Growing up Guptons!

Merry Christmas! Happy Birthday Jesus!

2011-12-25T12:46:00.002-05:00

5x7 Folded Card

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the spirit of giving

2011-12-22T17:13:00.001-05:00

Today Grayson, Lilah and I visited a local firestation and dropped off some cookies (and returned a t-shirt one of them had left at our house during a photoshoot--it was his 3yo son's shirt). Especially after hearing many 6- and under-year-olds request iPads from Santa for Christmas when I was doing the photos for Edgewood Primary School's Santa Breakfast, I decided right then and there that my children will not be getting iPads, or anything of the sort before they are in highschool and have the need for it (if ever!). The thing that bothered me the most was that many of these children looked like they were in need of more basic items like clothing.

When I was a child, we had to save up or use layaway just to get a doll for Christmas. Yes, we were poor, but we were blessed and I never really felt poor. I would never have even dreamed of asking for something of the caliber of an iPad, even before I knew "the truth". Our family's financial situation is "better than I deserve" in the words of Dave Ramsey, but I don't want our children to ever feel like they are entitled to something like an iPad. To further that idea, I've decided that our family will continue in a spirit of giving each year and we will be taking cookies to firemen, packing shoe boxes for children and doing other activities to inspire giving in our children, rather than entitlement.

I was reminded recently of how many people have certain expectations of how Christmas should go. They have a plan in their head of a big, beautiful tree with lots of presents underneath. Christmas morning to them is a time to make their children happy by giving them everything they want. They (we) neglect to remember what we're celebrating in the first place--Jesus' birth. OUR SAVIOR. It's his birthday!!! THAT'S the reason for the season. So when we celebrate Christmas, we will still give our children gifts, but we will also give... because He calls us to. That's His birthday gift.

this one's for you, Shel Rockhill! ;-)

2011-12-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, I haven't blogged since July. Well, it's been pretty busy here with an infant, a toddler, and about 100 photoshoots between then and now.

But, I read a post on my friend's blog this morning, and she inspired me to take a picture of this. We don't have a lot of decorations up this year, because G can't seem to resist terrorizing them. We don't even have ornaments on the tree because he broke one of the plastic balls on the tree in the studio. He knows he's not supposed to touch them, but poor guy just can't resist his desire to explore. And I'm not going to punish him for being the boy that God created him to be. We just won't tempt him either ;-)

Our stockings are hung over the window on a curtain rack (high enough that he can't get to them!) and each one is specific to its owner... Brandon's is the Blue one on the end, with a "B" ornament on it, mine is Lavender with an "L", Grayson's is Green with a "G" and Lilah's is Lava, with an "L". Yes, we had to get creative on the colors, but it all worked out. Lord help us if we have another kid... I don't know if we'll be able to continue this trend!! haha Anyway, the stockings are stuffed to the brim and we can't wait for the fellowship that will come when we open them.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas. Enjoy those babies.

Love.

Way overdue.

2011-07-31T20:52:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know, I have not posted in over 2 months. You have every right to be mad! haha Life has been really busy preparing for our little Jelly Bean, keeping up with Grayson's activities and mostly, taking LOTS of photos! It seems that once I announced I'd be going on 'maternity leave' July 1, clients came out of the woodwork asking for sessions! Not that I'm complaining, because I LOVE my clients and I LOVE the job that allows me to stay home with my bab(ies) and still earn a little money to help out. I had over 20 sessions between the end of June and July--about 2-3 times my normal amount! THAT was a lot of editing! My computer time was pretty limited to checking my email and editing. I went on 'maternity leave' July 1, and then still had 3 sessions after that date! Thankfully, Jelly Bean waited until I was finished to make an appearance.

Speaking of Jelly Bean...

On Friday, July 29, Jelly Bean arrived after 20 hours of labor at 2:59 p.m. She (yes, SHE!) has a head full of inch-long, THICK brunette hair, just like her Daddy! Her eyes have already turned brown too! It's so funny to have one VERY blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby and one brunette, dark-eyed baby! People are going to doubt they're from the same parents (Trust me, they are!). She is absolutely beautiful and we got to come home Saturday, when she was barely a day old.

