Lots of photos!

Enjoying the beautiful weather.
Grant likes this hat- he just wishes his Aunt Teresa would make him one!

Baby burrito!

Grant's new favorite thing is his toes. He loves to play with them!

Twice in One Week

Here is Grant in his Bumbo seat. Its great- we put it on the computer desk so that he can hang out with us while we surf the web. He likes anything that makes him feel all grown up.

He's in his new jumping thingy. I wouldn't have gotten Tigger, except it was a good price at TJMaxx. Isn't the tail funny?

So he doesn't look exactly thrilled. But he enjoyed it. I would take his legs and swing him a bit, and he'd catch himself and stand so that it wouldn't swing.

Because of the climbing thingy in the kitchen, the only doorway on the first floor that works is the one into the bathroom. Grant didn't seem too upset about that, though.

Three Months Old

So I know its been ages. We are enjoying a regular schedule again. Grant sleeps all night, loves his daycare place, and is even cuter, if you can believe it. I'm loving work, which may be a bit odd. Here are some recent photos of our darling.
Gram and Grandpa got Grant this "Tiley" hat. We use it for walks. I thought he'd hate it, but he doesn't mind at all.

I had hoped Grant was sleeping. He'd been so quiet in his crib this afternoon. I felt sure he was asleep! Alas, he was just laying there, relaxing in his crib.

Grant loves the two sweaters Aunt Teresa has knitted for him. This one's a bit big, but he was so tickled when I was putting in on him the other day. He enjoys drooling on it. We are so glad that Grant has such a talented aunt. No silly store-bought winter cover-ups for this dapper baby!

I like these photos of Grant playing on the sofa. Its so like him- cute, happy, and in motion. I think the one below is my new favorite. I don't know how we got such a wonderful baby!

Our New Schedule

I am getting around to this week's pictures and videos. Hope you like these photos. I think he's so cute that I can barely stand it! Grant's doing really well with my friend for day care. It helps me a lot, since she's such a great friend and mom to her own kids. It'll make it pretty easy for me to leave him at a real day care in a couple of weeks. He's getting bigger and stronger all the time. I went in this morning to find that he had rotated his body 180 degrees overnight- his head was where I'd put his feet when I put him down. He's so advanced!

Grant in the Tub!

and with his kick and drive toy!

Cute Video

What a week!

So I'm back in Lynchburg with my little family. Things are going well. I'm starting back to work on Monday, and I'm actually looking forward to it! I'm also doing Weight Watchers to take off some baby weight (and hopefully more).

Grant is two months old now. At his last appointment, just two days ago, he weighed twelve pounds even. It certainly feels like more when I'm carrying him up the steps for the umteenth time. Today we had a milestone- he had his first nap in his crib! He sleeps all night in there, but he has resisted naps. Here are some photos!Grant loves his Fisher Price "Kick and Drive". He can make it play music, light up, and spin by kicking the yellow thing at his feet or hitting the danglies with his hands.

Cute monkey outfit- the shirt is from Denlow and the shorts are from Rebe (one of the loving grandmothers). These pictures are all from today- there was an unfortunate incident with an unfastened diaper midday.

Eight weeks old!

Here's the latest set of photos!
I miss my Daddy! Isn't this the saddest little face you've ever seen?!? He doesn't cry much, but he knows how to do it!
A happy smile for Gram
This smiling picture rivals the overalls one for my favorite. He's just so sweet and happy. Most of the time.
Grandma Eileen gave Grant a kiss and left some evidence behind. Fortunately it was bath day.
A tired Grandpa with a happy baby. Grant is so good; he laid like this for forty-five minutes. He just let Grandpa snore away.

Great Grandpa!

Yesterday, while Troy and a friend went to a gun show at Dulles, Grant and I went up to see Grandpa. Great-aunt Teresa came, too. Here are some pictures from the event!

The Right Pacifier!

I think I've found it. Grant loves to suck on pacifiers, but we've had two problems. First, he gags for the first bit he has it in, which is rather unpleasant. Second, he knocks them out quickly with his tongue. I bought our fifth type today (pacifiers aren't cheap), and no gagging! Plus, they stay in well. They're supposed to simulate breastfeeding.

We had lots of other fun at Target today, as well. We bought lots of picture frames so that we can put out our family pictures. I also bought school supplies. You can't beat 10 notebooks for $1. I love buying school supplies. I'm kind of excited to get back to work. Not too excited. Just a little.

