Three Months!

Greyson, you are THREE months old today!
 

 I seriously feel like I was just writing your 2 month post. How did a month go by already?
 

Here's what you're up to...
 

Weight:

15 pounds! You are growing like crazy!!!

Height:

23 1/2 inches is my best guess!

Clothes:

Mostly still in 6 month clothes. I'll occasionally find a 3 month we can squeeze you into, and you're starting to wear more 9 months now. They're still a little big, but they work!

Diapers:

  We moved last week to Size 2!

 

Feeding:

Still eating 5 times a day. Up to about 6 1/2 oz. a feeding, and you're rarely fussy for more. Every now and then you wake up early or during the night and I nurse you back to sleep. You have 3 breastmilk bottles a day and 2 formula bottles. We have had a busy month and I can't keep up with how much you eat!

Hair/Eyes:

You are starting to get a lot of thick hair on top! It is also beginning to lighten up. I guess you will be a little blonde baby for summer! Your eyes are still blue and when you wear blue they are so light and even more pretty!

 

 Sleep:

 You're sleeping from about 8 at night to 5:30-6 in the morning. We moved last weekend and just now have your crib back up so your schedule is a little off. You take one and sometimes two really good naps a day. If you are in your car seat and we are on the go, you will sleep the whole time! You love to ride!

 
Fun Stuff:

You can roll from tummy to back! You don't always, but you can when you want to! You're also pushing up on your arms more and holding your head up higher  and for longer amounts of time during tummy time! You are SO strong!!!
 

You are such a happy baby!  You love to grin and laugh. It makes this momma's heart so full when you smile so huge!

In the past week you have discovered your hands and you love them in your mouth. I'd rather you take a paci if you must chew on something, but you keep it in for a minute or so, spit it out, and put your fist in there. 
 

Your daddy thinks you are going to be left-handed ...when you're hungry, those two fingers from your left hand go in your mouth every time. You'll occasionally chew on your right fist, but not as often. 
 

You are a drool monster lately! I constantly have to wipe your mouth. I think you might be an early teether!

You are the most content baby majority of the time! I love that I can lay you down and you can entertain yourself while I get things done!
 

You still love Wally very much! He is starting to really love you!

This month has been a whirlwind! We have sold our house, moved in with your mimi and papa while we hopefully build (that's another story by itself), your dad had to have some ear surgery which ended up being a lot more serious than we thought, and I have gone back to work. You have been a complete champ!
 

Tonight as I put you down to go to bed my heart was so full! Everyday I feel more and more blessed to be your mom! God has blessed your daddy and me more than we could ever imagine! Thank you for making the past three months the best for us!!

We love you so very much!

Two Months

Greyson - you are TWO months old!  Here's what you're up to now.

Weight:

You weigh a little over 12 pounds, around 12.4 pounds according to our scales at home...still packing on the weight! Your thighs are chunky and I love it! We go to the doctor next week so I will know better stats then.

Height:

I tried measuring you earlier. You are somewhere around 22 1/2 inches. I think you have really grown a lot lately. Your pajamas are getting to be tight on your feet.

Clothing Size:

 You wear mostly 3-6 month clothes. You have a few 0-3 month shirts that you can wear. It is a little weird though, you can barely fit into 3 month pajama onesies, 6 month fits perfect, and I am thinking before long you will be able to wear some 9 months! (I'm hoping this is a sign you are going to be tall!) 

Diapers:

  You are still in a size 1. I am guessing we will be moving up to size 2 before long though!

Feeding:

You're eating about 5 times a day now (sometimes 6, depending on what time you get up). It is hard to tell exactly how much you are eating since we are still primarily nursing. I have started a few times a week giving you a bottle at night of formula and nurse you, too. I am guessing you are eating about 6 ounces per feeding, and at night probably closer to 7 oz. 

Hair/Eyes:

You still have a head full of black hair! I love it! People always comment on how much hair you have! Your eyes are a pretty blue! They aren't a bright blue, but they seem to be getting a little lighter!

Sleep:

You are becoming a great sleeper.  You go to sleep at about 9 at night and sleep until about 2 or 3, eat and go right back down until almost 7! The past few nights you have slept until 5, ate and gone back down until almost 9!  You also usually take 2 naps a day, probably around 1 to 1 1/2 hours each.  Moms on Call  has has worked for us!

Fun Stuff:

- You've really started to smile a lot! Especially when you hear either me or your daddy's voice. You have laughed a few times and it is the sweetest laugh ever! I wish I could catch it on video but you always stop. 

 -You are very observant. If there is a ceiling fan in the room, you immediately look at it and won't take your eyes off of it!

- Tummy time is getting a little better. You have rolled over one time but I am pretty sure it was on accident! You can prop your head up and turn side to side really well! It's only a matter of time and you will be rolling over all the time!