Lilah Adelaide Gupton became the first female "Gupton" to arrive in over 60 years! She was born at 7 lbs, 3 oz and 19.5 inches long (exactly her Mama's measurements). Amazingly enough, she looks exactly like her brother did, only with dark hair and eyes! It's uncanny the resemblance. I wonder what she'll look like as she grows. So far, she's making up for all the havoc she created in my belly and she's been even more laid back than her brother was. She rarely cries and has a very gentle spirit. She's had a bit of trouble latching to nurse, but we're getting the job done because she only lost a single ounce in the hospital! She's also having a bit of trouble with reflux, but hopefully we'll figure out a remedy for that tomorrow at her first Ped check-up with Dr. Laughlin. She's a very healthy baby though, and we are extremely blessed.

Grayson is doing pretty well with the situation so far. At first, he wanted nothing to do with her... wouldn't even go over to Brandon when he was holding her. Within a couple of hours though, he was blowing her kisses and waving hello and loves touching her hair (so do I!). He has his moments now, but mostly he has been the same boy as before she arrived. Every now and then he'll just come over and look at her for a while and just smile at you. He can already say her name too, and it's SOOOOO cute to hear him say it!

My best friend, Alyssa, was able to be at the hospital with us throughout the delivery and everything because our dear friend, Molly came up from KY to watch Grayson for us. As excited as we were/are to have a baby girl in our lives, we will always be reminded of Alyssa's sweet baby girl Morgan that we lost in the spring. Our girls were destined to be best friends, and instead Lilah's bestie Morgan is in Heaven waiting for us. What a bittersweet birth it was for all of us. Brandon and I both agreed that that was the hardest thing about the whole delivery (even worse than the horrendous back labor I endured). I am so thankful for Alyssa's friendship and for God giving her enough peace to endure labor with me and be happy for us. I know it wasn't easy, but I am eternally grateful to her for being there with me.

Well, both of our babies are already in bed, so I'm going to enjoy my freedom for a little bit and then head to bed. Sorry for the delay in posting.. Hopefully I'll get time to post some pics of our sweet girl soon. Until then, check my facebook page for a couple!

tornadoes and sentences

2011-05-23T21:30:00.000-04:00

So on our way home from Kentucky last night, my Sister left me a message about the tornadoes in Joplin... Since I lived in Joplin for almost 6 years, my heart immediately broke and I was full of terror that my loved ones were hurt or worse. I couldn't get a hold of anyone, so Brandon and I started watching CNN and The Weather Channel. I could hardly breathe as I looked at the devastation. How could I not even recognize the place I lived?!?! Utter devastation. And fear. Finally I got in contact with another great friend from college and she confirmed that most everyone we knew/were friends with was okay, but most of their homes are not. Her Grandparents (whom we all affectionately referred to as "Nan & Pop") and her Mom all live about a mile from the Walmart that was destroyed and was in the direct path of the tornado, so I was immediately fearful for them. She said that Nan had called her Mom shortly before the tornado hit and convinced her to come over to their house, about 2 blocks down the road. Thank you Lord for that--Cassie's Mom's home is totally destroyed, but Nan & Pop's was spared. They have some damage, but are able to stay in the house for now. Other friends have extensive damage and some have almost none, but so far, we believe that no one we know is on 'the list'. We will continue to pray for that conclusion, and for the families that weren't so lucky.

All day, I've just felt kind of depressed and anxious watching the news, so I stopped watching it for fear I'd make my contractions worse. I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a couple of weeks now (I'm 30 weeks along today) and I'm having a lot of them. I don't remember having this many with Grayson, so please pray that I don't go into preterm labor with Jelly Bean. I want him or her to bake until at least 38-40 weeks if at all possible. Grayson came at 38 weeks on the dot, and he was a little guy at 6 lbs 2 oz, so I'd LOVE for this baby to at least hit the 7 lb mark.

