G meets B

Just try to tell me these two are not the cutest together.  Love them!

Becko talked about maybe coming up to Idaho while I was on maternity leave, but for good cause (the Giants winning the Word Series!) that didn't really work out.  So when I told her that I had a three day weekend, she jumped at the chance to come up here with only a couple weeks notice.  I warned her that it would be cold and kind of boring, but she said that she didn’t care.  I was glad I warned her because it was a very cold weekend once again.  It was 4 degrees when I picked her up from the airport and our little Californian was wearing every winter jacket she owned due to limited packing space and maybe just a little fear of the freezing temps. I am happy to report that Becko did not turn into a Popsicle while here and we had the best time with her.

She arrived late at night and she, Chris and I sipped cider and talked huddled around the kitchen island before we headed to bed.  I thought it was so sweet when I finally said goodnight and she asked to peek in to see sleeping Grady.  She just couldn't wait one more night to see him knowing he was right there. 

The next morning it took no time at all to get acquainted. Grady was proud to finally be able to sport his Giants gear for Becko! 

San Francisco pride continued as we cheered on the Niners. Grady was so excited that his red cheeks popped out!

He looks like a giant baby here!

As much as we may try to force his sweet little baby girlfriends on him, love is apparently blind to a 30 year age difference.  There is no doubt about it, Grady is in L.O.V.E. with Becko. We don't blame him, she is quite the catch. Get ready for the cutest 10 degree winter photos ever!  They make my heart melt.

Elmer Fudd has nothing on this kid!

We also got a little a adult time due to the spectacular babysitting services of my mom.  Thanks so much mom for allowing us a night out!  I appreciate those nights so much more than I used to!

Cheers!

Thank you for coming to meet Grady Auntie Becko.  It was such a treat and meant the world to us all!  Great laughs, great chats, great times.  We love you!

Thank you also for not being bored to death with our new more subdued life. 

Looking like quite the American duo on inauguration day of all days.  Grady continues to drool over Becko.

"Chill"y Weekend

It is co-old here in Boise.  Not just normal winter weather cold either,  it was 1 degree when I drove to work yesterday, 1!   We got a ton of snow last week (for Boise at least) and it has stayed on the ground due to the frigid temperatures, which means that I have a happy husband.

We made the best of the cold last weekend by cozying up, making crockpot chili, and enjoying a lot of football and some time with good friends.  After a day of staying cozy inside, we thought that it might be good to get out of the house for some fresh air.  We stacked on layer upon layer of clothing and headed out with a mission to get hot chocolate.  Grady didn't seem to be bothered by the chilly temperatures and was asleep within minutes. It cracked me up when I opened the stroller cover at the coffee shop to discover his hat had drifted down and was covering half his face.

  

We got our hot chocolates and felt like we'd conquered old man winter despite our slipping and sliding all the way home.  We were THE ONLY people we saw walking outside.  I don't know if we are adventurous or just stupid.

I love when we come in from the cold to this happy face. When Chris was a baby he had the most adorable red, red cheeks.  Grady has the same adorable red, red cheeks! I cannot get enough of them!

No better way to warm up than with a warm bath.

In other news, Grady has joined the bumbo club just about in time to be sitting on his own.  When most babies like this little seat at 3 months or so, Grady would have none of it.  He'd arch his back, flail his arms and and kick and scream, but now, when he is on the brink of sitting on his own, he has decided that he likes it. Good thing his skinny legs can still fit in the holes. 

He sat on his own without the bumbo last night for what seemed like forever, but was probably a minute at most :).  It is so weird to see our kid just chilling there on his own - upright!  It is also crazy how happy it makes me. Who new that sitting could be so exciting!

Grady had a date with Miss Kennedy to cheer on the Seakawks.  This girl  is the most joyous little baby out there and looked darn cute in her little Seahawks dress.

 Cutie!

"Look at this cute girl that I get to sit next to!"

"She is touching me, oh I hope that she wants to be my girlfriend?"  

And while it is pretty freezing here, it sure is beautiful.  

Morning:  This is our view when we let Bella out in the morning. 

Day: This is what I stare at out my office window.  

Night: Chris shovels sidewalks by moonlight because he loves it so much. He makes me smile.

Grady: 5 months!

5 months old and fun!  This boy is so much fun.  His noises, his giggles, the way he smiles at night when taking his last bottle, the new big accomplishments of rolling and eating food, I am loving every second with him and maybe cherishing every second a little more since going back to work. 

