Dalton Wyatt Gray

2nd Birthday - September 2010

2011-01-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

I had such a good time at my party back in September. Mommy invited a whole bunch of my friends and her friends to celebrate! We had sandwiches, snacks, juice for my friends, sodas & beer for Mommy's friends, and water for everyone! Mostly we just all ran around and played in the backyard.

Later, Mommy helped me open some gifts.

Then I got to eat my cupcakes that Mommy baked.

Finally, before everyone went home to bed, we took a picture with 2 of Mommy's very good mommy friends and their sons (and Ryan, a daddy).

Hawaii - August 2010

2011-01-17T16:36:00.001-08:00

Mommy has gotten her hands full with taking care of me as a toddler, the older two kids, and her ongoing soccer "career" (both playing and coaching) meaning she has less and less free time to update this until I can take over! So the next couple posts will be a 2010 Year in Review to catch everyone up with our fun and antics...beginning with our trip to Oahu, Hawaii!

We obviously went to the beach a few times - I wasn't too sure about the sand, but loved being in the water with Mommy, Daddy, or Sissy holding me.

I slept through the luau at the hotel...

spent a lot of time having the wind blow through my hair with a huge grin on my face as we drove around the beautiful island...

and even found our very own DOUBLE RAINBOW from the parking lot on top of the Best Buy!

Mommy and Sissy had such a great time hanging out, playing in the waves, and taking pics that we might try to go again in 2011!

Mischeivious

2010-10-04T20:02:00.001-07:00

Has Mommy got her hands full or what?!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

2010-10-04T19:56:00.001-07:00

No, not a black eye, just dirt.

Playdate with Jakey

2010-10-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Back in June we had a playdate with my friend Jakey. He's a few months younger than me but a whole lot bigger!

First we played a lot in my water table. I got us thoroughly soaked. Good times!

Then we stripped down, dried off, and ate some crackers on the couch while watching Phineas & Ferb.

Finally it was nap time but Mommy thought we were too cute not to get a photo together!

Room Addition part 3

2010-05-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

Finally the room was done, everything was textured, painted, and the carpet installed.

There even ended up being the perfect wall to put my crib/toddler bed against!

Mommy is so glad everything is done and we have a whole extra room to use. Too bad my big bubba spends most of the time he's over in it playing video games. Mommy says it's "her new room" and she's spent the least amount of time in it, but we did only get the couch 3 weeks ago so there's plenty of time to enjoy it with me!

Room Addition part 2

2010-04-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

More framing and work into our master bedroom so they could install a new beam.

Finally the drywall was hung!

Family Photos

2010-04-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Mommy and Daddy took me to the beach to have our picture taken with our whole big crazy family. This included Bubba and Sissy, their mommy and stepdaddy Jon, and their other brothers (and my brothers from another mother) Brogan and Kellen. This very nice lady named Carla came to take the photos and was super patient with me even though the adults screamed and scared me when big waves were coming in (no one remembered to look up the tides). We will eventually have our photos printed and framed at the house, but you can see a few of them on Carla's blog: http://carlatoson.blogspot.com/2010/04/san-diego-sunset-family-portrait.html

Room Addition part 1

2010-04-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Deconstruction - first phase of the new room:

Installation of new floor/ceiling beams:

Easter

2010-04-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

Find an egg...pick it up. Carry around basket with eggs in one hand and additional egg in the other hand.

Dump all the eggs out back onto the ground...

Hold the monkey basket up so Mommy can attempt to take one picture with my adorable face in it. I keep telling her she needs to just cave and use the big camera with the high speed shutter instead of her little portable cameras.

I didn't really understand Easter egg hunting until Daddy opened the "eggs" for me to show me the candy inside. Jelly beans were my favorite. I eventually started looking for the eggs again, but would shake them to see if it made a jelly bean sound before deciding whether to give the egg to Daddy to open or just throw it back on the ground.

