Fall Break Recap!
Today wraps up my week long fall break. I have had the best time hanging out with my little man all day, every day! I knew we would be so busy running errands, organizing and cleaning out our rooms and closets, but I did not anticipate all the big changes that he would have this week too!
Sunday, October 31st: First Halloween and "Trick or Treating!" Grady was a tiger, and he trick or treated at the Fritz's house! We also noticed he was getting a little hole on the top of one of his gums. Possibly a first tooth (his bottom left incisor)?!?! And, last but not least, he pulled himself up in his crib! Eric promptly lowered it because he face planted on the rail. :(
Monday, November 1st: The hole turned into a slit on his his gum. Definitely a first tooth!
Tuesday, November 2nd: Grady crawls FORWARD for the first time!
Wednesday - present: We've been in teething h***!!! Oragel, Motrin, Teething Tabs, repeat! What a blessing it has been to be with him this week to see all these firsts happening. I mean, I actually got to watch him crawl for the very first time! It was around 3:00pm, so if I had been working that day, I would have missed it. God is good!!!!
Christmas Photo Shoot
The fantastically talented Meredith Bauroth of Island Love Photography will be taking our pictures on Sunday! I can't wait to see how great she'll make us look this time! If you haven't seen her new website yet, check it out here:
I will be sure to post some of them as soon as they're ready! You'll certainly be seeing one on our Christmas card this year....
If you're interested in booking a session, let her know you heard about her from one of her favorite clients - the Theilings!
A Big Boy Car Seat!
Grady has been slowly but surely growing out of his infant seat. Besides the fact that his feet hang over the end and the straps are super tight around his shoulders, the infant seat was getting SO heavy to carry around with a 16 lb. baby strapped in!
We took him to Target and let him test out all the seats! We picked one out and Eric installed it as soon as we got home. This morning, Grady got to ride in it for the very first time - and he loved it! He's already hidden 2 different pacifiers in the cupholders to *save them for later!*
Here's a picture of him getting ready for his very first ride in his big boy seat!
A trip to the pumpkin patch!
On Monday, we took the babies to the pumpkin patch at Cahill's Market. Stella was a bumble bee, Macy was a ladybug, Grady was a tiger, and Mary Katherine joined us as a hippo!
Grady loved seeing all the pumpkins and even tried to put a few in his mouth! I just love these pictures, and I know he will enjoy looking at them in the years to come.
PS: I definitely had a Kate Gosslin moment (remember the Christmas tree episode?!) while we were trying to snap a good picture of all 4 babies. I don't know how in the world they ever got a good one of all 8!
Time for a Check Up!
Last Friday, Grady had his six month check up. He was weighed, measured, poked, and prodded. The nurse said he was doing great eating with a spoon and trying new foods, and suggested we start moving him towards more common table food, and that we can put in the food processor to make it more of a baby food texture.
Stats: Weight: 16 lbs 2 oz. (25th percentile)
Height: 27 inches (50th percentile)
Flirting Level with the new nurse: off the charts!!!
He got three shots which always seem to cause a reaction in him. That was the main reason we scheduled his appointment for a Friday - he'd have all weekend to recoop. Well, this time his reaction was downright scary because at 10pm Friday night his fever spiked at 104.4 when I went up to give him his Tylenol dose. We put him in the bathtub with some lukewarm water and called the emergency nurse. She said not to worry unless it got to 1o5. Well, too late - I was freaking out and he was just screaming. About 2 hours and 10 cool washcloths later we finally got him back to sleep, and his fever never got above 103 again.
Monday, however, he came down with a stomach virus. I'm sure he probably caught it at the doctors office. Poor Chelsea was such a good sport when he let it all out first thing Monday morning at daycare. I immediately called the school, and our wonderful secretary found me a sub at a moment's notice. I am so thankful to have such a great team of teachers to support me in surprise emergencies like that! Grady stayed home until Wednesday recovering with Dee Dee - and we learned he loves bubble gum Pedialyte!
Time To Celebrate!
We took pictures in our onesie...
We wore a special outfit to school...
We painted with pudding.....
And we got all clean again!
Grady is SIX Months Old!