Grady Tid Bits at 5 months:

• The unofficial Johnson scale has this guy weighing in at at a little over 15 pounds.
• Chris says he loves Grady's "fat pockets", the chub around his hands.  There and his cheeks appear to be the only places that this kids stores his fat.  I hope that Chris has the same love for my post-pregnancy fat pockets :)
• He can roll both front to back and back to front, but by no means is the rolling type of baby. He rolls maybe a couple times a day max.
• He can roll over while in his double swaddle straight jacket (swaddle blanket with sleep sak on top) without the help of his arms, which I am not even sure I could do. Cue the parents to stop dependency on swaddling for sleeping because he did get stuck face down once this week.
• He has tried oatmeal cereal, rice cereal, and sweet potatoes.  Whether he likes any one of those three just depends on the day.  Sweet potatoes were definitely the favorite so far. 
• He started "playing" with toys just in time for Christmas.  His favorites are probably his blocks and his shape construction truck that does not have an on/off button for sounds - something that I now know to look for. 
• He still loves every part of his baths from sucking on his washcloth, to concentrating very intensely to pick up his little ducks, to kicking his feet in the water.  He has also moved to the "big boy" side of the infant tub. 
• He sticks his tongue out often and sucks on his fingers all.the.time.
• He notices Bella and touches her fur when she lies close enough to him that he can reach.
• It is pretty easy to get a laugh now when you surprise him by hiding and then popping up. 
• He squirms when being changed, why did I not appreciate the just lay there days? 
• He still loves to stand.  He can stand with very little support, just holding on to our hands or leaning up against something. Given that he still doesn't love being on his tummy, I often joke that he will walk before even thinking about crawling. 
• Every month I say that his hair is starting to come in and then he looks just as bald the next month, but I think his hair really is starting to come in - don't quote me on it.  We just cannot tell if he is a towhead blondie or a strawberry blondie.  It usually looks whitish in color to me but lately his hair definitely takes on a strawberry hue in some lights. 
• He's back to his old sleeping habits (woo hoo) and pretty much always wakes up happy.
• He did fantastically with Mrs. Rachel this month and we are so grateful for her! I can honestly say that I don't worry one bit about him while I am at work.  I still miss him like crazy every day, but I know that he is in awesome, loving hands.  

Here are a few day in the life of photos of our sweet five month old. 

Playtime

Stretching when released from his swaddle. Looking pretty muscly here I might add :)

Fingers in the mouth, his trademark move

squirmy wormy

I feel the need to show that his hair appears to be growing, but I'm pretty sure he will still be pretty bald by one year.

First taste of sweet potatoes

Fingers in the mouth, makes feeding seamless :)

Fingers in the mouth at bath time, surprise surprise

So fresh and so clean and ready for bed.

Snow Reigns Supreme

I think I have said it before, but Chris loves living in Boise (or Eagle if we are being technical).  The city just suits him.  In fact, he probably loves where we live even more than I do.  However, despite my warnings about the unlikelihood of a white Christmas in the valley (it was seriously on our "cons" list when deciding where to move), he still watches the skies with anticipation on Christmas Eve and gets a little sad when the sun shines beautifully on Christmas day like it did this year.  The fact that we did have a white Christmas our first year in Boise and he more often than not had a white Christmas in Spokane does not help the situation.  Lucky for Chris, the snow was not far from us and we were able to enjoy a wonderful weekend up in McCall.  It did snow in Boise while we were up in McCall so even though Chris missed the snow, he eventually got to use his snow shovel, which made him happy as can be.

 

This little snow monster cracked me up as we stuffed him in to his new snowsuit. I could have just let him lie there all day like this so that I could laugh at him. 

First ride in the traditional grandchild sled!  Would you believe that he fell asleep while sledding in the freezing cold?!?!

 

 

 

I got to enjoy two things that I missed out on last Christmas, skiing and enjoying some cabin cocktails.  I am the worst skier in the family so taking the year off didn't really make a difference.  I am still the worst and I still complain about how my calves hurt in my boots, but after run two I was happy to be back on my skis! 

 

 

All the cool kids are wearing these shirts.

 

Grady spent his first day in daycare and seemed to do just fine.  They seriously hand you a "kid claim" ticket that you have to present to retrieve your baby.  Grady was all smiles when he was claimed.

Grady picked up on the concept of cabin lounging very quickly - he is my son after all.

This boy has years and years of winter fun awaiting him at the cabin.  Thanks dad and Robin for making his first snowy getaway such a success!

 

Since Chris had to work early today on a software deployment, we turned down the more festive New Years opportunities and instead had a low key night at home.  Apparently Chris couldn't resist the New Year spirit that these beautiful hats inspired despite his making fun of me when I brought them home.  Happy New Year everybody from our dorky house to yours!