Saturday, October 23, 2010

How Grahamy Sweet It Is!




Oh my gosh, I've never eaten anything sweet before - I think I like this!


Chief is also excited that Grady is eating new foods.
As Grady peers over at Chief, he also mimics Chief's panting sounds - it's hilarious.












Sharing his cracker with daddy. He's so sweet.
(BTW: After I read the ingredients, Grady no longer eats graham crackers. He's eating Arrowroot Vanilla cookies, instead.)

Up, up, but not away

He's frequently up on his hands and knees, but Grady hasn't started crawling yet.
(This seems like the first question most people ask these days!)

Hangin' with Daddy

Grady enjoys sitting in his cradle while spending time with daddy. This is another illustration of the differences between mommy and daddy. I would never think to pack the cradle with a big pillow and a blanket and have Grady sit in it. I'd be afraid he'd fall out. John, however, was actually rocking the cradle with Grady sitting in it. Of course, Grady thought it was fantastically fun. It's good he has us both - makes his life much more interesting.





When daddy speaks, everyone listens.






























Touchdown!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Ready for Fall

Grady's new hat (adorable) and fall jacket.
He's getting to be such a big boy, and he sure loves his daddy!

Similac Rant


Because I wouldn't be breastfeeding Grady, John and I made the decision to feed him what we thought was the best formula: Similac Organic. When I heard of the Similac recall in mid-September, I believed our containers were safe because we bought "organic" - which I thought would be processed differently than the regular formula. Surprisingly, all four containers that I had at home were involved with the recall. The worst part is that Similac did not offer any other packaging for the organic powder formula, so we were forced to either feed Grady potentially tainted formula (known as beetle juice to me, as beetle parts were found in the packaging plant) or switch to another brand.
Yes, we switched brands, and Grady has not had any adverse reactions - thankfully. Why, I continue to wonder, did we pay all that extra money for all these months? It would seem the organic is packaged in the same location, in the same manner as all the other formulas. I guess it's a good lesson in consumer awareness. Just because the label says "organic," it doesn't mean there's a true difference in the product.
Grady is obviously not drinking formula in these pictures, but his facial expressions absolutely illustrate my feelings about this whole recall!

Sleeping




I realize I may be biased, but he's more angelically beautiful than the babies in those Bessie Pease Gutmann paintings. And he's real!


Batman and Grandpa







I couldn't resist this onesie! (Anyone who knows John knows that Batman is important.)

Talking on the Phone




Grady talks to Grandma Arlene on the phone nearly everyday. Sometimes he pushes the wrong buttons and they disconnect. Mostly, though, he just looks, listens and "talks" back through grunts, roars and squeals. Now, everytime I'm on the phone, Grady becomes awfully excited.





Saturday, October 9, 2010

Planting Trees in Memory of Grandpa Pat









Grady, and his faithful companion Chief, helped us plant four new apple trees and three Autumn Blaze Maple trees in memory of Grandpa Pat.
It was a beautiful fall day; Grady loved bouncing around outside in the sunshine.



6:20 a.m.

Grady shares his joy with daddy!
Our back-to-school routine is working well. I feed Grady around 6:15 each morning when he wakes up. Then I continue getting ready for school, and John takes over. Grady loves to watch daddy shave and get ready. He has his oatmeal at 7:00, and they head across the street so Grady can hang out with Lynn and Katherine, who is three years old, at 7:30.
I hope Grady is so smiley at this time of the day when he's sixteen - ha ha.

It's Official

Grady's adoption is finalized!

Family and friends witnessed this part of our journey. Grady was highly interested in everything the judge had to say - evidenced by his "talking" in court. We even had to move the microphone so his voice didn't boom throughout the courtroom.
















We all enjoyed a celebratory luncheon at Paradise Landing.
Grady is such a big boy that he even sat in a high chair at the head of the table.
Adoption is a powerful and lifelong commitment.
We've known since the moment we saw him that Grady is our son; it sure is wonderful to have the state recognize our relationship. What an emotional and meaningful day!