Road Trippin'

There's a smile for mama!

Little slugger.

Helping mama pack for the cabin.

What a dolly!

Who are these cool dudes at the cabin?

Mama & Miles

Creative use of a Boppy?

Godfather Matt spending quality time with Miles.

Miles loves the cabin!

Uncle Matt, Miles, Aunt Janelle and dog-daughter, Molly.

Grandpa & Grandma Nickolay at the cabin.

That hair!

Miles,
Mama wanted to go on record telling you how impressive your hair as a young baby is in case she forgets to tell you when you get older. Your hair is so dark, thick and wavy and you haven't lost any of it as everyone predicted! You have more hair then most every baby we meet - including the older ones. When mama takes you out we really get a lot of attention - everyone exclaims "look at that hair!"

The cabin

Wednesday night Mike and I hosted a welcome home dinner for my parents to see all of their pictures from a whirlwind European vacation. Rachel and Graham came too. We enjoyed delicious Alaska Halibut (thanks Grays!) and spent the evening chatting about all of their travels including how they met over twenty of our Luxembourg Nickolay relatives.

Thursday afternoon we embarked on Miles' first road trip to the cabin with my parents. Matt and Janelle met us there. We've never traveled with Miles before and the back of the pickup was packed full of all of his baby gear. We joked that if I packed anymore we would need to bring a trailer. (I'll have to trim the packing list significantly when we fly to Phoenix in December or they won't let us on the plane!) The weather was beautiful - sunny and in the low 70s. We mainly relaxed and ate lots of food but also went out on the boat. The girls and Miles also spent a couple of hours window shopping in Park Rapids while the guys went shooting clay pigeons. We'll be seeing Matt and Janelle again in a few weeks when our new nephew, Baby Sievers, is born!

School bells

Mike, Miles and I went to our first Early Childhood and Family Education class on Monday night. There were 6 babies ranging from 7 weeks to 5 months and their parents in the class. The first half of class we spent with the babies doing circle time which includes developmental activities such as singing songs, games like "bang-bang" (bringing two blocks together in front of the baby to the beat of a song) and having the babies focus on a puppet. The second half of class we talked about baby's brain development. Miles' mind is truly in our hands! It was a fun class (Miles and I recognized some of the other babies from the Chanhassen story time) and cool to think that Miles may be going to kindergarten someday with these other little tikes!

It's the little things

Miles is growing and changing so much everyday. He is now completely out of all newborn and 0-3 month clothes. We're on to the 3-6 month sizes! Other developmental milestones he's reached recently include: bringing his hands together in front of him, sucking his thumb, standing up strong on his legs (with support) and saying "ah-goo." We find ourselves saying often "this is the first time Miles has ever..."

Goodbye

Goodbye summer. Goodbye chubby little legs hanging out of onesies. Goodbye bare little tootsies. Fall weather is here and we'll have to wait until Spring to see you again!

Monday Funday!

Story time is exhausting!

Cool dude!

Where's Mike and Miles?
Maze at Centenntial Lakes Park

Enjoying the beautiful weather at the park.

Strolling along the lake.

Miles in the big boy bed.

Someone doesn't look too sleepy!

Grizzly bear exhibit at the zoo.

Checking out the giraffes.

Daddy and Miles.

Since Mike and I first met we would designate certain days throughout the year as "fundays" in which we would do nothing but fun things - no housecleaning, bills, projects, etc. - just 100% pure fun. Unfortunately, as we've gotten older and adult responsibilities bear down on us more and more, these days don't happen quite as often as they used to. This week however we initiated Miles into our tradition with both Monday and Tuesday being our first family-of-three Fundays.

Mike took off of work and Monday we started out the day by going to baby story time at the Southdale library. Miles was again the youngest baby but the librarian leading the group pointed out that you can never start reading to your kids too early. We read 4 books, sang songs and even played instruments. Mike chose the maraca for Miles and he held on to that little thing all through the songs. It was so cute - I wish I would have gotten a picture! All of the activity must have exhausted the little guy because he completely conked out by the end. After story time we had a nice lunch at P.F. Chang's and then it was on to Centennial Lakes Park in Edina. The weather this month has been so beautiful - we've been having July weather in September. It was a great time to walk around the lake at the park - we practically had the place to ourselves!