-You have really gained a lot of control over your head. When someone is holding you, you don't look quiet as much like a bobble head! 

-You're trying to talk to us a little bit!  You like to give a few good yells and "talk" to us. Sometimes we are talking to you and sometimes you do it on your own. I love that you are content when someone isn't holding you- not always, but majority of the time. It makes doing things around the house a little easier. 

-You love your white noise machine. We have it on all night for you and I bought another one that stays in your carseat and pack-n-play with you! It is an answered prayer for when you need to be soothed!

-I can't believe how big you're getting! The past week or two I have noticed how big you have become!

You are so wonderful and so perfect! Your daddy and I often talk about how amazing it is to be your parents! 

We pray that you will grow to be a healthy strong boy (and I pray you will be tall! ha), but most importantly, we both pray that you will grow to be a man of God. That you will let Jesus into your heart and strive to be like him in your everyday life!

We love you, sweet Greyson!

  

Easter 2013

I love Easter! It is such a wonderful day to remember the wonderful promise we have as Christians. My heart aches for those people who do not celebrate and truly understand the significance of Easter.

There are only a few times that I can think back to where I do not remember going to Easter Sunrise Service with my dad. My brother and mom started coming once Reed was a little older. It always holds a special place in my heart. I love getting up and watching the sun rise in front of our church. Where we are standing they have the three crosses in front of us. Seeing the crosses in the morning sunrise always touches my heart. I praise God that He Lives and I do not have to spend an eternity in Hell! 

Here are some pictures of our Easter..and Greyson's first!

Greyson's Easter presents from the Easter Bunny. 

Instead of a basket, the bunny opted for the train bag that he will be able to use more than once a year. :) 

He will have a basket when it's time to hunt for eggs!

His Easter outfit- I promise he was more excited than he looks here!

All of his presents from Grandmommy, Mimi and Papa, and the Easter Bunny. Spoiled little boy.

Of course I did not forget Wally- the Easter bunny was just late ordering and it isn't here yet! Whoops!

We had a wonderful Easter, I hope you and your family did, too!

March Instagram Dump

We had a busy month! Here is what we were up to in March!

Greyson started sleeping in his crib...I had mixed emotions at first and now I am thankful I went ahead and have him in his crib. He seems to sleep longer lengths this way!

Uncle Reed took Greyson on his first four-wheeler ride! Welcome to the south; where you ride four wheelers before you are 2 months old! 

My mom celebrated another birthday! We went to Liberty's Tap Room in downtown Greenville- one of our favorites!

One of my best friend's and neighbor, Kate, had her second sweet baby. Greyson and I have enjoyed spending some time with Kate, Lola, and Averie!

John Thomas and I had our first night out to a friend's wedding. We couldn't stay away the whole night, but enjoyed some time together.

Greyson is enjoying tummy time a little better. I had the front door open one afternoon when it was nice outside and he enjoyed looking out the window. 

Bonding time for the brothers!

My sweet boy is doing so well while his momma and Mimi are enjoying time together...and shopping...every other day.  :) John Thomas and my dad is ready for me to return to work so we will stop going out. haha

We went to another wedding and Greyson went with us! Jason is a good friend of John Thomas and me- he tried to help Greyson catch the garter but no luck! 

Here we are at the wedding reception 

We decided to take a family portrait in the photo booth...even Greyson participated!

The days are flying by!

Perfect Timing.

This week has really been hard for me. I would be lying if I said I am happy all the time. One night Greyson cried and cried and cried. It absolutly broke my heart. I felt so helpless and honestly, hopeless. I kept telling myself that the days and the nights are long, but the years are short. (My long term sub at school told me that and it really stood out to me.) One day I didn't even get into the shower until about 10pm. He was still crying but John Thomas was trying everything he could to calm him. I sat on the side of my tub and broke down. It was my first real break down. I thought how hard it was, but how in five, ten, twenty years I would long for the days where I am holding my baby and bouncing and loving on him. I had to think of it that way, some for sanity and some just to remind myself that this will pass. It was a hard conclusion for me to come to. I felt like such an awful mom and to verbalize how I felt made me feel like I was failing.

 

Last night was a good night. He was asleep by 10:30 or so and only woke up twice to eat and went back down right after. It was good and I felt good when waking up this morning.

 

Greyson was in his crib and swaddled, without a fuss I would like to add, as I sat down on the couch to do my devotion. On Thursday mornings I go to Bible Study at church and we are currently doing a Beth Moore study.

 

 

 

The opening paragraph had me go to Psalm 127 in my Bible. I read the scripture, looked up and laughed. I opened the scripture and sent it to John Thomas at work.

 

 

John Thomas's response was the exact same as mine.

 Perfect timing.

Thank you Lord for such a good reminder when I was beginning to feel so defeated.



