Melissa can get Grady to laugh so hard when she gets in and kisses him on his neck.  i keep trying to get it on video but as soon as i grab the camera he gets bashful and doesn't laugh as hard.  during this video though he made his little eyebrows go up and down and its very funny.  neither of us noticed that he did it when it happened but it is noticeable on the video.  it happens about 45 seconds into the video.  too too funny.

cereal anyone?

here is a short video of Grady eating solid food for the first time.  its the baby cereal.  we don't think he was a big fan of it at first. he didn't hate it though.  now he eats it pretty regular but this video was his first try.  can't wait to see him eating different fruits and veggies to see what he likes and doesn't like.

Grady gets in the jumparoo for the 1st time

Grady seemed to have a good time in the jumparoo.  he thinks its a walkaroo though.  i still think he is going to skip crawling and go straight to walking.  no matter what he does he sure doesn't look like a 4 month old baby sitting inside that thing.  what a big boy.

P.S. pay no attention to Buddy eating his imaginary popsicle on the side of the video, he does that constantly.

smiley

picture taken with my cell phone.  in case you're wondering, i like having my fingers in the picture some times...

1 year ago

Poppy was taken home to heaven one year ago today.  we miss you Poppy but we know you are in a better place and watching over everyone of us.  i will always remember sitting with you every holiday and listening to your stories.  i always had a great respect for you and the life you lived.  i still am amazed you built your house with your own two hands.  we miss you Poppy and always will.

ten years ago...

On /January 13Th 1999 Melissa and i met face to face for the first time!  

i was living with my brother Josh in Kenmore and Melissa lived with her mom in Firestone park. one day, josh tells me he is going to buy a Webtv and I immediately tell him what a stupid idea it is, waste of money, useless etc.  josh wisely purchases the webtv despite my advice.  meanwhile Melissa has had a Webtv for about a year but didn't know she could use it to go to chat rooms.  at about the same time i decided to give Josh's webtv a shot Melissa figured out how to get into chat rooms and we both happened our way into a chat room called "Ohio Flirts" i typed in a simple question "Who's in Akron?"  Melissa answered "me."     

Melissa and i met almost every night in the same chat room from mid November until this fateful day in 1999.  it was a normal January day in Ohio.  it was snowing inches by the hour and Melissa didn't have to work, and almost her entire family had stayed home due to the heavy snow.  i worked at 4pm and Melissa and i were chatting before i had to go to work and she suggested that i could come to her house and meet her since she felt safe due to everyone in her house being home with her.  i hopped into my little red ranger pick up truck and drove from Kenmore to Firestone park, normally a 10 minute drive, it took me about 40 minutes due to snow.  when i found the address and knocked on the front door Melissa answered and changed my life forever.  She couldn't have been more beautiful in any way.  i couldn't take my eyes off of her.  we were both so nervous all we did was sit on the couch and smoke cigarette after cigarette.  it was quite a scene.  me being nervous to meet her, sandy, billy, bobby and her 2 roommates all at the same time and her being nervous that i was a psycho killer from the internet.

it feels like it was ages ago that we met but i can still remember it like it happened yesterday.  Melissa you are the love of my life and when i think i can't possibly love you any more than i already do i take one look at you and realize i have only begun to love you.  Thank you for giving me a chance, thank you for putting up with me, thank you for being my wife, thank you for giving me a child that we both love more than anything, ever.  

I LOVE YOU MORE NOW THAN EVER!

check up

Grady had a check up today, and 2 shots.  he is just over 16lbs and is 27 inches tall.  that puts him off of the doctor's chart for babies his age.  our suspicions are confirmed, he is one big baby.  everything else is fine from the doctor's point of view.  Grady cried longer when we lay him on the table to be looked at by the doctor than he did when the doctor gave him his shots.  still not fun to see him crying.  do those needles for his shots really have to be so long?  i mean he gets the shots in his legs and those needles look long enough to poke him in the bone.  at any rate, doctor visits are over for another 2 months...hey, maybe it will be  warm by then!

1/3

who is 4 months old today?  GRADY IS! Happy 1/3 of a year old to our big boy!  he got about 6 inches of snow so far to help celebrate. :(