Water Baby

Have to show G's mad swimming skills to the grandparents ;)

We have been taking swim lessons (loosely termed) for the past 3 weeks. Grayson loves being in the water, and I love the rhythm it gives our days, even though it does include getting suited up (literally), sunscreened, and wet everyday. Really, we just bounce around the pool singing songs and I dunk him under a couple of times. I mean, we won't be tossing him into the lake anytime soon, but I really do think he's picking up on somethings. You can see in the video he actually "scoops" and "kicks" (the official terminology for kiddie swimming). He's definitely the youngest in the class - which goes from 6 mos - 3/4 years - quite the range of kiddos. Zac had off one day last week and came to the lessons with us...I think Grayson loved showing off his skills.

This was at a nearby beach this weekend. Showing off his (semi-new) full fledged crawl and love for anything water related!

 And to round out our week in the water, our river trek to Tadake Falls! We took a nice hike through a small river to this awesome water fall and played a bit in the freshwater spring. The water was cool and clear to the bottom! It was an adventure, but the end of the day was the most eventful of all, losing several items (that quietly fell off as we trekked back) and a car that wouldn't start...in the middle of the jungle. Thankfully, we were with some friends and packed into their car (all 5 of us, carseat, and their dog) to find a car battery. All's well that ends well, and we made it back in one piece!

Happy Half Birthday!

Happy Half Birthday to my precious baby boy!

I cannot believe that 6 months have already passed. There have been so many changes already - so much faster than I could have imagined! He is practically a toddler (to me), moving quickly, interacting, and showing his preferences and opinions!

2 weeks old

I was looking through pictures last night from the last 6 months. It seems like yesterday and yet I can't imagine what life was like without our little munchkin. While tiring and trying at times, being at home with Grayson has been the best "job" I could imagine. I love getting to cuddle and play all day long and see each and every moment of growth. I couldn't trade it for anything!

Almost 6 months

Here's what's up:

Weight: (we'll see next week) - My guess is about 20 lbs, since he was 18 lb 14 oz at 5 months. Since he's become mobile, he's really "thinned" out though!

Height: (we'll see next week) - My guess is about 28-29 in., since he was 27 in at 5 months. Everyone comments on how big/long he is...I guess he takes after his mom and dad!

Clothes: He is in between 3-6 months and 6-9 month clothes. The 6-12 month size is still a bit big, but I'm sure it won't be long. (Sizes also vary so much between brands...)

Sleep: He goes to bed about 7:30 at night. He'll wake up about twice in the night to eat, but go right back to sleep in his crib. Within the past week, he's started taking great long naps! Usually 2 or so hours in the morning and then 2-3 more naps throughout the day from 20 min-1hr. It's been SO nice to get a nice long break to DO things!

Food: The boy loves to nurse! We've been able to only use my milk, which is great, and we made it through the first 6 months! I don't see either of us wanting/needing to stop anytime soon, so we'll keep going as long as we're both happy.

Trying his first taste of avocado

Since about 5 months, we've been trying out some new "solid" foods. So far he's had brown rice cereal, avocado, banana, and mango. We also throw some finger foods at him to keep him entertained, which he loves to play with, but not sure how much is actually eaten/swallowed. He's had veggie MumMums, toast, cheese quesadilla (LOVED sucking on that!), and even a small floret of broccoli (didn't eat any of it, but must like the taste!).

He almost always makes a face when he puts something in his mouth...pureed or whole foods...but then usually goes back for more. I guess it's just getting used to a new texture in his mouth and stronger tastes than he's used to.

Activities and Milestones: Grayson loves to move! If he's on the floor, he's probably scooting around to grab a toy (or dog toy), curtains, or tags. If he's being held, he's probably climbing up the back of the couch or trying to grab hair (even a ponytail or bun does NOT keep my hair safe). He enjoys his exersaucer, but doesn't like staying in as long now that he's mobile. He'll also sit in the bumbo or vibrating seat for a couple of minutes for me to do a quick task, but it's not long before he's trying to escape. He can sit up on his  own and roll from his tummy to back, but hasn't mastered any other "transitions."