A New Normal

Greyson is five weeks old today. Wow. There are times where I feel like he has been here forever and there are times I feel like John Thomas and I were heading to the hospital those wee hours of the morning.

 

I am a person who loves and lives off a schedule. I think I get that from my dad. I enjoy a few days off, don't get me wrong, but after awhile I like to be in somewhat of a routine. I decided after last Friday that it was time Greyson and I got into a rountine. Afterall, he was a month and I only have a little over a month before heading back to work.

 

So, being the blog stalker of random strangers that I am, I had read about this program called Moms on Call and how it worked wonders. I read about it online and thought it sounded like something I would enjoy. I ordered the book and read it pretty much in one day. I then registered for the online course that gives a little bit more information. What I really like about it is that they tell you that if it doesn't work for you then you aren't a bad parent. I have read some things and I felt like what a loser of a parent if my child is not sleeping 10 hours the first week.

 

Greyson has been such a good baby! I can literally count on one hand how many "rough, what the heck have we got ourselves into" nights. Thank God, honestly- praise God for that! He hasn't slept the entire night and he still sleeps beside our bed in his Rockn' Play Sleeper.

 

On Monday I decided we would start our new "norm". The daytime schedule has worked great! He has really caught onto it quick. Nighttime schedule has been a little different. He DOES NOT like to be swaddled and will flip like a fish out of water in it. Two of four nights he has finally gone to sleep in his crib after about a 20-30 minute fuss. One other night resulted in me in tears wondering how I was going to make it and another night of just forget it, he's sleeping by our bed again.

 

The hardest for me has been when he wakes up anywhere from 2-3 am to eat. He eats great, but then wants to stay awake until about 4 or 5, one night 6. My only ray of sunshine during this time is 1. He's so darn cute and 2. he is not fussing, but he is not content. I am learning to torture keep him awake longer after his daytime naps to help him go right back to sleep at night.

 

I think we are finally getting in the swing of things though. Some days are harder than others, but that is the realty. I love my new normal. Would not change a thing, and that's a fact!

One Month

 Greyson - you are one month old today!  How is that even possible?  I see what they mean by it flying by - it seems like you were born last week.

  

-You are about 9 pounds 1 ounce and about 21 1/2 inches long You're a growing boy, and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon! (I think our scale is off and you weigh a little more :) )

-You are wearing a size 1 diaper..you were able to wear newborn diapers for about two and a half weeks before they were too snug on you.  You are in 3 month clothes now. There are about two newborn things you can still wear and get by with, but not much longer! I packed away all your newborn clothes this week. 

-You're eating about 4 ounces at every feeding, from our best guess.  I try to give you a bottle at least once a day, typically at night. It really confuses you when daddy gives it to you. Next week I am going to begin two bottles a day.

-You are such a good sleeper! We have only had about three nights where it has been rough. You sleep a good majority of the day. Although in the past week, your awake time has greatly increased! We were going to bed about 12 each night and we are gradually bumping it back a little bit each week. Our goal this week has been to be asleep by 10:30 or 11.  Once you are good asleep you sleep until about 3 or 4, and then back down until about 7, sometimes 8!

-You've just started really smiling in the past few days, especially after your belly is full.  Your daddy was able to see it for the time last night! 

-You have discovered the ceiling fan the past two weeks! You will just lay on the bed or on your tummy time mat and look at the fan. 

-You LOVE any type of movement! Your two favorite things are your swing and being held and bounced. If you are super fussy and crying, normally one of those two things will calm you down. 

-You are warming up to burping. The first week or two you really fought me when it was time to burp, but now it doesn't seem to bother you as much. You can let some really good ones.

-You HATE tummy time. You will lay on your tummy for a few minutes and be okay. After a few minutes you give us a good cry. You do like laying on your stomach when you are laying on top of me or daddy. When you are restless sometimes I lay you on my chest and alternate pats on back and bottom and it soothes you. 

-You are not sleeping in your crib at night. I do put you in your crib during at least two of your daytime naps. We are going to start trying you sleeping in there at night in the new couple of days. You sleep in the Rock'n Play Sleeper by our bed. 

-Your big brother is VERY protective of you! When someone other than me and daddy are holding you, he constantly goes and smells that person and checks on you. When we get home and Wally has been in his crate, the first thing he does is checks on you. He doesn't like you being in your crib or Pack N Play because he can't see you in there. You just stare at him so sweetly!

-Your eyes are a pretty blue! I love when you are bright eyed, especially in the early morning or at night after your bath. 

-You still have a head full of hair! It hasn't seemed to thin much. It stands STRAIGHT up! I love it!

-You seem to love to ride in the car (we prayed this would be the case...we are in the road a lot).

-You really like baths...but I think you enjoy the blow dryer after the best! 

Your daddy and I love you more than you know!  You've made this be the best month in both of our lives!