Penguin Party

We hosted Grayson's first party on the day of his birthday. It was a small affair. But I want to make certain that Grayson has his own day each year and that it doesn't just get tossed in with Christmas. Long ago, I decided that I wanted a penguin theme. Even though I didn't decorate much, I thought it turned out pretty cute.

Getting plenty of help opening his presents. I just thought this was such a sweet moment. Grayson loves to be tickled by his daddy. The cake... Let me tell you about this cake! I really only need to say two words: Martha Stewart. Erica and I started working on it the day before (it's an ice cream cake... chocolate AND vanilla... so it had to freeze overnight). I was supposed to use a pastry tip to make the iceberg, but we ended up just doing it by hand. The penguins were made of fondant and the doorway of marshmellows. Not bad considering it's the first cake I have ever decorated!!! We had chicken tacos and all the fixings. Originally, we planned to have fish tacos (because penguins eat fish). But the week before we did a test run and Gary didn't feel well that night, so chicken tacos it was!

My little birthday boy. He is just so cute.

Showing off his skills. He didn't quite walk before his birthday, but the following week he started taking steps. And now he is doing really well! He took 18 steps yesterday!

No party is complete without a 'cheese' from Grant! He loved the balloons. What a cheap way to entertain him!

The purple team.

Tippi and Bibby.

John and Beau.

Grandpa and Oma.

Uncle Mike and Momma.

Grant and Elijah loved the floor puzzle Uncle Mike and Aunt Robin got for Grayson's room. There were a few tears when we told Grant he had to go to bed that night!

Grayson loves to give kisses. And sometimes he just does it over and over and over again. This is one of the first things he learned to do (started about six months) and I keep thinking he will get bored of it. But he is just such a sweet natured little boy. I hope he's still doing this for many years to come! Happy Birthday, sweet boy. We love you!!!

Happy Birthday to You!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dITsAeikk9w

Singing 'Happy Birthday' to the man of the hour...

One Year Stats

Both boys had a doctor appointment on Monday. Grant needed to have an ear check (after his first ear infection). When we got there, the nurse weighed him. 38.8 pounds. Gary asked her what percentage that is... still in the 98% range. This kid is huge. And he eats nothing. Go figure.

Grayson's appointment was just a well check. He is doing well, even if I have a little concern about his weight gain. Here are his one year stats:

Height: 30.25 inches (60%)

Weight: 20 lbs 9 oz (15%)

Head: 17.75 inches (13%)

Grayson's One Year Photos

I've been trying to upload the cutest video of Grant for days now. Sigh... I guess we'll move on. My little boy turned one last week! To celebrate, we took him to have his pictures taken. Both kids were exceptionally cranky, but somehow Kristy took all these wonderful pictures! Enjoy looking at my sweet boy!

Santa Yoga

Grayson is such a sweet, funny kid. One of his favorite things to do is stand by the front door and watch the cars, squirrels and people pass by. One morning, while he was on neighborhood watch, he decided to throw in a little exercise...

... he just makes me laugh!

A Day at the Park with Uncle Mike and Aunt Robin

We met up with Uncle Mike and Aunt Robin one Saturday for some fun at the park.

Grant took advantage of the outdoors and ran every which direction. Luckily his Uncle Mike was there to keep him nearby. :)

But he did have time to pose. Oh, and Grayson decided he was a super hero! Ha! This picture makes me laugh.

Aunt Robin and Grayson.

This face... he scrunches his nose all the time. Funny.

Me and my sweet boy.

For some reason, Grant is going through a phase. A stripping phase. Fun. Anyhow, it was actually pretty cold this day and Grant decided he no longer needed his shirt. Hmmm... Oh, I love the look on his face!

Mr. Soccer

Halloween Trunk or Treat (Finally!)

For Halloween 2010, we dressed the boys as...

...a train engineer and a... ... train? Yup, just as I thought. Grant did not want to wear his costume! Oh, well. We did manage a short appearance at Tippi and PawPaw's while wearing the train, but we wouldn't repeat that performance for Bibby and John. After all our stops, we headed to the church building for the annual Trunk of Treat...

... where Grant decided to wear his costume for a whole 15 minutes! Yea, Grant!

Daddy and Grayson enjoying the festivities.

Mommy and Grant waiting for some frito pie!