A little musician...

Uncle Jon helps Prince Graham compose a masterpiece!

Graham makes a new friend!

It has continued to be a busy few days in the Olson house. Graham continues to love the fact that Uncle Jon is still here with us, and he enjoys having someone who actually encourages him to play (aka banging very loudly on) the piano. We are also enjoying his company and are loving the fact that since he enjoys playing the piano so much, we are the lucky recipients of a live concert nearly every day. I was also lucky enough to be able to visit with Tracy, one of my very best friends, who is in town from Kansas City. She was an amazing support to me during the entire adoption process, and I was so excited to finally be able to introduce her to Graham.

Here are Tracy and Graham cruising around the Galleria after breakfast this morning.

Keeping up with the tradition of Graham recently becoming more interested in "big boy" foods rather than baby food, here are some pictures of him discovering a new snack.

Graham is giving some serious thought to the food in his mouth and trying to decide if he likes it....

Going in for seconds! Much to Jeff's delight, thankfully, the Cheerios are a hit!

A Day of Many "Firsts"

This morning we went out for breakfast where Graham had his very first pancake. He really seemed to enjoy this new food and he probably thought things couldn't get much better....that is until he was introduced to pancakes with syrup! I think every inch of his body was smiling when he got his first taste of warm maple syrup. Unfortunately, the memory of that flavor is going to have to be it for a while, as I think it's just to sugary for such a little guy to have.

This is Graham sampling his first pancake.

After breakfast we headed to Trader Joe's to pick up a few things. Uncle Jon and Graham were just a little tired here. Can't you just feel the enthusiasm radiating from their bodies?!? I did pick up some delicious veggie burgers that Graham devoured at lunch today...again another first for him!

Graham and I ended our day by visiting with some of my high school friends and their mom's. Actually, we go back much farther than high school-we were all in elementary school together! We're now adding a generation to our group as there are now two babies and one more on the way!!! This is Graham and Lucy meeting for the first time.

Graham and Lucy digging through the toy box together. I was watching Lucy eat her dinner and noticed how much she was enjoying her pizza and I wondered if Graham might like some as well. Sure enough, he loved it-another food "first" for him! I'm learning that other than broccoli and baby food, Graham loves to try new foods!

Just one of the guys!

It's hard to believe that our first Christmas with Graham has already come and gone.! It was so much fun to experience Christmas with my own child, and I'm sure that as he grows older and begins to understand the concept of that magical guy named Santa, that it will even become more exciting. The past few days have been a whirlwind of enjoyable activities and we're now back at home trying our best to get Graham back into his daily routine. Jeff is lucky enough to be home until after the New Year, so we're hoping to spend the next few days relaxing and enjoying the company of Jon, as he's visiting us from Colorado.

This is a funny picture from last night at my parents' house. Peter and I were determined that Graham would ride Millie like a horse. We were pleased to see that Millie actually tolerated very well, her little jockey.

What do you do when you're hungry for dinner, but need to go grocery shopping and are tired from two days of celebrating Christmas? You go out for burgers of course! Jeff and Jon were thrilled with their burgers and large screen tv's at the restaurant that broadcast the highlights from today's games and Graham was thrilled because there were fans to look at on the ceiling! Graham was doing ok with his bite sized food I brought from home until he realized that the rest of us were eating burgers. It became obvious that he wasn't going to be happy until he got at least a taste. So tonight, Graham became a big boy and tried a cheeseburger! This is him going in for his first bite!

