Now that we have a little one, my updates have been (and probably will continue to be) less frequent. We have had a non-eventful couple of months. Just enjoying some new living room decorations courtesy of Babies R Us!

John got a couple of weeks off between semesters so he got to sneak away for a much needed fishing trip in Northern Cal! That was a good thing since his fall semester schedule has been all consuming. Lots and lots of studying. In August, my territory at work changed some so I have been doing quite a bit of traveling to the new area. I am getting to be on a first name basis with the TSA employees in Phoenix!

Grady had some fun milestones these last couple of months.

1. He is sleeping through the night! Our pediatrician was a genius with her tip on how to back out of his middle of the night bottle. We are forever in her debt!
2. He started getting mobile. Not exactly crawling--more of a low crawl, but it still means we can't take our eyes off him for a second!
3. He started solid foods. Who knew that green beans are an acquired taste?
4. His first tooth is coming in, which makes his big grin even cuter.

Here are some of our favorite pics from the last couple of months!

June and July Update

June started with me heading back to work, John starting the Summer Session at ASU and Grady starting Day Care. It took us a few weeks to navigate our lives with a new addition. Hence, the combination of June and July updates!

The adjustment back to work was easier than I thought it would be---with the exception of dropping Grady at Day Care the first day (What a Nightmare!). We really like the school we are taking Grady to so that has helped make the transition so much smoother.

Believe it or not...there were a brave few that came to Arizona this summer! Over the last couple of months, Grady has been spoiled by lots of guests including most of his grandparents. I am pretty sure that this little boy is the best dressed kiddo in Arizona!

While John's dad and family were in town, Grady went to his first professional baseball game where John caught a foul ball bare-handed. I am pretty sure that was the highlight of John's summer! We also went to the Heart Attack Cafe with my family. This is a Hospital themed burger dive with nothing remotely healthy on the menu...you can't event get a Diet Coke. When you walk in they put you in a hospital gown and bracelet. My dad is already in training for his next visit here so he can get the Quadruple Bypass and win the spin around the restaurant in a wheelchair!

Grady turned 4 months at the end of July. We took the advice of many and gave him a little Tylenol before his visit. He was MUCH happier this time around. Our little guy weighed 15lbs 2oz and was 25.25" long.

That is all the news for June and July! Here is a quick look at our favorite pics

May Update

The month started out with Grady letting out his first chuckle! I have to admit after a month of endless diapers, feedings, nights, etc....it was so nice to get some positive feedback. Totally gratifying! This special moment came just in time to celebrate my first Mother's Day. We made sure to get it on video so all could enjoy. (Ignore our wrestling dogs in the background!)

John finished up finals in early May and is officially in the ASU Electrical Engineering program! It was great to have John on a break the last couple of weeks of my leave. It felt like an extended vacation with trips to the lake and the zoo. We also decided to catch a movie at the Drive In, which was a nice adult evening and we didn't have to worry about Grady disturbing anyone. Of course, we did not stay for the double feature. Staying out until 10pm was a stretch for us!

Grady had his two month check up at the end of the month. He was 23" and 11lbs 12oz. He also had his first round of immunizations. Needless to say, he had a rough night (and so did we). Our doctor said we could give him infant Tylenol. So after about an hour and a half of nonstop crying and a low temperature of 99.7, John made an emergency trip to Walgreen's. (We got the generic stuff because of the recall...just in case you were worried) About a half hour later, Grady was asleep. Not looking forward to repeating that again in July!

Memorial Day weekend my sister and her husband came to visit. We had such a great time having them here and Grady loved getting spoiled by his Aunt and Uncle G!

I know the slide shows are a little cheesy, but it is hard to upload all the pics so here are some of our favorite pics from May.

April Update

The beginning of April was Week Two as new parents. We were slowly adjusting to our new roles roles. This included an insanely high number of diaper changes and an insanely low number of hours of sleep! Thank goodness Nana and G (John's mom and step dad) came to help us through week two. It was so nice to get a few extra hours of sleep every morning and to not have to plan a meal among many other helpful things.

Grady had several other visitors this month as well. At the very beginning of April, John's Aunt Sheri, Uncle Lynn and Cousin Sarah came out to meet our new arrival. A few days later, John's Grandma and Granddad came to see their first great-grandchild while John's mom and Ray were here. At the end of the month, Aunt G (my sister) had a work trip in Phoenix for a week so she got to see Grady a second time. It has been fun to see so much family!

