This was taken on January 15, 2010, and Grant was 2 months old, already! And he's got a younger cousin, already!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Baby's First Christmas
Good gosh, another Christmas season has come and gone.
I shouldn't say that in such a humdrum manner. While it was just another Christmas for Sally and I, for little Grant it was “Baby's First Christmas.”
All in all, I think mid-November is a great time to have a baby in modern society (not as good as early November, but I'm trying not to hold that against the kid). One of the few downsides however is that they spend “Baby's First Christmas” mostly just laying there.
All in all, Grant was adorable, but not as entertaining as he could have been.
We'll work on that for next year.
Still it was an excellent Christmas and one we will cherish always.
The first big exciting thing this year was Grant finally got to meet his cousin. We've been telling him for a while now that he's not the only kid around and I think now he believes us. My sister and her family flew in from Cleveland to spend the holidays with us which of course included my two-year-old nephew, Jaxson.
Jax was a ton of fun to have come visit. Despite having moved in over a year ago, with all the new stuff for the baby and the usual holiday mess, our house looked like we were still in the process of moving. Jaxson didn't care. He loved boxes and had a great time finding new boxes to bring out and show us.
Jaxson was much more entertaining than his little cousin. His parents have apparently been teaching him what a lot of different thing say and he was (after a little coaxing) more than willing to tell us what says what. He did the standard material, “What does a dog say?” “What does an elephant say?” and “What does a baby say?”
He kept it fresh though with some new stuff, like “What does a Pirate say?”
I think my favorite thing though was when he mom would ask him who Grant was, he would say in his cutest two-year-old voice “Baby Gwant.” It was beyond precious.
A few days later I got a phone call around midnight. My caller ID said it was Grandma Burdett but when I answered a deep, yet familiar voice was on the other end. It was one of those awkward moments when you can tell the other person is expecting you to recognize them, but you have no idea who they are.
My mind was racing as fast as a new father's mind can at this time of night trying to figure out who it could be. I rule out my uncles right away, and then when through my cousins one by one in my head until I realized it was Danny.
Danny had taken the bus up from California to surprise everyone for Christmas. It was nice to talk to him for a minute before crawling back to bed.
After that, things were per normal until Christmas Eve. We went up to Grandma B's for the usual dinner, pajamas and family togetherness.
It was fun to see everyone and Grant of course was a big hit. He was a very well behaved baby, sleeping most of the time and letting anyone who wanted to take a turn hold him.
After everyone else had left, if was just my immediate family (except the Nebakers, who were in Wyoming). As the night wore on people started drifting of to sleep, except Grant. It was his first night away from home and he wasn't happy about it. He just got fussier and fussier.
As everyone else went to bed, my mom and I took turns holding the little guy. Finally I got to the point where I was too tired so I laid down on a couch in my Grandma's front room. I told my mom to wake me up with Grant got too fussy again and I'd take him downstairs to his mommy.
The couch that was available was about 6 inches to short for me to really lay down on, but I was so tired that sleeping bent at the waist didn't seem to bad. Through the rest of the uncomfortable night, I would wake up every hour or so, not hear my son, assume only a couple minutes had past and then go back to sleep. It wasn't until my Mom woke me up around 6:30 and told me to go to bed that I learned what happened.
I guess my mom had fallen asleep holding Grant. Sally had started to wonder where her son was, went up and found the two of them and took the baby for a feeding, sending my mom to bed and not taking a second thought to finding me.
I spent the rest of Christmas with a sore back but an excuse to tease my wife which is a trade I'll take any day.
Actual Christmas day was very by the book for my family. We opened gifts as a family, got ready for the traditional breakfast complete with blintzes and fauna cooking. Then we did cousin gifts and the money hunt. After that the Shinney's made their way out to see the Shinney side of family, for more gifts and even more food. Grant even found they bendy plastic Santa. But since I helped him, I figured I was entitled to his candy bar.
As time wore on, we decided it was time to take the little one home. As we headed out towards the Interstate, he started getting really fussy. We considered stopping back at Grandma Burdett's to feed him but fortunately once we got on I-15 the sooth sounds of the open road lowed him to sleep.
I don't know what a 6 week old baby dreams about. But I hope for that one hour at least, he dreamed of shiny colors, new smells and being surrounded by people who love him.
