It all happened so fast...
My moppy-headed little boy is officially a changed little dude. I spied this cute little barber shop in downtown Wake Forest. First thought..."Oh, how cute...the barber swirl outside, the old school chairs, the 6cent Cokes in glass bottles, the wood panelling with the dead animals on the walls...this will be a great spot for Graden's 1st official haircut outside of Nana's beauty salon, where he has gone since the inception of life."
Little did I know, the barber was born in 1918...yep, 91 years old. Can a 91 year old really keep his hands that still? When he gave Graden 2 choices, a beauty shop little girl haircut or a big boy haircut, Adam knew we were in trouble. I kept asking Adam why he didn't think he could stop the old guy from cutting, he just replied, "It all happened so fast...I told him what we wanted!" I knew it was a conspiracy.
We have laughed and laughed about this story...Adam actually had my friend, Kelli drive Graden down our cul de sac because he was so afraid of my reaction. I laughed and I cried...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Graden is 4....Two months later!
So it's pretty ridiculous that I am 2 months behind on my life...I decided to create this blog since I am so incredibly useless when it comes to baby books. I thought for sure I could set aside some time every couple of weeks to record some thoughts about daily life around here...why does it go by so fast?
Since this is my meager attempt to have some sort of journal of the most poignant and important times in our children's lives, I'll just travel back a couple of months here...
He continually talks about his age now. I guess 4 is way cooler than 3 because he is fixated on making sure he lets his friends know if he is older than they are...even if it is only by a few months. Graden finally got a haircut from someone other than his Nana to commemorate the big birthday. More of that to come...
Since this is my meager attempt to have some sort of journal of the most poignant and important times in our children's lives, I'll just travel back a couple of months here...
Graden turned 4 years old on September 15. Since the kid has had 3 very big birthday parties in his first years of life, we kept it a bit more low-key this year. It was a wonderful birthday nonetheless. Graden had a blast and that is all that matters. Highlights of his fun birthday week were....
- Granny and Papa coming to stay twice in his birthday week! Such a treat!
- Birthday pancakes with Ava, Laila, Matt and Kelli...a Birely tradition introduced to us complete with sprinkles, strawberries, whipped cream, and a candle!
- Party hats that lasted all week.
- Nana driving in especially for G's birthday dinner.
- Light-up shoes courtesy of his good buddy, Foster...LOVES them still.
- Having his cousins in town for his birthday for the very first time...we couldn't be more psyched about that.
- Transformers birthday cake.
- Aunt Jane and Uncle Marce being with us all the way from Texas!
- Transforming into Bumblebee for the occasion...a big hit thanks to Granny and Papa.
He continually talks about his age now. I guess 4 is way cooler than 3 because he is fixated on making sure he lets his friends know if he is older than they are...even if it is only by a few months. Graden finally got a haircut from someone other than his Nana to commemorate the big birthday. More of that to come...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Learning to Swim
It's hard to believe that summer has come and gone...it truly did fly by. I must admit, I'm ready for some of the lovely 80 degree days like we had today...how refreshing!
This summer we definitely made progress in the swimming department. Graden was not having anything to do with the water at the beginning of the summer when we went to the beach. He took a couple of sessions of swim lessons at the YMCA and Holding Park Pool and is slowly getting the hang of it. Sometimes I wonder as a parent how much to expect a little one to be able to do when it comes to a monumental task as this. It really takes a couple of years (or seasons) to figure it out, I guess and he really did enjoy his time in the water this year.
During his first lessons at the Y, his idea of going under water was sticking the tip of his nose in really quickly. By the end of his second round of lessons, he was going under completely and having a blast. He took lessons with his girlfriend, Ava, and I think he just wanted to impress her...:) He worked on his icecream scoops and trying to kick on his own, but really he just got comfortable going under and holding his breath. Baby steps...for sure.
Graden is definitely a pleaser in every way. He wants me to have my eyes on him at all times and is constantly screaming at the top of his lungs in extreme urgency, "Look at me mom...look at me! Watch me mom!" and won't stop until my eyes are glued on him. He was very proud of himself when "swimming" from one side of the pool to the other with his teacher and went down the slide and off the diving board one time each...took a little bribery...this kid will do anything for a piece of gum!
Graden is growing and learning so much every day. He is very excited about life to say the least!
This summer we definitely made progress in the swimming department. Graden was not having anything to do with the water at the beginning of the summer when we went to the beach. He took a couple of sessions of swim lessons at the YMCA and Holding Park Pool and is slowly getting the hang of it. Sometimes I wonder as a parent how much to expect a little one to be able to do when it comes to a monumental task as this. It really takes a couple of years (or seasons) to figure it out, I guess and he really did enjoy his time in the water this year.
