The Furry Yak

The combination of Graham thinking he needs to get up at 6:00 each morning with the sun and it being the busiest time of year at work for Jeff (meaning we're not seeing too much of him lately) has left me plain old tired. Our laptop and work free vacation in the sun just can't come fast enough. Have I mentioned that I'm literally counting down the days??? So, in the interest of giving all the Graham fans their "Graham Fix" here are a few quick pictures from our day....

At a store this afternoon Graham was becoming a bit antsy in the cart. I can't imagine why he wasn't thrilled to look at the kitchen utensils, but he wasn't. So, I pushed the cart over to the stuffed animals and allowed him to find a toy to hold while I finished browsing. There were fuzzy yellow chicks, sweet bunnies, lovable teddy bears, and playful looking monkeys. Does my son choose any of the cute toys? No...he chooses a yak....who in the world chooses a yak??? So, this is the view I had for the remainder of the shopping trip. A very happy Graham, and a disturbed looking Yak. And no, the yak does not have a new home tonight. He's back on the shelf with all his other Yak family members.

I can't help but feel badly for Annie in this situation. Graham has recently become infatuated with her ears and unfortunately, while I'm driving there isn't much I can do about it. I can take a quick picture at a stop light, but separate a baby stuck in a car seat and an attention starved dog-that's not going to happen.

Our low key day...

Today was our day to catch up on errands and things around the house. Our first errand of the day was getting the oil changed in the car. Graham was growing VERY impatient as we sat in the car while the Valvoline guys quickly did their job. I really thought Graham was going to lose it, until a nice, big truck pulled into the stall next to us. Thankfully, I didn't hear Graham screaming impatiently for the next 10 minutes, instead, I got to hear "UCK! UCK! UCK!" over and over and over and over.....It was then off to Babies R Us for diapers-a store Graham usually tolerates well since there are many other children who are willing to engage in "conversation" with Graham as they pass each other in their carts. We arrived home to find a surprise in the mailbox with Graham's name on it! Graham's Great Auntie JoAnn was thoughtful enough to send him two darling summer outfits. I can't imagine us needing shorts around here anytime soon, but luckily in 11 days (not that I'm counting or anything!) we're heading to the beach!!! Graham was excited to dig into his package on his own and when he finally did get the clothes out, he began to kiss them without prompting!





When Graham woke up from his afternoon nap, his hair was a hysterical mess and just too funny not to share! Is this not the coolest case of bedhead you've ever seen?

The weather was FINALLY a bit warmer today, so this afternoon we spent some time outside. After more exploration of our little neighborhood park, a pond and shady picnic area was discovered! Yeah for having yet another little hangout spot for us! Graham was very excited to watch the geese swimming around in the water. He was so excited in fact, that he repeatedly pointed them out to me, not with one hand, but two hands! Hopefully, the weather continues to get better so we can venture back to our new found area for a little picnic lunch!

15 Month Check-Up

Before I get too far into my update, I need to warn you in advance that there will be no pictures in this entry. Graham had an appointment with the doctor today and as soon as he began pulling all the kleenex from the box and making his own little mountain on the exam table I quickly whipped out the camera to capture the moment. Too bad that the words "NO MEMORY CARD" began to flash across the screen of my camera-bummer! I guess I forgot to take it out of the computer after yesterday's update.

Today was Graham's 15 month check-up and he's doing just great! Our pediatrician just loves Graham and really fusses over him each time we're in. Luckily, Graham thinks she's pretty cool too so he tolerates his appointments very well! At 15 months old, here are Graham's "stats"...

-22 pounds 12 ounces
-30 5/8 inches long

-LOVES: any and all fruit, milk, trucks, airplanes, swings, Annie, taking a bath, banana bread, and ice cream

-STRONGLY Dislikes: vegetables...under no circumstances can we get vegetables into his little mouth! I've tried hiding them but always finds them! Hence, the reason for our stop at Target this afternoon to pick up a baby multi-vitamin.

WORDS:
Ma Ma
Da Da
Uck (truck)
dog dog (how he refers to Annie)
up
Ba Ba
Roar (what he says when we ask him what a lion says)
quack quack
yes
I'd say that his little vocabulary is pretty good considering he spent half his life hearing a language other than English!

Graham is on the move!

It's been an exciting weekend for us! Not only did Graham start walking which means that our level of vigilance has gone through the roof, but we were busy, busy, busy during the day, and had company both Saturday and Sunday night for dinner. So, here it is Sunday night at 9:15 and I finally feel like I'm able to sit down and take a breath. Graham is sound asleep, the house is picked up, and I'm ready for a busy week ahead.

Here is another video of Graham walking. I know I posted one yesterday, but we're just so proud of our little guy! Yesterday he was still a bit hesitant with his steps, but as you'll be able to see here, his confidence has grown immensely in just one day.

