if we had a girl...

Ok..so this is not entirely my fault...be sure to mention that to Graham when he sees these photos some day! Omi found a hair clip that I wore as a little girl and decided to try it out on Graham. At least we refrained from putting him in the dirndl.

Step one: Puma Track Suit

We have started a college fund fpr Graham but with the price of colleges so high (and Matt's dream of owning a boat one day) we have decided to start training Graham early... we are not sure what sport he will excel in yet but a scholarship is definitely on the horizon! :)

Omi is giving him a pep talk...

Halk

So I have found the one benifit of Reflux...wardrobe changes! Graham and I play dress up...today I had an epiphany that I can mess with his hair too.

Not sure he finds the game as enjoyable as I do...

Smilie

Playing with Sophie the Giraffe and Omi...

Graham has officially entered into the 3-6 Month sizes!

My Valentine!

Notice Leopold in the background...ok I have 3 Valentines this year!

*This was my shirt when I was little :)

Omi Saves the Day

My mom has been such a help; each week she drives all the way down from Vermont to hang out with Graham while I go to work Monday through Wednesday. It has been such a great transition as I can't imagine leaving him with a complete stranger yet...rather ever! He loves his Omi!

Sophia- Already a Favorite

Graham already loves the infamous Sophia Giraffe...not sure what all the hype is about but kids do seems to obsessed with this plastic squeaky toy. Whatever keeps them happy!

Ready for NH

Graham's "First Steps"

This past weekend Graham made the journey to Vermont to visit Opi and Omi. We relaxed, ate delicious food, and ventured out solo for some outlet shopping. Graham had a blast and was busy telling Opi and Omi all about his trip. While we were out, Omi "taught" Graham how to walk! OK, I know this is a stretch but it is fun pretending that we have Hercules as a baby...Matt thinks we are all crazy.

Craby?

How big!

It has been amazing watching Graham grow both physically and developmentally. He will be 12 weeks old this Sunday, weighs just over 12 pounds, and is about 23 inches "tall". The doctor noticed how active he is and suggested that he is about as strong as a 4 month old already! He just can't sit still!

Yes, I have been training him :)

Graham has found his hands and his hands have found his mouth! At least he has begun to soothe himself, this has been helpful when he wakes up early in the morning and manages to "Houdini" his way out of his swaddle. We can hear him sucking away at his fingers.

Graham is also very alert and interested in everything. He loves to watch TV... which means Mom can't watch Jersey shore (and all the other bad TV shows) while feeding him anymore :( it's probably for the best for all of us!

Lately, we have begun to see his personality emerge, he is a happy little guy and smiles and coohs frequently (between his Reflux outbursts). He talks up a storm... just like his mom and loves to be sung to. 3 little birds (Bob Marley) and The Wheels on the Bus seem to always get a good reaction. In desperation for more items on the bus, I have combined the wheels on the bus with Old McDonald for an interesting rendition... kind of reminds me of the buses in Jamaica! 

A day in Graham's life...

The last few weeks have been spent trying to figure out a loose routine so I can have a little predictability in my day to day life. Some sort of schedule is actually starting to take shape. Graham wakes up somewhere between 5 and 6:30 am. Matt (my hero) takes the first feed and then both of them go back to sleep for a bit or Matt starts to get ready for work. Each morning when we go into Graham's room he greets us with smiles and coos. The poor guy seems to be so uncomfortable most of the day because of reflux but he is surprisingly a sweet and happy baby. After we change we head downstairs for a bit of play time. Graham talks and kicks up a storm while I enjoy my cup of coffee and try to resist taking pictures and videos (not always successful...see below).

 

 

 Graham eats again between 9 and 10 and then takes a snooze while I try and clean up the house, do the laundry, get dressed and prepare everything we need for our afternoon walk...When he wakes up around noon we change into stroller/winter weather appropriate clothes and then cover him with burp cloths with the hope that the reflux doesn't mess with our strategic plan! Most of you are probably upset about the lack of snow but this warm weather has been my savior. Graham and I go for a long walk sometimes visiting Matt or the coffee shop. Yesterday he decided that he wanted to get out of the stroller about 2 miles from home...the only way I could get him to stop screaming was by running...that's one way to get me back into a workout routine. I didn't realize how out of shape I was!

After our 2 hour walk it is time to eat (again) and hopefully snooze for at least an hour so I can start to get dinner ready. Usually at this point the witching hour begins and I pull out all my tricks to get him to nap. In the picture below he is swaddled, has been rocked to sleep, and carefully placed in the magical swing with the vibration and swing settings on!

Next, we beging the "Keep Graham awake as long a possible dance". We play, we read books, we do some stretches and squats :), we attempt a mini feed at about 5:30, and then we give him a bath around 7. Lastly, we Graham has his dinner (usually joined by his furry brother),

and then he is off to dream land for the night  :)



Long Walk

Graham and I walked to Davis to pick up Dad and walked back. He flirted with all the ladies at Matt's work and won them over. I was worried that it was a bit too chilly out but he seemed to do well. It was nice to be out and get some exercise. The stroller is AMAZING! 

Our Rockstar!

Graham slept last night from 10:30- 3:00am and then again from 3:45 until 7:00am. What a great night!!!! We are headed in the right direction...I hope I didn't just jinx ourselves for tonight!

play time conversation...

Xmas Carolers....too cute

Oscar and Milo came by the week before Christmas to sing us some christmas carols...I could resist posting a video...just too cute!

Graham and I

Sally and Jake came over to hang out with Graham so Matt and I could go to dinner. We went to Thai Moon for some curry and although we were almost falling alseep at dinner we enjoyed the evening out together.

Lunch!

Regan and Natalie came over for lunch...great to hang out with the girls! Graham loves Aunt Regan!

The next day Meg stopped by to chat as well! Great week for visitors!

Swing!

This swing has helped us find a few moments when we need to do a few things when he is awake. I refuse to play the music on it though- it sounds creepy!

Matt, Graham, and I took advantage of the warmer weather and went for a walk. I requested a stop at the new bakery for some yummy scones. Felt great to get out! Graham slept the whole time...