During his first lessons at the Y, his idea of going under water was sticking the tip of his nose in really quickly. By the end of his second round of lessons, he was going under completely and having a blast. He took lessons with his girlfriend, Ava, and I think he just wanted to impress her...:) He worked on his icecream scoops and trying to kick on his own, but really he just got comfortable going under and holding his breath. Baby steps...for sure.
Graden is definitely a pleaser in every way. He wants me to have my eyes on him at all times and is constantly screaming at the top of his lungs in extreme urgency, "Look at me mom...look at me! Watch me mom!" and won't stop until my eyes are glued on him. He was very proud of himself when "swimming" from one side of the pool to the other with his teacher and went down the slide and off the diving board one time each...took a little bribery...this kid will do anything for a piece of gum!
Graden is growing and learning so much every day. He is very excited about life to say the least!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Beautiful Birthday Girl
May 1st has come and gone. Our little girl is finally one.
How the year has flown!
We celebrated Harper's birthday with a visit from Granny and her Auntie Mindy for the week leading up to her big day. That was very special to have them here with us. I think they probably went home more tired than when they got here after running around after Harper and her crazy (I mean very energetic) brother.
A few good friends helped us celebrate Harper's birthday with some burgers and dogs after a serious ball fight in the front yard. We busted out the plastic balls from Graden's first birthday that are always so fun, but a pain in the you-know-what to clean up when all is said and done. The kids were wild little rugrats and it was a perfect way to culminate Harper's first year with us.
That little stinker dove right in for her cake. She wasn't afraid in the slightest and I was expecting some mashed potato poops the next day with all that icing she ate. She couldn't get enough...takes after her mommy...we're in trouble.
Harper's 1 year stats:
19 lbs. 13 oz (25%) Shocking considering her brother has been on the opposite end of the scale for his entire life! I know, I know...don't compare, but it's so hard not to! They are just so different.
29 1/2 inches (65%)
46 cm head circumference (75%)
Favorite things to do:
- Check out any kind of animal and touch it as quickly as she can. She loves to grab our fire-bellied toads. The child has no fear for sure.
- Climb any stair, any where...period. Loves the stairs.
- Bath time with her brother. Could stay in the tub for hours.
- Find everything that she is not supposed to touch and go at it giggling.
- Slinging food while in her highchair.
- Drinking anybody's drink she can get her hands on.
- Playing basketball and dancing to the music.
Fun tricks:
- Giving kisses and then shaking her head incessantly and making you beg for more.
- Getting stuck under the bed, table, drawers, etc.
- Rolling her tongue like a hot dog.
- Purring like a cat.
- Speaking a combination of Chinese, Japanese, Swahili, and Russian all at once.
- Squealing at the top of her lungs when she doesn't get her way. So already over this trick!
She's not walking yet, but she loves to stand and hold onto everything, so I assume it won't be long. She's got 7 teeth and a little baby tan from our time at the beach recently. So glad she's not a "pale rider" as Adam says.
She rocks and we can't believe a whole year has passed! Happy Birthday, darlin'!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Happy Harper
Hard to believe, but our little baby girl is 9 months old. Harper had her 9 month check-up last week and is growing and changing every day. Here's the lowdown:
18 lbs. 6 oz. (45th percentile)
28 inches long (65th percentile)
Head circumference: 45 cm (75th percentile)
Her fave's:
Favorite food: turkey dogs and mac-n-cheese
Favorite toy: mommy's jewelry
Favorite hobby: laughing at her brother
Favorite song: Patty Cake
Best buds: Laila and Simon
New tricks: contortions of all sorts, getting on her knees ready to crawl, pulling up half-way, screaming like a giddy little school girl, playing patty cake, waving for fun
Current vocabulary: mama, dada, nana, baba...none of which are discriminate
Teeth: 2 on the bottom have been there since she was 7 months, and the 2 on top are rearing their ugly little heads
Harper is the happiest baby...such a joy in every way. She has the cutest little dimples that she inherited from her Nana. Her disposition is so chill and she really only gets upset when she's hungry, tired, snotty, or getting these darn teeth! She loves to be around Graden. Her face lights up ever time she sees him and I just hope that will always be the case...I know, wishful thinking, huh?
She's so chatty and wants so badly to talk to us. She loves to read books and take baths with her brother. She smiles pretty much on a constant basis and I hope that she never loses this innocent joy and love for life! What a blessing she is in our lives!
