What a week!

Eating a very healthy breakfast: Fresh juice, strawberries, and eggs.

****Warning: Very long post!****

     What a fun week we had. I don't want this blog to be all about just what we did but possibly some more thought put into it with ideas and such. However, for now I don't have anything like that. Soon though. So Monday was great! Perry helped move someone's stuff with a new friend we will call "The Chamelion". He chose the name and didn't want to use his real name for privacy purposes. So Chamelion is like the nicest person we have ever met. He for one is giving Perry work through tutoring but also the moving jobs. Also when Perry tutors him, Chamelion always buys Perry something to eat (Which of course is the way to Perry's heart lol). But then we were invited to see "Recycled Percussion" which was the top finalist in America's Got Talent. They were sooo good and loud and definitely a young people type of show but there were some older people in the audience. We were a tad late because we were given like an hours notice and Grant doesn't go to bed very early but he went to bed at 7pm that night. I was shocked because he had had a 4 hour nap that day and usually when I'm trying to get ready for a date he doesn't  seem to cooperate and go to bed when I try to get him down. So anyway perfect scenario. After the show I got to know Chamelion's sister and his date. We went to a mexican restaurant down the road and ordered dessert. But to tell you the truth I think I enjoyed this interaction the most. We were laughing and talking and just having blast. Perry and I don't know anyone our age here in Vegas due to the area we are living. A lot of retired rich individuals and we are the poor helpless free loaders. Anyway things will change soon on that front. Back to the story: We just loved hanging out with those people. Chamelion's sister was so funny and Chamelion is just such a thoughtful individual. A great people person, and I perceive a very intellectual person inside his noggin. I feel like I want to know this guy forever and Perry and him, before I met him were like insta-friends. He also reminds me of a guy I used to know back in Redding, CA. This old friend and I could talk for hours and we were also friends immediately. I'm assuming he is going to read this blog but I didn't write all these nice things because of it. This is just how I feel and he is for real.
     Anyway, enough! Enough! So Tuesday we got a much needed oil change because our car is older it needs to be well taken care of. Well every car does but things go wrong much faster on older cars. I had cubscouts that evening and we were making decorations for the blue and gold dinner coming up this week. I am over the Bears but somehow I was put over the Webelos. It was pretty fun for a change.

    Wednesday Perry, Grant, and I went to Grant's WIC appointment. Grant had great fun playing with all the new toys there. He was weighed: 19.10 lbs (almost big enough for a forward facing carseat....Ours requires 22lbs.) Measured: Don't remember. And we learned he is average in height and the lowest line on the chart for weight. She said he was very small but we obviously know our boy and he can eat. He eats 3 big meals a day and 3 big snacks a day. I don't think he is lacking in nutrients. Now that he is a year though I will no longer we on the WIC and we will just have him. Due to that change he gets whole milk which the woman said should strengthen his body as he gains fat from the milk as well. Now I'm not the biggest fan when it comes to cow's milk. Its not exactly made for humans. It is acidic to the body. However I'm okay using it unless Grant has like a reaction. So far he hasn't had a reaction. But he isn't crazy about it either. It will take a while for him to actually drink it all the time. He really likes to drink freshly juiced apples, carrots, and greens. He also gets a smoothie every day. I think is just fine but moving on. Grant also got his big toe poked to check his iron levels. They were nice and high and I was so nervous about you know him not liking the poke, but he didn't even seem to notice.  After that appointment we went to the Health District to get his due shots (immunizations). I was less nervous here. But we knew he was in need of a lot of shots. I had to hold him and he got one shot in his left arm and one in his left thigh. Then we turned him the other way and he got THREE in the other arm. Poor baby. So sore. He cried and cried and cried. But he got a total of 7 immunizations in FIVE shots. Ah!!! I just have to keep thinking that it is for the best. After the appointment we noticed he had a hematoma in his mouth. Look it up. It is supposed to go away in a week. It is basically gone now but that explains why he has been so crabby even after having teethed a tooth.  He got a fever the night after the immunizations were given.

    Finally I went to the other DI this week. I had dreamt about going for like 3 nights in a row but in my dream I kept ending up at the other DI! So frustrating! I had to go! I bought a bunch of blouses, a couple skirts, a dress, and some other cute items. Perry worked all day on Saturday and we had stake conference. It was like a tribute to Joseph and Emma Smith. Very nice; a lot of musical numbers. I had a hard time paying attention because my mind was racing about other things but I tried.
  Among other things Grant has started to become so darn cute. I mean he has always been cute but seeing him learn is awesome. He does the book sign when he wants to read a book and then picks one out and holds it out to me with the biggest smile ever. Then when he is done he will throw it on the ground and then get another book to read. Every once in a while he will try to put it back where he found it. He also signs the food sign when he is hungry and goes into the kitchen. He used to always sign the milk sign when he was hungry but now it has transitioned! Grant has also started throwing tantrums regularly which causes him to accidentally bonk his head on the ground. Ouch!