Happy Feet

2010-03-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

I like to dance. Especially to music in the cartoon Phineas and Ferb on Disney. This is the song "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" by Phineas and the Ferbtones. Mommy also says my style reminds her of the penguin in Happy Feet.

We've been up to a lot with the room addition, but Mommy says she will only post stuff once the carpet has been installed and her house is back to normal.

Dalton vs the Trashcans

2010-02-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

During the construction of our new upstairs room, my house has been a complete disaster. However, the construction men leave me lots of toys to play with - including this huge trashcan to throw stuff away in. So much less complicated than the one Mommy has in the kitchen. And look! Plenty big enough to throw almost anything into it! But why does Daddy keep taking the trashcan out of the trash? Doesn't a trashcan belong in the trash?

Mommy's Trip to Minnesota

2010-01-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

Mommy went on her first trip without me over New Year's to be the Matron of Honor in Auntie Courtney's wedding. She traveled all the way to Minneapolis, Minnesota on a plane and then drove to Anoka, Minnesota to stay with Courtney and (her now husband) Tom. Here is a photo Mommy took of downtown Minneapolis and another one of the frozen over Mississippi.

Here is the cute little salon where all the bridesmaids got their hair done. More impressive than the hair, I got the cutest pair of wool fleece lined mittens here! My only Minnesota purchase.

From the salon, we went straight to the chapel to get everyone dressed for the ceremony. It was held at the Fort Snelling Military Chapel just outside Minneapolis.

After Mommy and the other bridesmaids made sure that Courtney got hitched, it was off to the reception at a local golf course - like everything else - covered in snow. The high on the day of the wedding was -5, with a low of -18. Below are photos of Mommy posing outdoors (no frostbite!) and sledding in her bridesmaid dress just to show all her California friends and family. Yes, that is her breath in the first photo and she did actually wear long underwear and ugg boots under her bridesmaid dress.

Other than the wedding, Mommy spent most of her time participating in wedding related events (usually eating) or sleeping. She also got to visit the Mall of America, but spent most of the shopping time trying to find a wrap to wear with the bridesmaid dress (and didn't even wear it in the end).

Christmas 2009

2010-01-09T20:14:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas this year was very low key - kinda nice! Mommy, Daddy, and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning alone together. I opened my presents before Bubba and Sissy came over from their mommy's house, but really didn't care too much after opening the first one. It made sounds and had flashing lights! Mommy thought I would like just ripping the paper off stuff (she even wrapped up a toothbrush to put in my stocking), but I didn't quite get into it like I did at my birthday.

When Bubba and Sissy came over, they brought back Daddy's Tigger Christmas hat and decided to put it on my head. I promptly pulled it down over my face to hide from the camera.

Halloween 2009

2010-01-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

Mommy decided it would be cute to dress me up as a little old man. Unfortunately, due to the bow tie, I look like a drunk little old man. I went to exactly 5 houses to trick or treat (since it was way past my bedtime to begin with).

Maryland Trip (October 2009)

2010-01-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Way back in October, right after I turned 1 year old, Daddy took Mommy and I out to visit Maryland. We were lucky enough to stay with friends of his family in the house right next door to where he used to live! This was in Cape St. Claire right on Chesapeake Bay. I got to play around on the shore with sticks and walked up and down collecting rocks and polished sea glass. We also went out on a boat - I wasn't too sure about it, and hated my life vest, but eventually settled down and enjoyed the ride.

We visited the Naval Academy (where Daddy went to school) on a couple different occasions. The first time, we walked around the campus to see the buildings. The second time we went to shop. Here's a photo of Daddy and I at Memorial Hall.

We also spent a good amount of time eating. Our second night there, our family and the Schneiders (our hosts and their kids and grandkids) had a traditional Maryland blue crab picnic dinner on newspaper and picnic tables. I managed to sleep through the entire evening, but they bought enough crab for another night's dinner so I got to see how it was done. Daddy and Mommy say its a good thing I like seafood!

