Happy New Year! See you 2010!

Tomorrow morning we are leaving for Tampa to go visit Mikey's sister, Jenine and her husband, Phil.  We will ring in the new year with them!  (I don't think I've seen midnight since this summer, so who knows if I will actually be awake!)

I'm dreading another long drive, since we just drove to Memphis and then to Austin, but hopefully Grady will be on his best behavior and relax.  I've packed the goldfish crackers, vanilla wafers, bananas, toys, and of course the dvd player.  I read somewhere that when you are traveling with a baby to pack lots of snacks they can graze on.  Good thing Grady likes to eat!

Speaking of eating, today we met Mikey and a couple of his coworkers for lunch at a local restaraunt.  I ordered a typical meal for Grady, grilled cheese... but instead of french fries (which he doesn't really care for), I got baked apples.  This boy LOVES fruit and would live off of it if I would let him, so I knew he'd love the apples.  He was shoveling them in by the handfulls, getting cinnamon and sauce all over his face, especially his cheeks.  Then I noticed his face was beet red and looked like it had broken out into a rash.  I said to Mikey, I think he is having an allergic reaction!  Now, I know I can be a bit dramatic when it comes to health related issues.  I will admit that.  Afterall, Grady had been to the doctor, including the ER, about 4 times before he was a month old.  Call me paranoid, but this time, it was apparent.  His cheeks were splotchy and his face was warm.  But his demeanor hadn't changed and he wasn't having any difficulty breathing, so I knew it was nothing to rush to ER over.  (See, I have improved a little!).  We cleaned him up and I called the doctor as soon as we left.  Of course they were closed for lunch, so I called the next best hypochondriac I know, Katie.  She conveniently googled it for me as I drove home, and as it turns out, cinnamon is a spice that many babies are either allergic to, or it just irritates their skin (contact dermititis). He did not have any other symptoms, so I think it may just irritate his skin.  Needless to say, we will not be eating anymore cinnamon!  I would have been a mean mommy and taken a picture, but I did not have my camera. 

I really don't have any good pictures to post, but everyone loves a blog with pictures, so here are two from yesterday... just playing around.

Of course if Grady can find a way to use something the wrong way, he will!  He is definitely ALL BOY!

Getting closer to grab the camera....

I'll post when we get home on Sunday (or it might have to wait until Monday).  I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve and an even better start to the new year! 

Happy Boy

Here are a few pics I took today (with my new camera!).  I took over 200 pictures today, but I'll spare you all that jazz.  It's really not my fault, this camera takes a gazillion pictures in a row, unlike my old canon that missed every good shot because it was too slow.  For example, we took these pictures outside today and in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes, we already had 70 shots.  So in my defense, I am not that obsessed with my kid, it's just a good camera.

He loves watching planes and birds...

Merry Christmas from the Whites!

I am wiped out!  We had a great Christmas and I hope you all did, too.  Mikey gave me my gift last night (it's really a family gift)... check it out!

I love it!  Apparently Mikey does not listen when I set price limits on gifts, but this is a perfect gift for our family since we take so many pictures. 

When we woke up this morning, we went in Grady's room to find this:

Apparently we did not respond to him soon enough when he woke up, so he had to resort to stripping his clothes off!

Have I mentioned he's learning to walk?  He just started a few days ago, but is really doing great!  He can walk clear across this room and has gained so much confidence!  Here are some pics of him in action...

We are so excited!  He's really moving now!

After he woke up, we went straight to gifts.  He's not really interested in the unwrapping part.  I thought he would enjoy the paper and the noise, but not really.  He got just a few gifts from us since he's still so little... two pairs of shoes, a puzzle, a popper toy, pj's, and some sort of car toy...

After gifts, we enjoyed the Hatcher family tradition of breakfast casserole.  Grady and Mikey ate it up!  Then the boys took a nap while I started preparing Christmas dinner.  When Grady woke up, I went in his room to find (you guessed it!)...

(He must really not like those PJs!  He's also jumping up and down in his crib!)

Then Grandma came over with loads of gifts... clothes, a shape sorter, miniature cars, a book, and this WONDERFUL chair!

He just loves it!  He can sit independently and just relax.  Thanks Grandma!

Gazing at the tree...

We had some friends over for Christmas dinner.... Mike, Woody, and Roger, plus Elaine and the three of us.  I cooked sweet potato casserole, crock pot mac and cheese, corn casserole, watergate salad, green bean casserole, and Mikey fried his first turkey that was mouth watering.  For dessert we had another Hatcher family favorite, Hummingbird Cake.  We also had sausage balls, cookies, peppermint bark, fudge, and homeade chex mix for appetizers.  I made everyone take a plate home so we wouldn't have so many leftovers!  I'll have to really work it at the gym next week!  I forgot to take pictures during dinner, but we all enjoyed ourselves and the company. 

Here's another picture of Grady relaxing in his chair, drinking his milk before bed time.

I missed my family today and I hope we can all be together for Christmas next year!  I hope you all had a great day! 

Love you all!

Grady's 1st Birthday

The party was a success and lots of fun. Several of our friends came to help us celebrate Grady's big day. Best of all, Leslie Roark , a friend of ours and a VERY talented photographer, came and graciously took pictures for us. Follow the link above, click online viewing, Grady White's 1st Birthday, and the password is white.  Enjoy!

THANK YOU LESLIE!!!!!!!  YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

Sweets For My Sweets

This year, for Grady's birthday, I wanted to go all out.  I know that comes a shock to most of you... that I wanted to "bling it up"... :).  But I mean, you only turn one once!  Of course you only turn any age once, but that's beside the point.  I started thinking of a theme months in advance, but y'all know I don't really do "themes".  I hate Disney and cartoons, and I am not a big fan of anything you can buy in a kit and decorate your whole party with.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not me.  So in all this thinking, I finally decided we would do a broader theme (using that word loosely) and just decorate with primary colors and polka dots.  The idea stemmed from this:

So, then I decided we would do a candy station, a dum dum tree, a round ornament mobile, balloons, and streamers.  I also found a cake that I could not live without.  Then I found out how much it cost and Mikey said either I live without the cake or I live without him.  After MUCH deliberation, I decided I better not buy that cake. So, Betty Crocker over here decides to "recreate" this cake.  Here's where you imagine a LOOOONG sigh....

One of my student's moms let me borrow her cake pans, leveling tool, spreaders, and icing bags.  So, all I had to buy were the ingredient and a few other things.  Needless to say, what I saved in money, I made up for in time!!!

Here's the beginning...

Noticing the mess, Grady says... "Mom, seriously???"

"Welll, ok... keep whipping it up please"...

Take One: (Cake Split!)

"Ok, Mom, hit up the Wal Mart please"

Take Two:

It's Coming Along!

TADA!!!!

Ok, so I know it's a little lopsided, but for my first try, I say not bad!

Can't wait to see Grady dig in tomorrow!  The top tier is all his!  More pics to come tomorrow after the party! 

Happy Birthday Grady!

365 Days Ago...

Through the tears....

Through the smiles....

Through the ups and downs...

We have (all) survived our first year!!!!!

Grady, you are very special to your mama and your daddy!  You make us laugh everyday and we love your big personality.  We can't wait to see what new things you will learn next, and we miss the little things you used to do.  We are looking forward to watching your personality blossom with passing year.