Three Whole Months

It's picture time party animals. Last Friday I celebrated another birthday -- I'm still receiving a few cards in the mail so if you're worried that you're late..it's cool, I accept late cards. Three months and still going strong. Let me see what I can tell you that's new and then I'll just post some pics.

1. I'm still pretty cute.

2. I'm still pretty chunky.

3. I sit in high chairs now. I don't eat from them just yet but I sit in it while Mom eats breakfast or makes dinner and sometimes I sit with mom and dad at the table when they eat. I love my chair -- I mean, look at my face in the pic--that's me excited.

4. I still have only rolled over twice in my life-- get over it. I'm not a monkey and I don't do tricks on command.

5. I'm learning to count. I'm not very good yet--in the one picture mom told me to hold up how old I was. She later told me I was one month short--I'm getting there though.

6. I drench my shirts in drool...a lot.

7. I know how to get my hands to and in my mouth. I'm still figuring out how to shove the whole hand in there without gagging myself. Why settle for just a thumb when I can have the whole fist?

Okay..I gotta get some sleep and rest up to see my grammy tomorrow so enjoy the pics.

Warmly,

G love

The Many Faces of Grayson Brock

I heard through the grapevine today that one of my kindred spirits, Aunt Carter Higgins, checks my blog every morning. For that I would like to just say, "Good morning, Carter...can't wait to meet you on our birthday!!" Hope this jumpstarts your day with an early morning smile :). Mad love to you all.

Would my REAL Mom please stand up

Okay, so I have a new mom. Wellllll..not a NEW mom but what my real mom and dad call my Robotic mom. Here's what happened. About two weeks ago mom took me to my new friend Spencer's house for a meal drop off and a quick visit. While there I ate, let mom change my dipe-dipe, hung on the floor and diligently watched the news, did some 'running man' in the air, and then I wanted to take a nap - but was having a hard time getting comfortable. Joy (Spencer's mom) suggested mom put me in the swing. I could FEEL mom roll her eyes and heard the chuckle under her breath as she immediately thought to herself. "This kid hates swings and hates bouncy seats no matter how fast they rock or how much they vibrate." BUT, mom complied with the suggestion as to not seem rude and placed me in that swing and turned the switch to high. Right as I was about to let out my preemptive sheep noise "baaaaaaaaah" to let mom know she had about 20 seconds to remove me from the awful contraption, I realized that something was different - not different in a bad way but different in an OH SO GOOD, rock me all night long kind of way. This swing didn't go front to back like the one mom had for me at home, but this fine piece of machinery rocked me side to side to simulate real life rocking, all while bears moved in a circular motion above my head and sweet sounds of music played to a tune I enjoyed. I was captivated. I watched the bears for about 15 minutes and without a sheep to be counted I just fell asleep until it was time to leave.

As mom watched in amazement she immediately inquired as to where to buy such a contraption and I'm pretty sure I heard her say her limit was $1,000.00 (don't tell dad) that she would be willing to spend on such an item. She collected some babies-r-us coupons, which had expired, but then got the great idea to call a friend with two older children and see if by chance she had this little piece of heaven. Thankfully her friend came through and not only did she have one but kindly let us borrow to see if this was a one time fling or a true love. Here's the best part. If you've ever checked out mom's registry on babies-r-us, you'll notice that for any "equipment" that was needed (bouncy seats, swing, pack n' play, etc), all the items were requested in neutral colors as to not detract from the furniture in her home. Mom registered NOT with me in mind but with her decor in mind and now she pays the price. Well, this swing that arrived at the house late last week is the complete opposite. It's fairly large (Daisy and I practically share space now), has bright colors of teal, blue, orange, and greens, and carries a somewhat obnoxious but OH so entertaining to me aquarium theme. Little fishes swim over my head as lights flash off and on to give me the feeling I'm on a dance floor....or, in the ocean. It can swing me either way but we all know I love the right to left and left to right, and plays these tunes that only a trained ear could enjoy.

So, I love the swing--that's the good news. The bad news??? I love the swing. I hear this quite often, "Gray, let me just put you in here for ONE second while I....(fill in the blank)" -- Yea, one second my behind. She might as well say, "Gray, I'm just gonna stick you here for one minute while I quickly paint the house...both interior and exterior..two coats...and prime it." Alright, alright, so it's not that bad but I did hear dad say the other night, "If we could just get this swing to learn how to change a diaper..." Oh robotic mom, how I love thee (and mom may love thee more).