Six months ago I had no idea what to expect out of Mommyhood. I knew I'd be tired. I knew I'd love you. And I knew life would never be the same. While all of those things are true, I never knew exactly how fulfilling the job of Mommy would be. Yes, I am tired... but when I get to wake up every day to your smiling face full of excitement - it makes me jump out of bed to go grab you and cover you in kisses! Yes, I do love you... but I love you more than I ever knew was possible. And yes, life will never be the same - it will be infinitely better!!!!!! What in the world did I do before you arrived? Well, I guess I was just getting ready to be the best Mommy I can possibly be for you.
Happy half birthday little man!!! You have changed our lives in absolutely every way, and I wouldn't change a bit of it! Mommy and Daddy love you more than you'll ever know!
A New Set of Wheels!
Please Drive Carefully - Babies On The Move!!!
The babies absolutely LOVE getting out of the house and going on their daily stroll now!
Grady's First "Field Trip"
Miss Chelsea took the babies on a little neighborhood field trip to the pond last week! Macy's mommy brought them some denim diapers to lounge around in. They enjoyed playing with toys, trying out their sippy cups, babbling with each other - and since it was Friday - jamming out to some Bob Marley. Grady loves Bob.
Fall Is Here!
We love these little pumpkins:
Grady and his playmates are getting excited about the cooler weather. Here is a picture Miss Chelsea took of them playing with their little pumpkins. We are planning to take the 3 of them to Cahills Market (our little pumpkin patch) to take pictures of them in their Halloween costumes!
Aren't they cute?!?!
Grady Sits Up!
Grady is definitely gaining his independence! He started sitting up around 5 months, and by 6 months he is now a pro! He can sit up all by himself for longer and longer periods of time... he gets a little tired after about 15 minutes now. Usually we put a boppy pillow behind him, but that's only because we don't want him to knock his head on the wood floors downstairs.
He is starting to flop over on his belly more often, and recently has begun sleeping on his belly (by rolling in his crib) at night and during his naps. He wiggles and turns, but no crawling yet! I have seen him turn in a complete circle in order to get to a toy.
Now that he is on the floor level more often, he is REALLY into the dogs. I guess this is a good thing since they will need to learn to live in harmony together - but Jackson loves to give big sloppy kisses to Grady when we're not looking. Why did I ever bother to sterilize anything now that my DOG is licking him in the mouth?!?! Yuck. Grady loves it though. I think they have a mutual understanding that if mommy isn't looking they can totally play together!
Going to School!
Mommy and Grady have both gone back to school! While I am working, Grady goes to Miss Chelsea's house to play with little Stella and Macy. Eric and I feel so blessed to have found her because she is absolutely the best there is to play with our special boy all day!
Grady's first day was August 9th! Believe it or not, I didn't cry going back to work. Well, maybe the night before, but I was so comfortable dropping him off with Chelsea that I was fine the day of. Whew - what a relief!!!! Here is a picture of me dropping him off:
He has the biggest smile everytime I drop him off. I know he's having a great time! Chelsea is so wonderful she even sends us pictures and videos of Grady every day. It makes us feel like we aren't quite so cut off while we are at work. Here is a clip of Story Time!
He's learning so much - and having so much fun!
Grady Goes To The Beach!
Eric, Grady and I spent some time on Folly Beach in late July with the Theilings! We had a wonderful time. Grady got to meet his Uncle Dale and his Aunt Holly - and of course spent lots of time with Big D and Nanna.
We didn't get to spend too much time on the beach together, but Daddy sure got in lots of surfing. Grady loved watching Daddy while Mommy filmed him! It was so much fun seeing him "shred" some waves with his friends. I'm so glad the surf was good while we were visiting.
Grady got baptized at the end of the week, on July 25th. It was such a special occasion, because Grady the service was held 5 years from the weekend of our wedding in the church Eric and I got married in! Unfortunately the pastor who married us has since left the church, but a close family friend of the Theilings is the visiting pastor for the summer. Grady was so blessed to be surrounded by friends and family, and even enjoyed some BBQ at the beach house afterwards!
