Awkward Sleeping Positions and Green Beans

I haven't intentionally taken this long to blog. I was so proud of the last blog's video that I wanted it to headline as long as possible. This has been a very fun and memorable week. I start work with Liberty National Insurance next week, so this is my last week bumming around Daddy Day Care. I've had one of the most extreme cases of cabin fever of all time, but I'm not looking forward to giving another soul the responsibilities I've owned the past 5 months. I knew all along that this situation would not carry on forever, but now that it's here, I'm not pumped. I'm a tough guy though, and I'll be fine. We've spent more time wrestling this week, and Gray promised less poopy messes. We've had a blast.

This week has had it's fair share of milestones. Gray's sleeping habits and positions are ever-changing. He prefers his side and tummy now, but will occasionally mix in a back nap. He likes to root his face into the corner of the back of the crib and the mattress. Of course, I had to lay a hand on him a million times to make sure his breathing was not affected. He's sleeping harder and therefore growing a ton!

On Wednesday our friend, Shannon, came by to visit Graylon for the second time in his short life. She was smitten like a kitten. We ate dinner, and then she got to see Gray's bedtime routine. She also posed for a picture, and it's below.

I've also really wanted to get spoon food going with Gray this week. If I or Heather don't get it done, then it means that more than likely MeeMaw or Granny Franny will be trying next week while I train in Dalton. Or, the folks at the day care will be introducing him to bananas and green beans. Both scenarios aren't the way I would want if I could choose. I would prefer I or Heather do it. So we're REALLY trying to get Gray to love some green beans in the video posted on this site. Rice cereal is not cooperating with our boy so we skipped right into the beans. He did well. See for yourself.

Enjoy the pictures too. Bare with us between posts. I won't have our computer in Dalton while I train next week. I will, however, have Graylon and the camera. I may figure out a way to blog something. On this same subject, keep Heather and I in your prayers as Heather spends the majority of next week in Winterville without her boys. I'm training in Dalton while Gray spends time with a combination of grandparents to help us save one week's worth of day care tuition. We'll be reunited in no time. The "time" part is what we're not looking forward to though. In the end we will be just fine. Enjoy the pics in the meantime.


I told the most hilarious knock-knock joke. Gray is such a sucker!


"You talkin' to ME?"


Shannon offered to babysit like 100 times. I think Mr. Graylon charmed her socks off.


One of those new sleep positions I was referring to. He's in deep, deep sleep here...for real.


This was the moment he had anything with flavor in his mouth for the first time. Who wouldn't be smiling?

UGA Picture Day

Saturday morning at around 4 am, and without having gone to sleep, Uncle Rick, Henry's dad Jon, and I set up three tailgating chairs outside Sanford Stadium and waited. We were waiting for 9 am. At 9 o' clock, the UGA promotions department would begin to give out tickets to reserve a spot next to Uga VII at picture day. This year will be only this Uga's second football season, and he was so new last year, that he didn't attend Picture Day. So we expected a crowd. 150 tickets were going to be given out, and when we got there I counted our spot in line. I calculated around 50th, so we felt satisfied and tried to make the best of the wait. I woke up two hours later. The sun was up, and there were approximately 100 more people behind me in line down East Campus Road. The time finally to stake our claim to a spot finally arrived, and we inched our way toward the booth. In the other direction was Coach Richt's line. Uga and Coach Richt are, by far, the most popular picture takers on this day. They are the only two with the need for prearranged tickets to get pictures. So we finally got our Uga ticket and thought we would just go get in the fast moving Coach Richt line, and try our luck. 250 Coach Richt tickets were given, and after Rick, Jon, and I GOT OUR TICKETS, the guy right behind us got the last one! We were lucky and exhausted. We headed home to tell everyone the good news, and we were to come back to the stadium with wives and children to take some pictures.

We got to the stadium around 1 pm, and did our best to track down Mr. Uga. The promotions staff did an excellent job of herding us all through as quickly as humanly possible. Everyone we encountered working this event were friendly and made the experience great. We finally got to see Uga VII, and he seemed pretty worn out and sleepy. All the kids did great with him. We then headed to see Coach Richt. Once again, we waited in a line. The Coach Richt meeting included one autograph, so his line moved a tad bit slower. Even waiting in line, we were all entertained. While waiting, the football players came through, and we got to see a glimpse of some of our favorites. We met with Coach Richt, and he was a pleasure. Heather mentioned that Gray's Uncle Brandon was in the Army, and Coach Richt wanted to send him a personalized message. He said Sgt. Byers, but the camera only caught the "Byers" part. So Uncle Brandon, here you go:



The day was long, but well worth it. Jon, Rick, and I can claim all the Daddy brownie points, but it was gratifying to us as well. We had a great time. Jon was the driving force behind the entire event, so I'd like give him a special "thank you." Here are a few pictures. There will be more to come. Getting Brandon's message didn't allow us to take a picture of the family with him with our camera. Aunt Kelly and Ashley were taking pictures though and the professional one was snapped, so we'll have it eventually. Enjoy the pictures we have, and an edited video of the day. I'm going back to sleep.


