One

Baby Grady is one today, and it's such a big deal that we've been celebrating all week, like a jubilee, really. (And why should the Queen have all the fun, that's what Baby Grady would like to know.) First we had a little birthday party with friends and family last weekend. Then, because he was born on Thanksgiving morning last year, we also considered Thursday to be something akin to his birthday, poetically speaking. And of course, today, the official day.

We've rationed out gifts and he's been eating cupcakes and pumpkin cheesecake all week. Of course, even with all this fuss and celebration, he has no idea anything is happening. He figures this is just how we do. Pumpkin cheesecake for breakfast and all. Which, sometimes, yes, that is how we do.

So, right, somehow we all survived the year and went from this:

To this:

Yeah, you got that right. From this:

To this:

Can you even believe that nonsense with my baby wearing sneakers and looking like such a little boy? Sneakers! On a baby! Such nerve, I swear.

This was, of course, Baby Grady's second Thanksgiving. Here he is on his first:

And on his second:

Yes, in case you were wondering, I could do this all day. From angry slug to playful toddler in just a year! Mind. Blown.

And now, because what else are we going to do... a whole slew of pictures of Baby Grady doing birthday things.

How much Baby Grady weighs: 24.5 pounds (he's growing again!)
How tall Baby Grady is: 30.5 inches

Size of Baby Grady's clothes: 12 month, 12-18 month, 18 month; he even still wears some 6-12 month pants, but they are capris now
Size of Baby Grady's shoes: 4.5 or 5

Baby Grady's hair color: blond
Baby Grady's eye color: brown

Number of teeth in Baby Grady's mouth: still just eight, but oh, the teething! So much teething, for no more teeth!

Baby Grady's favorites: cream cheese; Thanksgiving dinner, but especially stuffing and pumpkin cheesecake; the giant bumblebee bouncer at the playground; bathtime; Mr. Puppet and Rizzle the Dizz; unloading his bookshelf; Dr. Seuss's ABCs; his will.i.am video; watching big kids and trying to play with them; and, over the past couple of days, That Daddy Guy has, for the first time, been enjoying clear preferred status over Milk Lady

Baby Grady's least favorites: elevators; going to sleep; staying asleep; waking to find that he does not have a boob in his mouth; sandwiches that are made of things that are not cream cheese; teething; diaper changes; sometimes, getting into his carseat or the stroller; being spoon-fed when he wants to DOITHIMSELF

With Dad #8

Five months

On the eve of Baby Grady’s five-month birthday, he decided to experiment with being the happiest baby in all the land. He grinned and kicked and screeched as though his baby might just burst with glee. It was really something. We laughed and shrugged and said “maybe we have a terribly happy baby now?”

And he is happier. We deduced early on that being a baby doesn’t seem to put Baby Grady in the best of moods. In fact, it is often a source of great frustration for him. So the more alert and capable he becomes, the happier he gets. Because doing stuff? It is the best. These days he is all grabbing and manipulating, though it’s clear he does not have total mastery of his hands. Sometimes they will betray him, pushing away the bottle he is trying to drink from or dropping a toy on his toe. Rude hands! What I’m saying is, he’s not ready for soldering circuit boards. But only because his hands aren’t that steady. Other aspects of the task would come easily, I reckon.

We had a big weekend. Grady’s Spokane grandparents came to visit (Grandma and Grandpa? G-Ma and Pop-Pop? Yia-yia and Pappy G?), we had a heat wave, and our nephew had his 4th birthday party. Grady had a hard time eating and sleeping with all the activity and heat, but he managed to lay on some serious charm amidst the fussiness.

Oh, and my baby? He can sit. He’s been sitting very wobbly-like for about a month, but in the past week he made great strides in stabilizing that baby. He’ll still spontaneously fall over, because he isn’t actually sure it’s his job to protect the baby from harm -- isn’t that what you people are for? -- but he’s getting dang good:

How much Baby Grady weighs: 19 lbs. 13 oz.
How tall Baby Grady is: 27.3 inches

Size of Baby Grady’s clothes: 6-12 month
Baby Grady’s shoe size: 3

Number of times Baby Grady has rolled over from his tummy to his back: 4 (Yes, still. He just doesn’t seem interested.)

Baby Grady’s eye color: blue-brown-grey-green; still calling that “hazel”
Baby Grady’s hair color: blond

Baby Grady’s new favorites: practicing his skiing, his new swing, trying to eat our flowers, golden retriever kisses, Do-Re-Mi, “This Little Piggie...,” chewing on Daddy’s beer bottle (classiest parents ever over here), nursing in the Target
Baby Grady’s new least favorites: when I say “OW!” when he bites me (I know; I’m so rude.)