Eric and I would really like to say "thanks!" to Godfather Brent, and Godmother Emily for being such a special part of his life. We are honored to have you as Grady's godparents! Also to our parents for hosting such a fun luncheon afterwards. Everyone had a great time! Lastly, to Pastor Counts for helping Grady take the first, and most important step in beginning his life in the church. May God continue to bless us, and give us the guidance we need to raise him with strong faith and values.
Getting Ready for Daycare!
Grady and I are talking everyday about him going to Miss Chelsea's house. I know he doesn't understand me, but at least he's hearing her name, and all about his little friends, Stella, Joey and Macy. We are SOOOO blessed that he will be in a wonderful and loving place where he can play with other babies his age. He's the 2nd youngest, but they're all within a month or so of each other. How cool is that?! Here's a picture of Stella (Miss Chelsea's sweet girl) getting ready for Grady!
TOO cute!!
TOO cute!!
For now, we're getting together his "school supplies" like diapers, wipes, pacis, burp cloths, etc. that he will need at her house. If anyone has an extra bumbo they'd like to part with let me know! We'd love to take it off your hands!
Coon Dog Day!
Grady's Great-Grandparents, Nanny and Papa, have a mountain house up in Saluda, NC. It's been almost 5 years since I have been up there, so Grady and I made a special trip up there to see them! Dee Dee and Pop Pop came along too!
We picked a great weekend to go because we were there during the annual Coon Dog Day festival (which is always held on my birthday weekend). There was a parade, and lots of good food, and Aunt Kathy, Uncle John and Thomas even stopped by! Grady and I wore our special shirts that Nanny picked up for us at Thompson's store - and we even brought one home to Daddy since he was stuck at home with the puppies. Next year, we really hope he can join in the fun too!
Grady is 3 Months Old!
Ok, so he was 3 months old 8 days ago... I'm just catching up! Check out how much he's gown!!!
Grady Made a New Friend!
Grady made a new friend today, and her name is Stella! Her mom recently decided to leave her 1st grade position at a local elementary school, and become a stay at home Mommy! Lucky for us, she is looking to keep some babies close to her daughter's age - 14 weeks. Today we went over to their house and met Miss Chelsea, and her beautiful family - including baby Stella.
Grady felt so at home, and even fell asleep in Miss Chelsea's arms! We have decided that they will be the perfect family for him to play with while Mommy is at work. Eric and I couldn't be more thrilled to have a special place where Grady can play, learn, and be nurtured while we're away. It definitely puts our minds at ease as the new school year is approaching!
For now though, we are certainly enjoying our summer together!
Grady felt so at home, and even fell asleep in Miss Chelsea's arms! We have decided that they will be the perfect family for him to play with while Mommy is at work. Eric and I couldn't be more thrilled to have a special place where Grady can play, learn, and be nurtured while we're away. It definitely puts our minds at ease as the new school year is approaching!
For now though, we are certainly enjoying our summer together!
Happy Daddy's Day!
We celebrated Eric's 1st Father's Day yesterday! Here is a photo of his gift:
We had a great day celebrating with lunch at Wild Wings with Aunt Emily, Dee Dee and Pop Pop, and then an afternoon of napping - every new parent's favorite gift! I am so thankful that Grady has such an amazingly loving daddy - who would do anything for him, and his mommy!
We also picked out all of the details for his baptism outfit with Dee Dee... so put the date on your calendars... July 25th, Charleston.
2 Month Check Up!
Yesterday we saw Dr. Lowe for Grady's two month check up. We were about a week late because I was working last week... but since he had to have shots, I don't think Grady was too upset about it!
He also had to have 3 shots, and 1 oral vaccine. He was such a tough guy, and only got in one quick wail before Mommy snuck in his bottle! Thanks for the tip, Sarah! Here is a picture of his big boy band-aids:
Grady's Stats:
Weight: 11 pounds 3 1/2 ounces (25th percentile)
Height: 23 inches (30th percentile)
Head Circumference: 15 3/4 inches (50th percentile)
He also had to have 3 shots, and 1 oral vaccine. He was such a tough guy, and only got in one quick wail before Mommy snuck in his bottle! Thanks for the tip, Sarah! Here is a picture of his big boy band-aids:
Grady loves to read!
