6-Month Pictures - Pro!

This post is just a photobomb of Grayson's 6-Month pictures from the pro studio! He wouldn't quite give out his big smiles for the photographer, which is actually sort of flattering to his parents for whom he grins readily, but they turned out beautifully nonetheless.

This one I entered in the Gerber photo contest...

This one is entered in the Picture People contest at the photographer's urging...

Not to brag, but...Grayson is so cute! :)

6 Months!

Our sweet Grayson Ray is six whole months old! It's really hard to believe that he's been with us for half a year. The time is really flying by, and he has grown so incredibly much!

Six-Month Stats:

27.75 inches tall (90th percentile!)

17.5 pounds (50th percentile!)

This means that our tiny little three-week-early boy who started out in the 25th percentile all around has now started to surpass his full-term peers. Lean and mean, says Dr. Gold, and right on target for a healthy mama-fed baby. Grow, Grayson, grow! Looking at pictures of his day-of-birth and seeing how tiny he was really puts it in perspective how big he's gotten so fast. Sigh...

He continues to gobble down each new food with great excitement, diving for the spoon, grabbing for my hand as the bites come in, and punctuating each bite with, "Mmmm." It's very entertaining and cute.

A couple of other milestones reached over the last week or so are sitting (almost unassisted but still unsteady if he reaches for a toy) and saying mama, mom and many other m related syllables along with his squeals and vowel sounds. He's quite loquacious! 

Without further ado...

I also put this photo together the other day for a good side-by-side comparison on Grayson and his parents as babies! It's easier to see where his features come from, and I think Daddy still dominates the look-alike contest, but it's also pretty apparent Gray has a look all his own - a cute look! :)

Squash!

Grayson got his first taste of solids (puree, rather) this week, and he loved it! It took him a few bites to figure out what was going on, but he got the hang of it quickly and is now quite a good eater. We started with squash, gave it the requisite three-day trial to test for allergies, and added bananas this morning - which he gobbled down with marked interest. (Oh, the irony of my baby loving bananas - my most detested food!) So far so good. Next up: carrots! How exciting...

A few pics and videos:

And the very next day, he sat up unsupported! I'd like to credit the healthy squash for this feat. He's been working up to it for a couple of weeks. It only lasted a few seconds, but it happened all the same!

Grayson gives a chuckle...

And here's another video of giggles!

Grayson's sounds and slobbers!

Brant shot a could of videos of Grayson over the weekend, and they're just too cute not to share! He's so interactive and fun...Here he is 'talking' up a storm:

Five Months Old!

It's hard to believe that almost half a year has passed since Grayson was born. Oh, how different life is - and how much richer with more love and more laughs! He's such a sweet boy, even if he does refuse to nap sometimes (like today). :) His unofficial five-month stats are 27 inches long and 17.4 lbs - remaining a growing fool! ( These numbers are unofficial because we don't see the doctor between four and six months.)

Grayson took his first dip (feet only) in the pool a couple of weeks ago as well, and he has started to really use his hands to grab onto things. His feet have also become incredibly interesting, and he's becoming quite vocal! We practice our sitting-up skills daily, but he's not a big fan because standing and stomping his feet is so much more fun. His current favorite book is Doggies - a book that counts dogs with different barks (very cute smiles and giggles garnered), and his current favorite song is If Your Happy and You Know It (especially when his hands and feet are clapped and stomped for him). He also loves to be outside, so we sit in the back yard and watch the dogs run around quite a bit and go for strolls. All around, Grayson is just a happy boy! We love him so much...

I couldn't decide which of his five-month pictures I liked best, so I just posted all the ones I loved. Enjoy!

Toes in the pool...

Five months old...

Outtake! :)

Father's Day & Playing

Brant got to celebrate his first Father's Day this past Sunday! At his request, we laid low and stuck close to home. We took Grayson and the dogs on a nice walk to the park, played a little fetch, and made a nice dinner. Grayson took his first ride in the 'big boy' seat of the stroller, which he seemed to really enjoy! He had a much better view than he was used to in the car seat attachment.

Grayson and I have been enjoying the days together for the past couple of weeks since school let out, and it's been so much fun to just play with my sweet, happy son all day! Little Man's favorite time of day seems to be bath time - especially since I've started to take him out of the bath seat to let him "swim" in the tub. He splashes around and kicks off the sides in a way that makes me think he'll be a real water baby one day! He's also greatly enjoying the jumperoo, as aforementioned, and he's already gotten tall enough not to need the phone book booster when he's jumping anymore. It's all going by so quickly, and I'm so glad to be enjoying more of the little moments!

Photobomb...

Excited about his new view:

Taking in the local park:

Puppy playtime:

A rare happy tummy time moment - for a kid who hates tummy time:

"Swimming":

Tuckered after a long day of playing (scooted himself into the corner):