"Oh boy! I can't wait to see Uga!"


The Lane's were anxiously awaiting their first peak at the baddest bulldog in all the land.


The LaBarbera family epitomizes everything Georgia. They sure look good in red and black.


Heather and I had the privileged of posing with UGA's quarterback for the 2027-28 season.


Just moments before we got to see Coach Richt and Gray faints from excitement. Jk...he was sawing logs.




GOOOOOOO DAWGS! SIC 'EM!

5 Month Letter to Graylon

Gray,

Happy five month birthday. When we brought you home from the hospital, your five month birthday was the furthest thing from our mind. At that time, I had realized being the daddy of a baby. At this time, I realize I am the daddy of a little boy. You have grown up so much, and I am floored when I look at pictures over the past months. I keep saying that I can't wait for you to do this or that, and I've known all along not to say those things because I'll never get THIS time back. I now know I don't have to wish those things because at this rate, they'll be here before I know it.

Gray, you have taught me so much in the 153 days you've been on this planet. You've taught me how to nap in a still position. I always was a tosser and a turner. I've learned that when I got you on my chest and asleep, if I want to keep you that way, I better stay still. And believe me, when you're napping with me, I want to keep it that way. You've taught me how to enjoy the simple things. I had a time passing my insurance certification test. I was frustrated and disappointed several times. All I had to do, was pick you up with your smiling face and I could forget all about that insurance license. I consider myself a laid back kind of guy, but you have helped me "keep it real." You've taught me to keep my cool in a messy situation. Sure, I played a couple years of college ball. Sure, I have had a couple of stressful, high paced jobs. And sure, I lived with Brent Bagby. But, until you pooped all over my shirt or until you pooped on a living room pillow I never knew how I would react to pure chaos. In those situations, terror initially registered with me, but my shaky hands calmed, and I cleaned you up.

I've learned from you and you're just five months old. I'm supposed to be the teacher, and we'll have to get you talking before you can tell me what I've taught you. I look forward to teaching you everything I know. I'm gonna coach you up. I'm gonna give you every piece of advice that could in any way advance you in this world. In the meantime, I'll stick to play time, bottle feeding, diaper changes, and bath time. I'll help you to laugh, talk, crawl, and then walk.

Happy 5 month birthday, Gray. I love you.

Love,
Daddy

A Couple of Minutes of a Typical Graylon Day

Graylon is a day away from his 5 month birthday! Mommy and I can't believe it! He has turned into such a big boy. It's been a while since the last video clip, so I've attached one. It's a two and a half minute clip of how Gray typically spends his day. It's hard to lay him on his back to play. He immediately rolls over onto his belly to look around. He was talking a lot, so I thought I'd whip out the camera and catch him. Excuse the drool, and enjoy.

ATTENTION ALL NON-GRANDMOTHERS...He doesn't do a whole lot, (except be cute) so don't be waiting for a grand finale'. I could watch him do anything though. I've watched him sleep at length. I just wanted to put out the disclaimer, so that all of Gray's fans don't have a let down. If you're looking for a little of Gray smiling, talking, and grabbing then watch away. If you're looking for walking, basketball dribbling, or roller skating, then don't bother watching. Anyway...enjoy.

Random Pics

Here are some pictures that I thought were fun...enjoy!


Do you know that your foot is as big as from your elbow to your wrist?


Graylon and his chubby cheeks


You look sooo cool right now.


Nice neckline Gray, and whatta ya say? "The Cubs are gonna win today!"

Aunt Caryn and Uncle J Get an A++

Well, we headed out Saturday and arrived at Aunt Caryn and Uncle J's around 2:45 p.m. for Graylon's first visit with them at their apartment without Mommy and Daddy there. We got to see Granna and Pop right before Mike and I left to go to Frett's wedding. The wedding was great! Frett looked amazing and her and Dion were sooo happy. The ceremony was like no other I have ever been to. There was lots of laughing and clapping during the service and the wedding party was so tall. Four of the six bridesmaids were 6'3" or taller! The maid of honor was 6'7"!! A lot of my coworkers were there. Kim caught the bouquet so maybe we will be hearing good news soon. :) We got to visit with friends that we haven't seen in a while. They all asked about Graylon. It was a great night. Congratulations Keshia and Dion!