For Dahlia...

2009-12-30T23:20:00.000-08:00

Mommy says she promises to post pictures of our trip to Maryland (October), Halloween, and Christmas when she gets back from visiting Minnesota in the dead of winter. She always says this with a very unpleasant tone or sighs after. She also says we don't have any Thanksgiving photos because we decided to take a 2 hour nap on the floor of Grandma's den during the middle of our celebration.

My Birthday (aka Mommy & Daddy's Anniversary) part 3

2009-09-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Later that night, Mommy & Daddy (tried) to take me out to dinner for my birthday and their anniversary. We went to Buca di Beppo - a vibrant and tasty Italian family dining restaurant - where Mommy's favorite thing to eat is green beans. I wasn't very fond of any of the food they ordered. I also decided that I would rather run around the bar and outside (where I proceeded to take a head dive INTO A WALL) than sit with Mommy or Daddy. For some reason they decided that the 3 of us would no longer be going out to dinner together...

Happy Anniversary Mommy & Daddy!

My Birthday part 2

2009-09-18T20:04:00.001-07:00

On my actual birthday, Daddy took the day off to hang out with Mommy & I (it was also their 5th anniversary so I guess he wanted to make her day a bit easier). Where did we go? The San Diego Zoo! I had never been to the actual zoo so Mommy thought it was a good time to go.

First, we went to visit the giraffes. Their new enclosure is so much nicer and lets little kids like me take a real close look. Mommy wished she had her big camera. I was still sleepy from my nap so I wasn't very excited to see them.

Next, we took Daddy to see the Pandas. He had never seen the ones at our zoo, just the ones in Washington D.C. Mommy held me up so I could see Zhen Zhen eat her bamboo. Mommy also told me that a mommy panda just had a baby boy!

Finally, we walked through the next exhibit Elephant Odyssey. It had to many neat things to touch and look at! Mommy was in total nerd form and was telling me all about the statues as well as the live animals. I was really impressed with the Mammoth statue (looking up at the tusks and trunk) and Mommy showed me all the sharp teeth that the big kitty had (Saber-Toothed Lion). The actual animals that I saw included African Lions, an African Elephant getting a manicure, a Secretary Bird, and California Condors (Mommy used to research these birds at for the zoo's conservation program). It was great because Mommy & Daddy just let me walk around and didn't try to strap me in my stroller. I want to walk and run EVERYWHERE now!

My Birthday part 1

2009-09-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Mommy (and Daddy) threw me an EXCELLENT first birthday party complete with guests, food, drinks, and cake of course! I got the hang of opening presents rather quickly and the real treat was playing with the paper and boxes everything came in.

I also got a whole cake from Costco to eat and share with all of my friends. At first I wasn't too thrilled with the idea. It was funny looking and mushy - also, Mommy reeled me in and put me in my high chair to eat it which I was NOT a fan of at all. Once Mommy picked me up I decided the cake was actually pretty tasty.

Ventura & the Greats

2009-09-02T15:41:00.001-07:00

Last week Mommy and I traveled up the coast to Ventura to visit my great grandparents and my great auntie Chinh and great uncle Greg. Grandpa John came with us too. The best part about the trip was that I got to chase a dog around all day long! She wasn't too fond of me though...I guess I made too much noise or something. Mommy thought the best part was the weather. While warm in the mid-80s, it was much nicer than the current weather at our house (mid-80s inside the house, ranging up to 100 outside).

Everyone was delighted to see me walk. I also impressed them with my throwing prowess and very toothy smiles. One afternoon, we all went for a walk to the park where Mommy and Auntie took me down the slide and let me splash in the pond. Not quite the same as a pool, but still nice and refreshing!

Look Out World...

2009-08-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

I am now technically a toddler. Check it out.

And yes, those are supposed to be shorts I'm wearing but unfortunately I seem to have inherited Mommy's short, strong legs.

