A Growing Boy!

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last post - not becuase there's nothing to report, we just have been too busy for me to get the time to write it!

Grady had his 1 month doctor appointment last week, and he's up to 9lb 6oz and the pediatrician says to keep up the good work! Next appointment at 2 months.

I got a call last Saturday from my Aunt Elizabeth - she and her husband Jeff had spent a week in Myrtle Beach and wanted to stop through Asheville on their way back to Wheeling!

Sunday was the first Steelers game of the season (we won!), and they came by after it. Elizabeth had a great time holding Grady, and they brought us lots of great clothes for him! Catherine and I took Elizabeth and Jeff on a "Tour of Asheville" that evening while Justin stayed home with Grady. We ate at Mellow Mushroom - it was so good, and a great evening!

I've taken Grady to the park and walking a few times - he seems to really like it! Catherine has come along so she and I can get some exercise. Grady mainly sleeps in the stroller - the pathway is paved, and I discovered that if he gets fussy, I will take the stroller "off-roading" through the grass and it calms him right down! He likes the bumpy ride.

Grady had his first tub-bath this week! I have been sponge bathing him in a travel bath foam thing we have. It works pretty well, but he looked big enough for the tub now so I decided to give it a try. He really liked it! And by "he really liked it", I mean he did not cry, which to  me means he liked it! He got very wide-eyed and excited. So cute!

This Friday was Grandpa Loftis' birthday! I decided to get him a picture frame with some photos of Grady (Specifically this one with him in the I Love Grandpa outfit). Unfortunately, I didn't have the picture frame or the ability to print the photos because our printer is out of ink... SO I did some online research and discovered you can order photos online through CVS and pick them up in an hour! It worked great and hopefully the frame will look nice on grandpa's desk.

One Great Weekend

We had 14 people at our house on Saturday! It's Labor Day weekend, and both families decided it would be a great time for a visit. John, Bonnie, Anna and Jack had been planning to go camping in Cherokee so we knew they'd be coming, then Grandma and Pop Pop Hunter, Laura and even Aunt Pat were able to come also, and since Catherine had just moved here (and because of the 3 day weekend) my parents were able to come too! We were nervous beforehand it might be too hectic, but it went really well and we all had a wonderful time.

Aunt Pat definitely gets the award for travelling the farthest - we got an e-mail from Pop Pop on Wednesday that he had talked her into flying in for the weekend, and also Nana Goodfellow! Justin called me with the great news, then read the e-mail again and realized there was more at the bottom... specifically the line saying "NOT!!"... Turns out, Aunt Pat WAS coming, but Nana couldn't be talked into it (she isn't too keen on flying). Justin felt like Anna - not a funny joke Pop Pop!

Most of the family arrived at different times on Friday, so we were able to have quiet visits that evening. Aunt Laura and Great Aunt Pat got to meet Grady for some one-on-one time before the crowd came on Saturday.

We made 2 crock pots full of Chicken Taco Soup, so we wouldn't need to cook with everyone here. It made it much easier! We had such a great afternoon - watched the first WVU football game of the season, John, Pat and Catherine went on a Geocaching adventure, and just had a great visit.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was Jack finding a pacifier - we told him it was Grady's. He picked it up and walked over to where Grandpa Loftis was holding a sleeping Grady and proceeded to try to stick the paci in his mouth! Then later in the afternoon Justin saw him pick up another paci, look it over, apparently decide it was NOT his, and put it on Grady's lap when he was in his swing! What a great cousin - he knows it's no fun to be without your paci!

Sunday was the LAAFF (Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival) downtown, so we all trekked out to enjoy the party. It's an art and music festival - all local, and very... eclectic! It was perfect to show everyone (especially Pat who had never been here) the true Asheville scene. We took Grady, and Justin carried him in a backpack carrier for a while and then we traded and I put him in the Moby wrap. It worked great for about 2 hours, then started to get a bit hot.

Catherine, Grandma and Grandpa Loftis went with us downtown and then we met up with the Hunter family there. Aunt Pat had a great time - Justin was trying to organize everyone, and each time he turned around she had run off with someone to do something different! We all got some kettle corn and headed home for naps around 5pm.

Later that evening we met at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company for an informal dinner in the game room. It was a nice calm end to a hectic day and fun weekend!

On My Own

Napping

Justin went back to work this week, so it was just me and Grady during the day! I was a little nervous, mainly about where to PUT the baby when I needed to eat, shower, etc. It ended up just fine - we have the Pack n Play set up in the living room along with the swing, and I put the bouncey seat in the bedroom.

On Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment and it was the first time Grady and I went out and about on our own. He did great! We had to wait at the doctor's office for almost an hour for a 2 minute visit for her to check my incision (which is healing fine), but he was very calm and relaxed in the car seat. We stopped by Babies R Us for a couple of items. He got a little upset, but I made it out of there quickly without too much trouble.

We met Justin for lunch at 2 Guys Hoagies on Thursday - it was nice to get out of the house a bit and enjoy a nice lunch together!