Friday Happy

I love the little pics we get of Grayson from his school. 

Here is our sweet guy enjoying time in the exersaucer! What a big boy! :)

Grayson: 4 Months

Weight/length:

Grayson has gotten so big! At his 4 month well visit, he weighed 16 pounds and was 26 inches long! I can't believe how much he has grown! He is wearing 3-6 months clothes and size 2 diapers. After getting over his cold/tummy bug, his appetite came back and then some! He is taking down 7 oz bottles 5 times a day! We are planning on trying a little rice cereal in the next few weeks and then moving on to some pureed greens :)

Sleep:

Because of daycare, Grayson has to get up around 6-6:30 everyday and he is usually in bed between 6:30-7. Earlier this month we had a slight sleep regression where Gray was getting up anywhere between 3 and 5...sometimes multiple times. UGH. During this time he started trying to roll from back to front, so we decided to unswaddle him. While the first night was a bit rough, he adjusted fairly well and started self soothing almost immediately. He loves to suck on his fingers or his thumb, so while he will sometimes still wake in the night, he will suck his thumb and go back to sleep. This has helped that regression tremendously and he is sleeping much better. He will sometimes wake up between 4-5, but will usually go back to sleep within a few minutes of mild fussing. ( Unfortunately, he has had a stuffy nose the past few days, which has caused him to get up coughing a few times in the night. Poor guy!)

Likes:

Grayson loves eating, sucking his thumb, giggling, chewing his hands, trying to roll over, listening to stories, riding in his stroller (the big boy way!) screaming (in a happy way), talking and smiling :)

Dislikes:

Grayson hates 4 month shots, being hungry, having his nose cleaned or wiped, being in his car seat (this is a new one---ugh). tummy time, being sleepy, having his hair washed (also new---bath times USED to be fun....sad face)

Milestones:

We've definitely hit the sickness milestones for sure. In the past month Grayson has had a tummy bug, a cold, and a TERRIBLE case of hand-foot-mouth disease. NO fun at all! Hopefully, we will stay well this month! (besides the little cold he has now!)

Grayson has also really started rolling around, although he is very inconsistent. He can roll from tummy to back, however, he HATES tummy time, so the chances of him actually practicing the rolling is slim. He has also rolled from back to front a couple of times, but always gets his shoulder stuck. It is a work in progress. :) He loves to chew his hands and suck his thumb (especially when he is sleepy). I've also noticed that he has been sucking his bottom lip lately. 

Baby boy continues to talk, squeal, and smile, as well as giggle and laugh!  So sweet :) 

We love our big boy!

first time to eat out :)

Stacking cups at school

New whale bib!

Discovering that tongue! :)

Grayson 3 Months

I can't get over how quickly time is flying. It seems like only yesterday that we found out at 13 weeks gestation we were having a little boy.....and here he is at 13 weeks....3 MONTHS old. He is our happy, big boy! :)

* I am late getting this up (again) due to Grayson starting daycare...and getting his first cold. Poor man is pretty miserable this weekend. :(

Weight/length:

Big guy for sure! We had to take him to the doctor a couple of days ago due to his cold and found out that he is 15 pounds! Such a big boy! Not sure about his length, but looking at pictures (and based on his clothes) I can tell he is definately longer. We are officially in 3-6 months clothes and still in size 2 diapers. He normally eats 6 oz every 3-3.5 hours, but with this cold we are fighting, he's been taking anywhere between 3-4 oz every 4 hours or so. 

Sleep:

Grayson has really stepped up his sleep game over the past few weeks. He is normally in bed between 7-7:30 and is sleeping until 6, sometimes 6:30. No complaints here at all! Napping is still the struggle, and with this being his first week at daycare, I'm a bit afraid of what that may look like for him. Hopefully he will adjust and will get some rest at school AND at home. I am also dreading weaning him from his swaddle....although I'm seeing the signs that it needs to happen in the next month. UGH.

*UPDATE: with daycare, we have had to move bedtime up to about 6:45. Grayson will nap at school, but sometimes for only 30 minutes at a time. He has been BEAT. Top that off with sickies....and sad, sleepy baby!

Likes:

Grayson loves eating, chewing on his hands, smiling, trying to laugh, talking/yelling, kicking his legs, high fives with dad, riding in his stroller, and tummy time on occasion.