Speaking of Grayson--he said his second sentence today! His first sentence was "I don't know" and he holds his little hands out just like an adult! It's the cutest thing when you ask him something and he responds "I no no?!" His sentence today was "I poo-pood!" lol And he was right. FOUR times today. I guess he's just getting caught up from the weekend. He also slept 13 hours straight last night and had a 3.5 hour nap today... not that I'm complaining! I guess meeting Cheryl's baby Grace, me having 2 photo shoots, going to a wedding and reception, going to church, out to lunch and seeing Brandon's family (all between Friday and last night) really wore him out! Us too, by the way!

So, we're off to bed. Good night everyone. May God bless and protect you all.

feeling better

2011-05-14T08:54:00.000-04:00

Grayson's fever broke Monday morning during his nap thankfully, and he recovered pretty quickly after that. He was cranky for the rest of the week, but we did manage to get a few things done. Grayson also had another "first" this week:

Wednesday, May 11 he got his first scraped knee! We went for a walk that evening and he wanted to 'yalk' (walk) and he got going a little quick and fell on the sidewalk.

He's enjoying all of his Easter gifts, especially his new bubble mower from Grandma:

Here he is helping Dad mow last night! It was about the most adorable thing I'd ever seen. I got a new phone this week since my old phone was dropping a lot of calls and messing up a lot. And, I was eligible for a cheap upgrade, so Brandon got me a new one for Mother's Day. It takes great pics, which I am really excited about! The above pics are from the new phone and it's super easy to upload them, so you all can look forward to more pics in the future!

Last night while Daddy was finishing mowing, Grayson and I went to the mall for some Mommy & Me time. On our way home, I snapped these pics of Grayson. He was totally fascinated by the beautiful moon last night:

Cutest. Boy. Ever. Love him. :o)

not such a good end...

2011-05-08T22:18:00.000-04:00

Well, the weekend started off pretty great. Yesterday we went to Indy and ordered Grayson's new dresser (his is being carted to the baby's room soon) and went out to eat at Famous Dave's. Grayson was an angel the whole time and even tolerated us going to Babies' R Us and sort of registering for Jelly Bean. (We don't plan to have a shower or anything, but we get a big discount on anything 'left' on the registry before the baby comes, so we're taking advantage of that and 'registering' for some things we'll need for Grayson and the Jelly Bean). He napped the whole way home, so we went to The WonderLab Museum when we got home since it was still early. Grayson had a blast playing for a couple of hours--I figured he deserved some fun after the morning of shopping.

This morning we got up and Brandon made me breakfast. He had also got me a very sweet card and a big flower helium balloon. He opted for the balloon because he knows how much Grayson loves them and wanted me to be able to enjoy watching him play with it. It worked. Grayson LOVES balloons! He was so cute running around with it.

We then went to church and all seemed fine. Unfortunately, when Grayson woke up from his nap, he had a 103.5 temperature and was burning up. He refused to eat or drink and just wanted to be held all afternoon. I gave him some Tylenol, which brought the fever down all of 1 degree, and just let him lay on me. We called the pediatrician, but they said unless his fever reaches 104.5 or he has it for 3 days, they don't need to see him. :-/ Ya, that sounds crazy to me too. We decided we'd re-evaluate in the morning because I'm a little afraid he has an ear infection since he's super sensitive on the left side and won't even let me take his temp on that side. Hopefully I'm wrong.

On a lighter note, Jelly Bean got the hiccups last night around 3 a.m. It's the first time I've felt them this time around! :o)

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-25T06:22:00.002-04:00

Wow, what an amazing Easter it was this year. More than ever, I've been reminded of how much my Savior, my Creator, loves me. My, how I have been blessed! As we sat in the service yesterday morning listening to Tom tell us about what my Savior endured in order to set me free, I got chills. Sure, I've heard the story and I've seen "The Passion of the Christ", so I know the devastation that the floggings and the crucifixion brought to Christ's body... But this time, I heard it as a Mother. *gulp* I can't imagine, do not want to imagine the anguish that Mary felt watching her Son being beaten to within an inch of His life, only to then be drug through the streets and finally to watch him have spikes driven through his wrists and a crown of thorns shoved onto his head. These were not the thorns from your Mama's rosebush either. Historians tell us that they were several inches long. To imagine how God felt as He watched His Son suffer and die... knowing that he couldn't stop it... how utterly helpless he must have felt.