Today I learned that Grant is a chunky monkey compared to Charlie, who is eight days younger than he is. Holding Charlie was like holding a doll!

Pictures for the Grandparents

Sleepy Grant. This should add some fuel to the hair color debate.
Troy is not happy this one is going on. I just think its funny. Grant has yellow poo.
Sleeping in his swing. The overalls were a bit too big for him. So were the shoes. Oh well. None of it fell off him.
How cute is he?!? I love this one.
I love this one even more. Such a sweet expression on his face.

Grant and Daddy. Its a little fuzzy, but I like the expression on Grant's face so much. He likes to listen to his father talking.
More cuteness.

Just hanging out. I can't believe he'll be six weeks old tomorrow!
Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Mommy Lessons

I haven't been ending my posts as I usually do. So I thought I'd reflect on what a month of motherhood has taught me.

- Time flies. Not just the past month, but the minutes and hours in a day. I can pass eight hours in the blink of an eye. Its so different than when I was pregnant and time moved so slowly.

- I really enjoy breastfeeding. Its weird to think that I make milk. Troy's tried telling me that 50% of all mammals make milk, but its still kind of strange. However, there's something about looking down and seeing Grant eat that is so peaceful. I'm making his food, and he is growing, all because of me.

- I don't need eight hours of sleep. Six hours, interupted by a crying, hungry baby, is enough.

- Troy is much more helpful than I figured he'd be. There are still some areas that's we're learning about (ALWAYS refrigerate leftover breastmilk!), but he's wonderful. And funny.

I'm sure there's tons more that I've learned. But this is good for now.

Just for you, Aunt Sharon!

Upon request, here are some photos of Grant from the past week. I can't believe how beautiful my baby is. He's just gorgeous! Enjoy the pics, everyone!
Just this morning- Grant in his "Got Milk?" onesie with a lovely cow print. I must say- I think I need the cow print shirt. I'm beginning to feel like all I do is feed this little boy! He eats all the time!
A bath shot. He looks pretty unhappy, but he really enjoys his baths. No fussing or crying, and he always relaxes enough to pee in the tub.
Sleeping on the sofa. Not his best photo, but he looks so sweet when he's sleeping. Which is quite often, actually.
The funny shot- this may be the "shock and awe" look that my dad often refers to. Grant has taken over Henry's role as the cute one in the house. Troy and I spend most of our time saying, "Oooh- look at him! Isn't that just adorable?!?"

A Month!

I can't believe that Grant will be four weeks old tomorrow. Its been a good month, overall. I'm feeling back to myself, with no pain or problems. Grant is usually sleeping well. I need to make sure not to jinx myself. I've been telling people how well he sleeps, but last night was not so fun. He woke up more often and it was harder to get him to sleep. He's so cute, though, that we tend to overlook some fussing at night.

We had a good trip to Raleigh for the 4th of July. Troy's grandmother, Grant's great-grandmother, was in town from Ohio. We had a great time sharing the baby with her. We ate too much, as usual.

Today I learned that Grant does like to snuggle up sometimes. Like today, when he just wanted to sleep on me instead of in his crib. They say you can't spoil a newborn. What's the harm in trying?

We Can Get Sleep!

This weekend has actually been okay, sleep-wise. Grant does like to sleep, although its rough waking up every 2-3 hours at night to feed him. Sometimes it takes awhile to get him to go back to sleep. During the day, he sleeps longer stretches and doesn't seem to want to eat as much. Hopefully his days and nights will get into a more friendly pattern.

We hung around the house yesterday and watched Deadwood. There was lots of breastfeeding and diaper changing in between. Today we may head to the grocery store and Toys R Us. It kind of depends on how much energy I have once Troy finishes sleeping in. I decided to let him sleep as long as possible this morning so that I can wake him up tonight if I need to. Nice, eh?

Today I learned that sometimes Grant just needs a lot of tries before he'll actually latch on. Booger.

Quick Update

Its been a long time, I know. We are doing well, although I'm sure Troy and I are going to lament my parents' return to Tennessee. Mom has been an absolute lifesaver for getting some rest with Grant here. Dad loves to sit around and hold Grant, and they enjoy making faces at each other.

I'm interested in seeing what type of schedule we set up when its just our new little family. Will Grant be the only one who gets any sleep?!?