I hope he dreamed of Christmas.
I shouldn't say that in such a humdrum manner. While it was just another Christmas for Sally and I, for little Grant it was “Baby's First Christmas.”
All in all, I think mid-November is a great time to have a baby in modern society (not as good as early November, but I'm trying not to hold that against the kid). One of the few downsides however is that they spend “Baby's First Christmas” mostly just laying there.
All in all, Grant was adorable, but not as entertaining as he could have been.
We'll work on that for next year.
Still it was an excellent Christmas and one we will cherish always.
The first big exciting thing this year was Grant finally got to meet his cousin. We've been telling him for a while now that he's not the only kid around and I think now he believes us. My sister and her family flew in from Cleveland to spend the holidays with us which of course included my two-year-old nephew, Jaxson.
Jax was a ton of fun to have come visit. Despite having moved in over a year ago, with all the new stuff for the baby and the usual holiday mess, our house looked like we were still in the process of moving. Jaxson didn't care. He loved boxes and had a great time finding new boxes to bring out and show us.
Jaxson was much more entertaining than his little cousin. His parents have apparently been teaching him what a lot of different thing say and he was (after a little coaxing) more than willing to tell us what says what. He did the standard material, “What does a dog say?” “What does an elephant say?” and “What does a baby say?”
He kept it fresh though with some new stuff, like “What does a Pirate say?”
I think my favorite thing though was when he mom would ask him who Grant was, he would say in his cutest two-year-old voice “Baby Gwant.” It was beyond precious.
A few days later I got a phone call around midnight. My caller ID said it was Grandma Burdett but when I answered a deep, yet familiar voice was on the other end. It was one of those awkward moments when you can tell the other person is expecting you to recognize them, but you have no idea who they are.
My mind was racing as fast as a new father's mind can at this time of night trying to figure out who it could be. I rule out my uncles right away, and then when through my cousins one by one in my head until I realized it was Danny.
Danny had taken the bus up from California to surprise everyone for Christmas. It was nice to talk to him for a minute before crawling back to bed.
After that, things were per normal until Christmas Eve. We went up to Grandma B's for the usual dinner, pajamas and family togetherness.
It was fun to see everyone and Grant of course was a big hit. He was a very well behaved baby, sleeping most of the time and letting anyone who wanted to take a turn hold him.
After everyone else had left, if was just my immediate family (except the Nebakers, who were in Wyoming). As the night wore on people started drifting of to sleep, except Grant. It was his first night away from home and he wasn't happy about it. He just got fussier and fussier.
As everyone else went to bed, my mom and I took turns holding the little guy. Finally I got to the point where I was too tired so I laid down on a couch in my Grandma's front room. I told my mom to wake me up with Grant got too fussy again and I'd take him downstairs to his mommy.
The couch that was available was about 6 inches to short for me to really lay down on, but I was so tired that sleeping bent at the waist didn't seem to bad. Through the rest of the uncomfortable night, I would wake up every hour or so, not hear my son, assume only a couple minutes had past and then go back to sleep. It wasn't until my Mom woke me up around 6:30 and told me to go to bed that I learned what happened.
I guess my mom had fallen asleep holding Grant. Sally had started to wonder where her son was, went up and found the two of them and took the baby for a feeding, sending my mom to bed and not taking a second thought to finding me.
I spent the rest of Christmas with a sore back but an excuse to tease my wife which is a trade I'll take any day.
Actual Christmas day was very by the book for my family. We opened gifts as a family, got ready for the traditional breakfast complete with blintzes and fauna cooking. Then we did cousin gifts and the money hunt. After that the Shinney's made their way out to see the Shinney side of family, for more gifts and even more food. Grant even found they bendy plastic Santa. But since I helped him, I figured I was entitled to his candy bar.
As time wore on, we decided it was time to take the little one home. As we headed out towards the Interstate, he started getting really fussy. We considered stopping back at Grandma Burdett's to feed him but fortunately once we got on I-15 the sooth sounds of the open road lowed him to sleep.
I don't know what a 6 week old baby dreams about. But I hope for that one hour at least, he dreamed of shiny colors, new smells and being surrounded by people who love him.
I hope he dreamed of Christmas.
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