Mommy says she needs to get some video of me practicing throw-ins. I can even pick up her big person ball while standing and toss it! However, I haven't quite got the hang of kicking the ball yet. Next step on my agenda: RUNNING!!!

Spinning, Standing, & Stepping

2009-07-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple videos Daddy took of me. The first one is this crazy sit and spin move I do when I'm happy or excited.

This second one is me using my musical play table as a walker. Look at me go!

Birthday Party!

2009-06-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago I went to my "cousin" Kahlie's birthday party. She turned 1 and is such a big girl now! We bought her some very stylish Adidas apparel (blues and greens of course) and had a lot of fun at the party.

Mostly we played in the bouncy when the bigger kids weren't in it and Mommy even took me down the bouncy slide a couple of times! I think I liked it...I didn't scream or cry so Mommy took that as a good sign.

Mischeivious

2009-05-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've been up to a lot of no good lately despite Mommy trying to keep me busy. We are trying to go swimming at least a couple days a week now that Grandpa's pool is done. Too bad the May grey weather has put a temporary damper on that situation - I'm hoping June isn't as gloomy!

Daddy and I also accompanied Mommy to help her coach her little girls at their first soccer tournament. She coached 8 games (2 teams, 4 games each) over a 2 day period. The girls played amazing while Daddy and I hung out. Check out my sunscreen fauxhawk and the piece of licorice Daddy seemed to think it was ok for me to eat.

I am also crawling EVERYWHERE and have figured out how to pull myself up - on the couch, on the chairs, against the sliding glass doors, using mommy's legs, on my toys, and even on the stairs. Mommy has her hands full once again - she needs to be careful what she wishes for!

Just Keep Swimming...

2009-05-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mommy signed me up for swim lessons! I go once a week to my official swim lesson at a very nice and warm indoor pool. We sing songs and splash and eventually I'll even get to go under the water. Here is a picture of me and Mommy at our first lesson:

Also, just in time for summer, Grandpa John's pool got completed and heated! So, on days I don't have lessons, I can go splash around with him and Mommy's cousin Rachel in that pool - although it is outdoors (sunscreen - makes for a slippery baby but a REALLY cute faux hawk) and a wee bit cooler than our lesson pool. So far I have only gone in the small pool (unheated hot tub) because the big pool was not done heating up.

Although you can't see them, I have two very cute pairs of swim trunks: a Quiksilver pair (because, yes, I am a blonde-haired blue-eyed California surfer boy) and a Finding Nemo pair.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms we know! Here is a photo of what I got Mommy for her first official Mother's Day:

Daddy helped me pick it out. I think it's more for me, but we have fun playing together. She makes the engine rumble and I spin the tires or chew on the lights. Then Mommy will roll it across the floor to see if I'll go get it. Most of the time I'm too lazy to scoot after it and just find another toy that is closer to where I'm sitting.

Tidbits

2009-05-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

So Mommy once again realized how lazy she had gotten at updating my blog and figured there were plenty of things going on with me to tell everyone about now that I'm 7 1/2 months old.

I made my first trip to a major soccer tournament last month when Bubba was playing State Cup out in Lancaster. Mommy hated Lancaster. I wasn't such a big fan either since it was super windy and cold - and a 3 hour drive each way.

Mommy and Grandpa John also took me to Sea World for the first time. I wasn't nearly as impressed with the animals as I was with all the other kids running around. Also Mommy and Grandpa completely failed at taking any adorable pictures with the exception of my first experience with a starfish. Mommy had even faux-hawked my hair with sunscreen! Oh well, next time.

And most importantly I am mobile! I can effectively scoot forward pulling (mostly) and pushing myself towards something I want. My main problem at this point is that I really just want to walk, so I'll get up on my hands and the soles of my feet, but then have no clue what to do next. I see Mommy and Grandpa crawling around to show me what to do but I think they're silly since they can just get up and walk.

