4 months and 4 years

Graham

4 Months Old

If all kids were as easy as Graham then sign me up for a dozen! He's just that good! He's happy, adaptable, and carefree. He still loves his nighttime sleep, at 7 pm promptly! and he's still such a joy to be around.  At his last doc's appointment he weighted in like a champ at 17 lbs 9 oz, the 90th percentile, growing on his curve perfectly, so there's little to worry about other then the amount of our future grocery bills when he's a 6.2ft 200lb teenager.  Rolling over from his back to his tummy and sitting up (propped with his arms) are his new tricks for the month.  He's started to explore his excer-saucer and loves the freedom of "standing" and jumping around "on his own".  


Everything goes in his mouth these days, his favorite being his hands.  We are quickly learning that things are different this time around....  We are on constant watch for chocking hazards, aka his sister toys, whom ever designs these kids toys to be so small has never had a 4 year old and a 4 month baby in the same room at the same time.   

1 day old, 1 month old, 2 months old, 3 months old, 4 months old

Graham loves his sister and his dog, both are able to make him smile simply be entering the room. Graham is a thinker. He's pretty content with just sitting on the back porch looking up at the sky, watching the leaves blow around in the wind.  It's hard to say, but I'm pretty sure he'll love being outdoors as much as the rest of us. 

 

This fall we introduced him to a ski lift, the changing colors and lots of family picnics. He saw his first snow, had his first stomach flu and tried his first solid foods (so far his favorite by far is sweet potatoes).

Greta

4 Years Old

1 day old, 1 year old, 2 years old, 3 years old, 4 years old

Our "baby" is now 4 years old! In just a blink of an eye, she's turned from an infant into a little girl. She's tall dark haired and beautiful, in and out! She's stubborn and opinionated (she can thank me for that).  She wants what she wants, when she wants it and come hell or high water before she's going to give up.  But she also is smart and caring, sensitive and thoughtful, observant and almost unnaturally spatial (she can thank her dad for that).  She want's to be a butterfly teacher when she grows up (at her school the butterfly class is the infant classroom) and spends the majority of her free time teaching her toy animals, reading to them in "circle time" and taking them on walks or to the playground.  

She's just recently started writing her name, very well I might add. She can trace letters with great accuracy and has started "reading" books, from memory, to us at night.  She's a speed demon on her bike with training wheels and loves to dig in the dirt...building canals, bridges and houses out of just about anything she can find in the backyard (it's the engineer in her, just like grandpa).  She cherishes her 2 hours of screen time a week, which she fills with Bob the Builder, or Sunday morning cartoons.  She is a master on the iPhone and has her own apps on daddy's phone.  
Her teachers tell us daily how good of a helper she is and how pleasant she is to have in class.  She's still an amazing artist with a wild imagination. She tells us when she turns 16 she wants to drive a soft top Jeep.  When she's a big kid and moves out of the house, she plans to buy the house next door so she can have us (mom and dad) over for dinner ever night. When she has her own house,  she'll eat fruit loops breakfast and watch TV as much as she wants (obviously there are rules in our house that she could do without).  She's growing up fast, too fast, but it's such a pleasure to watch how she changes and how she discovers her world along the way.

It's pretty safe to say that Team Kirby has adjusted to our new member and is a fully functioning family... again. We're all a little older but non the less wiser.  

Graham is GROWING...fast!

At his 2 month check up he weighed in at over 14 lbs (surely over 16lbs now)

which is 113% of his target weight for 2 months.

He's our little linebacker, packing on the pounds but also packing on the personality.

He's a joker or at least that is what we've concluded from all the faces he makes.

We've all managed to picked a nickname for him already...Stefan calls him "Bruder" (it's german for brother), Greta refers to him as "little man" and I like Graham Cracker and "Grahamers". What ever you call him, he's just simple the most agreeable, even tempered, super star of a baby. It's simple in Grahams world; He likes to eat and he likes sleep, he's just a happy guy! He's quickly learning from his sister that awake time is for talking. Coos and squeals echo off the walls. Graham is 3 months old now. He's started to rollover, he's found his toes, and he loves to sit up (assisted of course) and can suck on his hands (right pointer finger is his fav). Greta loves being a BIG sister. She reads Graham stories, gets him toys to play with and always gives him lots of hugs and kisses.

Graham's 2-3month photos

We are really enjoying our new family....but have not managed to get a family photo yet

Here's two of my favorite almost full family photos

It truly is amazing how much Greta and Graham look alike!