Dislikes:

Grayson hates being burped (especially with his first bottle), being hungry, napping in his crib, getting his nose cleaned, congestion, and throwing up.

Milestones:

Little man loves to "talk" to us. He has been cooing up a storm and seems to try to mimic sounds he hears. He is SUCH a smiley baby. His whole face lights up when we talk and play with him....and I literally melt every time! He has also started trying to laugh, but we still don't quite have the hang of it. He loves to bring his hands together and then shove them both in his mouth. He has also really started grasping and swiping at his toys. Vain little guy LOVES looking at himself in the mirror. We are also seeing some great gains with neck strength (despite his hate for tummy time) and he desperately is wanting to sit up. We can have him reclined back and he will throw himself forward. I'm hoping we can start using our Bumbo more often and soon! :)

We just need little man to start feeling better soon....all that congestion induced throw up is NO fun at all!

Grayson 2 Months

I mean, for real, LOOK at that face!!!!

I'm a little late get this post up! Between 2 month shots, dealing with some sleeping issues due to said shots, and getting back to work....this week has been cra-Z! :)

Can't believe our little man is 2 months old!!

Weight/length:

Chunky boy weighs 13 pounds 3 ounces and  is also 23.5 inches long! I cannot get over how much he has grown! Grayson is transitioning into size 2 diapers and is busting out of some of his 0-3 month clothes. We have quite a few sleepers that are already too short! He's more in between sizes, but some 3-6 months things fit him well, while others are far too wide/long. Baby is still a fan of eating---usually 5-6 ounces every 3-4 hours.

Sleep:

We really can't complain about night time sleep. Bedtime was around 8 for a while, but we are slowly getting it to 7:30-7:45, because Grayson is just so tired! After going down, he has been pretty consistent to sleep until 4---and has recently started to go longer, sometimes until 6! Wahoo! We've had a few off nights where he will wake up around 2 or 3 (or both) and fuss for literally less than a minute and then go back to sleep.

Napping is a different beast. Grayson loves to nap in his swing or in the car.....but not his crib. Bad news, kiddo. At daycare, you gotta sleep in the crib! It is a work in progress for sure. UGH.

Likes:

Grayson loves eating, chewing on his hands, bath time, and SMILING! Oh, so many smiles! My heart melts every time! :)

Dislikes:

Grayson hates being burped (sometimes), napping in his crib, being hungry, 2 month shots, congestion, getting his nose cleaned, and tummy time. 

Milestones:

Little man has really started smiling like crazy in response to toys, what we are doing, etc. It is SO awesome and I love that gummy grin! He loves to coo and make sweet baby noises and squeals. On the other hand, he has learned to screech when his upset.....we don't like that one nearly as much,
 He has also just started to discover his hands....and now they are always in his mouth! He loves to lay on his play mat and look at himself in the mirror.....and smile at himself in the mirror. SO sweet. He will open his mouth so big and throw his head like he is going to laugh, but nothing comes out. We are anxiously awaiting that first laugh!!! 



Check out these sweet smiles! Love this kid to pieces!

Newborn Photos

Here are some pics from Grayson's newborn photo shoot--these were done when he was 7 days old. I can't believe how much he had changed since these were taken!

LOVE.

Grayson: 1 Month

Ummm....One month old already?

Time slow down, please!

I cannot believe our little boy is already one month old. It seems like only yesterday that we were in the hospital. I cannot believe how quickly this month has gone by. So many people have told me that once you have children, life starts going on super speed--and I'm a believer! Our cutie pie has definately changed a lot already and it is going to be amazing to see how he changes each month!

Here is some information about our sweet guy:

Weight/length:

At our last doctor visit over a week ago, Grayson was 9.1 pounds and 21 inches long. I think he may have gained some weight since then, but we don't have a scale at home, so I'm not exactly sure. He has graduated from newborn diapers to size ones (he actually did this around the end of last week) and we have officially put away all of his newborn sized clothing (sniff!!!!). He is in size 0-3 month clothes, however, he is not quite long enough for a lot of his outfits just yet. Even though he had a few issues with reflux when he was first born, he has definitely developed a very healthy appetite! (and is a very happy spitter-upper) He is taking between 3.5-4 oz every three hours during the day. My little chunk! :)

Sleep:

Sleep was a struggle there at the beginning, as he was all over the place. After some experimenting with some different kinds of swaddles and schedules, sleep has been SO much better. He has been going to bed around 8:45-9 and sleeping until 1:30-2:30. then again till about 5 or 6. He has also been sleeping in his own room in his crib since he was one week old. Another great sleep helper? Our Dohm sound machine. It's awesome!!