Throughout the evening, Caryn had sent us text message pictures so that we could keep up with Gray's night. When we got back around 11 p.m., we got to hear all about Gray's night. Sara, Elizabeth, and Chip all came over to get their hands on Gray. All in all, I think Graylon had a wonderful evening with his Aunt and Uncle. Thanks so much Caryn and Jason for watching our precious little boy so that we could have a date night.

We came back home today, but on the way home, we ate lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen and strolled Graylon around Discover Mills. We hit up some great sales at Children's Place and Carter's. It is so much fun buying clothes for Gray. Everything we bought was for next summer. We had a great family day.

Hopefully, Aunt Caryn and Granna will email us some pictures of their Saturday night so that we can put some on the blog, but here are some pics from Frett's wedding and our Sunday.


La'Keshia and Dion are so happy after their beautiful wedding ceremony!


Graylon and Daddy spending some quality morning time in the bed together.


Graylon taking a break at the mall. He loves his new umbrella stroller.

The Week of the Roll Over

We had another great week with Graylon accomplishing a couple of firsts. He rolled over from back to tummy and from tummy to back. He's done the tummy to back before, but only when we had tucked his arms up under him to help him prop his head up. This week he did it from the normal crawling position. The back-to-tummy roll kind of freaked me out a little. I laid him on a blanket in the floor on his back while I was folding some laundry and watching golf. Next thing I know, I look down at him a few minutes later and he is on his tummy. I totally missed it.

Missing it was kind of the theme for his roll over firsts. Earlier, he was on his belly in the floor and just talking away. I thought I'd grab the camera and catch it for the blog. Once I started rolling the camera, he stopped talking as much. I kept going though, just in case. When he continually didn't do anything I started talking to him. As I got in position to do some up close talking, he rolled over. The camera only caught his feet in the air on the roll. I captured it, but I didn't. I was glad to have the moment recorded, even though it wasn't the most accurate camera pointing in the world.

We are headed today to Jonesboro to attend the wedding of a coworker of Heather's, La'keshia Frett. Aunt Caryn and Uncle J are getting their first baby sittin' gig with Graylon. Granna will probably show up as well as many of Caryn's friends, so Gray gets to be a celebrity today. We are so glad to have family around to allow us to go to the wedding as a couple. We'll surely miss him, but it will only be a handful of hours.

Graylon took several cute pictures this week. The famous "almost" video is posted. Included too is a quick video of him in his Bumbo seat. His neck is super strong and he can concentrate on his hands a lot easier while in it. He's growing up right in front of our eyes.


Graylon relaxing after a hard day's work.


"Mom, seriously? You're stilllllll taking pictures?"


No coincidence that the pillows are yellow, and his outfit has yellow in it.


He looks really long from head to toe in this picture. He's pushing 5 feet tall I think.

A Birthday Bash Weekend

The weekend began like any other good weekend does...on Friday. We got to White, Georgia early evening and enjoyed some Chinese take out with Granna and Pop. Later Uncle J and Aunt Caryn arrived to help get the house ready for Ms. Averie's 2-year old birthday party. The new house is really taking shape and looks like a home. Granna and Pop have really put in the work. Later Friday night, the birthday girl herself stopped in with Aunt Kelly and Uncle Rick to bring a few things for the next day. Even though the next day was gonna be wild and long we were still up until 2 in the morning catching up.

Saturday morning arrived, and Averie Raye was officially two years old. The girls went to get their nails done, Pop did a little party prep, and Uncle J and I kept our eyes on Gray and XBox. Heather headed to Dalton to help throw a wedding shower for her cousin Chris. The party started at the neighborhood pool at 4. Gray got his sunblock on as well as a borrowed water diaper and swimsuit from his buddy Henry. He did a fabulous job in the water and was a natural. I would motor boat him around the pool and he would let his feet drag out behind him like a real swimmer would. He never whined and actually asked to go back in afterward. I explained to him that Averie Raye would be opening presents soon, so we needed to get home and take a nap. The rest of the party was a blast, and Averie turned into a big girl right before our very eyes. Heather made it to the party to see Averie open her presents. Everyone seemed to have a really good time.