The 3's have been hard on Greta (and on Mom and Dad too!) She's testing her boundaries in more ways then I thought possible. The terrible 2's were nothing compared to the emotion that is driving this girl through her 3's. She's adjusted well to Graham's arrival, although I know some of her frustrations are related to his presents. Greta is just very smart, very emotional, very driven, and very stubborn! (Apples don't fall far from the tree!) With helpful advise from friends and family and a lot of patience, we are managing to get thought this challenging time in our little girls life.

Great trip home to Colorado in August.

It's so good to visit with family and this last trip home was packed full of it!

We're headed back to Steamboat tomorrow for one last summer vacation before I have to start back to work again. This very special summer with our new baby boy has flown by so fast... much like I know his coming years will fly by as well. If anything I've learned over the last few months is to live in the now! I've always been someone to wonder about missed opportunity or "would-of-could-of" moments, but something has changed me. I am not sure if it was all the labor inducing drugs, or the fact of knowing that I know that this is our last baby and that each smile on Grahams face, each "first moment" of his life will never happen again, or maybe my grandpa was just right all along....He used to say that "you don't know shit until your 35".

Well, I turned 35 this year!

Time to Relax with the Kidos

Our favorite vacation destination over the past several years has been the condo in Steamboat. It's just one of those places that makes you relax the second upon arrival. It's homey, predictable and unassuming. We've spent the last three 4th of July vacations at the condo as Team Kirby. This year our new member was in tow with the team for 9 wonderful days. Graham, now 7 weeks old, was super baby brother on our trip. With not a peep out of him for the entire 8 hour drive out (don't worry we paid for this on the drive home). His sister, on the other hand, was a talking machine. She managed to chat the entire 8 hours, surpassing a nap, while entertaining herself and pink baby (her doll and partner in crime) in the backseat.



At the condo we had lots of time to eat, go on hikes and enjoy our family. Greta always looks forward to the parade on the 4th and our traditional chilli cheese slaw dogs. This year we got her some fireworks of her very own. Stefan took G fishing and we all got to enjoy hot springs pool. Graham put one hand in the water and fell asleep...yes it was that relaxing. Then to top off our already great trip, we recieved a visit for our dear friends the Alexanders. It was so great to see them, as we don't get to see them often enough. Finn and Greta played like old buddies and we talked with Jay and Nicki like it had not been a year since our last visit...the true testomonie of life long friends. It was sad to leave Steamboat. If only there was a way to call it home. But for now we're planning another trip in the fall and are back at our Sandy home.

He came out a Graham

Graham Stefan Kirby

Born May 24, 2011 @ 5:45pm

8 lbs and 20 in long

My phone rang as I sat in the hospital bed, It was Greta. She was on her way to come meet her new baby brother but she had a question for me first...."Did he come out a Graham?" she asked with a level of excitement I had never heard in her voice. I replied "YES!" Naming the new member of Team Kirby proved to be one of our biggest challenges to date. Stefan had his name, Henry. I had my name, Graham. Neither of us were certain that the others name would do. So we made a deal. If he came out with blond hair, Stefan would name him; if he came out with dark hair I would name him; and if he come out bald or red haired he'd be named after our granddad's, Charlie. This little man did not come out willingly. After entering my 10th month of pregnancy, our doctor advised us that it was time to give the little guy some help in entering this world. My fluid was getting low, his weight was on the large side and my tolerance of being huge and pregnant was waining.

I really did not want an induction, but a c-sections was not my idea of birthing fun either. So we gave him 5 days past my due date to make up his mind...either come out on his own or we're coming in. Of course he waited for us to give him a bit of encouragement! He would not be a true Denham-Kirby otherwise. After having my water broken by the doctor, gallons of oxytocin dripped into my veins, 9 hours later of labor and one strong push our baby boy revealed a big head full of dark hair. The deal was settled, he would indeed "come out a Graham."

But thanks to Graham's stubbornness, Nana got to be here for the birth! She stay 10 wonderful days with us! I am so lucky to have my mom. She swooped in, cleaned house, did laundry, made us meals, laughed with us, loved on her grandkids and then would disappear at just the right time to allow our new family to have our special moments. Thanks again Mom!

Gmom and Popa were the next round of visitors. It was great to have them here. They made it was very special for Greta, letting her go "camping" in their trailer for a night. Stefan and I really enjoyed this time to spend one-on-one with Graham. We know that there will be very few of these moments to spend with #2, so we were very grateful!