Likes:

Grayson loves meal times, bath time, riding in the car, tummy time (usually), the snugamonkey swing, his bouncy seat, and drum corps--especially Phantom Regiment. He is particularly fond of listening to Faust. Smart kid!

Dislikes:

Grayson hates pooping, being wet/dirty, getting his nose cleaned, and being interrupted during feeding to be burped.

Milestones:

Baby boy has had some really good neck strength from the beginning. He usually loves tummy time for about 5-10 minutes, but then he gets frustrated and it's over. We are still working on staying on our tummy for longer stretches. He can also roll over from his tummy to his back, although inconsistently. He loves his car seat and likes to go for car rides. Sometimes he will nap, other times, he just enjoys the ride!

Here is a look at our day.....

5:30- 6- Daddy gets Grayson  up before he heads to work

6ish- First breakfast of the day. After Grayson has finished eating, we sit in bed and watch the Today show. Grayson sits in his bouncy chair while I get ready for the day/take a shower/etc. Sometimes he will nap during this time, other times he will be wide awake and happy! He loves morning time, as long as he is dry and clean!

9:00- Second breakfast! After he has digested, we usually play--either on his playmate or I sing songs/read books.

10:00-12: I usually put Grayson in the swing during this time, where he will usually fall asleep after 10-15 minutes. While he naps in the swing, I wash bottles, get some laundry done, and clean up. When I'm finished, I sit near him and watch Netflix! I feel like this is my most productive part of the day. (Sometimes during this time, we might go for a drive instead. Baby loves to ride/nap in the car and mom loves going to Sonic!)

12:00- First Lunch! After Gray's lunch, we play on the playmate/do some tummy time. I have also been singing and blasting some Disney music, which he seems to enjoy. At the end of this playtime, I try to wind him down by reading a book, unless he is super fussy. In that case, I will rock him and sing some power ballads. (wish I was kidding--haha). I then swaddle him up for his next nap.

1:00-3:00- I lay him down in his pack-n-play for his next nap. We are working on laying down drowsy and falling asleep on our own. Some days are better than others, but he usually gets a decent nap in here. This is when I clean up the upstairs/finish anything from the morning/or just lay on the couch near him. Sometimes I might even get a nap squeaked in!

3:00- Second Lunch! After lunch, I try to get some more play time in (depending on his fussiness) and start prepping for dinner

4:00- 5:30- Back in the swing to watch the mobile, maybe he will nap some while mom and dad eat dinner! (yes, we eat when the senior citizens eat--don't hate)

5:30- Supper! After supper, baby is not always in the best mood, but we try to keep him up for at least an hour or longer. He usually does some good tummy time with dad during this time!

6:45ish - We put baby in his bouncy seat in hopes he will get a little catnap while we catch up and watch some TV.

8- Bedtime routine- Nose cleaning, bath, swaddle, lullaby, rocking, last bottle and story. We try to feed him as close to 8:30 as possible, but some days it is as early as 8:15 because he is so ready.

8:45-9ish- Bedtime prayer and down in his crib!
(this is when Christopher and I kiss goodnight as well! We are both pooped! Haha!)

1:30-2:30- Sometime during this time Grayson wakes up for his nightly snack---we are going to work on making this closer to 3 soon!


.....and then we start all over again! I am loving having a routine in place, especially while I'm home. The older he gets, we will adjust it to make it make sense for our family/try to make sure he can stay flexible. However, I love structure and this is great for now! :)

Here are some of our outtakes from our 1 month photo shoot!

Postpartum Musings

Let me paint you a picture....

I've read all the books on pregnancy. I took all the vitamins and avoided everything that was off limits to pregnant women. The nursery is done. Baby's clothes are washed and uber organized in drawers/closet. The freezer is stocked with meals. Now all we need is to bring home our little bundle! But then what......???


It's been 4 weeks since our sweet little guy made his debut....and what a crazy 4 weeks it has been! There is no doubt that this has been the best and the hardest time of my life. Nothing I read, discussed, or did during pregnancy really prepared me for having a newborn.

I discovered that we as women laugh about things like pooping  during labor and sleep deprivation, however, we are evil in nature, as we do not really share the truth. I mean the REAL truth truth. Or perhaps women are stupid and we do not heed the advice from others?