Each bite he took got progressively larger as he discovered that he really liked it! Graham eats his burgers just like the big boys!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Our festive activities began yesterday afternoon when we joined the Olson family for a wonderful Christmas Eve feast. Of course there were many, many gifts for the newest little Olson to rip open, all of which he took much delight in! He's even the proud owner of a set of new wheels-a giant ride on tonka truck! I've got a feeling Graham is, or will be, a crazy driver though, so watch out world! As silly as this may sound, I do believe the highlight of the evening for Graham, was that he was allowed a juice box complete with straw. I had no idea an eleven month old baby would even know what to do with a straw, but Graham had no problems guzzling down his sweet fruit punch. Unfortunately though, it's going to be a while before he's allowed such a treat again. According to our doctor, a baby should have a maximum of four ounces of diluted juice each day....next time he reaches for a juice box I'm just going to say "no" and blame it on our pediatrician! We pushed Graham's sleep and nap schedule a bit yesterday, but overall, he seemed to tolerate it pretty well. There were signs of a potential meltdown around 7:30, but with some distractions, we were able to keep it at bay long enough for us to finish off our dessert. We had one tired boy though, because Graham was fast asleep before we even left the Olson's neighborhood. I've got a feeling, this will be the only Christmas that Graham gets a good night sleep. Next year, he's sure to understand that Santa is on his way, and I'm guessing he'll be too excited to close his eyes!


Opening his first Christmas present ever!!!

Graham and his juice box!

Our first Christmas together as a family!!!!

Asserting his independence...

The past few days in our house have been very busy! Yesterday, Jeff's brother Jon arrived from Colorado to stay with us for a week. Jon wanted his visit to be a surprise for his brother and parents, so Graham and I have been keeping his secret since early October when we started to make arrangements! It was tough to pull it off, but we were successful in shocking both Jeff and his parents. The looks on their faces when they realized that Jon was actually going to be home for Christmas were priceless-surprises are so much fun! We're all happy to have Jon visiting, even Annie who truly believes that Jon has come for no other reason than to play with her! Luckily, Jon doesn't seem to mind showering Annie with the undivided attention she thinks she deserves.

In the past week Graham has decided to become very independent in the food department. He was slowly becoming picky with his baby food choices, but it's now to the point where he clamps his mouth shut if he even see his baby spoon within ten feet of his mouth! He's taken a firm stand, and decided that he's going to live off of mandarin oranges. For how long he'll continue his citrus obsession, nobody knows. He will eat small amounts of other finger foods, but only if he's got mandarin oranges to accompany them. I did learn this evening though that Graham LOVES whipped cream. I was making fresh whipped cream for a Christmas Eve dessert and offered him one of the beaters to lick. He looked at me like I was nuts until I took a lick myself to show him how it's done. He immediately caught on, and was extremely frustrated when he licked it completely clean and there was no more to be had. I wish I would have had my camera handy, because I think there was just as much cream smeared on his face as there was cream that actually made it into his little mouth.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve....it doesn't feel like it should be the end of December yet! It's even harder to believe though that this Christmas, we're able to celebrate with our son. Although Graham is too young to understand and get excited about the festivities, Jeff and I are so thankful and excited to be celebrating the best gift ever! I feel like I say this constantly, but I still don't know how we got so lucky with our special little guy! He's simply amazing!
Graham is taking care of some last minute holiday emails!

Road Trip!

Today, Graham went on a little adventure....he visited Duluth for the first time and again proved himself to be quite the good little traveler. We headed to Duluth with my mom and met up with some friends where Graham was lucky enough to join the ladies for lunch. He was a happy little guy at the restaurant, waving to people and trying to make friends with the other customers. Our afternoon fun must have tired him out because he was sleeping not more than five minutes after we began our trek back to Minneapolis and continued to sleep for the next two hours!
Eating his rice cake on the road! Nothing like a little mid-morning snack in the car to help pass the time!

After we got back to Minneapolis, we went out for dinner with my family to celebrate Peter's big accomplishment! He very recently became a captain of the airline he works for so a celebration was definitely in order. Uncle Peter and Graham had a good time playing around while we waited for our dessert to come!

Three Months Home!

It's very hard to believe, that today marks three months since Graham has been home with us! Although it's only been three months, it's hard to remember our lives without him. I can say with complete certainty, that he's brought more joy and happiness into our lives than we could have ever imagined. We are so proud of him for all he's accomplished up until now in his short little life. His resilience and adaptability are very admirable, and I hope he's able to hold onto those traits as he grows up.

