3rd Quarter 2010 Update

Things continue to move right along here at the Gray household.  Here are a few updates:

1. Kellan's first day in the "big kids" (aka Honeybees) room at daycare was today.  He did pretty well.  Only napped for 50 minutes (which made for a cranky little boy come pick-up time), but ate all his food for the day.  Also, he decided to try eating sand... not such a good idea, as it irritated his upper lip and gums.  Maybe it distracted him from any teething pain he had (he's still trying to break out those molars).

2. He can now get up to a standing position without the aid of a pull-up item (i.e. walls, furniture, etc.).  We weren't sure he was going to learn before transferring to the Honeybees room, but he taught himself just in time.

3. Kellan's becoming more vocal.  He still mainly says "mah" for everything he doesn't have a word for, but he's definitely paying attention when we tell him what something is called and often attempts to mimic us.  We've recently taught him to say "wow!".

4. He's retrieving items when we ask ("Kellan, can you bring me the sock monkey?") and has knowledge of the location of several body parts, including his bellybutton.

5. He still loves avocados, and still (mostly) dislikes fruit.

Here are a couple of pictures from the last few weeks:

Mommy pulled out Kellan's "0-3 months"-sized hat and tested to see if it still fit... maybe his head isn't as big as we thought? (or, that's some seriously stretchy yarn)

He really is the coolest kid ever

Hanging out with Daddy

He gets so excited on walks outside - "Hey! Is that a rock?!"

It's pretty cute when we go to the high school stadium near our house - Kellan's always so mesmerized by the athletes

Someday, Kellan... someday...

Videos for Daddy to Look at While at Work

Row Row Row... Row Row Row Row... Row Whoa... Whoa Whoa... Whoa Whoa Whoa...

Doo-Dowwwwwww!!



Kyoot Starts with "K"

OK, so "cute" doesn't start with K, but we had to incorporate it somehow.  Kellan's just so darn adorable!  I mean, look at some of these pictures (if at least one of them doesn't bring a smile to your face, you must be dead inside):

Surprise! Jazz hands!!

Kellan has some great pensive looks

Pictures of him outdoors are Mommy's favorites

Doesn't it seem like he should be on a yacht somewhere in the Northeast?

His grins range from mischievous to charming to indefinable

FAMILY PHOTO TIME!

Three generations of Gray men

Daddy + the outdoors = happy Kellan

Who needs a professional portrait studio to take a family picture?

And now, I think it's time to go back inside...

Kaiser Family Reunion

Every year on the Saturday following Labor Day, the Kaiser Family Reunion is held (Mommy's side).  Last year, Kellan was only 3 months old and spent most of the time sleeping.  What a contrast to this year.  He was walking all over the place, friendly, curious... it was truly a joy to see him interact with family members we rarely get to see.

As usual, Kellan was smiley and happy

Notice the Father-Son matching outfits (yes, intentional)

Kellan had the prestigious honor to select the winner of this year's door prize

He pulled out 3 name slips, then dropped 2... the remaining one was the winner

(Congrats to cousin Sharon!  You still owe Kellan, by the way)

Kellan was fascinated by cousin Mark's guitar playing (as were several of the rest of us)

Maybe one of these days we can take up guitar lessons as a family and start a band!

Or not.

:-)

♪ Cousins, Cousins, There Were Never Such Devoted Cousins ♪

Kellan's lucky to have cousins as awesome and close as Finley and Thatcher.  Now that Kellan is walking, Finley is more interested in interacting with him.  And Thatcher is over half a year old now, so it won't be long before he and Kellan will be getting into mischief together.  Recently, we spent a weekend at Grandma Jean and Grandpa Jim's - it was so fun to watch them together!

Here's Finley, being her cute-as-a-button self in a floaty toy

 

Look at those Shirley Temple curls and that sweet smile!

Speaking of sweet smiles, check out Thatcher's cute grin

(it obviously runs in the family...)

I'd like to think that Kellan was trying to impart some sort of advice to Thatcher in this photo, but I think he just used Thatcher to pull himself up from the floor...

While we were in Bellingham, we decided to take a walk down at the end of Lake Whatcom.  It was such a beautiful day and so fun to spend time outdoors with family.

(I think Kellan was a little jealous of Finley and Thatcher's wicked cool ride, though)



An Athlete in the Making

Kellan has been exhibiting a tremendous interest in sporting goods recently.  Check out a few of the sports he might participate in when he's older:

Basketball

He's only average height for his age, but perhaps he could be a point guard?  I mean, look at that dribbling form - he's a natural!

Association Football (aka Soccer)

When I told Kellan it was a football on the floor, he must have thought I was referring to soccer (which is called football in almost every other country except America) - but clearly, he shows impressive skill maneuvering the ball with his foot, so maybe soccer will be his sport.

American Football

Few mothers dream that their only son will be on the defensive line of a football team, but I can't help but notice Kellan's seriousness in taking the stance of a center.  Maybe with his broad head, he won't need a broad body? (ha ha, kidding)

Frankly, I hope Kellan inherits his father's athletic skills.  While Mommy was a decent trackster, Daddy excelled in almost every racket and individual sport.  Once Kellan becomes more steady on his feet, maybe we should give him a ping pong paddle and see how he does with his swing.

Don't worry, I'll be sure to post the pictures.

Streaker

Kellan has vastly improved his walking skills in the past couple of weeks.  It's been fun to watch him develop his mobility, even if it does mean we'll need to re-childproof the house for a walker/climber.  In the meantime, we've tried to let Kellan roam as much as possible.  Recently that's meant getting him stripped down for his nightly bath, then letting him walk to Daddy in the bathroom.  Here's a video (warning: there is a significant amount of baby butt in this video... if that makes you uncomfortable at all, don't watch; although, Kellan's butt is tremendously adorable):

I love his squeal and the eventual laugh at the end... he's making the cutest noises these days!