Meet the Cousins

We arrived home from a special Saturday night date to find Graham fast asleep in his swing alongside his three adoring - and equally tired - cousins, who were spread out across the bonus room floor with their pillow pets and blankets. It was one of many times this weekend that I wore a smile as our baby boy enjoyed his first moments with Aunt Michele, Uncle Pete, Lindsay, Madelyn, and Emily.

Here are some of the highlights in photos:

After some initial shyness, the girls showered Graham with hugs, kisses, and lots of attention. They even helped out on diaper and babysitting duties.

Graham and his cousins.

With Aunt Michele & Uncle Pete.

Saturday morning meant breakfast at Rick's Diner followed by YMCA basketball. The whole crew attended the Leprechauns' game on team picture day.

The Leprechauns YMCA team.

After everyone enjoyed a full day of Wii, outside games (Hide 'n Go Seek and trash can basketball were favorites), and a trip to Chick-Fil-A, Aunt Michele and Uncle Pete allowed the new parents a much appreciated night out in Chapel Hill. Knowing that Graham was in good hands, we enjoyed dinner at Spanky's followed by a trip to Caribou Coffee.

Date night.

As usual, the weekend passed much too quickly. After church, breakfast at Mama Dips, and another quick game of trash can basketball, we gathered out front for some Sunday afternoon photos. It's become something of a tradition to take photos in front of the house. Boy how things change!

The whole crew together.

Just the guys.

The cousins.

All smiles.

Thanks for visiting, Taylor Team 5. We loved having you in North Carolina to meet Graham.

Early Milestones

Since it's been a few days since our last post, I wanted to catch everyone up on Graham's latest milestones:

1. His umbilical cord has been gone for nearly two weeks now. It fell off on Friday, February 4th...the day before Mimi (a.k.a. Denise) left to return to Catonsville.
   
2. He's continued to gain weight. Thanks to the Durham Connects program, we had a nurse pay us a FREE in-home visit on February 9th to assess Graham, see how things were going, and answer any questions that we had. They weighed and measured Graham at the appointment, and he was up to 11 pounds, 5 ounces and 23 inches long. That's a gain of almost 3 pounds and one inch in 3 weeks! We hope he slows down soon, because we can't imagine having a 52-pound one-year-old. : )
   
3. He's experienced his first growth spurt. Yesterday (February 16th) he fed more frequently than usual, and today he's sleeping more than usual. With as big as he is, I can't believe the boy is experiencing a growth spurt!

Our boy turns a month old tomorrow, and we have his one-month well visit at the pediatrician next week. As he grows, our love for him grows. Matt and I continue to feel incredibly blessed by this little man.

Simple, Beautiful Moments

One of Matt's favorite sayings is "Simple can be beautiful." In my first few days as a new mom, I've collected a list of some of the simple moments that I've found incredibly beautiful:

• The sound of Graham breathing when he sleeps at night.
• Falling asleep with Graham laying on my chest after his early morning feeding.
• The feel of Graham wrapping his hand around my finger.
• Watching Graham learn about his body (he's still figuring out what to do with his hands) and his world (the monkey clock in his room is definitely an attention grabber).
• Hearing Matt sing to Graham when he's changing or rocking him.
• Watching Graham smile or break out into laughter in his sleep.
• Hearing that beautiful little cry (made even more special by the fact that he didn't cry for a while after his delivery).
• Knowing how completely his grandparents and other family members love him...even across the miles.
• Seeing people's faces light up when they see him or a photo of him.
• Enjoying time as a family of three, often accomplished by Matt and me reading a book to Graham or Graham and me listening to Matt play the piano.
• Being content to just stare at him and feel incredibly blessed that he is our little boy.
  

Graham's Activities

Graham does more than just pee on people during diaper changes. Okay, not much more.

Here's some of what he's been up to lately:

Watching sports with Mommy and Daddy, whose teams seem to do much better when the little guy is tuned in.

Watching hoops.

Enjoying special gifts from friends and family, like his new handmade blanket. Thanks, Charlene!

Snug as a bug in a rug.

Taking his first walk in the neighborhood.

After our first family walk.

And sleeping. Lots of sleeping.

Relaxing with Daddy.

 "Sleep when the baby sleeps."