6-15-08 Father's Day

Today is Daddy's first Father's Day. What a big day for him. We didn't do a whole lot today because we are going to go with Daddy on his business trip this week. We decided we would try to do something then. I did get Daddy a really special picture. Mommy had one of her friends (Molly P) paint a water color picture of me. It turned out really well and he was really surprised.

6-15-08 Nine Months Old

Today I am nine months old. I am everywhere and trying to get into everything that I see. I also crawl really fast now, pull myself up on everything and I am trying to learn to walk behind my walker. I get mad and sit down and cry though when I run into something with my walker. Although I am getting better at getting it to go where I want. I can't wait until I can walk all on my own. I have also learned to point at things. I am excited for the summer to play outside. I will write more later.

Stats at 9 months:
Weight - 23.98 lb (92%)
Height - 29.13 in (77%)
Head Circumference - 19.69 (>97%)

6-8-08 Grandma Johnson, Tierra, and Zander came to visit

Grandma Johnson, Tierra, and Zander came to visit this weekend. I was a little bit scared when I first saw them and I cried just a little bit. Mostly I just stared at them and tried to figure out who these new people were in my house. Yesterday we went shopping and I rode on the carousel. Grandma bought me lots of jammies. Today we are just hanging out at home. It is raining and I am a little bit crabby, but I am having lots of fun playing with my cousins!

6-7-08 Riding on the carousel at the mall

Today Daddy took me on the carousel at the mall. That was so much fun. I just screamed and screamed. I didn't want it to stop.

6-5-08 My First Steps

Tonight I took my first steps. Mommy and Daddy were sitting on the couch and I decided to get up and walk across the floor with my little push wheeler. I think they were pretty surprised. Wow! I am pretty good!

5-29-08 Lip Smackin' Good!

5-26-08 I can pull myself up now

Tonight I pulled myself up in the crib. I am such a big boy and thought that I was sooooo cool. I will post a picture soon.

5-26-08 I love Mommy's cell phone

Step 1: I have the phone and I am happy!

Step 2: Mommy takes the phone away. I am getting mad.

Step 3: I am now throwing a fit.

I absolutely love Mommy's cell phone, especially when I get to talk to my grandparents on it. Mommy puts them on speaker phone and then I can hear them talk. I like to hold the phone too. I like to push the buttons but sometimes I hang up on people. When Mommy takes the phone away, I usually cry...hard.

5-26-08 Introducing solid foods...not going so well...

I am not too keen on this whole solid food thing. It makes me want to throw up. I would rather stick with the runny stuff!

5-15-08 Eight Months old today

On May 15, I turned 8 months old. I am learning so much now that I can crawl. I am keeping Mommy and Daddy very busy. Mommy is trying to give me foods that are not all soupy like I like them. For example, she gave me a slice of a peach and a piece of banana. It was pretty gross. I like it when I don't have to chew anything...just swallow. I mean really, I don't know what she expects, I only have two teeth!

Besides crawling, I can pull myself up on the furniture onto my knees. I am trying to stand all the way up on my legs, but I just haven't gotten there yet. I have taken a few tumbles trying, but haven't gotten hurt too bad yet. Mommy and Daddy covered up all of the furniture with blankets so that if I would hit my head on something I won't hurt myself too bad. I still do a lot of talking. My favorite is "da-da-da".

I have had a few colds this spring. They are not very fun. I get a runny nose and a cough. What is the worse is when Mommy and Daddy have to wipe my nose. I think now I am finally feeling much better.

5-12-07 I can paddy cake and crawl

5-11-08 Happy Mother's Day to Mommy

Today was Mommy's first Mother's Day. Daddy and I worked very hard trying to make it special. I took her breakfast in bed and gave her a canvas picture of me. She loved it. Today I was Mommy's boy. I wanted to be held just by her. Tomorrow I will be back to trading between the both of them. That seems to work well for me. If one says "no" maybe the other one will say "yes". Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!

5-10-08 Special kisses from the bride and groom

Today I got to go to my first wedding. My very special daycare provider, Molly, and her new husband, Max, gave me big kisses. Molly looked so pretty. At the reception there was music and I got to see Molly and Max dance. It was so much fun. When we left, I was really tired and I was asleep in the car almost before we got out of the parking lot. Whew! What a fun day!

