It's been a Busy Summer!

Gus is almost 8 months old already!

He's a baby on the move both in the house and out of the house.  We've been very busy and he's traveled with us like a champ, heading to Rochester for a wedding shoot, the Finger Lakes for a weekend, his first Rock concert for Wilco and also a short weekend to Block Island!  He has swum in the Palenville creek, North Lake, the Hudson, fresh water pond on Block Island and Lake George-oh, and add one very nice in-ground pool (holla, Carly!).  He is somewhat crawling but prefers to ride in his walker over anything else and has a VERY healthy appetite which is starting to include chunks of soft foods.  He is a ham and a flirt and the two teeth that he has coming in on the bottom are sure to catch him even more attention once he flashes one of his signature smiles.  

He is our joy and we are so happy to share him with all of you.

Here's a few photos out of sequence but there's plenty there to help you catch up on our big happy babies past few weeks.  We'll be sure to post more photos after our trip to SF in the fall!

xxxooo The McGraths

Waiting for Wilco to start

First meeting with Aunt Cousin Ilene

hanging at North Lake

On our way to Block Island on Ferry

With Mommy on the ferry

at Corning Museum of Glass with Pappas favorite Chihuly

beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful boy

hanging with cousin Ryan on boat

first ride in backpack

at the top of Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen

born on the same day

on the dock/ Block Island

Swimming in fresh pond

Sleeping after a long hike

he's so kissable!!!

swimming in the Hudson

a visit from Uncle Russell!!

Daddy likes to raise me up!

Uncle Russell and Uncle Jose came for a visit!

sweet boy

in the Hudson

a boy and his dog

first real swing ride

Maynie, Emma, Martin and Luke visit!!

cuddle bunny

playing in the sand

maybe a Yankee fan?

I'm Five months in two more days!

Hello All!

Times are hectic indeed but we wanted to share the latest on the babes.

We've recently procured a walker from our dear friends Katie, Bryan and Luke and August is already moving from room to room!  He's also a big fan of his exersaucer, (not so much the johnny jumper) and is drooling enough to wet through 3-4 bibs most days so we expect teeth soon!

He's happy as can be and sleeping through the night in his crib now, which has been a harder adjustment for mom than baby for sure.  No solids yet, though we tried a couple weeks ago, he just seemed to get backed up for days.  In another month we'll begin carrots and sweet potatoes and try again.

For now I'm attaching a few images of our 17+ pound superboy.  He is our joy, and we are so glad to have him surrounded by all of you who love him so much!

XXOO

Hanging out with Uncle Jim!

Happy Easter Easter Bunny!

trying out food, but i like to use my hands

mid jump

hanging at grandma's

Cousin Gillian takes me for a day in the museum!

happy boy

so handsome

visit with Aunt Margie

and Aunt Carol and Uncle Billy!

my cousins the Parnhams!

Easter egg coloring with Uncle Robbie

A little video action to finish, please pardon Mommy's silliness, she's getting me to laugh for you!

10 weeks, 13.9lbs....

2 months/ 9 weeks.....

"THEY GROW SO QUICKLY"

Everyone says it....and you believe it......but still....

Our little infant seems to have sprouted into a beautiful butterball of a bouncing baby boy in no time.  Honestly, we have been to occasions where, upon comparison to other babes of his age,  it becomes glaringly obvious that August McGrath is no small fry.  He has already begun to outgrow his newborn and 1-3 month clothing, and I have to laugh at myself when I nearly cry thinking that it's the beginning of some end when really we're still SO at the very beginning.

Weighing in at 13 lbs, he's as healthy and strong as can be.  So alert, and already with a sense of humor, he spends his days mostly napping or sitting happily in his vibrating chair 'talking' to the animals that 'hang' above it and playing games with his tongue.  His favorite activity always is to sit or lie in your lap and listen to you talk......or watch you eat.......anything that gives him the opportunity to watch your mouth and tongue move in a variety of ways delights him to no end.  And animal noises......I swear he already copies me when I hoot like an owl.  He's earned himself the nickname of 'Weezer' though, as he tends to make a lot of noise when he's sleeping, sometimes rivaling the dog in who can better fill a room with snores.

He's 2 months yesterday and literally 9 weeks today.  

Mike and I keep trying to tell him to slow down, enjoy being a baby!  But then he just looks up at us smiling and coos.

 

The Birth Story

August's arrival ended up in our hands, somewhat....                            

The lil' guy was due on the 13th of December and when he hadn't arrived by the 21st, we decided that since we were faced with an induction on the 27th, why not go ahead and try and have this baby home by Christmas?  So in we went to St. Peter's at 6pm on the 21st.  By noon the next day we had gone through 18 hours of labor with the help of our wonderful doula, Tisha Graham, but somehow progress was stalled at 8cm.  An epidural was then given providing relief for Anne, who was falling asleep in between the 2-3 minute contractions that were only 1 minute apart!  After another couple of hours the doctors decided they saw evidence of cord strain and we were told a c-section was in order.

It took a while for things to get settled before the procedure began, but after all the many months of anticipation we finally heard the doctors call out the one word that would signal the arrival of our little guy, "TIME!" 

"2:56", replied a nurse.

The next noise in the room was that of our son, letting out a strong cry in tones that were unmistakably all boy.  Between the tears we could see his perfectly pink body being carried through the team of nurses and doctors over to the warming table.  He was assessed and cleaned, then quickly swaddled and handed to his father.  I couldn't see their first meeting but when I asked Mike who the baby looked like he replied, "He looks like August".

 August's very first moment out in the world

 A perfect assessment

 Meeting Daddy

 Meeting Mommy

 Look at those mitts!!

 7 lbs. 15 oz.

 His first look into the camera (thanks to the nurse who gladly used Mommy's camera)

 Minutes old and already so aware

 Daddy checking out his feet

 Back in the room

 Maeve comes to visit

 Meeting Aunt Shannon

 the d'Francquevilles

 First Photo Shoot with Mommy

Hello Uncle Jim!

And Auntie Mary Eileen!

Noon on Christmas Eve, 2010...on our way home!!