Sunday, was a lazy recovery day. Caryn and Jason headed out early, but the rest of us hung out to watch the Cubs game and take a few more pictures. Averie got to hold Gray, and Uncle Rick and Aunt Kelly got their long overdue Gray time too. We headed out around 5:30 to get home at a reasonable hour Sunday night.

Monday morning we caught Gray asleep on his side. He is so close to rolling over, and he seems very comfortable on his side. We will definitely let you all know the second he is rolling over. We have recovered from the weekend, and we will keep you all posted on the next adventures of Mr. Graylon. Enjoy the pictures below. There are a lot of them.


Early Saturday morning before the party began, Gray and Daddy were bonding.


"I grab my toes ALL the time now."


"Daddy, where is the pool? And where is the high dive; I wanna try it."


Check out the guns on Graylon!


See, I told you he wanted to go back in the pool. Check out the look he's giving the camera.


It's party time!


Gray's buddy Henry and his mama Ashley also attended the party.


The birthday girl had a lot of presents. She deserves each and every one of them.


Sunday morning was time for more cute pictures.


Aunt Kelly, Uncle Rick, and Averie were feeling what it was like to have a baby boy around. They'll know all about it come October.


All the adults had errands to run, so we let Averie babysit.


Yeah I know; a Chicago Cub threw up on us.


Gray is in Chicago Cub camouflage.


Gray is mastering the time on his tummy. Crawling is coming.


Side sleeping. He went to bed with his feet on the other side of that pillow.


"My hair might be thinning, but what I got left is LONG!"

Sleeping Gray Equals Growing Gray

After a week of sketchy sleep patterns, Graylon has found himself in the middle of another growth spurt. He is sleeping more and more, and his daily routine is rounding into form. His bed time is a little later now than it used to be. He is usually asleep for the night between 8:00 and 8:30 and doesn't wake up again until 6:15 to 6:30. Once awake, he usually just wants a bottle and thirty minutes or so of attention, and then he crashes again until around 9:00 or 10:00. We are so proud of our little man.

Gray is beyond giddy to take a trip to Canton to visit his cousin, Averie, and wish her a Happy Birthday. She turns 2 on Saturday, and Graylon will be there to celebrate. He was up all morning today just babbling and babbling about how he can't believe she is ALREADY TWO YEARS OLD! Mommy and I agree. It seems like just yesterday we welcomed her into this world. Happy Early Birthday Ms. Averie!

This morning we received a funny little curve ball that reflected Gray's growth. When Mommy went into his room this morning Graylon had turtle-shelled 90 degrees to be laying across his crib rather than vertically in it. He is much more active lately. He has even hit the music button on his mobile multiple times. He is getting so smart and so loving. Also, he is getting very good on his tummy too. He likes to lay on his side and is very close to going from his back to his tummy and from tummy to back. Additionally, I have a theory though that he might be one of those babies that crawl for 2 seconds and move right into walking. Lap time usually consists of Graylon standing on his own and grabbing our fingers for balance. We'll have to wait and see what step is next in the evolution of Mr. Graylon Michael.


Graylon has been a cuddle bug lately.


We reenacted this mornings wake up position.


"Actually, Dad, I think I like this better."

This Weekend, Graylon was a Handful.

Last night was just like any other night at home getting Gray ready for his bath and bed...so I thought. While Mike got the little blue bathtub ready and was laying out Gray's pj's, I went to get Gray undressed on his changing table. I got a little surprise when I took off his diaper. Sure enough he had pooped. I got him cleaned off and picked him up and began walking out of his room toward the kitchen (where we put the little blue tub over the sink to bathe him). Good thing I had my hand under his bottom because I got a handful of POOP! I began semi-screaming but thought I held it together pretty well (no pun intended). After unloading my hand and cleaning Gray again, I headed to the tub for his bath. I put him in and right when I was about to start soaping up the washcloth, yes, he surprises me again...MORE POOP! He didn't care at all. He was just pooping and kicking his legs splashing. He was sooo happy. I let him finish, wrapped him in a towel, took him to the changing table, and cleaned him again while Mike ran water in our big bathtub for Gray and I to get in together. Afterwards, Mike took the little blue bathtub outside to spray it out and clean it up. I finally got Gray clean and ready for bed...whewwww. Needless to say, that was a first for all three of us.

Here are some pictures from yesterday. All of them are pre-poop. We had fun just hanging out.


Tummy time is sooo easy these days.


Every now and then, Gray's gotta rock the mohawk.


This is Gray's new Cubs hat. Thanks Granna and Pop!


Gray and Daddy were spitting rhymes. Gray was giving his sign of approval...thumbs up!