April ended with Grady's one month b-day! He already weighed over 10lbs and grew two inches. He graduated from the bassinet into his crib at the end of the month, which is helping us ALL sleep a little better. John and I started making outings with Grady more frequently...mainly to get me out of the house. We knew it was time when I started my sentences with "On Dr. Phil today..." Plus, it has been fun to get to know the area better since we just moved here.

As a side note, we have had several people ask how the dogs are handling our new addition. Tessa and Lily were super interested in Grady at first and were doing a lot of sniffing. I also think they were waiting for one of our house guests to take him with them when they left. When they realized that wasn't going to happen, they have been pretty indifferent. They will give him kisses though and they like to follow us into his room when we are changing a diaper or putting him down. All in all, it has been a very smooth transition.

Since we are proud parents and have so many pics we love, we decided on putting them in a slideshow instead of downloading them all on here. Here is a quick look at our month!

February and March Update

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind so I am combining our monthly update! Most of February was spent getting the final touches ready for our little man to make his arrival in March. We finally finished the nursery and got those last minute items ready! Here are a couple pics of the finished product.



When March came, we were anxiously awaiting our new arrival. We were due the week of Spring Break, which would have been super convenient for John and my parents. However, when we went to the doctor that week, the doctor had surprising news that we needed to schedule a c-section. This caught John and I by surprise since we have had such an easy, noneventful pregnancy. Our little booger never dropped so we had two options...induce, which the doctor said we would likely have a hard labor and probably end up in the operating room anyway or just schedule the c-section. Being the planners we are, we opted for the scheduled delivery.

The c-section was scheduled for Tuesday, March 23rd at 1:30pm. It is a little odd and exciting to wake up and know you are going to have a baby that day.

It is D-Day! John and I are about to leave for the hospital.

John and I had to get to the hospital 2 hours before the scheduled surgery. We thought we would be doing a lot of sitting around and waiting. We were prepared for a long two hours. As soon as we got checked in, they started all the prepping and we were meeting all the doctors and nurses. It was a total whirlwind and the two hours flew by. At one point, I looked at the clock and saw that it was already after 1pm, which made me super anxious. Our doctor walked into the operating room and asked if we were ready for a Birthday Party. Our doctor is known for fast deliveries so as John and I are just talking not realizing it was going to be so quick we hear the first cry. Very exciting! Here are some pics from Grady's Birthday!

Born 3/23 at 2:04pm

Tiny little man!

Weighed 7lbs 1oz, 20.5" long

The whole family!

Proud parents in the Recovery area!

Pa Pa and Gamma Wade were anxiously waiting during the surgery and got to some to the room right away to meet their first grandchild.

My dad got a special shirt for delivery day!

(Grandpa's the name, Spoilin's my Game)

Doting Grandparents!

My sister was working in Northern California the week Grady was born. She was suppose to have a quick layover in Phoenix before heading back to Dallas, but Aunt G couldn't stay away. Her layover turned into an overnight stay.

Aunt G and Grady

We came home from the hospital on Friday, March 26th. Here are a few pics from our first week as parents!

The first of thousands of diaper changes. We had to make a couple of emergency runs for diapers. We had NO idea how many we would go through in a day.

Mommy passed out with Grady! We weren't quite prepared for all the middle of the night feedings.

Gamma stayed the first week to help the new parents!

Grady's First Bath!

We cannot wait for you all to meet our new bundle of joy! Thanks for all the calls and good wishes. Grady is a lucky little boy to have such a great support system already.

January Update

John and I rang in the New Year fast asleep! I actually fell asleep at 7:30pm, which might be the all time record for me.

In early January, John got to experience his first College Bowl game! We got really lucky and were able to go to the Fiesta Bowl in style including great parking and a catered suite. (Much more cush than my first Bowl game). We were excited about getting to go since a Texas Team (TCU) was playing. Although they didn't win, we still had a great time! Here are some pics from the night.


John and I at the game!


John got to meet WWE Star, John Cena!

The rest of the month was spent unpacking and getting settled in our new home. We also started putting together the nursery. John had a lot of assembly to do with all our new Baby gadgets. Things are coming together as we approach the big day!


Real men read directions!

John started school in January at ASU so he has been really busy. I am still plugging away at work. Besides having ankles that resemble the Michelin Man, I have been feeling really good.

If anyone wants to get out of the snow, we are all settled and have the guest room ready. Did I mention it will be 75 degrees this week??? We have to brag now before we are frying this summer!

Happy New Year!