Greta is being such a great BIG Sister! She likes to help get diapers and blankets for her baby brother. She's been reading him stories and telling him all about the world around him. She's had her moments of jealousy but in general she has been fantastic with the changes in her world. It is still stunning to me how she instantly "grew-up" when we returned from the hospital, infant in arms. She will always be my baby but now she's my little girl!

Graham is now 3 weeks old. He's been sleeping good at night, a super eater and is masting his facial expressions. This week he started cooing, it's soooo cute, and he's keeping his eyes open more and more everyday. We've managed add a little normalcy back into our lives, getting in a few hikes, walks and even a tailgate at snowbird over the weekend while mommy,daddy and Greta took turns skiing.

Stefan had to return to work this week, leaving me to figure out how to care of a baby solo again. It's not exactly an "old hat" routine but I think I am getting it. I am off work until September and will cherish every day I have with my guy until "real life" takes me away from him as it did with Greta.

Snow Bunny Easter

This years Easter celebrations, were close to home and quite. For the last 4 years we've either had Easter brunch at our house making eggs benedict with all the fixings for all our friends or we've gathered in the desert camping with friend making eggs benedict with all the fixings....have you caught on that I LOVE eggs benedict! The only other thing missing this year, other then our friends, was the mimosa! I also LOVE mimosas! But with baby brother baking in the oven we took it easy and experienced a whole new Easter in our own back yard.

Greta got spent Easter at Snowbird being a snow bunny!

She meet the Easter bunny...

found some of his eggs fill with goodies...

then spent the rest of the day skiing with Daddy!

She's really getting her ski legs this year!

I spent the day looking like the Easter bunny hid all of his eggs in my belly :)

Baby Madness

T-minus 3 weeks until the 4th member (5th if you include the big dog) is added to Team Kirby. Not sure what happened to the last 8 months. A recap of our adventures is long awaited and long overdure, as always. I honestlythink I may be the laziest blogger around...well it's time to jump back on the wagon.

Winter came on strong for the Wasatch front. Dumping loads of snow on our porch and backyard playground. I managed to get a few days in a the resorts before my ski pant button burst and before my "mommy conscious" told me that it just was not safe to risk it anymore. Cross country skiing was looking hopeful for the rest of the winter, but early contractions put an end to that fun and most any activity in my days. I figured I could it was better to stop and rest then have a 2lb baby boy.

We did manage to get one family ski trip to Southern Utah's Boulder Mountain, were we stay at our favorite lodge for a quite get away. We've spent most of the rest of the winter close to home "nesting". Time at home allowed us to finish the long awaited master bath remodel, putting the Raintree House remodel to bed, finally. There is not a surface inside this house that we have not proudly improved. Time to move...ha, just kidding.

March and April felt like a mad dash to the baby readiness finish line and as the month's end is creeping up on us FAST, I feel we are ready for the next chapter in our life to start. My belly has reached a point of no return. Even my doctor commented at my last appointment that I already look full term...and I am only 36 weeks. Not sure I have it in me to get any larger, I'll most likely just fall on my face. My only hope is seeing a friend of mine most recently bake twins in her belly to 38 weeks, and one day. Her pre-pregnancy frame is 1/3 of mine and she had twice my belly diameter, so I have some hope that I'll stay upright.

It's funny that the thing that gets me the most about this pregnancy, is not the pregnancy at all or the reality of our baby boy's arrival. No, it's the pure amazement of watching my #1 little girl grow up in what seems to be at an exponential rate right before my eyes. Greta has transformed into a full blown preschooler over the months. Her imagination is thriving and her speech is shockingly advanced. She tells fascinating stories of the adventures of "Pink Baby" (her doll). They travel the world together, cook, go to the play park, meet new friends together, but most of all they spend lots of time on Redondo Beach (her most memorable vacation spot to date, thanks to Dave and Shelley. I am convinced she will leave home to live there someday). She's also an amazing talent in the Art department. Creating masterpieces with any paper she can get her hands on, some scissors, markers/paints and a glue stick.

She is an emotional and caring girl, who is constantly bringing me pillows for my aching prego back and always remembering to give baby brother a kiss on my belly or telling him where we are going so he does not feel left out just because he can not see yet. So as the arrival of #2 is among us I can't hardly imagine that we'll be so lucky to have these experiences again, all be it in a totally new and different light then the first time. I never really thought I would be a mom, but now I can not see my life any other way. She has changed me, and he will too!

The baby timer is now officially ticking. I am not totally convinced that I will make it full term this time (May 19) leading me to believe that early May will be his arrival time, just like his sister. I'll keep you posted.