With Dad #6

Someone was playing with my camera. I'm guessing the baby had an accomplice.

Daddy is funny and baby laughs are cute

Well that is just the world's silliest baby, being entertained (off-camera) by the world's silliest daddy. Baby Grady's little laugh just gets me so good. I feel like I'm hearing hints of how sweet his little voice is going to be. 

We've since upgraded the swing, to one that can handle our baby's chub-factor, and returned this little guy to its previous owners. Riding in the new swing was almost too much for Baby Grady. Video of that to come later this week. How do you like that for a teaser?

And do you think I could have managed to say "little" a few more times in this silly little post?

Happy Easter!

Yesterday morning we took Grady over to the village Easter egg hunt, even though he's still far too little cool to get too interested in it. (Yes, our neighborhood calls itself a village. Very quaint. We don't actually run outsiders off with torches and pitchforks, but we come close sometimes.) As you can see, Grady wasn't that impressed with the giant bunny, but he also didn't have a meltdown. Which was really something, as Grady does not typically care for gatherings.

Next year, Grady will probably be ready for the fun. There were lots of fairly new walkers and no one was getting trampled. They have a nice system with a small area cordoned off for toddlers. Also, all the eggs are empty. When you're finished hunting, you take your eggs to the "recycling center," and no matter how many you have, you get the same sack of candy. Helps to curtail competitiveness (and sobbing). I actually didn't see a single child crying, which just amazes me.

Grady thought the best part was his thumb, which he sucked with some vigor.

New friend

Sophie la Girafe is a new favorite around here. She is French and has the most delicious nobbins atop her (natural rubber) head.

With Dad #4

It's so fun it's blurry.

Four Months

On the occasion of Baby Grady’s four-month birthday, it seems timely to share that those who know him best (Jasper and I) are now in agreement that he has become a dramatically more charming baby of late. It’s really so much better for everyone this way. He smiles regularly in response to my trying-hard-to-be-hilarious antics, which is incredibly rewarding for me, since I love attention, even if it is from an infant who lacks the capacity for critical thought. This means that I am highly motivated to be ridiculous, which wears me out and makes me feel as though I have interacted with another human all day, so that then I am less likely to hit Jasper with a barrage of TEN MILLION TALES FROM MY DAY WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR THEM the second he walks in the door. I can only assume he has noticed my restraint, appreciated it, and given me the appropriate points in the tally he keeps in his brain. (I like to think of the tally as a complex formula with multiple variables and even a constant or two that I’m just stuck with.)

Baby Grady has also become a total chatterbox. (gets this from me!) Who knows what he’s saying (does he?), but he is enthusiastic about it for sure. I’d buy what he’s selling! Or vote for him. Or join his cult. Because, it would obviously be a cult of unbridled overeating and cuteness. (Yay! Who went up a size in knit lounge pants this week? More cupcakes for everyone!)

And now he has this giggle. It is silly and hilarious to listen to, so it makes me laugh. And that makes him laugh more. And that’s pretty much what we do with our days. Though we also occasionally sneak in a chore or two. Because Baby Grady permits me to put him down now! It’s such a luxury to once again have the occasional use of both my arms.

How much Baby Grady weighs: 18 lbs. 3 oz.
How tall Baby Grady is: 26 inches
Note: These statistics were gathered in non-clinical conditions and as such may have a wide margin of error; generally, he continues to grow.

Size of Baby Grady’s clothes: Mostly 6-month, but he’s steadily working his way into more 6-12 and 9-month stuff as well. We’ve found that rompers are too short until we hit the 12-month size. It’s the strangest thing. But we have also found that Baby Grady doesn’t really have the ideal body type for rompers. It actually confuses me. Other babies look normal and even cute in them. He just... doesn’t. What am I doing wrong? And what should he wear for summer? We need to buy some clothes for the first time and I have no idea what I’m doing.

Number of bottles (of breastmilk) Baby Grady has consumed: quite a lot; well, not full bottles, but I think we are about to have this one solved

Number of times Baby Grady has rolled over from his tummy to his back: 4 (he does this roughly once a month; just enough to keep me interested)

Number of naps Grady has taken in his swing: 4
Number of naps Grady has taken in his crib: 1
Number of naps Grady has taken in his stroller: 2

Baby Grady’s eye color: blue-brown; still calling that “hazel”
Baby Grady’s hair color: light brown and blond

Baby Grady’s favorite: Pardners; the song about the three little fishies; our morning song (that video is completely bizarre); Chicken Soup with Rice; March Madness; my friend Flora; the “dancies” in his “pantsies” (it’s true, I really have no shame whatsoever) (and no, that doesn’t refer to anything gross) (it’s just dance moves); nursing in the Ergo while hiking
Baby Grady’s least favorite: nursing in public; parties; wind; when strangers talk to him, which they do, because have you seen my baby? he’s ADORABLE.