5-4-08 Weekend at home with nothing to do

This weekend we hung out at home with nothing to do. I really don't think that I have had many of those since I have been born. In fact, on Saturday, I barely got out of my jammies. I took a bath and back in them I went.

On Sunday, we got up, went to church and then we went for a long walk in the stoller. It was a really nice day. Mommy and Daddy took a lot of pictures of me discovering flowers, trees, and grass. Wow! Those things are pretty cool.

I haven't been sleeping very well. I have been waking up in the night with a cough. I went to the doctor last week and the doctor said that my lungs were clear (not sure where my lungs are, but Mommy and Daddy were sure glad to hear that) and they said that the cough is the last to leave after a cold. I wish it would go away.

4-20-08 My Baptism

I was baptised at Trinity Lutheran Church in Tipton, Iowa on Sunday, April 20. It was a big day for me. Lots of my relatives came to visit me for the weekend. When we were in church, Pastor Donnita Moeller poured water on my head. She said that I am now one of God's children. Wow, how special is that?

I am 7 months old

On April 15, I turned 7 months old. I am really growing. Even some of my 6-9 month clothes I can't fit into because I am too long. I am starting to get ready to crawl. I want to go forward to get to something, but for some reason I end up going backwards and the thing that I am going after gets further away. This really makes me mad. With that said, I have also started developing something that Mommy and Daddy call a "temper." I have started to figure things out. I know just when to cry when I want something. For example, when Mommy and Daddy put me in my high chair for dinner and then they walk away to go and get my food, I just cry. They usually pick up the speed when I do this.

4-14-08 I wonder if I can fly

4-14-08 Long time no post

OK, this is terrible. It has been a long time since I have posted. I have to tell you though, I have been very busy. During this time, I turned 6 months old (3-15-08). With that came learning to sit up all my myself. Now I don't have to lay around anymore. I can sit up and see what is happening around me.

Stats:

Weight - 20.83 lb (88%)

Height - 27.46 in (73%)

Head Circumference - 18.60 in (> 97%)

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I am also continuing to eat lots of different fruits and vegetables. I don't really have a favorite, but I definitely would say that I really like my fruit.

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We went back to Nebraska and I got to see Great Grandma and spend lots of time with her. I saw my Aunt, cousins, Grandpa Johnson, and Grandma Johnson too, but I spent most of my time out at Great Grandma's house. She likes to cuddle with me, but I am really starting to like to move around and so I think that was a bit challenging for her.

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I love to play with my toys especially when Mommy and Daddy play with me. One of my favorite toys is my Leap Frog Table. When Mommy and Daddy put it away at the end of the night I cry.

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Mommy had her birthday on 3-21-08. Daddy and I got Mommy some things from this store called "Dollar General" for her birthday. I got her a felt flower and Daddy got her a candle. Daddy said that he didn't have a lot of time to get her a nice present (he has been working 70+ hours a week) so we will get her one soon a surprise her. We were at Aunt Tiffany and Uncle Henry's for the week.Grandma got sick earlier in the week so we went to Nebraska to be with her. It was great getting to spend time with everybody, but the greatest thing was that Grandma is perfectly fine. I am so happy. I love to be with her. This is a picture of me with Mommy.

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I spent Easter Day (3-23-08) at home with Mommy and Daddy. The Easter Bunny even came. I am not sure how he got into our house, but he left me two pairs of shorts, two shirts, toys, Easter eggs, and some candy. My favorite thing was the green grass that was in the basket. I tried to eat it, but Daddy said "no".

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I get to sit in my high chair to eat now (4/7/08). I like to sit up and play with my toys on my chair. It is pretty cool. I also started using a sippy cup (4/2/08). I am not very good at it yet, but I will get better.

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I got my two first teeth on Tuesday, April 8. Wow, that was hard work. They really hurt when they were coming in. I didn't get a fever or anything and Mommy and Daddy said that I really wasn't that crabby. I just kept biting everything and finally they popped in.

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Mommy had her work first trip away from home this past week (4/9/08 - 4/12/08). She went to California. I think that she really missed me. She cried before she left and kept giving me lots of hugs and kisses. Daddy said that he was jealous because Mommy used to cry when she went away because she was going to miss him. I told Daddy that times have changed...she still misses him, but I just get all of the attention now. Grandma Johnson came to stay with me. It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun getting lots of hugs and kisses from her. Mommy brought me back a new pair of moccasins. They are pretty cool.