A picnic at a nearby park just after 5 months

He loves being talked and sung to. He'll return almost any interaction with a huge smile or giggle. He also loves his Sing Over Me CD before each nap and bedtime or in the car. As soon as it's on, he's quiet and calm.

We've started sign language (well, I have), so we'll see how long it takes for him to respond. So far, we've done "mik", "more", "banana", and "all done." We also started attending an infant massage class each week this month. Grayson was as relaxed as could be and enjoyed every minute (as he should!).

I can't believe how fast he is learning, moving, and changing.

What I love:
- Making you laugh until you get the hiccups (you get that from me)
- Watching you move all over
- Sweet cuddles in the middle of the night - even though I'd die for a full nights sleep, the precious sleepy cuddles, I know, are fleeting moments
- Seeing you light up when daddy gets home from work
- Watching your reactions and expressions when you watch something new
- Seeing others delight in you as much as I do
- Your giggles when you watch/play with Shisa
- Your open mouth kisses
- Your gummy smile
- Your long, curly eyelashes
- Being your mama!

The next 6 months are going to be full of activity, travel, and changes for all of us, but I can't wait to see what's in store! What a blessing each day is for our little family!

Baby's Best Friend

Grayson is a big grabber these days, latching onto anything that crosses his path, especially hair - making life quite treacherous for me and our furry little dog. He loves watching her run around, and he especially gets a kick out of her playful growls.  It was really fun to catch this moment of Grayson really playing with the dog, although it might have been an accident that he caught the bone instead of Shisa's fur. 

He's also becoming mobile! I guess he's trying to imitate his Marine daddy as he does the low crawl everywhere!

Oh, and post video, I guess Grayson won the war...a few minutes later I saw Shisa licking G's toes and Grayson licking...well...the dog toy. Hope those immunities are all built up! I'm sure it's not the worst that get into that little boy mouth. Already understanding "snips and snails and puppy dog tails..."!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Ok, we really aren't "those" parents who think the whole world is just as obsessed with our baby as we are. But since very few of our friends and family get to see Grayson in live action, we thought we'd share a little snippet of his new(ish) and BEST trick....laughing! He is quite a happy baby and will laugh for us pretty often. It tickles us that he is so entertained by small small things...so excuse the fact that we are making fake sneeze noises for an inordinate amount of time. It happens when you have kids...

PS - I love his fakey laugh at the beginning with Zac...It's like a "Ok, I'll humor you dad..." I'm sure it won't be the last time to throw us a bone!

I don't think a mom can find anything more joyful than the sound of their baby's laugh.

Baby Grayson

To jump back in (and once again, hopefully more regularly), I can't wait to share and record about our new lives with a little one. I am motivated to write it all down here, if nothing more than something to look back on for our own memories. We are admittedly obsessed with our little one, so you've been forewarned of any gushing about our Gray-babe.

I can't believe that Grayson is nearing 3 months old! Part of me feels like we've had him forever, and we've done so much in the short 2.5 months, but the time is just flying. I am not exaggerating when I say I love every second of being home with him. I am most content at home with him on my lap, playing and singing (though the chores and cleaning and cooking I could do without). He is such a content and happy baby, and we couldn't be more blessed (or lucky). He cries only when he "needs" to, and is usually easily calmed (phew!).

He is growing (and therefore eating) like crazy. Zac regularly comes home, especially after being away for a day or so and comments on how much he's grown and changed! I love waking up to his sweet smiles, his coos brighten my day, and his sweet yawns and little snores make a wonderful end to the day. We love our Baby Grayson!

Here are a few pics from his first month or so of life!

About 1 day old. None of his hats (or clothes, for that matter) fit! 

Snuggling and napping with mama

Sweet dreams in (one of many) Christmas card photo shoots

Our very own Frogger

First visit to the beach. Certainly not the last!

...Back.

I'm pretty sure it's been a solid 6-7 months since I've posted a juicy post to update the world on our lives. I don't even know if blogged about Zac coming home (in February), details about our time in Thailand (hopefully you caught the pics on Facebook), or, most importantly, our upcoming addition!