18 lbs. 6 oz. (45th percentile)
28 inches long (65th percentile)
Head circumference: 45 cm (75th percentile)
Her fave's:
Favorite food: turkey dogs and mac-n-cheese
Favorite toy: mommy's jewelry
Favorite hobby: laughing at her brother
Favorite song: Patty Cake
Best buds: Laila and Simon
New tricks: contortions of all sorts, getting on her knees ready to crawl, pulling up half-way, screaming like a giddy little school girl, playing patty cake, waving for fun
Current vocabulary: mama, dada, nana, baba...none of which are discriminate
Teeth: 2 on the bottom have been there since she was 7 months, and the 2 on top are rearing their ugly little heads
Harper is the happiest baby...such a joy in every way. She has the cutest little dimples that she inherited from her Nana. Her disposition is so chill and she really only gets upset when she's hungry, tired, snotty, or getting these darn teeth! She loves to be around Graden. Her face lights up ever time she sees him and I just hope that will always be the case...I know, wishful thinking, huh?
She's so chatty and wants so badly to talk to us. She loves to read books and take baths with her brother. She smiles pretty much on a constant basis and I hope that she never loses this innocent joy and love for life! What a blessing she is in our lives!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Here Comes Santa Claus!
How is it possible that Christmas has come and gone? It happens so quickly...all that hype and it is gone with the blink of an eye. The preparation, the parties, the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, the baking, the travelling...so much goes into Christmas and then it leaves us like a shooting star that you barely caught a glimpse of. We are so thankful for the time that we have had celebrating this wonderful season with our phenomenal friends and family.
This year was extra special for our family in that it was Harper's 1st Christmas. Of course all she really cared about was the wrapping paper, but it was still so much fun to have her be a part of our family's celebration. She has been such a gift to us this year that we can't imagine our lives without her!
There is just so much that has happened over the holiday season...so instead of going on and on, here's our Top 10 List of the holiday's most memorable moments....
10. Rearranging furniture to make room for the extra large tree that consumed our living room and then watching Adam try to get it out the door by himself when it was all said and done!
9. Hearing Graden scream at the top of his lungs when Santa walked in to Adam's company Christmas party...how come the rest of the kids just acted like it was just some old chap with a white beard...it was SANTA people!
8. Apparently Graden was feeding a small army of reindeer as well as a Santa with a hearty appetite when he loaded the plate of goodies on Christmas Eve.
7. Our slumber party with our wonderful friends, the Nooe's. We have played Cariboo a million times since then...our boy loves his gift! :)
6. Seeing Graden "perform" for the first time with his preschool class. He was not too enthralled by the idea of singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and a number of other favorites in front of a crowd of over-enthusiastic parents who were snapping pictures and getting it all on tape. I think he jingled his bell once and then he was done...we know it's a lot of pressure, bud!
5. Losing the Be-Otch chalice to Chad at our annual State Christmas party...Adam bought that because he so wanted to take that puppy home with him...it was bedazzled and all! I was definitely devastated that it had to go in the Moore's china cabinet instead of our's!
4. Freaking out when our son tackled his Granny literally to the ground from behind as she bent over...she was such a good sport, but very sore after the fact! Will never live that one down!
3. Watching Graden decide to go digging for gold once he was up in front of the entire congregation at church at the Christmas eve service...we were so proud!
2. Adding our sweet baby girl to our celebration of this wonderful season!
1. Celebrating with my parents in Dallas and the McIntyre's in North Carolina and witnessing their love for their grandbabies.
This year was extra special for our family in that it was Harper's 1st Christmas. Of course all she really cared about was the wrapping paper, but it was still so much fun to have her be a part of our family's celebration. She has been such a gift to us this year that we can't imagine our lives without her!
There is just so much that has happened over the holiday season...so instead of going on and on, here's our Top 10 List of the holiday's most memorable moments....
10. Rearranging furniture to make room for the extra large tree that consumed our living room and then watching Adam try to get it out the door by himself when it was all said and done!
9. Hearing Graden scream at the top of his lungs when Santa walked in to Adam's company Christmas party...how come the rest of the kids just acted like it was just some old chap with a white beard...it was SANTA people!
8. Apparently Graden was feeding a small army of reindeer as well as a Santa with a hearty appetite when he loaded the plate of goodies on Christmas Eve.
7. Our slumber party with our wonderful friends, the Nooe's. We have played Cariboo a million times since then...our boy loves his gift! :)
6. Seeing Graden "perform" for the first time with his preschool class. He was not too enthralled by the idea of singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and a number of other favorites in front of a crowd of over-enthusiastic parents who were snapping pictures and getting it all on tape. I think he jingled his bell once and then he was done...we know it's a lot of pressure, bud!
5. Losing the Be-Otch chalice to Chad at our annual State Christmas party...Adam bought that because he so wanted to take that puppy home with him...it was bedazzled and all! I was definitely devastated that it had to go in the Moore's china cabinet instead of our's!