Tuesday, after a trip to a lawyer to discuss drawing up our wills, (ok, so this wasn't at all fun - just another example of that adult responsibility getting in the way!) we headed to the MN Zoo. It was the first time to this zoo for both the boys. We practically had the zoo to ourselves and really enjoyed the new Russia's Grizzly Coast exhibit. We literally had our noses pressed to the glass of the exhibit watching a grizzly bear hunt for fish in a pond. The bear was pushing off the glass with his paws and trying to trap the fish. Miles slept the entire time at the zoo so missed out on the animal fun but overall our two family fundays were a success.

Unfortunately, the fun stopped for Miles on Wednesday when he had his two-month well baby visit and first round of immunizations. We're happy to report Miles is thriving and is a very healthy baby. His stats:

Height: 22 3/4 inches (50th percentile)
Weight: 13 lbs (80th percentile)
Head: 15.8 inches (55th percentile)

The exam went well until the end when he got his shots. He got an oral rotavirus medication and then 3 shots. Two nurses gave him the shots (2 in one leg and one in the other) while Mike held his arms above his head. The nurse warned us that we would hear a cry from him that we've never heard before and she was right. It was a pain cry and totally heart wrenching. I, as the mama, got to swoop in after the shots to cuddle and comfort Miles. We gave him a dose of infant Tylenol which helped with the pain and he calmed right down. Later in the day though we could tell his little legs were sore and he was having a hard time so we gave him one more dose of the Tylenol. The next day he was back to his normal self. We get to look forward to shots at these doctor's visits every couple of months for the first year. Yeah! (not)

We learned at this visit that breastfed babies don't get all of the vitamin D and iron that they need so the pediatrician suggested we start Miles on a baby daily multivitamin. You just have to squirt 1 ml in his mouth or mix it with a bottle. The problem is the stuff is absolutely nasty - it stinks and tastes horrible and so far Miles has spit up every dose we've given him. (The vitamin also stains your clothing.) We'll keep trying it and hope he gets used to it soon. Too bad it doesn't come in cherry flavor like the Tylenol - Miles lapped the Tylenol right up.

We also had a busy weekend. Friday night the Carlsons had us over for dinner. It was good company and delicious food. Saturday we celebrated Mike and Graham's birthdays by touring the Summit brewery in St. Paul (yes, Miles has now been to a bar AND a brewery) and out to lunch. Today we relaxed and did laundry (exciting).

If you read our blog please participate in the poll above. Mike and I are always going back and forth regarding who Miles looks more alike. Have a lovely week everyone. Goodbye summer!

Two Months & Growing

So big!

Miles looking very serious as he poses for mommy's pictures.

Taking a little rest on his arm during tummy time.
Building those arm and neck muscles is exhausting!

We took so many pictures at Miles' baptism but never took any of him alone.
We recreated the day and put him in the gown again.

Baby Mauer!

Practicing using that throwing arm.

Miles turned two months old on September 11 and he's grown so much from those first couple days in the hospital. Although I'm not looking forward to him getting his first immunization shots at his 2-month well-baby appointment on Wednesday it will be fun to have his weight and height measured to see truly how much he's grown.

This week we moved on from the Cadillac of diapers, Pampers Swaddlers, to the Costco brand of diapers which are much cheaper. We calculated that we would save approximately $200 a year by buying the Costco brand. I was a little sad though to give up the Pampers - they are so soft and have cute, little Sesame Street characters' faces on them. I never thought I'd be attached to a brand of diaper so strongly! Our friend Jill is doing the tour de diapers with her daughter - trying many different brands to see what works the best and is the most economical. Even though Pampers are very nice Miles had blowouts (yes, up the back, clothes staining poops) wearing both brands. So I guess when it comes down to it a diaper is a diaper.

Miles attended his first birthday party this week and went to his first bar. As we were walking into O'Gara's in St. Paul Reece Witherspoon's line from the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" was running through my head - "you have a baby... in a bar!" To my relief the party was in a side room so Miles didn't have to belly up to the bar.