 I'm not really sure, but I figured I would share a few things I've learned over the past few weeks....

1.) An epidural, while a WONDERFUL invention, is not painless. If the anesthesologist hits a nerve, you are in for a whole lot of suck. Also, it may not kick in right away. However, if you are persistant and annoying, you can get your epidural quickly! (and don't get me wrong, I will take the short-term pain from the procedure over hours of contractions.) (I ain't no hero!)

2.) After labor and all the drugs have worn off, you begin to realize that the majority of your body hurts. Not just your...ahem...lady parts, but your arms, your back, your neck---from all the pushing! If they offer you a percocet, take it.

3) So about all that pushing.... hemmorrhoids are real. They can (and will) happen to you. Take the percocet.

4.) Before the nurses shoo you away into recovery, you must first walk to the bathroom and do #1. No biggie, right? Walking and peeing are both skills I mastered nearly 30 years ago. That is....until December 22, when walking felt like I'd been horse back riding on a saddle made of nails....and then when I finally reached the porcelin thrown, it was like my body had forgotten how to function. Peeing became another new goal (kind of like getting the baby out). Warm squirt bottles and little tinkle victories, friends. Oh, and again: Percocet.

5.) DO NOT bother packing much for the hospital in terms of clothing. I had some cute soft jammies, but after I realized that everything south of the equator was like a murder scene, I stayed in my hospital gowns. No need to ruin soft jams!

6.) To piggy back off #5: Granny panties. Invest.

7.) Use the hospital nursery to its fullest. This may be the last time you sleep. Ever.

8.) Newborn babies cry. A LOT. Like, sometimes all the time. Your baby may hate to be wet or dirty, so they may cry. However, he may hate being changed, so he may cry. Don't take it personal. Your beet-faced munchkin will eventually let up. Or maybe not.

9.) You love your baby, but those first 2 weeks kind of blow. You think you will never sleep again. You might be partially right, but baby can get on a schedule eventually. But during those first 2 weeks, forget it. No sleep. Caffiene drip, please.

10.) Postpartum hormones are jacked up. You can go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a matter of minutes. Why am I crying, you ask? It could be a number of things. I'm overwhelmed with happiness from the birth of my son..... I just ate a deli sandwich for the first time in 9 months....or maybe I just forgot where I put my favorite hair tie. The possibilities are endless!

11.) The baby blues are NORMAL. Do not feel bad for feeling sad sometimes. Your life has just completely changed and it will never be the same again. This was something that I knew, but I didn't really understand. It may take a few weeks to get out of this crazy funk, but make sure you talk with your partner and friends about your feelings. It's normal to feel frustrated, guilty, and like a big, fat mom failure. Just keep sharing those feelings--- It helps!!! Eventually, this mom thing feels more natural and routine.

12.) Oh yeah, sometimes your baby will only sleep 30 minutes at a time. Sometimes he may only want to sleep while being held. Sometimes he will lull you into thinking he's asleep, but, he's not. 

13.) Don't look at yourself in the mirror on the way to the shower that first week. Everything is....lumpy and different. I mean Picasso. For reals. Things start looking better after a couple of weeks. But not the stretch marks. Those churls are there to stay.

14.) Your day revolves around the clock. When did baby eat, pee, or poop?? How long did he nap?? Wait, he pooped 10 times today??? Did we feed him Taco Bell?????

15.) You will worry about things you've never worried about before....like the baby's poop. Color, consistancy, frequency. Take notes and be prepared to bother the pediatrician.

16.) You will have a new appreciation for pediatric doctors. And you will be thankful you did not choose that career path.

17.) Your once clean house is now in need of sweeping, mopping, and dusting. Your laundry may never get done ever again. Oh well, NAPS now are better options than cleaning. You can clean another day. Maybe when the baby is in kindergarten?

18) And one more....the love you feel for your baby is out of this world....nothing I can explain.

After 4 weeks of having baby home, I'm feeling like I have a handle on life again. If I could ever give a new mom any kind of advice, it would be this.....good luck. No matter what I tell you, it won't prepare you. Our babies are different and what worked for me may or may not work for you. However, just be ready for the best, the worst, the hardest, and most rewarding time of your life. Covered in yellow, seedy poop. (No worries--that is healthy!)

And here are a few pics from the past few weeks adventures! :) Enjoy!