Grady has been practicing holding up his head in his bumbo chair (Thanks Aunt Marty and Uncle Paulo!), so we decided this would be a great place for him to get in his excercise while we read to him. He can see the books so much better when he's sitting up than he could when he was on the floor.
He absolutely loves reading stories, especially ones with sound effects or songs. His favorite book to listen to that we have found so far is: "Big Red Barn." Here is a picture of Daddy reading it to him. He LOVES the animal sounds!
Of course, Mommy loves all of this great reading! I just can't wait to hear him read these books back to me one day!
Where Have I BEEN?!
Working, of course! Sorry I have been slack on the blog posts in the last 2 1/2 weeks... Yesterday was my first day back at my "Domestic Engineer/Stay at Home Mommy" job. During the 2 weeks I was working we had Dee Dee here for the first week, Dad, Lanette, Adam, Ben and Papa for the weekend, and Nanna and Big D for the second week. Whew! That's a FULL HOUSE! Then Sunday (the 13th) Brent came to visit!
Grady really enjoyed all of his company, and we really appreciate everyone being a part of this exciting time! We are so full of love from everyone!
Here is a picture Dee Dee took while watching Grady. Mommy sure missed him a lot while at work, so it was nice to get hourly picture updates like this one:
Grady really enjoyed all of his company, and we really appreciate everyone being a part of this exciting time! We are so full of love from everyone!
Here is a picture Dee Dee took while watching Grady. Mommy sure missed him a lot while at work, so it was nice to get hourly picture updates like this one:
Workin' Mama!
Next Tuesday I have to go back to work... Ahhhhh!!!! It is only for 7 days (with kids, 1 without) so I think I can handle it. I am starting to think about having to go back full time though - YIKES! Good thing I have the whole summer to put that off. One positive is that I don't have to change classrooms this year, so that will give me extra time at home instead of setting up my room. *Thanks Ms. Brown!*
Last week I went in two days... one to sign my contract and the other to attend the staff meeting for teacher appreciation. This week I will be there another two days... both for placement. Yesterday I gave my class to their new teachers, and Wednesday I will get my new class. I hope next year's group is as good as this years. I was pretty lucky!
Next week my mom will be here Tues. - Fri. to watch Grady. The following week Eric's mom will be here Mon. - Wednesday. I hope they're ready to play!!!! Grady is definitely NOT much of a daytime sleeper. Although - I think he's going thru a growth spurt because Sunday he slept most of the day and night away! That was nice for Eric because it was his only day off!!!
Last week I went in two days... one to sign my contract and the other to attend the staff meeting for teacher appreciation. This week I will be there another two days... both for placement. Yesterday I gave my class to their new teachers, and Wednesday I will get my new class. I hope next year's group is as good as this years. I was pretty lucky!
Next week my mom will be here Tues. - Fri. to watch Grady. The following week Eric's mom will be here Mon. - Wednesday. I hope they're ready to play!!!! Grady is definitely NOT much of a daytime sleeper. Although - I think he's going thru a growth spurt because Sunday he slept most of the day and night away! That was nice for Eric because it was his only day off!!!
6 Weeks - A Big Boy!!!
Look what I can do!!!!
At six weeks old Grady is smiling often! He also holds his head up for longer periods of time (he's really good in the bumbo, and in his swaddler... weird). Most importantly though - he is sleeping through the night! 7-8 hours straight! YEAH!!!! What a champ!
Grady's First Getaway!
Last weekend Grady packed up his bags and headed to Summerville. Of course, mommy did the packing, but Grady supervised! I was totally stressing because I knew I was going to forget something critical. I actually did forget something, but Aunt Emily saved the day with an emergency trip to Wal-Mart for a swaddler.
We celebrated my sister's graduation and Mother's Day. Grady got to see so many people who love him, and didn't get put down all day. We all had a wonderful time! Grady even slept his longest stretch (up until then) of 5 hours and 45 min. on Saturday night. Monday was a bit rough getting him back into his routine because he wanted me to hold him all day... but we got through it. The next day (Tuesday) he slept a lot during the day, and made it 7 1/2 hours sleeping straight through the night. Wednesday he made it 8! SUPER!!!!!