1/2

2009-03-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

As of St. Patrick's Day I was officially 1/2 years old! We didn't do anything to celebrate so here are some recent photos of me looking adorable while playing, eating, and just hanging out.

Playing in my jumperoo and kicking the ball on one of my playmats!

Contrary to what Mommy says, I do sleep!

In my JJ Cole outfit at the Helix soccer banquet and trying my first bite of sweet potatoes.

Actually for my birthday, we went north to Point Mugu/Port Hueneme/Ventura for Daddy's work and to visit the Platz family. Auntie Chinh was smitten and the Great Grandparents were super impressed with how strong I already am!

FOOD!

2009-02-20T20:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight, after getting the go ahead from our pediatrician, I tried my very first "solid" meal of rice cereal. And of course, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!! Check out the video (above) and pictures (below) of me and mommy making a complete mess while I sit on the dining room table in my Bumbo. Daddy did an excellent job recording the event.

Rollin'

2009-02-08T17:06:00.000-08:00

We haven't been up to a whole lot lately. Mostly just coaching and trying to figure out a daily routine including naps and sleep. I still want to eat every 3 hours (this includes during the night) so Mommy gets frustrated with the lack of consistency. Even so I still have time to hang out with my boys:Mommy and Daddy also realized that I love to hang out upside down! I can be in the midst of a good screaming session and burst out laughing if they just invert me. Here are some photos of me playing and getting tickled on Daddy's lap:

I am also figuring out how to roll from my back to my tummy. I know Mommy likes to put me on my tummy, and that when I'm in that position I can push myself up and try to push off stuff with my legs, but I still don't go anywhere. Ergo, I get easily frustrated with the lack of mobility. Here is a photo of me rolling onto my tummy for the first time (without the aid of a soft, slightly depressed bed) and my best second effort. No one told me how tiring this stuff could be!

Wild Animal Park

2009-01-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, Mommy took me to the Wild Animal Park with Grandma Sue and Auntie Sammy. It was my first real outing other than soccer games and walks around the neighborhood. Mommy carried me most of the day in our Baby Bjorn. I like facing out and being able to see everything!

Our first stop was at the African elephant barn. We saw a few of the big elephants and even a couple of the babies! They are a lot better at getting around than I am.

Next we went to Condor Ridge and visited the California Condors. Mommy told me she used to watch and study them at the WAP and introduced me to Sespe (one of the captive condors). I wasn't as impressed as she hoped. They just looked like big ugly birds to me.

After that we meandered through the Heart of Africa trail and saw some lions, a lot mo

re birds, an okapi, gazelle, rhinos, giraffes (my favorite!), etc. Lunch time came, we all ate, and then went to see the gorillas. Mommy read about gorilla babies and how they are just as helpless as us human babies when they're born.

At the end of the day I was super tired and started to fall asleep in Mommy's arm. Yet she still managed to get a few photos of me with the girls and with the famous rhino statue.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2009-01-08T18:49:00.001-08:00

So when you're only 3 months old, there isn't a whole lot to do on Christmas. Mostly other people coo at your Christmas-y pj's and open your presents for you. And apparently Mommy and Daddy didn't do such a stellar job at taking photos of me...Mommy will have to ask other people for theirs! Here are some cute ones though:

Helping Daddy unwrap my present...

Playing with Mommy on Christmas morning

Don't I have the most adorable face you have EVER seen?

Apparently the holidays wore me out though...here's one of Mommy and I doing some after-Christmas shopping at Target. Please note how I am completely passed out in her arms!

I also wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year despite not even making it to the east coast celebration. Instead I woke up Mommy at 1 am so she wouldn't miss out too much!

Tagged!

2009-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

My friend Dahlia "tagged" me awhile back but Mommy is slow on the updates. I guess it means that I have to share 7 things about myself that no one knows. Since I'm only (almost) 4 months old, there isn't a whole lot to me...