Baby's got taste

This is not a sponsored post, because, people, please. I have twelve readers. 

Breaking news: Baby Grady has finally found a bottle that he approves of. He actually chugs from this thing. It's completely baffling to me.

I'll be honest, I didn't even want to buy the damn thing. And I wouldn't have. But the shop was out of the bottle I did want. So the shopgirl recommended the Medela Calma, and I thought, "Of course you do; it's a $20 baby bottle." I looked it over, convinced it would not address my problem. I told her that it would not address my problem and that I was really more into boob-shaped bottles these days. Something like the Comotomo, perhaps. And she said they didn't carry that, but they got a sample and I could have it. (I was clearly being extremely chatty and pathetic and it was a pity bottle, no doubt.)

So I'm thinking she's a damn fool for not carrying this great boob-shaped bottle, but I also feel like I can't just take her pity bottle without buying something, and I am such a sucker like that. But it would be bad manners, it seems. So I buy a designer bottle brush and the damn Calma. (I am an etiquette overachiever, clearly.) (And I really love that bottle brush, too.)

For the next week, I keep giving Grady the Comotomo. I'm convinced we're making progress. And maybe we are. The soft sides allow for squeezing milk out, so, I mean, we are putting milk in the baby. And some of it is being swallowed. But it's messy, and he's only occasionally sucking. Which means I am getting ever more stressed about the whole thing where I am supposed to go back to work. Because, I really can't do that if my baby can't eat.

Meanwhile, the Calma sat there on the counter, unopened. Because I knew it would not address our problem.

One evening I mentioned to Jasper that we still had one future-reject of a bottle sitting on the counter and that maybe I'd go ahead and try it, just for funsies. He approved. And I did.

And I was completely wrong about you, Calma. I don't know why, because Baby Grady is still often a complete mystery to me, but he seems to actually enjoy that darn bottle. Provided the milk is at precisely his preferred temperature. Obviously.

How sleep works

One of the items of baby gear that we had in the house long before Baby Grady arrived was a baby monitor. Because everyone needs a baby monitor, right? For all those times when your baby will be out of your sight? hahahahahahaha. Yeah, we thought that would happen. Because in the evening, we'd put the baby to bed and then drink martinis and play cribbage while listening to the baby monitor. That has never happened.

But this week I decided it was time to try to gently inform Grady that it is physically possible for him to sleep without being in physical contact with me. And also without a boob in his mouth. (About this he had no idea; when he is tired, he looks for a boob to make him go to sleep.)

So yes, straight truth for Baby Grady. He did not initially take well to the news. And I don't believe in making my baby cry. So, progress has been slow.

But now I sit, listening to the baby monitor, assuring myself that even though he hasn't fussed in 45 minutes, that doesn't mean he's stopped breathing. And also hoping he's not, like, so totally over me already.

Grady Gus and the terrific, fantastic, so good, very lovely day

So, one day earlier this week (it was Monday), Baby Grady awoke early (at 6:00 a.m.) (yes, even after the time change) (I agree, it was very silly). He awoke ridiculously happy, as he does. All smiles, and chattering, and kicky feet. But it's what happened next that makes this a story. Baby Grady did not stop smiling, for pretty much the whole day. That's an exaggeration, because, come on, he's a baby. But he is also the world's scowliest baby. Until one day when he was not.

He smiled for his morning diaper change:

He smiled in his swing, while I prepped milk and made tea:

He smiled hanging out in his crib while I got dressed:

He smiled during tummy time (this had NEVER happened before):

He smiled when I put him in jeans to go run errands:

It was apparently just the best day! Who can say why? I mean, I was having an uncharacteristically good hair day (it was really, really good, I'm not gonna lie), but I'm sure that wasn't what Baby Grady was on about.

I reckon he heard that demon babies don't get siblings. Because, come on. Anyone who can look at that face and not want to make BABIES, LOTS OF BABIES? Made of stone.

Happy Monday

And if that doesn't just make your Monday morning the most charmed and delightful place in the whole world, I don't reckon there's a thing I can do for you.

Evidence of nerd genes

Reading with dad:

Studying his star chart:

Admiring his polyhedron mobile:

One winter day