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I am sure that I have missed a few things over the past couple months, but the bottom line is that I am happy, healthy, continue to grow bigger, and get cuter and cuter every single day.

02-23-08 Carter's baptism in Wayne

This last weekend we went to Wayne for my cousin Carter's baptism. I got to see Grandma and Grandpa Dunn, Aunt Tiffany and Uncle Henry, Uncle Mitchell, and Cousin Caden and Cousin Carter. We had a really good time. We had a party and everything. They even got to see me eating some of my new favorite food. Mommy and Daddy are giving me lots of different kinds of vegetables. I love green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Yummy!

I am also now saying a lot of new things. My favorite is "da-da-da". When I was talking with Uncle Mitchell this weekend he asked if I "was speaking Spanish or what?" Everybody got a good chuckle out of that one.

2-17-08 Star Wars

I finally fit into the onsie that Daddy bought me way before I was even born. He has been waiting for me to get big enough to fit into it for a long time. Daddy even bought himself the same shirt (only his doesn't snap where my diaper goes). Daddy also showed me his R2-D2 toy. It sings and dances. It was really neat, but it kind of scared me a little. Daddy even let me wear his Star Wars sunglasses. I am way cool!! I think if I am not a Star Wars fan when I get older he will be very disappointed.

2-15-08 Five months old today

Today I am five months old. I am really starting to develop my personality. I can show many different emotions from happy, sad, to mad! I get Mommy and Daddy's attention on them all. My hands are always in my mouth and now I also like to put my foot in there too. I am now eating some cereal and even tried some carrots. Both taste pretty good to me. At my last appointment I weighed 16 and a half pounds.

2-9-07 Little G-Man Johnson vs. Bunny for UFC Baby Belt

Bunny tapped out in the third round with 2 minutes remaining. G-Man won by submission and holds the UFC Baby Belt!

2-8-07 Grandma Johnson came to visit

This weekend, Grandma Johnson came to visit. We had a lot of fun just hanging out around the house. It was really cold outside so I didn't have to go anywhere. I even got to spend some quality time all by myself with Grandma while Mommy and Daddy went out for lunch and went looking for a new house for us to move into. I was really glad to see Grandma. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I don't think she changed a whole lot in that time, but she sure thought that I had. I can tell that she loves me very much and I love her too!

2-7-08 We got 14 inches of snow and I ate cereal

Yesterday we got 14 inches of snow. What that means is that Mommy and Daddy both stayed home from work yesterday and today. Daddy picked up some snow and put it in my hand. Brrr! It was cold and then it went away and my hand was all wet. Not sure on that one yet.

Also, yesterday, Mommy gave me some rice cereal for the first time. Hmm, it was okay, but I think I will like those Cheerios that Grandpa and Caden eat together.

2-7-08 ALERT to all babies!!

My friend Coraline sent me this. I am considering trying it.

Sleep Training - A Baby’s View
OK, here’s my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost 7 months. The first few months were great–I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night). At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse. I’ve talked to other babies, and it seems like its pretty common after Mommies have had us for around 6 months. Here’s the thing: these Mommies don’t really need to sleep. It’s just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleep–they just don’t need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle.

It goes like this:
Night 1–cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it’s hard. It’s hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it’s for her own good.
Night 2–cry every 2 hours until you get fed.
Night 3–every hour.

Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights.
Some Mommies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don’t give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT’S HARD! But she really does not need the sleep, she is just resisting the change. If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it.

Last night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for any reason I could come up with. My sleep sack tickled my foot. I felt a wrinkle under the sheet. My mobile made a shadow on the wall. I burped, and it tasted like pears. I hadn’t eaten pears since lunch, what’s up with that? The cat said "meow". I should know. My Mommy reminds me of this about 20 times a day. LOL. Once I cried just because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the monitor in the other room. Too hot, too cold, just right–doesn’t matter! Keep crying!! It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am. Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset your Mommies’ internal clocks.

P.S. Don’t let those rubber things fool you, no matter how long you suck on them, no milk will come out. Trust me.