I would also say that the past three months have been some of the busiest in our lives. Let's see what we've done....
-720 diaper changes (on average 8 diapers a day!)
-540 bottle feedings (on average 6 bottles a day!)
-90 parties in the bathtub
-270 meals in the highchair
And best of all, we've received countless smiles and giggles from our sweet little guy! We are so lucky!

So Graham, someday when you're old enough to read this, we want to say "thank you" for allowing us the privilege of being your Mommy and Daddy. You are truly the best gift we've ever received!



Three months ago today, here are Graham and I just after we arrived at the Minneapolis Airport.

Three months ago today, here is Jeff feeding Graham his very first meal at home!

Today, this is Graham laughing in his highchair as he's watching me make banana bread! Who would have thought an electric mixer could be so funny!

Another one of Graham just hanging out while I was baking. He's one happy guy with his trusty hanger, spatula, empty egg carton, and snacks on his tray! Can you believe how big he's getting?

TV Debut!

Last Saturday, Graham made his official tv debut! Grandma Greer is one of the producers for a Saturday morning television show, so when she needed children for a segment on safe toys, she knew just where to look! If you'd like to see Graham in action, go to the following site:

http://www.blueprintforgreen.com/

Then, click on "Go Green" at the top, middle of the page and Graham's short segment will automatically begin to play. Enjoy!

Graham's Choice of Entertainment

We've had the pleasure (I think you could call it that) of taking care of my parents dog, Millie, for the past week, while they've been relaxing in the Hawaiian sun. Graham really likes dogs, and is very entertained when Millie visits. Annie is much more playful when Millie is around which in turn provides a doggy show for Graham to observe. If the dogs are outside, Graham will stop whatever he's doing, and if possible, get to the window to watch them. He sat in his walker for almost 10 minutes (that's a long time for a baby!) just watching the dogs eat snow. If only we were all entertained by such a simple sight!

Over the past week, Graham has become a bit more adventurous when it comes to his activities. He LOVES to pull things out of cupboards, get into drawers when possible, and today, he discovered that he could clear off entire shelves on his changing table. This game went on for quite a while. As soon as the shelf was empty, I cleaned up, and Graham proceed to pull everything down again. What a fun way to spend an hour!

Our shrinking family room....

Our family room is shrinking....if you can even call it a family room anymore. It's more like an entire toy aisle at Target or a corner of Toys R Us. Graham is lucky enough to have so many toys that cleaning up at the end of each day, means throwing the smaller items into a huge basket (most of it fits) and pushing the many large toys off to the side. So, with each new toy we happily bring into our house, we lose a significant amount of our livable space. We're thrilled that Graham has so many options to amuse himself with each day, it's just funny to me, that after all the time Jeff and I spent decorating the house, in the end, it's decorated like a toy store. My, how our lives have changed!

One of the newest additions to our toy collection are these large foamy blocks of various shapes for Graham to climb on. Here is Graham sitting on his "perch" looking down on Annie who gets scolded each time she climbs on this toy. Annie still believes this is her personal indoor agility course, but we're working on that!

Graham likes to use the giant wedge block as a mini slide. He was holding a hanger in his hands and I told him that he couldn't go down the slide with the hanger. I didn't really expect him to understand me, I was just talking to him, but he actually handed me the hanger before he went down! Maybe he does understand more than I give him credit for!

Up, Up, Up!

Lately, Graham's favorite word is "up". Normally when he says it, and reaches his arms out to us, it's pretty cute. It's not so cute though, when we're in the car and the ONLY thing we can hear is Graham demanding to get "up"and out of his car seat. Tonight, Graham gave new meaning to his phrase of choice. He's been attempting the stairs for quite some time now and has been successful on occasion climbing one or two of them. That changed though, when after weeks of trying, he finally made it to the top this evening. I think keeping up with my busy little guy just got a lot harder!