Snip Snip

My little boy is getting circumcised as I type. Its such a scary thing to think about! They are going to use a little anesthetic, such for the sanity of a crazy, worried mama.

Our first funny story- Troy was changing his poopy diaper today. He got all the gunk out of the boy parts and was going to put a clean diaper on. He was holding Grant's feet up and out of the way and he must have been holding them back too far because more poop started coming out. We rush and clean that up and MORE comes out. Our little Grant is like a playdoh dispenser- crank enough tension on those legs and poop comes out. I would've laughed a lot more, but laughing, coughing, and sneezing hurts a bit. So I had to make do with giggling. I guess that's what I learned today- don't pull back too hard on the baby's legs.

HE'S SO CUTE!!!

No News

What a nice quiet weekend its been! I know for myself, and most other members of the family, that it would've been great to be having a baby this weekend, but I don't think that's happening. If the castor oil wouldn't do it, I'm not trying anything else. But we do have a "last resort" date of June 18th.

We went to the used book store yesterday, and I loaded up. I'm so glad I love to read (thanks, Mom!) and it was fun picking out some new material. The owner of the shop asked if I'd been reading to the baby, and I said no. But on my way out, I realized that I have been reading to him. He got read to every time I read to my class. So this little guy knows a lot about third grade language arts and math.

I'm also working on some stitching. I won't be using my sewing machine for awhile- I took it in yesterday for a tune up. Really the needle threader needed to be replaced, but I figured I'd get the whole thing looked at while its there. I haven't used it much recently, and after Grant comes, I'm sure I won't feel like sewing right away. So I'm working on Hardanger. Someone's going to get very lucky this Christmas, assuming the projects gets finished. I am the queen of the unfinished project.

We've gotten enough rain for the weekend, so I hope it stays sunny. We've been walking each evening. Its not bringing on labor, but I can tell each walk is easier. Hopefully it will help to be in better shape for labor.

Today I learned that Henry will ring his bell to go out even if he's just been out and done all his business. I also learned that the song that comes to mind when he does this is from "Little Shop of Horrors."

I've given you Southern Exposure
To get you to thrive.
I've pinched you back hard, like
I'm supposed to
You're barely alive.
I've tried you at levels of moisture
From desert to mud!
I've given you grow lights and mineral supplements.
What do you want from me?
Blood?

Here you go, Teresa.

Will it be the last belly pic?

I'm On Vacation

So I came home yesterday from work and told Troy I simply couldn't go back. I'd felt tired, nauseous, and generally icky all day long. We decided I should call my backup substitute and have her start for me today. So I stayed in bed an extra two hours this morning, started a load of laundry, and am now indulging in time online. I do need to head upstairs and put the nursery back together. We had the carpets professionally cleaned yesterday, as well as the couch and my orange chair. We moved most of the stuff out of the nursery so the floors could be cleaned really well.

I'm going to read and do other quiet, restful things in between taking care of some things around the house. I have an appointment with Dr. "Nothing's Wrong, You're Just Pregnant" Wheelock at 3 pm today, with an ultrasound to see how big Grant is these days. Will he say induce or will he tell me to come home and suck it up for awhile longer?

Today I learned that some guy rode for four miles at fifty miles per hour in his wheelchair after the handles got stuck in the grille of a big rig. They said he was bummed that he'd spilled his soda, but was otherwise fine. Wow.

Long Time, No Post

Sorry its been awhile. I think I'm avoiding any new forms of complaining. I feel like such a whiner. Grant has decided he's going to single-handedly teach me a lesson in patience.

The doctor says I'm progressing well. We'll leave it at that.

We spent the weekend hanging out and doing some things around the house. We got some pictures framed recently, so we were rearranging the art in the kitchen and living room to accommodate the new pieces. I think it looks really good.

Relay for Life was Friday/Saturday. We walked for an hour Friday night. The event went really well- my team raised over two thousand dollars. I wanted to stay overnight, but Troy and Rachel (our doula) convinced me that I'd be very unhappy if I didn't get enough sleep and then went into labor. I allowed myself to be convinced.

Henry is a happy, healthy puppy again.

Troy has discovered longboarding, a form of skateboarding. I hope I can survive another one of his hobbies.

Today I learned that Heely's- the stupid shoes with a wheel in the heel that I hate- are causing a sharp rise in childhood injuries. I was nearly run over several times at the mall last weekend by kids who had them on. And I even beep when I back up.