1. I can roll from my tummy to my back.
2. I can say lots of things in lots of different volumes, none of which are intelligible yet.
3. I love to watch football on the magic box. I don't seem to care whether it is the NFL or NCAA.
4. My favorite toy is my Lamaze tug block. It helps me roll from my back onto my side. Once I'm there I don't know what to do with my arms to get myself on my tummy though.
5. Once Mommy stopped swaddling me at night, I promptly reverted to waking up every 2-3 hours again. She had one blessed week of 7 hours of sleep. She misses my swaddle sacks.
6. Fireplaces are great! Warm and entertaining.
7. I'm ticklish underneath my armpits and on the bottom of my feet.

Ok, that's all for now. And since Dahlia is the only other blogger I know...I can't really tag anyone else.

I know Mommy and Daddy and some other relatives have some cute Christmas pictures of me to share soon though!

A Little After Thanksgiving

2008-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, Mommy realizes that it's been almost 2 weeks since Thanksgiving, but she wanted to share all of the great photos of my first family holiday!

The day before Thanksgiving, Mommy's best friend Courtney flew into town from Minnesota - brrr! So Courtney, her fiance Tom, her brother Eric, her sister in law Mary, and mom Deko all came over to visit. Mommy was a little slow with the camera and the boys were a bit hesitant around me so here's a photo of me with Courtney:

On the actual day, Mommy and Daddy took me to Grandma Sue and Grandpa Dan's house for some football watching and a traditional turkey dinner. I of course took a nap - for 3 hours - right up until the turkey came out of the oven and then Mommy had to feed me before she got to eat. But I behaved for the most part and even sat in my car seat at the table while the adults finished eating!
The day after Thanksgiving, Mommy and Daddy drove with me up to Ventura to visit the rest of the extended family including my Great Grandparents, Great Aunt & Uncle, and Mommy's cousins. We spent the night there and came home on Saturday.

My great-uncle Greg holding me while I look cute.

Me smiling on my great-grandma Virginia's lap.

Me hanging out with great-grandpa Marvin.

Post-Halloween Update

2008-11-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a cute photo of me in my first Halloween costume. I started off as a ghost:

Then I became a screaming banshee:

Mommy has had her hands full with me. I don't like my crib, and I'm not sure about my swing, nor even Mommy & Daddy's bed unless Mommy lies down with me and continually puts my paci back in - even swaddled, I manage to wake myself up. So she either has to hold me and glide or stick me in that funny wrap thing to get me to sleep. And for those of you who are curious, I'm still only sleeping 3-4 hours at my longest stretches during the night. My latest trick is to only take 20-30 minute naps...

One Month Plus

2008-10-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

I turned one month old last Friday! Of course Mommy had her hands full with me...
Mommy did get a Moby Wrap although we're still learning to use it.

Here is what is going on in our world:

Weight - 9 lbs, 2 oz
Height - 21.5"
Milestone - when Mommy lays me on my tummy I can pick up my head and turn it to the other side all by myself!
Other (good) stuff - I let Mommy shower most days by hanging out in my bouncer and we are slowly settling into a routine where I only wake up 2x a night (but this means I like wake up between 4-5am for the day) and go promptly back to sleep.
Other (not so good) stuff - Sissy Keegan had to have her appendix removed (stupid useless organ).
Mommy is preparing to tackle the girls' varsity head coach position at her old high school!

Check out these recent photos of us too:

My first trip to Dave & Busters - look at all the tickets I won!

Mommy and me napping on the couch.

Hanging out on my play gym blanket. The gym part is still a bit overwhelming.

Mommy Sucks at Blogging

2008-10-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

But that's because I won't let her put me down to type - I'd rather sleep, eat, poop, and do all the other wonderful things that I do while she's holding me...ALL DAY LONG. So while her belly is still smushy, her upper back is getting ridiculously strong! Mommy is hoping this won't last too much longer since it's usually that darn Moro reflex (think super spastic field goal signal) that ruins nap time.

