. At 31 weeks four top teeth came out of nowhere and by the next week they had pretty much come in completely, so you have six teeth now! At 33 weeks you learned to clap your hands, which was a huge hit for us all! Daddy went away for a weekend with his friends so we had a sleepover with your aunts! They just adore you! We upgraded to a big boy car seat this month, you are just too heavy to carry in the baby seat now! We made our first trip to Grandma and Grandpas house this month. You did great in the car again and everyone in town was SO HAPPY to finally meet you! We had a wonderful brunch so everyone could come by to say hello, and you received too many gifts! We are still loving school. Ms. Tamara is wonderful with you and you do so many fun activities that we can see you learning from already. This month you painted and had a water play day that you enjoyed. You have SO MUCH hair now, it is just so thick and you have a little curl right on top that is just the best! You are in a good place with your sleep now, you take a bath every night, and go to bed by 7:00 or 7:15 and most mornings you don’t get back up until between 6:00 and 7:00. We are thankful for another month to watch you grow and learn! We love you big little one!

The Random List of Baby Things You Actually Need!

August 6, 2021

Now that I have an 8 month old (omg how did that happen?!?) I feel qualified to make a few suggestions about things you need and don’t need for a new baby. But so do a lot of other people on the internet. And they all seem to come up with about the same lists. So here’s a few things that don’t necessarily make the list of the most popular must haves. You know you need a stroller and a crib, but what are you going to be ordering at 3 am off Amazon to make your life easier. And what things are out there that you may not even know about because this is all new, and you like me have no clue what is actually going on most of the time with parenting. Also. Shout out to the mom friends that will gift you all the things you don’t even know you need. Get you some of those people in your life if you don’t already have them.

  • Bath Temperature Duck – This duck floats in the bath water to let you know if the temperature is just right. So smart.
  • Changing Pad Mats– These were gifted to us by a friend. We would have never known to buy them. They go on top of the changing pad sheet so that you can keep the sheet from getting filthy with diaper changes.
  • Bath Set – Elbow pads and knee pads for mom and dad and a faucet cover to prevent bumped heads. We have the matching bath tub and really like it too.
  • Zip-Up or Magnetic Onesies – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for ALL those snaps in the middle of the night with a crying baby. The four pack of zip-up onesies makes more sense for the wallet, but the magnetic ones are just so fun!
  • Pacifiers – These are our favorite and the only ones he really likes. We had multiple brands on hand to try, and once we settled on these I ordered SO MANY. Just when you think you have enough order a few more. Seriously you do not want to be looking for them at 4 am.
  • Piano Toy– We were gifted this as well. This was the first toy that he really showed any interest in and 8 months later he still plays with it. Money well spent since most things last a few weeks at this stage.
  • Car Seat Protector– Also a gift from a friend. They protect the actual seats in your car. We haven’t hit the snacks in the car stage yet, but an infant car seat is still rough on the car leather and these help them from completely ruining your car.
  • Haakaa– If your breastfeeding this is great for catching the letdown from the other side. If you’re like me and like OK great what does that even mean, watch this video.
  • Kimono Shirts – For the kid that HATES having his clothes pulled on over his head. We learned from our newborn photographer that the regular infant onesies can actually be pulled down over their body rather than back over their heads to get them off. It takes a village.
  • Happiest Baby Swaddle – If you are familiar with the Snoo, these are the same swaddles, just made to be used in a crib or regular bassinet. These are the ONLY swaddle that he couldn’t escape from and would actually sleep in. You will find people are devoted to the swaddle that works for them and it’s different for all babies. For us this one was it.
  • Bum Spatula – Spreading diaper cream with your hand just seems gross.

Our first Mother’s Day!

May 11, 2021

We celebrated our first Mother’s Day! Daddy surprised me with an evening away at the Grandover Spa on Friday night where I was pampered with a massage and facial. It was great to have an evening to myself! We got up on Mother’s Day and made a painting for Dadima while Daddy cooked breakfast. I requested that we go to the park and practice with the camera. These are some of the shots. Dadima and Papa Bob were with us so they hopped in on the fun at the park. Some of the pictures turned out great and some… well we still need some more practice with the camera. I also requested Senor Bravo takeout for dinner. Overall it was a fun and relaxing day! I still can’t believe I get to be your momma! What a joy it is to watch you grow and learn and what wonderful day celebrating our family!

Graham is Five Months Old!

May 8, 2021

17 weeks meeting Aunt Kiki

17 weeks Mr. Independent

17 weeks loving bath time!

18 weeks enjoying spring

18 weeks playing with Aunt Jody

19 weeks Mommy’s first girls night!

19 weeks with Papa Sam

20 weeks first day of daycare

Your first day of daycare, the first picture from your teacher, and your first big boy nap! I will forever love this picture!

20 weeks – Hanging out with Dadima

20 weeks made it through the first week of daycare and came home with your first fever and daycare germs

21 weeks you’re very interested in Bertie now!

21 weeks – painting at school

This has been a big month again! We went back to the doctor for your four month old shots when you were 18 weeks old! You were just over 16 pounds and 24 inches long. Growing like crazy! You started day care this month at 20 weeks old. Due to Covid we aren’t able to go inside the school, we’ve never seen your classroom except on Zoom and we met your teacher on Zoom also. It was a bit stressful at first to leave you somewhere we were so unfamiliar with. I’m happy to report we are loving daycare so far. Your teachers Ms. Brittney and Ms. Tamara are wonderful. We have an app that they are constantly updating with pictures and information throughout the day that helps us feel connected! You had your first sickness; after your first week of daycare you came home with a fever and tummy problems. Even though you may have been a little under the weather, you have really blossomed in the first few weeks of daycare. You tolerate tummy time much better, are playing like a champ with all of your toys, and becoming more and more social with the teachers and the other children. Dadima and Pop Pop are still at our house helping get you adjusted to daycare, they have loved spending so much time with you and will be so sad to go home to their house next week. We’ve seen lots of friends and family this month and it has been wonderful to see you interacting with them. You are quite the smiling social little one! You still love going for your daily stroller rides and you love bath time. You have become more interested in Bertie this month, you even pulled her hair once or twice. She has been so patient with you. We’ve had some highs and lows with your sleep this month, but all in all I think we are very lucky that you sleep well. Right now you’re sleeping from 8 pm until 6 am on a good night, and then occasionally still nap after your morning feeding. You still don’t nap too well during the day, 15 minutes here and there for a power nap. We think you’re afraid to miss out on the action. And on your five month birthday you rolled over for the first time! We love you big little one! It’s hard to believe our next update you will be a half a year old!