Can I mention here too that on June 1, 2009 I rolled over for the first (and second) time in my life. No assistance from mom---just tuck the arm and kick till I flip. Piece of cake. I'm working on walking now---why crawl when you can walk??? Also, this just in--sometimes I cry real tears. I try to do that each time I cry b/c then mom REALLY feels bad for what she's done but they only come out occasionally. I'm still working on how I can control those things.

I close with some cute shots. Here are some things I would like you to think about as you look --

1. Am I getting dad's baby chin? Please lie to me.

2. Am I getting my uncle Jason's ears? Please lie to me.

3. Yes, I am a big boy and I now sit in big boy chairs to write my blogs (second picture down). Please note I still write neked.

4. One picture with my Aunt Chris. This was me getting ready for my first pool experience. I believe mom has some footage from that and if we can figure out how to get it on the computer we will post. The girls were staring...that's all I will say about that.

5. The last picture mom just said, "do the same pose you did for your 20 week ultrasound photo" -- Not bad if I do say so myself. (see post before I was born entitled "eviction notice" for actual 20 week ultrasound photo).

Happy Birthday Aunt Jessy

In true fashion, Mom was late in reminding me that it was my Aunt Jessy's birthday. As such I wanted to make it up to her by creating this happy birthday video. I can't wait to meet you Aunt Jessy! Turn up the volume and enjoy!!

Smiling's my favorite..

As said best by Buddy Elf and second best by me -- here are just some pics to show you my favorite activity. I have been smiling for maybe 2 weeks or so (non toot related) but now I actually think mom, dad, and daisy can sometimes be funny and these smiles are LEGIT.

This is me warming up for a smile. I'm not just gonna give this stuff away---I think mom was just in the beginning of a joke and I kinda KNEW it was going to be hilarious but I needed to hear the punch line first---

Then she came out with it..."To get to the other side" and I thought...ehhhh, that was just OKAY..so I gave a 1/2 smile
So, then she started with joke #2.."There was a rabbi, a school teacher, and a priest..." -- I was waiting in anticipation as this already started better than, "why did the chicken cross the road.."

AND then it ended with "...That's what she said" and oh man, I about lost it....



So funny in fact, I started to dance---ladies and gentlemen..I give you my best, "ride the pony"..

Green, Grandma, and Getting Old

Dear loved ones --

Oh how sorry I am that so much time has past between postings. I could type excuse after excuse after excuse but I learned in my pre-babe-ital classes that finding excuses doesn't fix the problem. Simply accepting your faults (even when you know you're not the one in fault), apologizing, and asking for forgiveness helps ease the tensions much faster. So, I'm a slack, I'm sorry, please forgive me - gosh, that's weird..I feel like I hear mom saying those words to dad all the time. Deja-vu.

Okay, because you peoples are busy and I understand that, I'm going to type about the three things listed above (shift eyes to subject line) in the order in which they were written. I won't be able to put as much detail as I was hoping so that you actually have time to read all this but all are worthy of discussing so rev the engines..let's get started.

A) Gray goes Green --

There's all this talk these days about "Going Green" and protecting the earth for our children and our children's children, blah, blah, blah. Well, quite frankly I don't even have a girlfriend yet. HOWEVER, mom and dad have already arranged a marriage for me with either of the lovely Eve or Mae Kennedy (or both??) and/or Harper King and I'm thinking 2-3 children at a minimum as I'm a baby and I don't feel like I'm hard to love. So, I'm starting to focus on my future, the environment, and the globe one diaper at a time. Let me explain. My buddy Henry blogged the other day about pooing in the tub. Well, H-man just turned 2 years old and the expression on my face when I read that he is JUST LEARNING to poo in the tub left me speechless (as you know, I'm never short on words). I'm sitting here thinking that EVERYONE poo's in the tub, no? I poo in the tub regularly and I'm really shocked that word hasn't gotten out to more children..especially with this push not to waste and always to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Let me lay out the benefits for you real quick and I'm pretty sure after you read them you'll join me in the understanding that pooing in the tub just makes sense and is the best decision for everyone (boys and girls alike).