Grady also got to meet Madison, our friends Craig and Sarah's baby. She is just 6 weeks older than Grady. Madison weighs about a pound more... Grady is a little bit longer.... but they are pretty much the same size. They were absolutely adorable together. She is too cute! We can't WAIT to get together and play again soon!
Oh yeah, and Jackson got to meet Cooper (Emily's new kitty). It was a social event for everyone!!!!
Best Buys for Baby!
I'm a bargain hunter. In fact, I think if I was a millionaire I would still shop the sales! You call it cheap - I call it frugal! Everyone knows babies are expensive... but until you're going through 10 diapers and 25 oz. of formula a day, in addition to $150 a week daycare, you don't quite get how expensive!
When I stopped breastfeeding, I called Grady's pediatrician (whose wife just had a baby) and asked the nurse what formula I should start with him. She recommended Enfamil Lipil to begin with, and said that Target makes a store brand version of it. She also said that's what the doctor is using for his new one - so I should be confident that it is just as good. Soooo, Grady is on Up & Up's version of Enfamil Lipil... a savings of $12/25 oz. can! I buy the big 40 oz. can for an even bigger savings!
For one of my showers, a friend gave me the Up & Up (Target) brand of diapers. I was REALLY skeptical of these because when I opened up the package they felt super thin. So to put them to the ultimate test I put Grady to bed in one. Five hours later - no leaks. The next day he wore them and still no leaks! I actually have decided I like them better than Pampers because they are so much thinner. When I put a new diaper on him it isn't so bulky.
The last best buy I've found is knock off butt paste! That's right... there's a cheaper alternative to the $8 tube of butt paste. Big Lots has a tube of cream for $1 that looks, smells, and works just like the pricey version!
So shop smart, and remember these great buys! You. Are. Welcome. :)
When I stopped breastfeeding, I called Grady's pediatrician (whose wife just had a baby) and asked the nurse what formula I should start with him. She recommended Enfamil Lipil to begin with, and said that Target makes a store brand version of it. She also said that's what the doctor is using for his new one - so I should be confident that it is just as good. Soooo, Grady is on Up & Up's version of Enfamil Lipil... a savings of $12/25 oz. can! I buy the big 40 oz. can for an even bigger savings!
For one of my showers, a friend gave me the Up & Up (Target) brand of diapers. I was REALLY skeptical of these because when I opened up the package they felt super thin. So to put them to the ultimate test I put Grady to bed in one. Five hours later - no leaks. The next day he wore them and still no leaks! I actually have decided I like them better than Pampers because they are so much thinner. When I put a new diaper on him it isn't so bulky.
The last best buy I've found is knock off butt paste! That's right... there's a cheaper alternative to the $8 tube of butt paste. Big Lots has a tube of cream for $1 that looks, smells, and works just like the pricey version!
So shop smart, and remember these great buys! You. Are. Welcome. :)
Graduation Celebration!
This weekend we are taking our first trip! I have been making 10,000 lists to make sure I pack everything we're going to need - without OVERpacking. We are going up to Summerville to celebrate my sister graduating from Clemson. I can't wait for her to see Grady's special outfit he's wearing just for her! Congrats Aunt Emily!!!!!!
We are also very excited because on Sunday we're heading over to Sarah and Craig's house to meet Madison! I can't believe she's almost 3 months old and we haven't seen her yet - but that's what happens when you have a 5 week old! Can't wait!!!
We are also very excited because on Sunday we're heading over to Sarah and Craig's house to meet Madison! I can't believe she's almost 3 months old and we haven't seen her yet - but that's what happens when you have a 5 week old! Can't wait!!!
Happy Mother's Day!
Today I am celebrating my very first Mother's Day! It has been so wonderful! First thing this morning, Eric and Grady surprised me with a gift from Markel's. It was a beautiful Willow Tree figure that has Mommy and Daddy hugging with Baby in the middle. It is on one of the shelves in our living room so I can enjoy it all year! Then, we all got dressed and headed to the beach! Grady got to put his toes in the sand and take a stroll in his jogger - another first! We decided we would wait to do the feet in the water because it was a little chilly and windy today. I'm not sure he was aware of his adventure, because he was asleep for 99% of it!