Anyway those are the updates. Love it or leave it!
See you next week!

The Real BirthDAY!

    So of course I have tons to report on the week. Sunday, the parents (Perry and I) had a genius idea. Grant loves to be outside and it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I wanted him to be able to be in the sun, however, I didn't want to supervise him the whole time. So the idea was... we put up a kid gate. So there is Grant happily playing with the rocks with his cuz.  I love letting him play with out getting worried about how fast he is walking down the drive way or if he is going to want to go in the street. I am one of those parents who believes in prevention when it comes to discipline... like don't let the atmosphere that would cause one to be disciplined to be around. So basically what I'm saying is using the gate made it so I didn't have to say no to the street. 

Tuxedo from DI.

  
 So then Monday was exciting. I had planned a great family home evening dedicated to Megan because she is going on her mission. I asked her to tell me what she wanted for dinner. She chose a Thai theme. So I made pineapple fried rice and coconut curry chicken.  I added fresh vegetables and dip and plain rice to the menu after the main things. Man it was sooooo good! I guess I'm a pretty good cook or something or the recipes were divine. For dessert we had yummy sticky coconut rice with mangos. Also delicious. During dinner we went around the table with different facts about the area Megan is going and pictures of the area. Then we went around and talked about an experience with Megan and why she will be a good missionary. Then I read the history of the mission and tried to sing the mission song.  She mentioned that she really like the FHE and I felt really good about that.  Then alas she left early Wednesday. We all said goodbye and lucky for me Grant woke me just in time. I know he woke me many many many times in his lifetime but I would much rather wake up from him than an alarm clock in some circumstance.. or I would rather not be woken by anything but him if it has to happen.
     Thursday Amber and I, and my mom went to the DI. Perry took Grant.  We were there forever and Perry babysat Grant for 6 hours! What a great hubby! If it were only me I wouldn't have been gone that long. Oh well. Perry had the opportunity to put Grant down for his nap. That helped me realize that Perry can watch Grant all day but I think next time we try it I will pump milk. So that is exciting for me if I want like a day off from nursing Grant. Or in case someone needs to watch Grant while we go on a small vacation they can bottle feed him. He just wasn't too interested in bottle feeding before but now he seems like he would do it. So at the DI I searched for blouses and skirts. I'm in need of more colorful blouses for my skirts.
    So I don't remember much else of what went on this week until Grant's birthday. Below is a picture journal of what Grant did on his first birthDAY as opposed to the party day:

Not from his birthday but look at that good form. He will be a great pitcher.

On the phone.

This is where the birthday events start.

So he had peanut butter.

Played in the backyard.

We went to the pet store.

We fell in love with this pure bred 9 week old german shepherd pup. He was 1400 dollars. Very calm puppy though.

Opened presents... He did better here than at Christmas.

Thanks to Aunt Amber, Uncle Jason, Cousin Trey, and Cousin Hailey. Exactly what we asked for...a tub mat, push light, and water pour thing for tub time (its rubbery).

Thanks to Grandma Stotts and the Gneiting family.

I think this birthday cake turned out way better! Simplicity is the bomb.

He cried a little when he saw the smoke.

He dug right in. However he didn't like being messy. 

Got his first hair cut! The day after the birthday!

So strong carrying a basket.

On Saturday we decided to do the strip thing... except for us that meant you know all the clean things to do that were free. We saw the lions at the MGM grand, the Bellagio fountains show, and the flamingos and other birds at the Flamingo. I wanted to see the circus show but  we didn't have time, the boys didn't have naps, and the parents were getting tired. I will post pics of that once my sister sends me the CD of pictures. I forgot my camera so we used hers and we didn't have time to upload pics.

  Before we went to the Strip Perry was asked by his tudee/student if he wanted to get paid for moving someone's stuff into their new home. He said it would take 30 minutes. I decided to tag along expecting to go to the strip afterwards. Lo and behold, Perry was helping move Brandon Flower's and Tana Flower's mattresses. If you don't know who they are, Brandon is the lead singer to the band "The Killers" I am familiar with a couple of their songs. I talked with Tana a bit and it was really fun. She is pretty down to earth. So I haven't really mentioned that Perry posted on Craigslist that he can tutor or teach French or Spanish for a charge per hour basis. He now has 4 students and Tana may want to be one of them. He makes pretty good money with that and after moving things the other day he is also probably going to get regular moving jobs. So we are slowly making money. I also have an interview with an online company today to be an Administrative Assistant who works from home. Perfect for a stay at home mom. 

Stay tuned for next weeks post. Sorry this one is late but better late than never!

Let Him Eat Cake!

So the cake I made for him turned out terribly. On his real birthday I will probably make a much better cake! This one was going to get destroyed anyway right?

Eating ice cream.

The damage.

Lighting the candles.

What and ugly basketball. I should have done a flat ball. It would have turned out better!

Notice the one.

Trey loves sugar!