Friday, July 31, 2009

Three Posts in One Day! Obviously Grady Took Good Naps Today!!!





He's already gettin' into the liquor cabinet!

Who says I'm high maintenance, Mama? Just gimme a cup and I'm good to go!






Good Friends, Good Memories, Good Bagels

This morning, Grady and I met a dear old friend, Kourtnee, and her sister (also a friend!), Tawnee at Bagelheads (SO GOOD!) for breakfast. I have known Kourtnee since high school. We graduated together 8 years ago and kept in touch for several years after that, but then she moved away to Salt Lake City, Utah about 3 years ago. So I had not seen her in three years and only talked to her a few times via email. It's funny (but sad) how people move, get married, have kids, etc, and we drift apart. It's like life goes on and is so hectic that we lose touch with important people. So anyway, she came back home for a week or so to help a friend (also from HS) who just had twin boys. I found out through Facebook (gotta love those social networking sites!) that she was visiting, so we arranged to get together. You don't realize how much you miss a person until you see them and share stories, memories,and update each other on your lives. She has two kids, Kaylee (8) and Hudson (4). I was lucky enough to see Kaylee frequently when she was a little baby, but Hudson I have only met once. She did get to meet Grady who hammed it up by squealing, smiling, bouncing, and banging his toys on the table. Have I ever mentioned how high maintenance he is?? :)

She was telling me some interesting things about Salt Lake City... as you know, it's predominatly Mormon, so a Christian church is few and far between. They have found a small Baptist church, but she said that being a Christian living in SLC makes you feel very isolated. In Kaylee's class of 26, she said there are only a couple non-Mormon children. Even though it's a public school, the students can elect to go to Mormon seminary during part of the school day. Now, can you IMAGINE what would happen if we tried to do that with a baptist seminary???? People would be infuriated! It's unfortunate. She said while the Mormon residents are kind to her, they haven't really befriended her because she is not Mormon.

She also said that the drinking laws are very strict and quite different from FL. In order to get a drink at a restaraunt, you have to order food first. You cannot order just a drink. Also, when you order a drink, the bartenders do not freely poor the alcohol into the glass. It is dispensed through a bottle that has some sort of a lock and only allows a certain pre-measured amount to be dispensed. Does that make sense? (It sounded less confusing when she described it!).

Kourtnee did say that it is beautiful there... not the same as FL, obviously, but there are beautiful mountains there and she said SLC is a VERY clean place to live. She misses home, but is thankful for the opportunity to see the country's beauty.

I vow to keep in touch with my sweet friend from now on!!! I won't let another few years go by. It was so refreshing to see her... so if any of you have been so busy with the day to day and have missed a friend from the past, I encourage you to give him/her a call. Chances are they are missing you, too!

Me, Grady, and Kourtnee


Me, Grady, and Tawnee

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Yum!

Apparently, Grady LOVES cherries! Who knew?!


Sunday, July 26, 2009

Beach Day Pics

Here are a few pics of Grady and Chloe at the beach on Friday... They loved touching each other. They were probably thinking, "Hey! You're my size!" Grady is a little bit rough. He likes to pull hair and pinch. (We are working on that.) :)






Tuckered out!

Friday, July 24, 2009

A Day at the Beach...

Let me just start by saying, I'm looking at the explanation below the title of our blog... "A Glimpse Into Our Grady-Obsessed Lives". I think I should re-word that. I think it should read "A Glimpse Into Our Grady-Rules-Our-Lives Because He is a Wild Man". We are not so much obsessed with him as we are overtaken by him. I am finally sitting down after a non-stop action packed day with a little one who is totally off the chain. I feel like I need an all night foot massage with a never ending margarita. Extra tequila.

We did, however, have a great time at the beach today. We went with my friend from work, Carol, and her daughter (also my friend), Tenisha, and her little baby, Chloe. Chloe is just five weeks younger than Grady and just beautiful. You may remember her from several months ago when Grady and her first met....

Anyway, the beach was packed out, and we looked like the cast of "Yes, Dear" walking out to the sand. (If you've never seen the intro to that show, it begins with a sexy couple cruising by in their convertible and then shows a group of four adults with three kids and a PILE of beach toys, floats, coolers, towels, strollers, etc, struggling to get to their spot on the beach). That was so us. I told Tenisha someone should invent a shuttle service like a golf cart that takes you to your destination on the sand. I would definitely pay for that! And, I mean, I only have one kid, who barely has any beach toys, so what the heck am I taking to the beach??? Who knows, but that reminds me it is all still in my car waiting to be emptied and shaken because we brought home half the beach sand with us.

So anyway, Grady absolutely loves the beach, 1- because it's outdoors, and 2- because there is water involved. And mommy loves the beach because Grady can scream as loud as he wants and no one cares because they can't hear him over their own crazy kids. That's his new thing. Screaming. Not crying screaming, more like squealing screaming because he's so excited about EVERYTHING (except of course naps). It's hysterical and exhausting (and constant) all at the same time. Hence why he is referred to as off the chain. Of course, like I said, it's ok because we were at the beach and not at Publix like we were yesterday.

So maybe it's just boys that are out of control, because Chloe was just as content as she could be... fell asleep on the blanket, played with the same stuffed animal the WHOLE time. My child? Oh no. My child has to have a million (to be exact) different types of toys displayed around him for his viewing pleasure so that he can throw one down at any given moment and reach for another. He also needs a sippy cup, crackers, and baby Mum Mums (his new edible treat). Oh, and of course he needs several other items that are not baby friendly to destroy (i.e. Mommy's cell phone and sunglasses). He wants to crawl, roll, and bounce up and down. And then when he's tired of all that (hard to imagine with all the choices he is given), he wants back in the water. Then back on the sand. Then back in the water. Then back on the sand. Then back in the water. And why haven't I lost the baby weight???