Shutterfly Photos!
I was uploading some photos to my Shutterfly account when I saw they have a "share site" option. Soooo, I put up the albums I have posted of Grady this month, and now you can access and order the ones you'd like! We've had so many requests for this picture file, and that picture file - now you can go on and pick the ones you want... and place your order! So much easier than emailing the files!!!! We will continue to update them as we take new pictures, so check back each month to see what's new!
http://andgradymakes3.shutterfly.com
The share site is password protected so if you'd like the password, email me!
LizaTheiling@yahoo.com
Enjoy!
http://andgradymakes3.shutterfly.com
The share site is password protected so if you'd like the password, email me!
LizaTheiling@yahoo.com
Enjoy!
4 weeks old yesterday - 1 month tomorrow!
WHERE does the time go?! Let me be the first to tell you that 4 weeks while you're pregnant CRAWLS by, and 4 weeks with a newborn FLIES!
This month Grady has gotten used to life on the outside! He has already been growing and changing, and developing his personality. He is starting to smile (randomly) and even makes laughing sounds from time to time. He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz. at his two week check up, but I know he's even bigger now. I bet he has gained a pound! We won't know for sure until his two month check up in June. Eric and I are already getting spoiled because he's only getting up once during the night (at about 3 am), and he even moved from his bassinet in our room to his "big boy bed" up in his room. We still get to keep a close eye on him on the video monitor! Can't wait to see what the next month has in store for us! He's getting more fun everyday!
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
Today was Eric's 28th birthday!!! What an old man! Grady gave Daddy a new shirt - in his favorite "golf" fabric. He loved it! And Mommy gave Daddy some new board shorts.
**This is really a gift to myself because I am constantly washing bathing suits for us during the summer so that we always have a clean one! What can I say? We love the water!**
The true gift for both of us last night was that Grady slept in his big boy crib for the first time! It was time for him to move out of our bedroom, up the stairs, and into his nursery. He went to sleep at 10, woke up at 3 to eat, and went back to sleep until 6:30! The best part was when I woke him up at 3 to have his bottle - he went straight back to sleep. This has been the hardest part of our schedule to nail down because usually he wants to hang out for an hour or so in the middle of the night - NOT so much fun! Fingers crossed that tonight is just as great!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday, Eric!!!
**This is really a gift to myself because I am constantly washing bathing suits for us during the summer so that we always have a clean one! What can I say? We love the water!**
The true gift for both of us last night was that Grady slept in his big boy crib for the first time! It was time for him to move out of our bedroom, up the stairs, and into his nursery. He went to sleep at 10, woke up at 3 to eat, and went back to sleep until 6:30! The best part was when I woke him up at 3 to have his bottle - he went straight back to sleep. This has been the hardest part of our schedule to nail down because usually he wants to hang out for an hour or so in the middle of the night - NOT so much fun! Fingers crossed that tonight is just as great!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday, Eric!!!
The Bare Necessities...
When we registered for baby stuff we scanned, zapped and tagged everything I thought I might use in the first year of Grady's life.... Yeah I think we went a bit overboard! Thankfully we have great closet space in our home because our amazing friends and family truly went above and beyond helping us get ready for the big arrival. In fact, at one point I had to go re-register because our Target one got almost completely bought out. We are SO blessed!
Now that I have all these wonderful things to make caring for Grady easier, I thought I would make a little list of the Bare Necessities that I have found to be truly essential during those first weeks at home with baby. That way when you're registering or purchasing a gift, you'll know what those priceless items are! I call this "Liza's Favorite Things," only... you don't get a free one like on Oprah!
10. Dr. Brown's bottles - do not fool yourself... there is NO substitute. Especially when you have a gassy baby.
9. A portable changing caddy. In those first few weeks we had Grady downstairs with us, so we used a canvas diaper caddy with a handle. We could change him anywhere without having to hike up and down the stairs.