Graham's Got Mail!

Graham was lucky enough to be the recipient of some mail this morning. Much to his delight, he also seems to have found his very own personal sticker supplier in Grandma and Grandpa Olson. Graham was thrilled to be handed the card, but when he opened it up and discovered the stickers, it just made his morning. As much as we all love Sesame Street, we've got to watch him carefully though, so our house doesn't become decorated with his new Elmo and Big Bird stickers!

"Reading" his card. He's got such a look of concentration on his face! And no, none of the pictures of Graham "reading" books and cards are posed. He really does sit intently and study whatever is in front of him!

Looking at his stickers.

Waving everything around in delight! The stickers went flying to the other side of the room at this point!

Back to PAC!

Way back in October of 2006 when we were in the earliest stages of the adoption process, one of the first requirements made of us, was to attend a two day workshop creatively titled "Pre-Adoption Class" or more commonly referred to as "PAC" (our thoughts regarding these classes are detailed on the October 20, 2006 entry). On the last day, the final activity planned for the prospective parents was to attend a dialogue regarding the adoption process put on by adoptive parents. I remember so clearly each family that spoke to us and will probably never forget what those adorable babies looked like. It was such a good and much needed reminder that there really was a baby waiting for us at the end of this roller-coaster like process. Well, fast forward a year and half to today, and we (yes, even Graham!) were on the parent panel! It felt so good to have come full-circle in the process and be excited to talk about how not only did we survive the seemingly endless wait, but how when it comes time for Graham to have a sibling, that we'll be excited to jump back on the roller-coaster again. I really felt for for the couples who sat intently listening to each word we said. They all had such longing looks as they stared at the babies. I know that it's very hard so early in the process to really believe that your own families would soon be growing. Hopefully, even one thing I said, will help someone during their own process.

After our meeting, we joined Grandma and Grandpa Olson for dinner. Graham got a little tired (aka fussy) towards the end of the meal, but other than that did a great job. He's able to amuse himself for quite a while now that he's able to eat soft finger foods. This is great, because it allows Jeff and I to eat an entire meal in one sitting! Graham apparently became bored with his peas though and decided the french fries on Grandma Olson's plate looked much more appealing and tried repeatedly to grab them. Now, for those of you that know Grandma Olson, you know that she's the healthiest eater on the planet and you're probably wondering if you read correctly when I said she was eating french fries. Well, yes, you read correctly, she was eating french fries, and they were fantastic! I think those of us at dinner tonight can highly recommend the St. Claire Broiler for fries and hot fudge shakes!

Graham is modeling yet another new hat. In Minnesota wearing a hat isn't an option for him, so I figure he might as well have a variety! We think this one is pretty cute, as it makes his adorably big cheeks seem even bigger!

It's a school day!

It's Thursday, which means that it's a school day for Graham! Although I am very glad to have left teaching, I still get excited to be in a school environment...I'm just happy that I'm not the one in charge! Graham's favorite activity the past few weeks at school has been the ball pit. He would spend the entire class session making faces at himself in the mirror and throwing balls around if I let him. Lauren, his little friend who is also pictured, shares his ball obsession so the two of them seem to get along pretty well! During snack time today, Graham decided once again to help himself to what the other children were eating. I guess he thought that his string cheese wasn't as exciting as cut up hot dog, peaches, peas, and mandarin oranges. If nothing else, I'm getting some ideas of new foods that he's willing to try!

Future Financial Analyst?

Graham has disovered the joy of pulling things off of bookshelves. Of all the fun things to grab though, I can't understand why he went for three of the biggest, most boring finance books from Jeff's days in grad school. Finance is definitely not my thing, and in all honesty, I'm not sure what Graham finds so appealing about these books either. There isn't a single picture in any of the books....just hundreds of pages filled with tiny black and white letters that mean nothing to either of us!