4. Freaking out when our son tackled his Granny literally to the ground from behind as she bent over...she was such a good sport, but very sore after the fact! Will never live that one down!
3. Watching Graden decide to go digging for gold once he was up in front of the entire congregation at church at the Christmas eve service...we were so proud!
2. Adding our sweet baby girl to our celebration of this wonderful season!
1. Celebrating with my parents in Dallas and the McIntyre's in North Carolina and witnessing their love for their grandbabies.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Family First, Hosting Thanksgiving
So I am officially over a month behind in my attempt to document the important events in our lives. So I'll try to make this short and sweet...okay typically that is not possible in my world, but I'll give it a shot.
We had the McIntyre clan for Thanksgiving at our house this year. We had a full house with Adam's parents here as well as his brother and our sister-in-law and their kids, Keenan and Scott. I don't think there is anything that gets Graden more wound up than knowing that Keenan is coming. He loves her and would jump off the nearest bridge if she told him to.
We had a wonderful meal that for the most part was a success. Linda is the mama chef who did most of the work. I had serious turkey anxiety and wasn't about to venture into that territory on my own. I happened to see Oprah the day before and thought that the marinade that her personal chef shared with the audience would be a hit. The turkey turned out great, but did not look like those nice plump, juicy birds you see in the magazines. Just take a look at the picture...will work on aesthetics next year.
I was crazy enough to think that I would make Linda's homemade mac n cheese that both of her boys die for knowing that it really can never be duplicated. No one messes with mama's original recipes. I actually wish that I had never made it because now I know just how much cheese, butter, and whole milk is involved...true version of heart attack on a plate, but one of the best things you have ever put in your mouth.
The kids had a blast running circles around each other, torturing our pet hamster Quio, and just being together. We love our niece and nephew and only wish they lived closer! Funny little story about the hamster. Graden loves having her, but Adam secretly (or not so secretly) wants to set her free! The darn thing is nocturnal obviously. Usually when we have guests I remember to take out her wheel so that she doesn't awaken anyone in the middle of the night with her constant exercise. My mother and father-in-law along with our nephew were soundly sleeping one night when I heard that darn wheel squeaking. I crept in the room, removed the wheel and went about my business. Linda came down the next morning cracking up. Apparently, the little bugger ended up in her suitcase during the night rummaging around looking for something tasty to chew on. I guess when I took the wheel out of the cage, the hamster came along with it!
My friend Larisa took some family photos for us that weekend so that we could surprise Linda with a new picture for over their mantle for Christmas. They turned out really good and we are so lucky that she was willing to do it!
We are thankful for all of our many blessings...we continue to pinch ourselves when reflecting on how lucky we are to have such wonderful children, parents, siblings, and friends!
We had the McIntyre clan for Thanksgiving at our house this year. We had a full house with Adam's parents here as well as his brother and our sister-in-law and their kids, Keenan and Scott. I don't think there is anything that gets Graden more wound up than knowing that Keenan is coming. He loves her and would jump off the nearest bridge if she told him to.
We had a wonderful meal that for the most part was a success. Linda is the mama chef who did most of the work. I had serious turkey anxiety and wasn't about to venture into that territory on my own. I happened to see Oprah the day before and thought that the marinade that her personal chef shared with the audience would be a hit. The turkey turned out great, but did not look like those nice plump, juicy birds you see in the magazines. Just take a look at the picture...will work on aesthetics next year.
I was crazy enough to think that I would make Linda's homemade mac n cheese that both of her boys die for knowing that it really can never be duplicated. No one messes with mama's original recipes. I actually wish that I had never made it because now I know just how much cheese, butter, and whole milk is involved...true version of heart attack on a plate, but one of the best things you have ever put in your mouth.
The kids had a blast running circles around each other, torturing our pet hamster Quio, and just being together. We love our niece and nephew and only wish they lived closer! Funny little story about the hamster. Graden loves having her, but Adam secretly (or not so secretly) wants to set her free! The darn thing is nocturnal obviously. Usually when we have guests I remember to take out her wheel so that she doesn't awaken anyone in the middle of the night with her constant exercise. My mother and father-in-law along with our nephew were soundly sleeping one night when I heard that darn wheel squeaking. I crept in the room, removed the wheel and went about my business. Linda came down the next morning cracking up. Apparently, the little bugger ended up in her suitcase during the night rummaging around looking for something tasty to chew on. I guess when I took the wheel out of the cage, the hamster came along with it!
My friend Larisa took some family photos for us that weekend so that we could surprise Linda with a new picture for over their mantle for Christmas. They turned out really good and we are so lucky that she was willing to do it!
We are thankful for all of our many blessings...we continue to pinch ourselves when reflecting on how lucky we are to have such wonderful children, parents, siblings, and friends!
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