8. My Little Lamb cradle and swing. Seriously like Ambien for babies.
Now that I have all these wonderful things to make caring for Grady easier, I thought I would make a little list of the Bare Necessities that I have found to be truly essential during those first weeks at home with baby. That way when you're registering or purchasing a gift, you'll know what those priceless items are! I call this "Liza's Favorite Things," only... you don't get a free one like on Oprah!
10. Dr. Brown's bottles - do not fool yourself... there is NO substitute. Especially when you have a gassy baby.
9. A portable changing caddy. In those first few weeks we had Grady downstairs with us, so we used a canvas diaper caddy with a handle. We could change him anywhere without having to hike up and down the stairs.
8. My Little Lamb cradle and swing. Seriously like Ambien for babies.
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7. A pack n' play with a bassinet. This is especially handy since our room is down, and his is upstairs. We are keeping him in our room until he sleeps for longer periods.
6. A baby sling. This is the only way I can get makeup on and my hair done when he wants to be held! He is content - and I have my hands free!
5. Boppy's newborn lounger. Baby lazy-boy. It is literally a baby beanbag chair. Grady loves it, and will even take his naps in it... even though the label says not to :)
4. Video monitor. There is NO substitute for being able to see your baby when he's away from you sleeping. We also have a 2 way monitor that we can talk back to him on - both have saved us many trips up and down the stairs!
3. Pampers Swaddlers. Huggies leaked for us, but they were great when he still had his bellybutton raisin because they have the cut out part for the cord.
2. Good quality cloth diapers to use for burp cloths. The cheap ones aren't thick enough and your clothes will thank you for spending a few extra bucks.
1. Kiddopotamus swaddlers. Grady wouldn't be able to sleep without these because his arms wake him up when he waves them around. When he's in his burrito he sleeps like... a baby!
**Side note: EVERYTHING for baby runs on D batteries. Save yourself some money and invest in some rechargeables and a charger. More money up front, but a savings in the end. Plus, when the baby is fussy, you want to be able to use that swing to calm him down!
A Few of my Favorite Things....
I am enjoying every minute of staying home with my little monkey while I'm on maternity leave. Spending the last three weeks getting to know Grady has been so much fun, and I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things that he does!
1. He LOVES taking a bath! He just stares at himself in the mirror and moves around his arms and legs - like he's trying to splash around.
2. He makes all kinds of noises while he sleeps. Mostly grunts and squeaks as he stretches his arms over his head. Which is another one of my favorite things - he is already such a big boy! He even makes this funny face when he stretches like "it is soooo tough being a baby!"
3. He makes great eye contact as you talk to him. He misses daddy so much while he's at work that when Eric gets home, Grady just sits in the boppy between us and stares at Eric for a while! So cute!
4. Whenever you rub noses with him, he opens his mouth.... so he can give you a kiss!
5. When he's really awake and looking around, he moves his arms all around and "talks" to you. Sometimes with noise, but mostly by just moving his lips. He must have something really important to say - I can't wait to hear it!
We Love Island Love Photography!
Our friend Meredith has been such a wonderful part of our whole "babyventure." From capturing my belly in downtown Savannah, to photographing Grady at just 4 days old, she has given us amazing snapshots of the most exciting moments in our lives. These photos were not easy to come by (Grady was not pleased with the gnats), but you'd never know it as patient and determined as she was to get the best possible shots!
Here is a slideshow of all the pictures from our afternoon at the Church of the Crossin downtown Bluffton. Thanks again Meredith, and also Stefan, for giving us these priceless memories!
Grady's Arrival
I had a doctor's appointment on April 6th - one day before my due date - with Dr. Royal. He was the doctor from my OB practice that had seen us when we had our "false alarm" at the hospital a week earlier. Basically, he checked me again, said that I was STILL not progressing despite my regular contractions for over a week, and we discussed our options for delivery.
Option 1) Getting induced. Checking into the hospital that night at 6pm to take cervical softening meds, then starting the pitocin at 7am the next morning.
Option 2) Wait 'til 41 weeks and see if anything happened over the following 7 days. If not, induction at 41 weeks.
Well, we weighed the options heavily because I really didn't want to end up with a c-section and my risk was much higher at this point because my body wasn't progressing. But, because I hadn't made any progress in 3 1/2 weeks... and after a week of exhaustive contractions, we decided to go for it. Eric and I picked up Zaxbys on the way to the hospital, and settled in for the night.