Lunch with Graham

On today's menu, was spaghetti by the Gerber gourmet. But, you'd never be able to tell what he ate based on his face, right???

A visit with Santa

Jeff took the day off from work today which was a wonderful treat. The three of us went out for lunch then headed downtown to Macy's for the Nutcracker display and a visit with Santa. I was hoping that in the middle of the day on a Monday, that Santa wouldn't have too many visitors and we'd be lucky enough to sneak in without a line. No such luck! Apparently the downtown Santa is a very popular guy and always has a line of anxious children and tired looking parents! After patiently waiting our turn and finally allowing Graham his first Santa experience, I believe this is a winter ritual similar to playing in the snow for Graham....he really didn't "get it" (not that we really expected him to) and Jeff and I were much more excited than he was.
Hiding behind the ornament is our good friend Sara. She works downtown and joined us in line for a while so she could get her Graham fix. This is her attempt to amuse Graham while we waited in line.

This is my attempt to amuse Graham while we waited in line.

45 minutes into the wait, here is Jeff's attempt to amuse Graham in line.

Finally, it was Graham's turn to meet Santa. We weren't really sure how Graham would react and we were just hoping he wouldn't burst into tears as he was left on a strangers lap. Let's just say that he intently studied Santa's face for his entire visit. We have no pictures of Graham's face because he never turned his head to look at us. I guess he thinks that Santa is a pretty interesting guy!

Graham and the Holiday Tea

Each year, my mom hosts a holiday tea for the ladies....no boys allowed! My dad, without fail, finds an activity to amuse himself away from the house for the afternoon, returning only in time to help clean up the last traces of the party. Even Jeff, who has been invited on occasion to stop by for a quick hello, prefers to decline the invitation. Today things changed though, when a boy was invited to the party. Yes, today Graham broke tradition and attended his first Holiday Tea! This gathering provided a good opportunity for many of his blog fans to meet him in person for the first time and Graham seemed delighted to have both adoring Grandma's under one roof. Graham again did very well but remains most content when I remain within his sight. I guess at some point I should stop being surprised that he does well at such events, and just accept that we have a great little boy! He did express some unhappiness when I wouldn't hand over the various goodies the adults were eating and instead handed him a biter biscuit. Graham has a "healthy" appetite and apparently he feels that Gerber just isn't doing the job anymore. Luckily, he's starting to eat finger foods, but I just don't think fudge and sugar cookies are on the baby food list....we'll save that for next year!

Last year at this time I was pretty miserable wondering if our baby would ever make himself known to us and this year, I honestly couldn't ask for more. My adorable, sweet, cute, cuddly, little boy and I. (Can you tell that Graham is loved just a tiny bit??? :) )

Friday in the life of Graham

I am happy to report that Graham has nothing against the Nordstrom Cafe (thank goodness, because I love it there!). We met up with Tiffiny and Livia again today and Graham did great. He happily sat in his highchair for nearly two hours while we chatted. Like usual, he was content waving at other customers and would occasionally shout something out to Liv who would occasionally answer back. It's going to be pretty cute when the babies can actually babble back and forth to each other!

Our trek from the parking lot at the Mall of America to the restaurant included a ride in an elevator. Normally this would be nothing to note, but because of our company in the elevator, I feel like I need to mention it. An older man got in the elevator with us and began to smile at Graham. He then looked at me and told me how cute he was. I thanked him, and pulled the stroller slightly back, as I felt he was getting a bit too close. He then proceeded to ask me, in these exact words "How much did you pay for him?". I was SHOCKED and didn't know how to respond but I think I muttered something about paying for legal fees, and NOT paying for children. He then knelt down in front of the stroller and pinched Graham's cheeks. I'm not sure if he really pinched that hard or if Graham just didn't like the stranger that close, but he burst into tears and was inconsolable in his stroller to the point that I had to take him out and carry him through the mall all the while trying to manage a stroller, diaper bag, and two puffy winter jackets. I'm going to have to think long and hard about how to answer such ignorant questions in the future. I often wonder if some individuals forget to use their filters when speaking!!! I'm glad Graham was able to enjoy lunch today because after that experience, I was more than ready to sit down and enjoy a relaxing meal!