1. No wasting of a diaper. Listen..don't get me wrong. There are few things more enjoyable than pooing right when mom or dad puts a fresh diaper on you and then pooing 10 minutes later after they've gotten another fresh diaper on you just to see their facial expressions and watch dad do the diaper math in his head. BUT, as I think about my grandchildren I realize I don't' want the earth to be covered in diapers and so pooing in the tub reduces just ONE diaper a day that's wasted...multiply that by the millions of children ages 3 and under that are still in diapers and we've saved about 60 rain forests a year.

2. Still bath turns into jacuzzi within seconds. I don't think I need to go into this much b/c we all poo. Everyone knows that some space needs to be cleared before a good poo and the only way to clear the path is to let out some toots (or farties as mom calls them--real mature). So, I'm not sure the science behind this but all I know is that when the toots get started the tub jets get turned on and I'm chillin in a jacuzzi. People pay thousands for a jacuzzi---if they only knew that pooing in the tub created the same effect. I feel so bad for some people and all the money they waste.

3. I don't have to sit in my dirties. Sometimes after I poo mom and dad make me chill in it thinking I'm dumb enough to get round 2 out that quickly before they get a new diaper on me. When I poo in the tub I get picked up faster than mom did when she was single (BOOYAH!) and I don't have to sit in that mess for even a second.

4. Diaper saved - 0.16 cents. Wipe saved - 0.04 cents. The expression on the bath givers face (typically dad) - priceless.

5. Mom sings a song that's made up on the spot whenever I succeed. The lyrics change each night but the chorus typically includes some version of "Poo poo's in the tub, poo poo's in the tub, oh how I love me some poo poo's in the tub" -- eat your heart out Simon Cowell.

B) Grandma -

As I already sneak peeked in a previous post--Grandma Brock came to visit me for 10 days just a week and a half ago. It was amazing. Although mom and dad had me in strict nap training so much to both her and my dismay I couldn't be rocked to sleep with each holding--we still got plenty of cuddle time in and I LOVED it! We would walk every morning with mom and Daisy (You guys remember daisy??). We played on the floor, we did tummy time together (she's much better at that than I as she won every "how long can you hold your head up" game. I'm not bad though) -- she would do my late night feedings so mom and dad could go to bed early, she would be up with me in the mornings if I didn't feel like going back to sleep, she cleaned my poo poo's out of the tub (see above), she held me when I cried (although I don't remember ever crying while she was here but that's what mom and dad keep telling me), she babysat me so mom and dad could go on another date or so that mom could do errands or go to the doctors sans me (it still doesn't make sense to me why she would ever want that), she took us out to dinner and mom and I got some GREAT dinners, she cooked us dinners, she cleaned the house, she cleaned my booty, she gave me a bath..and the list goes on and on. One night we even had uncle Aaron and cousin Caity down for a visit (see picture) -- HEY, WAIT A MINUTE...WHERE AM I???? OH, tell me you did this while I was napping?!?! I see what I mean to you...cute guys..REAL STINKIN CUTE. Anyway - she left last Wednesday and I miss her a lot. I know mom and dad miss her a lot too but the one we STILL hear crying the most since she left is Daisy---speaking of Daisy..where is Daisy?!?! (J/K Aunt Carla...I know where she is :)!!!)

C) Getting Old -

Few things here. This will be filled with mostly informative information so go ahead and grab your paper and pencil to write a few important things down. ... I'm waiting ....

Okay. I'm 2 months (but I'm sure you knew that..thank you for all the cards, flowers, gifts, etc -- if you didn't send anything I will allow you to make up for it on my 3rd month birthday) OH and you have no idea how easy it was for me not to post when I turned 8 weeks -- psshhh...week counting is for babies. Anyway - Dad told me I had to wait till I turned 2 months but now that I'm there I have my own email address. Grayson.Brock@gmail.com -- feel free to use it anytime as I check frequently and mom and dad don't know the password so say whatever you want about them. Trust me..it won't be anything I haven't heard or thought. Also, I had my 2 month checkup with the doc and got my stats. 75% all around...HOLLA! 12 lbs 15 oz for weight (I may already weigh more than my cousin Haley)...23.5 inches....for length of my BODY people--geesh, you always have to go there. (although we think I'm longer b/c even though mom taught me..I forgot to hold my hands up over my head). Doc said I look great though and because I look so good they applauded me with 5 shots in my legs and one serving of liquid medicine for me to swallow. Awesome.