I only have 3 weeks of maternity leave left. I never thought 3 months could fly by so quickly. I'm not letting myself totally think about going back to work yet because when I do I don't want to go! This week my friends and co-workers Jen and Tia, along with her husband Pete, both stopped by to visit. It was great to see them and they were kind enough to bring us lunch and dinner - I love not cooking! Luckily, I have good friends at work which hopefully will help my transition back to the working world. That being said (I'm trying to put on a brave face) I think I'll buy a PowerBall ticket this week....

Turning The Corner

So sweet! A little nap after lunch.

Mommy put this onsie on Miles for good luck.

Little boy, big chair.

Comfy, cozy.

Miles doesn't look like a newborn anymore!

Look at that big belly!

Daddy and Miles spending quality time looking at the fan.

Who's a wascally wabbit?

Ok, Miles doesn't like the hat.

Miles and mama.

So here we are - another beautiful, summer Sunday. Mike and I just finished with a Labor Day weekend dinner - tossed salad, grilled turkey brats and watermelon - yum! Miles ate first and is snoozing now - perfect timing to write the blog. (Yes, notice the change in person. It's me, Sarah, always writing the blog, so I thought I would write as if I'm talking. Originally, Mike and I intended to share blogging duties but Mike isn't a blogging sort of guy. He does however edit and post all of the videos we make - so he gets credit for that!)

Yesterday Miles turned 8 weeks old! We did an unofficial weigh-in - first Mike stepped on the scale and we got his weight then he stepped on while holding Miles - and Miles clocks in at 12 lbs. So, without any further digressions we want to share our happy news.... Miles has slept 5 hours in a row each of the last two nights! It all started when Nancy, Jon and Emily babysat Miles Friday night while Mike and I went out for his birthday dinner at Kincaids (dinner was good but the food and service wasn't up to its' usual par). This marked a big occasion because it was not only Mike's 36th birthday it was also the first time we've gone out to dinner just the two of us since Miles was born. The Carlsons were wonderful babysitters and must have sprinkled some fairy dust on Miles (they maintain that they only gave him a sleepy time pep talk) because he slept from 10:30-3:30 am that night and last night too! This is a big deal because now we are really only getting up once at night. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself by writing this.

This week I also started to track Miles' eating, sleeping and fussy times in order to start building up to getting on a schedule. I'm reading Good Night, Sleep Tight - a co-worker of Mike's swears by this infant/toddler sleep philosophy. I'm only a few chapters in so am just starting by being more aware of Miles' natural schedule so far. I've only been tracking things a few days but it's interesting how things are already falling into a pattern. One parent challenge addressed in the book is putting baby down for naps or bedtime in the drowsy but awake state instead of already totally zonked out so that they learn to put themselves to sleep in their beds. When Miles is swaddled he does this very well so far... More on our sleep as I get further in the book and Miles gets a little older.

In Miles' short 8 weeks of life he has already aquired many loving nicknames given to him by his mama - some of which are: Bebe, Baba, Mister Miles, Sweet Pea, Big Boy, Me-lay (spelled phonetically) and Milky. At any given time I also add "little" before all of these for a little more variation. Well, as my European traveling parents would say now "Ciao!"

Busy Baby

Becky meeting Miles for the first time.

There's a little smile!

Miles and new friend, one week old Simon.

Playing on his monkey mat.

He loves to reach for the little monkey toys.

Yoga baby - Miles at his first yoga class.

Hangin' in the Baby Bjorn.

Miles and mommy at the State Fair.

Miles sitting on his little cousin.

Rachel's baby shower.

As written on Sunday night...

It was another busy week in the Gray household. Sarah loves being at home with Miles but goes a little stir crazy if she and Miles are at home all day, everyday. This week however we were so busy that we probably over did it and are all tired today as a result. Here's a rundown of our busy but fun week.

Monday - Sarah and Miles visited friend Becky who is home from a summer internship with Intel in Portland. We walked along Minnehaha Creek. Mike worked.

Tuesday - Sarah and Miles brought a meal and present over to friends who just had a baby. Sarah could not get over how big 6 week old Miles was compared to one week old Simon! It's also so amazing how much stronger and more alert Miles is compared to a newborn. Miles holds his head up on his own for long stretches and looks around. He kicks his arms and legs a lot and likes to wiggle. He can raise his head up when on his tummy, is starting to coo in conversation and gives us at least one smile a day. Mike worked.