When we checked in at 6pm Dr. Royal told them to find me a "room with a view!" :) They all thought I was going to be in labor/delivery for days since I was only 1 cm dilated. They hooked me up to an IV, started my pills for the night, and gave me an Ambien (Thank You!!). We watched Biggest Loser and went to bed!
At 6:30am, Dr. Werner was on call and dropped in to check my progress. SURPRISE - nothing (1cm. 80% effaced)! He told me "don't plan on having this baby while the sun's up." At 7:30 they started the pitocin, and my new nurse checked in on me. She was the most AMAZING nurse and I was soooo lucky to have her.
9am: 1-2 cm, 90% effaced... the FIRST progress in almost a month.
11am: 2cm, 90-100% effaced.
1pm: My mom arrives, and I had just gotten checked. No progress, BUT my water broke while she was checking me. Now my contractions were getting intense and I was on the highest dose of pitocin for the next 2 hours.
2pm: Still about 2-3 cm, but at 2:30 I asked for my epidural. I couldn't talk through my contractions anymore, and they definitely had been much worse since my water broke. This was a super hard decision because I was really scared it would slow down my progress.
5:00pm: 4 cm. Shannon stopped by and my sister had just arrived from Clemson.
5:20pm: I started feeling like I had to go to the bathroom so I pushed the button for the nurse. When she got there she said that meant the baby was probably pushing down. When she checked me I was 9 cm!!! She said we'd start pushing at 6!!! YEAH!!!
So, it took from 7:30 - 5 to get to 4 cm, and then only 20 min. to get to 9! Shannon and Emily were my good luck charms!
At 5:50 I started pushing with the nurse. At 6:05 I started pushing with Dr. Royal, and at 6:19 he was HERE!
Option 1) Getting induced. Checking into the hospital that night at 6pm to take cervical softening meds, then starting the pitocin at 7am the next morning.
Option 2) Wait 'til 41 weeks and see if anything happened over the following 7 days. If not, induction at 41 weeks.
Well, we weighed the options heavily because I really didn't want to end up with a c-section and my risk was much higher at this point because my body wasn't progressing. But, because I hadn't made any progress in 3 1/2 weeks... and after a week of exhaustive contractions, we decided to go for it. Eric and I picked up Zaxbys on the way to the hospital, and settled in for the night.
When we checked in at 6pm Dr. Royal told them to find me a "room with a view!" :) They all thought I was going to be in labor/delivery for days since I was only 1 cm dilated. They hooked me up to an IV, started my pills for the night, and gave me an Ambien (Thank You!!). We watched Biggest Loser and went to bed!
At 6:30am, Dr. Werner was on call and dropped in to check my progress. SURPRISE - nothing (1cm. 80% effaced)! He told me "don't plan on having this baby while the sun's up." At 7:30 they started the pitocin, and my new nurse checked in on me. She was the most AMAZING nurse and I was soooo lucky to have her.
9am: 1-2 cm, 90% effaced... the FIRST progress in almost a month.
11am: 2cm, 90-100% effaced.
1pm: My mom arrives, and I had just gotten checked. No progress, BUT my water broke while she was checking me. Now my contractions were getting intense and I was on the highest dose of pitocin for the next 2 hours.
2pm: Still about 2-3 cm, but at 2:30 I asked for my epidural. I couldn't talk through my contractions anymore, and they definitely had been much worse since my water broke. This was a super hard decision because I was really scared it would slow down my progress.
5:00pm: 4 cm. Shannon stopped by and my sister had just arrived from Clemson.
5:20pm: I started feeling like I had to go to the bathroom so I pushed the button for the nurse. When she got there she said that meant the baby was probably pushing down. When she checked me I was 9 cm!!! She said we'd start pushing at 6!!! YEAH!!!
So, it took from 7:30 - 5 to get to 4 cm, and then only 20 min. to get to 9! Shannon and Emily were my good luck charms!
At 5:50 I started pushing with the nurse. At 6:05 I started pushing with Dr. Royal, and at 6:19 he was HERE!
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