8 Months Old

How did this happen?!?! Grant has now been outside the womb as long as he was in it! I cannot believe how fast he's growing up. It makes me a little sad. But we sure are enjoying him. :) His favorite thing (and mommy's too) is his Jumperoo. Oh my gosh does this child have endless energy! And he is the man of a million faces. Cracks us up! Enjoy some pictures from today....his 8 month birthday!

Hot Summer Days

We had such a fun weekend. Dinner with friends, some fireworks, and the icing on the cake....an afternoon lounging in Aunt Jenn and Uncle Josh's pool. They got out the pool floats for us and we drifted around the pool all Sunday afternoon. Grantman LOVED it!! Dakota was a little less thrilled with the water but we did manage to get her surfing on a float. :) Thanks for having us over Jenn and Josh!!! We had a GREAT time!

And He's Off....Sort Of

So I'm not sure if he's feeling lighter now that he's missing a little skin or if he was just inspired by his awesome Baylor shirt, but Grant took his first crawl yesterday. Well, he was up on his hands and knees and moved forward a little before face planting into the carpet. He did eventually make it to his destination....the Mac. We've taken to calling him "Baby Mac." :) He's very into gadgets. Phones, remotes, computers, cell phones. And none of the play stuff. He knows the difference and he wants the real thing. :)

And, no, he does not sit up yet. The child has no interest in sitting. He just wants to MOVE! I'm assuming some day he'll decide to sit up. It's going to make school awfully hard if he never learns to sit. :)

Losin' Some Skin

Well, it has taken over 7 months but we were finally able to get the little guy snipped. Long story as to why he's just now losing a little skin down there but let me just say, it is WAY EASIER to have it done in the newborn nursery after delivery! We spent over 6 hours at Children's hospital yesterday in the day surgery wing - just to get a little cosmetic work done. Ugh. Long day and we were exhausted. I have no idea how you parents with critically or chronically ill children do it. My hat is off to you.

Grant really did great though and hardly fussed about the fact that the poor guy could not eat a thing all day until 1pm. I was cranky and hungry but not him. :) He had a little trouble coming out of the anesthesia and was very agitated but calmed down after a couple of hours in recovery. And today you would never know anything happened. He has played and laughed....although every time I change his diaper I gasp slightly. I mean, I know what I'm going to see but it just looks like it hurts so badly. It must not bother him much though. Kids are amazing!

Here are a few pictures from our time at Children's yesterday. The staff there is WONDERFUL and the anesthesiologist even called the night before to talk through everything and answer all of our questions. Top notch facility and doctors over there. We were impressed. And let me just say how much I love and appreciate my husband. He is such a WONDERUL father and a complete "team player" in raising and taking care of Grant. I could not have done yesterday (or any day for that matter) without him. I love you, hon.



Blissfully unaware of what is to come as we wait for our physical before surgery


So cute in his little baby hospital gown with puppies on it (he had kitty cats on his leads....they're into animals over there)


In recovery trying to wake up and calm down (he was so disoriented and scared.... so sad)


And a big thanks to Gigi for taking care of dinner last night and helping us get home and settled after our crazy day! We love you Gig!

What We've Been Up To....

Well, we spent Memorial Day weekend in Connecticut visiting Nana and Grandpa.

Our first plane ride. Grant did GREAT! We were very glad it was 2 of us and 1 of him, though. :)


Hanging out at the Memorial Day parade with Dad and Uncle Bud.


Our cute little man.


Grant's first ride on Da Boat. (I know the life jacket looks huge but I swear it said for infants 17-30 lbs.)



Eating lemons. Yes, he LOVES lemons. I thought he'd make a terrible face but no, he likes it. Who would have thought?!


Mmmmm. Lobster. Can't beat a fresh lobster at Rowayton Seafood.



Worn out from all the Memorial Day celebrating.


Playing it cool.



Eating pickles. We've decided Grant must really like sour stuff.


Our newest favorite past time: The Jumperoo


Grant's first dip in the pool. Man does this kid love the water. We seriously cannot wait to take him to the beach!






Taking a dip in the very fun hippo pool that Gigi put in Grant's Easter basket.





Grant's friend Makenna's 1st Birthday



Eating BBQ with the grandparents and the great grandparents.








Whew! I think that about sums up the last 2 weeks. Or at least hits the high points. :)

Texas Our Texas

Okay, first of all, yes I have tons of pictures and updates but am just too darn lazy to put them all up right now. I was sick last weekend and just kind of haven't gotten back into the swing of things yet. I promise to get busy and post tons of pictures and updates soon.

In the mean time, while I am on a mini blog hiatus, check this out! My friend,Rachel posted this on her blog and I loved it! I am definitely proud to be a Texan and to live in this great state! And I'm even more proud that my midwestern husband says he is now a "Texan by choice" and frequently uses the word "y'all." Bless his heart. :) Okay, enjoy......

If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas;

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas;

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas;

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas;

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas;

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Texas;

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas;

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas;

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas;

If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly,' you may live in Texas;


Need to be cheered up?

Happy, Texas 79042
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the Sun?

Sun City, Texas 78628
Sunrise, Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray, Texas 79086
Sunny Side, Texas 77423

Want something to eat?

Bacon, Texas 76301
Noodle, Texas 79536
Oatmeal, Texas 78605
Turkey, Texas 79261
Trout, Texas 75789
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice, Texas 75155
Sweetwater, Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!

Detroit, Texas 75436
Colorado City, Texas 79512
Denver City, Texas 79323
Klondike, Texas 75448
Nevada, Texas 75173
Memphis, Texas 79245
Miami, Texas 79059
Boston, Texas 75570
Santa Fe, Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75861
Reno, Texas 75462

Feel like traveling outside the country? Don't bother buying a plane ticket!

Athens, Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China, Texas 77613
Egypt, Texas 77436
Ireland, Texas 76538
Turkey, Texas 79261
London, Texas 76854
New London, Texas 75682
Paris, Texas 75460

No need to travel to Washington D.C.
Whitehouse, Texas 75791

We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth, Texas 79031

And a city named after our State!
Texas City, Texas 77590

Exhausted?
Energy, Texas 76452

Cold?
Blanket, Texas 76432
Winters, Texas

Like to read about History?
Santa Anna, Texas
Goliad, Texas
Alamo, Texas
Robert Lee, Texas

Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670

Men are from Mars, women are from
Venus, Texas 76084

You guessed it..it's on the state line..
Texline, Texas 79087

For the kids...

Kermit, Texas 79745
Elmo, Texas 75118
Nemo, Texas 76070
Tarzan, Texas 79783
Winnie, Texas 77665
Sylvester, Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas to make you smile.....

Frognot, Texas 75424
Bigfoot, Texas 78005
Hogeye, Texas 75423
Cactus, Texas 79013
Notrees, Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest, Texas 76886
Kickapoo, Texas 75763
Dime Box, Texas 77853
Old Dime Box, Texas 77853
Telephone, Texas 75488
Telegraph, Texas 76883
Twitty, Texas 79079

And last but not least, the Anti-Al Gore City
Kilgore, Texas 75662

And our favorites...

Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City, Texas 75156
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas and, of course,
Muleshoe, Texas

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas.

1. Beaumont to El Paso : 742 miles

2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in U.S . history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was ' Houston .'

12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island .

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak (known as Big Tree) near Fulton is estimated to be over 1000 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington -on- the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).

20. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.

21. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females).

22. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.