Alright..I leave you with just pics. My 2 month photo shoot (I'll post a reminder of the 1 month shot) -- and also, some pics from future posts...mom took me to a reunion she had with some college roommates and one of them had a little boy that is about 5 weeks older than me. Also, my shmappy Grandma Cereola and aunt KJ came for a quick visit on Monday into Tuesday and that was no less than amazing. --

until next time...G-z.

So much to write and so little time..

Hey Party Animals,

Gosh--a week has past and I have so much to update you with but I'm nervous I'm not going to have the time to get it all out. In fact, there is one subject in particular that I need to write about and that may be all we have time for today but here we go.

I need your opinion. Okay, here's the deal. As I've gotten older (and by older I mean 7 weeks), more and more people are commenting on how I look like "Kyle." I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that that's my dad. So, as I hear that more often I have been studying him more up close and from afar. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?? As of last Sunday I had made the official conclusion that it is indeed a GOOD THING. I must say (with the manliest tone I can muster up), I think my dad's a stud. He's in shape, great facial features, nice build, big feet ;), big hands, great smile, decent hairline for a guy his age, etc, etc. I've actually been pretty pumped to hear that I'm lookin' more and more like the old man and as of last Sunday would have said I only hope that continues. I mean, who wouldn't want to look like this guy:

Wait...not that guy...crap--THIS GUY..

You'd have to be crazy not to agree with me and I'd have to be crazy not to be happy that I look like him. UNTIL last Monday rolled around. As mentioned in my last post my Grandma is here visiting this week. It has been wonderful and I'll go into that trip a bit more later..for now I have a point to make. So, she came on Monday and at first glance mentioned again right away how much I look as dad looked as a baby. Again, I smiled. Love that man. Then she proceeded to pull out some baby pics of dad and the first one I looked at when he was first born made me realize that YES, I DO look like dad. Again, I smiled. THEN friends...then she pulled out an 8x10 of dad's 2 month photo. My Lord. Yes, Jesus--I'm talking to you -- my Lord. No wonder whe had it in an 8x10 b/c I'm pretty sure dad couldn't fit into a 5x7. I'm now 7 weeks headed into my 8th week and just shy of officially being 2 months old but if I hear even ONCE that I look like my dad when I'm 2 months, someone is going to get hurt. I get it...I get that I am filling out. I get that I'm around 12 pounds and am probably going to hear I'm in the upper percentiles at my 2 month doc visit. Mom isn't shy to eat a french fry or 2...or 14 and I know that's going straight to her hips and straight to my chin(s) but REALLY people- do I really look like my dad when he was 2 months????

Some of you are probably laughing...no wait, I take that back - ALL of you are probably laughing and I'm sure the women reading this, in between wiping the tears that are rolling down their faces, are going, "Awww, look how cute he is..I just want to SQUEEZE him and SQUEEZE those cheeks" but guess what ladies--I don't want to be squeezed. I want to be able to put my head down so I can see my toes. I want to be able to be picked up still when I'm 2 months. I want to still be able to use my car seat then and not have to be put in a big boy car seat b/c i've surpassed the weight limit of my current one. You only can say that "aww..look how cute.." crap now b/c you've had 25+ years to lose that second and third chin but I haven't had that chance yet and I'll be DARNED if I let it get to that caliber before I do. So, Mom..if you're reading this--I know you've started one nightly bottle of formula in hopes that I'll sleep longer, and YES it worked last night as I slept for 7 hours before you had to wake me, but I want off it and I want off it now - I don't need those extra calories. Also, I want you to stop ALL Carbs and ALL desserts IMMEDIATELY...and yes that includes the fruit snacks. I want us walking more and I don't want to be carried--I want to walk myself. This 12+ pound boy is getting back down to 10 pounds where I should be. AND, for you readers--sure, feel free to think that I look like my dad..but, if you could hold off on telling me that for about 22 or 23 more years..me, my chins, and my self esteem would appreciate that.

I leave you with this - bath last night..pretty sure I'm outgrowing the hammock - and look, I can still touch my chin to my chest - praise the Lord.

I'll be back soon to fill you in on my week with Grandma. In short - it's been great and turns out I love napping in my crib. I hate it when mom and dad are right. - luv, G