2-3-08 Hanging out with Dad

This weekend we stayed home and didn't do a whole lot. Today it snowed all day. I practiced trying to sit up on my own and a couple of times fell right over on my head. It didn't hurt though. I also practiced trying to role over again, but I didn't get that job done.


Daddy played with me on the floor and really made me laugh. It was a lot of fun.

1-24-08 Four-month doctor appt

I forgot to post that I had my 4 month doctor appointment. I weighed 16.28 lb (74th %-tile) and am 25.79 in long (76th %-tile). I also got some shots. The doctor said that I looked great and was "very strong."

1-27-08 Fun weekend with Grandpa and Grandma Dunn

Grandpa and Grandma Dunn came to visit me on Thursday and stayed until Monday. We had so much fun together. Grandma brought me a whole bunch of clothes and some other goodies. They got to see me jump in my jumperoo and Grandpa kept saying, "I hope that he doesn't break that thing." He couldn't believe how hard I was jumping. They had a fun time trying to get me to laugh too. On Saturday night they got to spend one-on-one time with me while Mommy and Daddy went out on a date. Just like Grandma predicted, they left for their date at 5:30 and they had already called to see what I was doing by 7:00. When they got home, they even had a treat for me.

I wish that I lived closer to Grandma and Grandpa, but with all of the pictures and videos Mommy and Daddy take of me, it makes it easier. They are very special.

1-21-08 Me and my buddy, Ian, from Daycare

This is my new buddy, Ian. His Mommy is Molly. I go to their house while Mommy and Daddy go to work. As Daddy said, "we couldn't have found a better person to care for Grayson other than our parents."

1-21-08 Way too long for an update

Wow! Time has sure flown. I can't believe that I haven't put a post on here since before Christmas. Well, let me try to update you.


We spent half of my first Christmas in Lincoln with Grandma Johnson and Grandpa Johnson and the other half in Atkinson with Grandma and Grandpa Dunn. I got to see all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was sure a lot of fun. I got lots of fun things. I feel so blessed to be so loved. I got clothes, toys, a portable DVD player (which was great for the road trip), Baby Einstein DVDs, and money for my college fund. Whew! That is a lot of stuff. While I was on my trip though, I didn't feel very well. I didn't want to eat but now we think that it may have been my acid reflux. We are not sure. Mommy and Daddy took me to the doctor and they said that it might have been a virus too.



I think one of the best things that happened was that my cousin Carter got out of the hospital in Omaha just in time for Christmas. He was there for nine days after he got some sort of bug and got really, really dehydrated. I was really scared because he was really sick. But, with lots of prayers and his great doctors he is much much better.

Since we got back from our trip to Nebraska, I had a great New Year's with Mommy and Daddy. It was cold outside so we just stayed home and cuddled.

On January 2nd, Mommy went back to work. She cried that day, but it was okay because I am getting great care at Molly's house. I really like going there. I have made some new friends (Ian, Ashlyn, and Bode). On my first day there, Ashlyn (2 years) even gave me a kiss and said "like you."

I also turned 4 months old since my last post. This month I can now hold my head up really good, I rolled over once (but haven't again--I haven't spent a whole lot of time with "tummy time" though because of my acid reflux), I make rasberries with my mouth, coo and make all kinds of sounds (my favorite being the high pitched squeel). I also jump a lot in the jumperoo that Sharon (Mommy's friend) is letting us borrow.

I am going to post a couple of update pictures and a video for your viewing. I am sure that I have missed a lot of my happenings, but I will try to get better at my posts. Sorry for the long delay.

12-20-07 Wishing you all a Merry Christmas

Just in case I don't get to get on the computer when I get to Nebraska, I wanted to post a wish that everybody has a Merry Christmas! I can't wait for my first Christmas and for Santa to come!

12-20-07 A sledding back to Nebraska I will go!

Today we are going to head back to Nebraska. We will be in Lincoln until next Wednesday and then in Atkinson until the following Sunday. I don't know if I am looking forward to the trip (even though Mommy and Daddy bought me a portable DVD player and a bunch of Baby Einstein DVDs). I guess I have to look forward to all of the fun I will have when I get to my destinations. I don't know if I will go sledding back to Nebraska or ride in the car with Mommy and Daddy. The sledding was pretty fun!