So now that the summer is pretty much over (it's September already!?), I guess it's time to get back to updating. Our lives are no less interesting (well, sometimes) while living over here, and now there's an added layer of interest as we anxiously await for Baby Boy Cook! It's been quite an experience planning, purchasing, and plain ole being pregnant in a foreign country, especially the first time around. So far the pregnancy has gone smoothly and as of 30 weeks, he seems to be growing great and fortunately leaving me with minimal discomfort. We are beyond thankful that everything seems to be going normally and healthily, and it makes us all the more anxious and excited to meet him! He's an active little guy (as I type, my stomach is visibly bumping and rolling as he moves inside). I'm not big on posting pics of my bump, but since very few of you get to actually see me, I'll indulge in a (recent) bump picture.

This is at 26 weeks - 4 weeks ago...but I haven't changed TOO much

Okinawa  has been hit by 2 big typhoons (the Pacific version of a hurricane) already. The first hit Memorial Day weekend (which was a bummer since it cancelled plans we had to head out to a neighboring island to a cabin with friends). The second sat on top of us for a whopping 40 hours, dropping over 40 inches of rain. We have to laugh a little at the hype surrounding Hurricane Irene (though I realize it left a large amount of damage and flooding, which is no laughing matter), when our "little" typhoon left us inside for days. Fortunately we are on the 3rd floor, so no flooding...per se. However after 40 hours of typhoon strength winds, our concrete fortress started showing weakness and with a change in wind direction, water started seeping in through windows and doorways. We spent most of the night taping windows and changing/washing/drying towels stuffed around doors and windows. We had much less damage than many neighbors above us who had completely flooded living rooms and much more damage. While we suffered a bout of cabin fever, we never lost power or internet - we are thankful for that!

I celebrated my 25th birthday on the beach with some friends. It was a WONderful day of sun, beach, and water sliding. My special birthday treat was a new Ipad, which I LOVE, and I think it will come in handy for the hours of holding/feeding the baby soon. If you have FaceTime, I haven't figured it out yet, so add/call me! 

I recently stopped working full time and am now working every other day until...? It has been really nice to have some time to breathe, clean, and rest, especially as everything might get a little bit harder as we near baby time. While it's nice to have time to do extra things (like blog and go to the beach), it's also nice to keep busy and on a schedule. I know once the baby boy comes along, we will be walking in a 24 hour fog, so I'd like to keep as much normalcy as possible for as long as possible. 

ANYWAY, that's enough for now. I will be more active around here in the time to come!

So Sweet

Short story, it just required more than a Facebook status.

Zac was being a wonderful husband Sunday afternoon: he took me to the beach, did dishes, and offered to take care of dinner while I enjoyed some lemonade and Better Homes and Gardens on the balcony. I was looking forward to chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes.

I came in kitchen to the to the smell of the steaks frying, though they looked a little darker and less...crusty...than the normal chicken fried steak. Zac mentioned that the breading just wasn't sticking. I just brushed it off as maybe a different "recipe" than I usually use.

When it came time to make the gravy, Zac wasn't so sure because he had had some trouble earlier this week when he was making biscuits and gravy. I told him to go ahead and try, as gravy is only learned through practice (and a necessary skill for our family!).

As Zac finished up, I started tidying up, putting away ingredients, etc. I noticed the container that Zac was using to "flour up" the gravy....[I keep the baking supplies in those vacuum sealed plastic containers, not the original packaging]...was short instead of the tall container I usually put the flour in. I tasted the white powder, and...it was powdered sugar. Whoops.

So the chicken fried steak and gravy ended up as sugared steak and caramelized gravy . The breading wasn't "sticking" because the sugar was dissolving into the meat. His trouble with gravy making was more of a chemical problem than skill - hey, if he can make gravy with sugar, I think he's mastered the regular kind. Not exactly what was on the menu...but...bless him...Zac gets an A for effort.

Oh, and the result...the meat wasn't inedible, just much more sweet than normal, and the gravy was strangely addicting (it would've been a great dip for bacon...because bacon dipped in gravy is just what everyone wants)...but I've had strange food attractions these days...