We pack up and somehow it seems that we have acquired even more items since arrival and I look like, again, like the cast of "Yes, Dear" except this time I am sunburned and the baby is half way down my leg as I am dragging all of our crap out of the 100 degree weather into the 150 degree car. And all the way home I get to listen to the joyful squealing.

Then as soon as we get home, it's dinner time, bath, bed. And here I am. Sitting and relaxing and praying he sleeps until noon tomorrow. (I'd even take 7 am). The joys of motherhood. I'm taking applications for a weekend nanny position. Pretty much just put your name on it and you're hired.

(Pics to come later... the camera is in the car and this mama ain't movin').

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

We had a lot of fun at the baby shower for Brian and Robin on Sunday. The Boatyard was a really neat place, located right on the water and the large boats just pull right up. In fact, while we were there, a charter fishing boat came in with a crew who had just caught TONS of fish. We really enjoyed watching the captain unload the ice chest.





Brian and Robin got many great gifts that will all be very useful. They also revealed the gender of the twins... but I will wait till Robin posts that on her blog before I mention anything!



Grady was very well behaved for not sleeping on the way there... he really enjoys being in an outdoor setting and being around friends and family. I have NO idea where his social behavior comes from. Could it possible be his father? I used to think I was an outgoing person until I met him!!! (Now I think, OH MY LORD MIKEY, wrap it up already!!!) It was great to see everyone, but we missed Katie and Beau and of course, little AC.












Here are a few pics of Grady from yesterday and today... we are still working on crawling, but I think he is almost there! I just hope he does it before I go back to work in a few weeks. If I miss it, I'll be devastated! When I go get him out of his crib in the morning and at nap time, he is on his knees and elbows just a-rockin' back and forth and talking up a storm! He's such a happy boy! We spend the majority of the day in our newly designed living room that has been transformed into a play area for Grady. This kid has taken over our house!!!





Saturday, July 18, 2009

Grady's New Do

This is Grady's stylish new look, created exclusively for him with a special styling agent (i.e. sunscreen that I lather all over his entire body, including his head!)






Time for a haircut yet???

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Another Sister Visit!

Today, Emily and her fiance, Jeff will be coming from Austin, TX to stay a few days. We are very excited! I don't get to see Emily very often, but with all the family events lately, this will be the third time already this year! And we'll see her again at her wedding in December. Tonight we have plans with Dad to eat at Red Barn for Mikey's belated birthday dinner. Tomorrow, we will visit the beach for Grady's first time and on Friday we will do some shopping. Mikey and I have a rehearsal dinner and wedding on Friday night and Saturday night, so we won't be able to spend time with them then, but they are going to babysit Grady for us! Yea! It's always easier to leave him with someone I know very well. But I'll still have the nanny cam running. Never can be too safe. :) (J/K). Sunday, we are all headed to Panama City for Brian and Robin's bab"ies" shower... can't wait to find out the genders!

What a busy weekend we have... I'm going to be exhausted but I am excited about seeing family on Sunday and enjoying the wedding on Saturday night (Mikey is the best man).

Here are just a couple of pics... glad y'all enjoyed the video from yesterday...

"I'm just SOOO tired!!"


He's getting to be such a big boy!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Video

I have been trying for days to get videos uploaded to the blog, but it never works. So, I uploaded a video to You Tube... hopefully you can just click "Grady Giggling". It's just Grady cracking up during lunch time over me sticking my tongue out and saying Boo! It was so amusing to him for some reason. You can't help but smile at a laughing baby... we are loving this age!!!


Grady Giggling

Friday, July 10, 2009

Random Pics

Look closely and you can see two little teeth on the bottom!


This is his new face for some reason! He makes it all the time and it is HYSTERICAL!


At the park... only liked this swing for about two seconds...


Who knew hands could be so tasty and interesting?



Aunt KK and Uncle Beau, I hope you didn't want me to mail those magazines that you left here!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Down To Three

And we are back down to three as Katie, Beau, and baby AC (and don't forget Belle and Lilly) are trecking across the country to California. They all left yesterday afternoon. It was a sad day in the White household. I have gotten so used to my sister being with me and having her here to hang out with all day... it's very quiet around here now (except when Grady cries during nap time, which is a whole new issue!). I know they are ready to get to CA and start settling in, so I am glad that they are gone in that aspect. However, it's hard to say goodbye to a 6 day old baby that will probably be 6 months before I see her again. And of course it's always hard to say goodbye to my sister especially when she is going 3000 miles away. If only Beau would just quit that Navy stuff already! :) Grady misses AC already, and Ellie woke up this morning and darted straight to her cousins room, only to find it empty. She is VERY sad- been moping around all day. Here are some pics of Grady and Anna Cross... (he was very intrigued by her!) (Ok, he REALLY wanted to grab ahold of her, but we were close by to make sure he didnt hurt her!) Who knew my kid was so enormous! I cannot even remember the days when Grady was that small. It's hard to believe next time I see Anna Cross, she will be as big as Grady and he will be ONE! Grady is ready to take off and really wants to crawl, but he hasn't quite got it. He gets up on his knees and elbows and rocks back and forth... pretty soon I will NEVER be able to sit down! He started out on the quilt and scooted his way to the wall! Nancy came on Monday along with her beautiful granddaughter, Ashley. She is 17 and Grady LOVED her. He was getting fussy and when she began playing with him, he was happy as a lark. She definitely had a way with him. He could have stared at her all day... He's also enjoying his independence as a mainly "unsupported sitter"...