Thursday - In the morning Sarah and Miles went to a BYOB (Bring Your Own Baby) yoga class at Blooma in Edina. There were 12 moms and babies in the class. The first part of class we helped our babies to move around and stretch their limbs. Then the moms did some yoga while the babies laid on blankets at the top of our mats. It was awesome! At certain times in the class all of the babies were fussing and at other times the babies were all quiet. Miles was one of the youngest in class and did a great job. That afternoon we met friends Jill and baby Nova at Centential Lakes Park. For those in MN we would highly recommend a visit to this park. There are beautiful walking paths around a lake. The park has croquet and a mini golf courses and they pipe in classical music so while you're enjoying the flowers and the lake you can listen to lovely, relaxing music! It was a fun visit. Mike worked.

Friday - Sarah, Miles, Sharon and Rachel headed to the great MN get-together, the State Fair. It was Miles' first fair and first time on a city bus. He was such a good boy as we pushed him in the stroller through the crowds of people. Sarah, Sharon and Rachel enjoyed the typical MN fair food (i.e. fried pickles, cheese curds, 1919 rootbeer and more) and checked out the creative arts buildings, the miracle of birth barn (there were a few baby animals just born) and enjoyed the people watching. Mike worked - poor guy - he's missing out on all of this fun. He will be taking a few days off in September so our little family can have some quality family time. Friday evening we had dinner at Rachel and Graham's as a bon voyage dinner for Sharon and Dave who leave Monday for a dream vacation to Europe. We are so excited for them but will miss them very much when they're gone!

Sunday - Sarah hosted a baby shower for sister, Rachel. It was a lovely day - we're so excited for Rachel and can't wait to hold our new nephew! Sarah could not have taken care of Miles and thrown this party alone - Mike and Sharon were huge helps in the kitchen and in prepping everything. Mike and Miles hung out with "the guys" during the shower and ate burgers and watched the Twins. Tonight our little family is exhausted and Miles is crying now for his after dinner snack. Good night!

Bye-bye Grandma & Grandpa Gray

Teddy bear hat

Cruising in the Baby Bjorn

Story time

Napping buddies

Baby mohawk

Curly top

Cuddling

Quality grandma time

Miles is six weeks old already! This also marks the halfway point of Sarah's maternity leave. She is not very happy about this at all!

Miles was quite the ladies man this week at a play date with 3 other girl babies. He's not very social yet - but just wait! It was fun for Sarah to see other babies and talk with other moms experiencing the same things with their babies such as high velocity baby farts, infant hiccups and sleepless nights. Sarah signed the family up for Early Childhood Development classes that start Monday evenings in September, as well as baby story time at both the Chanhassen and Southdale libraries.

Today was hectic but fun. Miles attended his first church festival. It was the 76th annual St. Huberts harvest festival and Sarah and her mom once again co-chaired the farmers market at the event. It was an all day marathon of pricing and selling produce and home-baked goods. One unique item we sold was the lemon cucumber. (Sarah googled it and it is a baseball sized, bright yellow cucumber that is sweeter then normal cucumbers. We bought a few and can't wait to try them.) Miles is still eating about every 2 hours during the day so this meant that Mike was committed to shuttling Miles back and forth between home and the church so that Sarah could feed him. We will try to stay committed to breastfeeding Miles as long as possible since so far the benefits to him way outweigh any inconvenience to us. Our family enjoyed eating the traditional chicken dinner, playing a few games of bingo and wandering around the booths. The Teddy Bear Band played a set in the afternoon and we know it won't be long before Miles is bopping and dancing to the music and playing all of the kids games at the festival.

Mike's parents have stayed with us for almost a month and tomorrow they hit the road again to visit friends and relatives in Kansas City and Oklahoma before heading back to Arizona for the fall and winter. They've been a tremendous help with projects around the house, cooking dinners and helping to care for Miles. Miles will miss them! We're planning to fly down to spend New Year's with them as we do every year. This year Miles will add a whole new element to this trip - it will be his first plane ride!