A note to my parents.....I'm sure you'll be able to note the constant barking in the background. Yes, it's true, even your sweet dog Millie barks when she visits us!

Saturday Morning Excitement!

It's been just over a week since Graham took his first steps. But, in that week he's only showed off his new skill maybe three times. This morning though, he woke up and decided that he wanted to walk!! Most of the time it's only when he wants to and not because we're cheering him on....unless we're bribing him with his toothbrush! Here is Graham walking. Towards the end of the video clip you can even hear his cute little voice saying "yes".

Straw boy...

Today was the second rainy, cold day in a row. With the weather as dreary as it is, it was the perfect opportunity to head downtown and join Sara for lunch. Sara was as always, very patient and understanding regarding the occasional piece of flying food and Graham was as usual thrilled to see his buddy. For some reason, Graham thinks that playing with straws at restaurants is the best thing ever. Here is my entertaining boy performing with his straw!

A shopping cart and a shopping trip...

Graham has recently become a fan of the child size shopping carts at our favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's. He's quite popular with the employees when he wears his squeaker shoes and pushes the cart up and down the aisles at lightning speed with a giant grin on his face. That excitement was replicated today when we walked into his classroom and low and behold there was a new toy just waiting for Graham...a child size shopping cart! Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared with my camera at school today so I don't have any pictures as evidence of Graham's excitement. Graham chose to play with the cart for nearly the entire class period. He didn't want his snack and he didn't want anything to do with his usual favorites-he only wanted the shopping cart. The problem is, that since the cart was a new addition to the classroom, many other children wanted to play with the cart as well, and Graham had a difficult time sharing. It was almost as if he really believed the cart was just for him. To be one year old and have no concept of sharing...I wonder what went through his head each time a child approached him and tried to "share" the cart with him. After class, a friend emailed me and let me know where I can buy a cart for Graham. Perhaps a trip to Toys R Us should be added to our weekend agenda!

Jeff was working late tonight so we met up with my parents at the mall for a bite to eat and a little bit of shopping. Graham didn't seem to care that he got a new pair of sandals for our upcoming trip to Florida, or that Mommy was thrilled to find a sundress for the beach. Those things didn't phase him. What he did get excited about was his very own Dilly Bar! He made such a mess and I was relieved to know that the mess wasn't on my kitchen floor! At one point he decided that Grandma Greer needed a bit of his melted, sticky, Dilly Bar so being the good sport she is, she let Graham cram it into her mouth! That ice cream treat certainly made Graham's night!

Our day at the zoo...

Today, we spent the day at the zoo with Graham's friend Abby and her Mommy Wendy. Graham and Abby play together every Thursday at school but it took them both a minute to recognize each other out of context. As you can tell from the picture, once they realized it was their buddy in the next stroller, they were fast friends! Our first stop was the dolphin show. This took some careful planning on our part. We couldn't sit down too early and risk the kids losing interest and wanting to get up, and we couldn't sit down too late and get stuck in the middle of a crowded row. We planned our entrance, sat on an aisle (in case we needed to make a quick escape!), and timed things perfectly. We had to entertain them for less than 5 minutes before the dolphins began their performance. For Graham, the child who loves all things aquatic, it doesn't get any better than giant flying "fish"!

We also made a stop at the children's petting zoo. Both Graham and Abby had a ball visiting with the goats. They babbled back and forth to each other, occasionally even trying to engage their new four legged friends in conversation as well. I'm not a huge farm animal fan, but I do remember being little and feeling thrilled to have a quarter to put into the machine for goat food. So, trying to be a good Mom, I put a quarter into the machine, held out my hand, and waited for the stinky, dirty goat food to fill my palm. I then handed the food to Graham and let him loose. He really enjoyed letting the goats eat from his hand and laughed when they licked his hand completely clean! Don't worry though, Graham's hands got a good scrubbing after the goats had their lunch. A goat tongue is no replacement for soap and water!

I think two sleeping babies covered in cookie crumbs is evidence of a very fun day! For the record, this is only the third time ever that Graham slept in his stroller. In fact, both babies slept so soundly that they slept right through our ice cream stop.

Graham's long day...

Today, we were lucky enough to have a perfect spring day that allowed us to spend several hours playing in the sun. Graham must have been excited to start the day because he woke up VERY early. Early enough for us to go through our morning routine and still be at Target when they opened their doors at 8:00! Hopefully, Graham begins to sleep a little bit later, because his Mommy is tired!! Amy and Alexandra joined us for lunch this afternoon and we took advantage of the great weather and headed outside. We took a leisurly walk and ended up at the park near our house. Conveniently enough, they have two baby swings which was exactly what we needed!


