Grady Turned ONE

On the 23rd of October, Grady turned one year old!! Happy Birthday Grady! We are so happy to be celebrating his first birthday after all he has been through, we didn't think we would be. On that subject, my doc wanted me to see a neurologist before we "officially" took him off of his seizure medication (even though we took him off back in July with no seizures hee hee ) So, I take him to which turns out to be a humorous situation. First of all, he doesn't even bother reading Grady's chart before we got there so has no idea he had been hospitalized or had surgeries. Seriously? We had scheduled the appointment a month in advance and you can't even glance at his history. Anyways, I proceed to tell him the big surgery he had when they removed the frontal bone and washed his brain to which he finally found the notes on the surgery and says, "Now, just to clarify so you know, they didn't actually remove the frontal bone, they insert needles in the area and do a soft rinse." Really buddy is that why he has a scar from ear to ear...from needle marks. Then and there I realized this was a waste of time...especially when he couldn't read the EEG because the writing was too small. Okay that was the whole reason we came is to read the EEG. So, he asks me for another copy...which the doc definitely gave me, not! Grrr! And then I come to the kicker...the most humorous of the entire ordeal. He tells me that Grady's eyes are too far apart..."Does he get that from his dad?" "umm no." I say. "Well, his nose is a bit upturned, but I see that yours is too so he probably just gets that from you." Okay...I wonder where this one is going..."And his fingers are short, does that run in your family?" he asks. "Well, I thought they looked pretty normal." "Okay, well I am going to recommend that you see a genetisist. They specialize in birth defects and syndromes, which those characteristics I mentioned suggests that he has. It is completely separate from the meningitis, he was born with this." WOW! All I can say is WOW! So, apparently he is hitting all his milestones on time if not sooner..(bytheway the toad is walking!) and you are telling me he has some sort of birth defect syndrome because in your opinion his eyes are far apart and his fingers are short. Well, recommend away but I ain't going to no genetisist, so he can do more meaningless tests. It is funny that with the dozens of doctors he has seen up to this point that no one else noticed these apparently prominent characteristics. I was baffled. He proceeded to do a checkup where he was like, "Let me check his back to see if anything is there." What do you expect to find? His spinal cord hanging out? Of course all of the magnitude of what he was saying didn't really sink in until I was walking away. Looking back I have a bagful of things I would've told him. But the best thing I will do is ignore his recommendation to come back and see him every three months. No thanks. If I wanted to hear a quack I would go to the duck pond. ha ha ha and I will end with that cheesy cheesy joke.
Anyways, on the birthday note. My mom and sister came up to celebrate with us. We went out to Famous Dave's (big shocker apparently we find it necessary to take all of our visitors there) and had ice cream cake and presents and games and chatting til late in the night. A great way to celebrate Grady turning ONE!


The boys with their Grandma Pennie.

Axel is obsessed with the pig at Famous Daves. This go around he got more comfortable around him and stomped on his foot and poked him in the eye...and thought it was hilarious. My kid is a bully.

The birthday boy and his dear old dad.

Axe and Me.

My mom and sister Mariah. They loved the pig too...his ribs that is..(evil laugh ha ha ha)

Grady's nose crinkle. He does it all the time and I think it is so cute!

He is enthused with the clothes. Thanks T-Bomb. Looks like Axel is the one that needs em. THe ole shirtless wonder over there.

He loved all his presents...and the wrapping paper..eating it that is.

Trying to suck on the binkie in the wrapper. Mom and Dad knows what gift will get him.

Thanks for the card and money mariah. We had a hard time prying it from his death grip.

Money money money!

And the moment everyone was waiting for...his cake. He took it slow and savored every bite, licking his fingers and all. He probably would've finished the entire thing too.

Life's Adventure

We got to visit Grace over Labor Day...yeah that would be a month ago....but nonetheless it is being documented now. It was filled with the usual excitement...wienee roasts, sand volleyball, farming...and my newest experience huckleberrying!! Lisa found it in her heart to take me...and thanks to her I came home with a couple bagfuls. Axel was riding the combine and tractor with Eli so I took Grady to the hills. He did very well considering there isn't a lot of room to crawl around. He would squawk and I would give him a huckleberry and that process repeated itself most of the afternoon. Can I just say there is nothing better than hangin out with the fam in the high hills in the cool air just pickin' huckleberries. It is great to have such wonderful experiences at our fingertips. I can imagine when God was creating the world he got to the mountains and decided to dot them with delicious berries that could only be picked and not grown in gardens. I think it is because the process of finding and chatting while you slowly fill your bucket is the fun of it! Anyways, yeah can you tell I had a great time.

Melissa and her girls Laurelin, and Nessa at the wienee roast.
Our huckleberry stained bottoms..

Mom had Sunny's kids while they went to Texas...and if you stay at Grandma Pennies' you can escape without wearing her pajamas at least one night...so here is Pac and Brax sportin' Mom's pj's.

And now for the whole "mom impersonater" crew. I risked showing off my morning look because it just looks so funny...all of us in mom's jams.

Here is the classic.."i take pictures of myself" picture. I'm sporting the epic cold sore...to which Braxton noticed and said, "Velvet, that mole on your lip looks like a piercing!" What? I hope a mole doesn't just appear on my lip overnight....I set him straight..it is a cold sore...it is a curse!

An out of order shot of huckleberryin' and the whole crew...even Grady had huckleberry butt!

Back at bathtime with all the cousins. Axel showin off his alphabet skills to Pacen and Brax...bathtime letters are the best...to chew that is! I love the cheesy grins.

Here is Axel pants discovering the wonderful world of the bandaid. And what better spot to want a bandaid than on his chin...what a nerd. He wouldn't let me take it off. Finally milk from cereal made it not stick anymore, but not before he already had bandaid skum outlines on his face. :)

The matching PJ's picture. The funny thing is I came upon each pair separately. One at a thrift store and the other came in bin of clothes that I randomly got from a lady. Funny, but they look so cute. They are finally starting to play together. They both love it.

You may be familiar with sleep walking but how about sleep eating? Here is an example. I even got some video feed of him waking up sucking a little bit more on the Ritz cracker then assuming the position of dozing in the hair chair. He was so tuckered out.