When I went to get Graham up from his afternoon nap, I discovered that we have a little magician on our hands. The following is a picture of what I discovered....

No, he didn't get out of his crib, but he did take off his jeans and a sock. I'm just happy he stopped at the pants and didn't go for the diaper!

Today Graham got some mail from Grandma and Grandma Olson. Here is Graham studying his card that came complete with stickers!

Modeling his prized sticker. I'm sure he enjoyed these stickers much more than the ones from the doctor. After all, he didn't have to endure a shot to receive these! Notice the spatula-he carries it everywhere!!!

He LOVES wrapping paper!

Because of the various religions that make up our families, we feel that Graham is getting the best of both worlds. Between Hanukkah, Christmas, and his birthday in January, each winter will essentially be one long celebration for him!

On the first night of Hanukkah, Graham discovered how much fun wrapping paper can be!

Studying his new animals...

Getting impatient that Daddy couldn't get them out of the box fast enough!

This is a video of Graham on the second night of Hanukkah opening his present. He still seems to be much more curious about the wrapping paper, than the gift that is inside! Notice the spatula at the bottom of the screen-that seems to be his kitchen utensil of the week.

The male version of multi-tasking.....

What's better than an adult beverage of choice, a Nintendo Wii, and two babies who are conent in their carriers?

Another snowy day

It's again another snowy day here in Minneapolis. Seeing all the snow and feeling the freezing cold wind is still a little shocking to my system, but I think I had better get used to it, because winter has definitely arrived. Since playing in the snow is apparently torture to Graham, we just spent the day at home playing inside. Graham seemed happy with not being bundled up to run errands, and Annie seemed especially pleased to have "her baby" around for the entire day. Normally I go a little stir crazy being stuck in the house all day, but I'll admit that there is something very calming and cozy about snuggling up under a blanket with Graham while he drinks his bottles.

What's better than a fuzzy blanket on a snowy afternoon?

Our happy boy turning yet another household item into an instrument by banging on it!

Graham is eating puffs and Annie is intently watching him.

Graham finally gives in, and shares his snack with Annie.

Yes, Graham is actually lying on top of Annie. All 20 pounds of him on top of the dog and she couldn't care less. Who would have imagined Annie tolerating a baby climbing on her?

Chasing his train. It moves by itself and Graham thinks it hilarious to go after it.

Graham goes to the doctor...

Today Graham went to the doctor for a check-up. I don't know many children, or adults for that matter, who think a trip to the doctor is fun, but if you were to ask Graham, I think he would say he had an enjoyable morning. He is always excited by the giant fish tank in the waiting room. and it thrills me that he pays no attention to the germ covered toys that cover the floor! Once we were called back, the nurse let him play with her pen. That's not an object he's normally allowed to hold at home, so again, more fun for him. The highlight of the visit for him, is sitting on the tissue paper that covers the table. It starts off as one large piece, but by the time Graham is finished with it, it has transformed into many many small pieces. He's again thrilled with this activity as I strongly discourage shredding things at home. His visit did end with a shot which he didn't enjoy, but his reaction could have been much worse. He let out a quick surprised sounding grunt, but there was not a single tear. He saved the tears for when we took away the Dora the Explorer sticker the nurse gave him for being so brave. There was just no way to get his mittens on while he had a death grip on his sticker. Only when we pried the sticker out of his sweaty little hand, did he begin to cry. It's interesting to me that he doesn't cry for needles but will cry over a sticker. I wish I could understand the rationale of a 10 month old baby! Graham continues to be very healthy though and came in today weighing a lovely 20.5 pounds!

Check out those rolls!