Graham and I spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing in the yard. Graham was very entertained with his wagon, a few balls, and a bucket that he used to collect leaves. He spent a good amount of time just sitting in the wagon playing with a few sticks he found, but not once did he forget about his trusty doggy friend that never left his side. Every few minutes, Graham would lean out of the wagon and offer Annie a few pats. As "spunky" as Annie can be, she and Graham really are the best of pals!

This evening we had dinner with my family to help Lynn celebrate her birthday...it's a week early, but schedules can be tough to coordinate sometimes! Graham was his usual loud, happy self at the restaurant. He did do his "all done" signal about 5 minutes after we ordered our food though, so I was concerned we were in for a long night. Luckily, I'm able to fit an amazing number of treats in the diaper bag, so we were able to avoid a meltdown.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but Graham really loves balloons. Here he is, fast asleep in the car after his long day, and he still hasn't let go of his balloon....that's true love if you ask me!

A whirlwind of a weekend....

This was one busy weekend for us! In two days, we were able to fit in a swimming lesson, visits with both sets of Grandparents, and college visit...

Like usual, our Saturday morning began with the boys taking a dip in the pool. This week though, Graham was lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa Olson cheering him on from the pool deck! Graham happily showed off his toddler swimming skills....chasing the ball, kicking his legs, and drinking large quantities of heavily chlorinated warm pool water!

After swimming, Grandma and Grandpa Olson joined us back at our house for lunch and some play time with Graham. Despite an extremely exhausted baby (Graham misses his morning nap in order to attend swimming lessons) we decided to take a walk to the park with hopes that the swing would perk him up. Unfortunately, our trip to the park was cut short because there was no pleasing Graham. He wasn't content until he got his bottle and was tucked into his crib for a nice long nap!

Today, we decided to head down to Northfield for lunch and Graham's first official college visit! He's been down to St. Olaf before, but only to watch a cross country meet, so that doesn't really count. Jeff and I both had such wonderful experiences at St. Olaf-we had opportunities to travel from one end of the globe to the other, we made fantastic friends, and we found each other. Is it any wonder that we're a bit partial to our school on the "hill"? Hopefully, in the years to come we'll be able to instill Ole pride in our little guy so he'll be able to chant "Um Ya Ya" about 17 years from now. Our first stop of the day was Hogan Bros. restaurant, one of our favorite college hangouts. We were pleased to see that Graham seemed to really enjoy himself there!

Our next stop was the Narum House. Jeff proudly showed Graham where he spent what he describes as the best semester of his St. Olaf career living in this house with his best friends. Thankfully, there was no sighting of "CDG"....you have to be a Narum clan member to understand the significance of this! :)

We finally made it to St. Olaf where we enjoyed wandering around and watching the campus come to life. We laughed to ourselves because Sunday's at school started VERY late, rolling out of bed maybe by 10:00, and maybe making it to the cafeteria in time for breakfast before it closes to begin preparing lunch. Our lives have certainly changed with our human alarm clock that enjoys coming to live each morning before 7:00!

Apparently, the car ride home was a bit boring for Graham. Before we knew it, he was taking off his shoes. Then he was taking off his socks. Then, he was putting his feet in his mouth. What was he thinking?!?!?!

After an afternoon nap, we all changed into play clothes and headed outside to enjoy the nicest weather we've had all season. Grandma and Grandpa Greer came over to BBQ and we enjoyed watching Graham explore the backyard with his new wagon.

Graham enjoyed showing Grandpa Greer his new book about trucks. Graham is REALLY into trucks right now, and with each turn of the page he would exclaim very loudly "UCK!"

Graham's new (higher) perspective...

It's official that yesterday Graham took his first steps. It's also official that we have one very stubborn boy on our hands. He walks when he wants to and that's it. He's taken a few steps today but as soon as I whip the camera out, he sits down and laughs at me. It's almost as if it's become a game to him! Overnight he's become a balancing champ and he's spent a good part of the day standing in the center of the room just taking it all in from his new higher vantage point. Graham's also discovered that when he's standing, he's taller than Annie. Much to Annie's dismay, Graham feels that this new height gives him the right to continually harass her with a kitchen spatula...they have a very interesting relationship!

Uncle Peter came to visit this afternoon and we headed over to the park for some time outside. With Uncle Peter's help, we discovered that Graham is actually strong enough to hang from the monkey bars all by himself! Nobody should worry though, it wasn't as if we hung him up there then walked away. Our hands were never more than an inch from Graham's body. Judging by Graham's happy reactions while playing at the park, I've got a feeling that our little neighborhood hangout is going to become our second home this summer. Thankfully, it's very close, and thankfully since it's at the very end of the street, the park is never crowded.

Grandma Greer had a dream....