For such a small thing...

2008-10-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

...I sure do keep Mommy's hands full! I definitely sleep best when someone is holding me - usually Mommy, but thankfully Grandpa John and Oma Sondra come over to help her out. She is hoping to get a sling or wrap carrier. Here are some pictures of me sleeping through my big sister's soccer game last weekend. Check out the moose on my onesie.

Mommy now knows that a 4 hour nap, a feeding, followed by another 3 hour nap does not make for a good night's sleep!

We also had a nurse from Children's Hospital come do a home visit last week and I was a 1/2 ounce shy of 8 lbs - meaning I have essentially grown out of my newborn clothes. The nice lady is coming back next week to check my vitals and weight again and give Mommy more reassurance that I am great and she is doing a fantastic job.

Adjusting

2008-09-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've now been home a little over a week and am slowly adjusting to my new life in the great big world. Mostly I eat, sleep, and poop. Of course I never sleep when Mommy wants me to...

However, I have gotten to do some pretty cool things. I went to my first soccer game on Saturday to cheer on my big brother. This of course meant that other people held me until I needed to eat and then I slept through most of the game. At least that meant Mommy and Daddy got to watch. Daddy took a completely unflattering picture of Mommy wearing her "nursing bib" (a cloth diaper to catch dribbles and leaks since I can be a messy eater) that she refuses to share.

Also, Grandma Sue came down on Sunday to help out with me for a little while. My favorite part, once they figured out the whole direction of the sun issue, was going for a walk in my stroller. The best part is that my car seat sits right into the stroller frame! And I love my car seat as long as it is in something moving. Daddy has yet to get a picture of me in my tricked out ride. We will try to post one later.

Some mornings Grandpa John comes over to help out as well. Mostly he holds me so Mommy can get some breakfast or go to the bathroom. He's funny, and sometimes loud, but I like him.

Home from the Hospital

2008-09-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

So the little guy and I arrived home from the hospital on Saturday afternoon. Although I'll spare you the details, we had an extended stay due to complications and fetal distress during labor. Dalton's heart rate plummeted and his delivery required an emergency c-section. As such, we got to spend a wonderful 72 hours in a "semi-private" recovery suite. Needless to say, there are no cute post-delivery photos with me looking all refreshed and invigorated - rather, I am drugged and completely out of it. Here are some of us (he is the cute one that looks like a little peanut):

Anyhow we are both adjusting to life at home and trying to figure this whole thing out. We are both still extremely worn out. Thank you to everyone who has sent kind emails, other messages, or gifts - I appreciate all of the well wishes but please be patient in expecting a response.

Introducing...

2008-09-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Dalton Wyatt Gray

Details of his birth:

September 17th (our 4th anniversary!)

7:02 am

6 pounds, 5 ounces

18.5" long

Delivered via emergency c-section

More to come once mom and baby arrive home from the hospital.

40+ Weeks & Counting...

2008-09-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am horrible at updating this thing. Yes, he is now officially past his due date (both of them). Yes, I am tired, irritable, and cranky about the whole situation at this point.

That being said, here are a couple of photos of his "nursery" area in our room...

And because David is so proud of this gardening/landscaping accomplishment, here is a photo of the first Bird of Paradise flower to bloom along our front walkway.

The 1st Blog

2008-08-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Baby Gray's official blog. For all of our family and friends both near and far, this will be the primary method of showing off our new little bundle of joy (once he arrives of course)! I've been told that my days of comprehensive diatribe to all in my address book are numbered...

That being said, I have approximately 2 weeks until my due date with not a single recognizable sign of impending labor! No contractions (real or false), no nesting (who wants to clean when its in the 90s with 70% humidity), I still have my innie belly button, and the little guy has not dropped (i.e. he's remains a pain the ribs).

Here are a couple of photos of me for pure entertainment value and I'll try to get some up of his "nursery" corner once I get it a bit more presentable.

Da Belly