This morning I was talking with my mom on the phone and she casually mentioned that last night she had a dream that Graham started walking today. I laughed when she told me this, then went on to tell her that it wouldn't happen because Graham has NO interest in walking unassisted. He'll happily walk long distances, but despite being very stable on his feet, he still wants to hold at least a finger. Well, Graham made me eat my words because while I was making dinner, Graham marched across the kitchen holding his precious BBQ sauce bottle. Yes, it's actually the same BBQ sauce bottle that he became obsessed with pulling out of the fridge shortly after he arrived home from Korea. We've been trying to get him to walk unassisted for quite a while now, so I had to do a double-take when I heard his little squeaker shoes moving across the room. Of course I started jumping up and down, screaming, and clapping when I realized what was going on. And, of course this did nothing to encourage Graham to keep going. Instead, it startled him to see his Mommy acting so crazy that he just sat down in the middle of the floor. He's still a bit hesitant, and doesn't want to walk unless it's his idea, but we're working on it. Tomorrow I'll be armed with my camera all day so I can capture him walking. Stay tuned...

The first "no jacket" day of the season!

Due to an insanely long winter that just wouldn't end, I've spent the last few weeks wondering why anyone chooses to live here. Today though, on an amazingly warm and beautiful day, I was reminded why. In trade of for the harsh winters we survive, Minnesotans are rewarded with fantastic Springs, Summers, and Falls. It's so exciting to me that we could comfortably play outside today without a jacket on. Thank goodness the days of hats and mittens are behind us!

My mom and our good friend Linda (who Graham just LOVES) came over for a visit today. After lunch we decided to take advantage of the sun and head down to the park. We're lucky to have a great park just two driveways down from us! Graham insisted on walking (with the assistance of a finger to steady himself) most of the way. For an adult, the distance between our house and the park is nothing, in fact, it's so close I could hear Annie barking out of frustration for being left behind. For Graham and his little legs though, that's quite the distance when you're learning to walk! Graham was very happy to be propped up in the swing for quite a while. It gave him the perfect view to watch the many airplanes that flew overhead. This kid doesn't miss a single plane! Each time he even hears them, he begins to scream and point at the sky!

Could there be any more joy on his face?

Spring has arrived...

I'm a bit hesitant to even say this, because last time I did, a snow storm arrived just days later, BUT, I really do think that Spring has arrived and hopefully it's here to stay! Graham and I ran a few errands this morning and did a little shopping at an outdoor mall. After several stores, Graham became frustrated sitting in his stroller so we took a break from browsing in favor of exploring outside. Apparently Graham really did just need a break from his stroller because he was all smiles when he was finally let loose!


This evening we headed over to Eagan to visit Sara. The weather was absolutely perfect for an evening walk, so that's just what we did. As you can tell from these pictures, Graham sure does love his friend Sara!

Lately, Graham is VERY into kissing our sliding door. So, when he realized that Sara's front door was also kissable he was thrilled! Thanks Sara and Chris for dinner and also allowing Graham to leave his "mark" on your front door!

Our Weekend with LOTS of pictures!

After a break from swimming lessons due to Spring Break, Jeff and Graham were back in the water yesterday morning. A few weeks away, left Graham a bit hesitant at first, but he quickly warmed up to the idea of being back in the pool. Graham was thrilled with "jumping" into the pool and wanted to do it again, and again, and again...

I don't know if we just felt like we needed a little road trip or what, but today we headed way down to the south east corner of Minnesota to visit a toy store. Before you think we've gone nuts for driving so far for toys, I have to say that this isn't just any toy store-it's actually quite unique. They specialize in hand carved wooded toys, and what's really special is the hand carved carousel that took 9 years to complete! Graham had a great time trying out all the toys and we enjoyed watching him have such a great time. Visiting toy stores with a child is so much fun!

Graham loves train sets! He played here for a while complete with truck noises for the trains. Right now, Graham thinks that anything on wheels is a truck, so everything gets the same noise!

Currently, Graham's favorite animal is a duck. As I look at this picture I'm trying very hard not to think about all the other germy little children that also share a love for fluffy yellow ducks!

Graham took an immediate liking to this little push toy. He carried it around for quite a while (it's hiding in nearly every picture) and we had to quickly ditch it when he wasn't looking!

Lego's with Daddy...both the little boy and the big boy really enjoyed themselves here.

Now, it was finally time for the highlight of our trip...the carousel! It seemed fitting that we propped Graham up on a giant duck for his first ever ride. As he went up and down, he kept a death grip on the pole, and I wasn't too sure if he was enjoying himself. Any doubts regarding Graham and fun had on the carousel were put to rest when the ride came to an end...

Here, in this last picture, Graham is letting out one of his trademark "I'm VERY frustrated" yells because he didn't want to get off of the duck. I guess he thought he needed to ride the carousel just one more time!