I cringe when Grayson gets the tiniest bruise or scrape and just want to calm him down and dry every little tear that he cries. It makes me physically hurt when he's in pain. Every bit of my being just wants to take it from him. Oh, the love I have for him. I imagine how it would feel to be Mary, remembering the tiny kicks in her belly as she carried Christ in her womb... I remember how it feels because I am there once again with our tiny Jelly Bean kicking ferociously every time Grayson squishes him/her. I know the love that you feel for your child before you even get to hold him in your arms... and how great that love grows as you hold them more and more. For 33 years Mary got to hold her Son and yet she was unable to save Him in the end. I saw a whole new side of Mary during our service yesterday, and she was not even really mentioned. I guess I just really stepped into her shoes while listening to the horrors of Christ's death due to the situation I am in.

I quickly realized how blessed we are that Grayson has not had any serious illness or injury so far. We have not spent unexpected nights in the hospital, and certainly have not felt the horror of losing a child firsthand. Thank you Jesus! Thank you for taking those nails, and accepting those thorns. Thank you for rescuing me AND my family! Thank you for protecting us and sending Your Angels to watch over us. Thank you for my amazing husband, my wonderful son, and this incredible little Jelly Bean kicking me while I type. Please help us to remember, not just on Easter but every day, How Great Thou Art.

[If you haven't seen this, it is a must-see!]

You Never Let Go

2011-04-18T09:01:00.001-04:00

You Never Let Go--Matt Redman

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back, I know You are near
And I will fear no evil, For my God is with me
And if my God is with me, Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go, in every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles, but until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth
Chorus

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes

Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

So I have to make a confession. Last week at church, in the aftermath of Alyssa losing sweet Morgan, I admit that I had a really hard time praising God. Singing the Hallelujah's and telling God how great He is was really hard for me because I, well, I was angry at God. I didn't understand (and still don't) why He would allow this to happen at all, much less a second time to the same Mommy. Doesn't He know that we need to have a baby in our arms? I sang numbly through the service, crying for that sweet baby girl that was in Jesus' arms instead of in Alyssa's belly.

This week at church, we sang several songs, but Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go" stood out to me. We are certainly walking through the valley in the shadows of death... and not just any death... the death of a sweet, innocent baby. We are caught in the middle of a storm that Satan has conjured up and we are broken. Broken-hearted, broken-minded, broken-bodied, and broken-spirited. Last week, I caught myself wondering where God was in all of this. I feel so afraid... obviously for Alyssa and Brian, but also for our own little Jelly Bean. The kicks that I feel now no longer bring displeasure, but security. But at the same time, I don't want him/her to be too crazy in there, lest Jelly Bean might tie him/herself up like poor Morgan did. Alyssa and I both have wondered about God's design of the umbilical cord... I know He makes everything 'perfect', but why is it so long?! We babyproof our entire house, yet we can't babyproof our womb from that crazy long cord?! It just doesn't make sense.

This week while I was editing photos, I came across a verse that really stuck with me. I really feel like it was almost a message coming through Morgan from God:

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." John 14:27 (NLT)

God is here. God was there with Alyssa through the silence of the doppler. God was there during her delivery, and He was there to carry sweet Morgan Home. He is still here now, and He is sorrowful too. He knew this was going to happen, but He didn't make it happen. Satan made it happen. God brought life into this world--Satan brought destruction and death. God made everything perfect, especially sweet Morgan. I should know... I photographed every inch of her tiny body. She had beautiful, long perfect fingers and she already had long, skinny feet, just like her Momma. I thought she looked just like her big brother, Carter. God made her. Satan took her from us, but God ushered her Home. God left us His peace and the truth that He will come back for us too, in His perfect timing. We don't have to be afraid. Even through the suffering, we must hold fast to the Glorious Light that is coming.

For this, I can sing praise to my King who has redeemed me. Even through my pain and sorrow, I hold tightly to my Savior, the One who rocks Morgan to sleep at night and comforts the weary... because He never lets go.

Happy 1 Week Birthday, Morgan

2011-04-15T12:06:00.000-04:00

One word can't sum it up. A few that come to mind: unspeakable, tragedy, horror, dismay, utter disbelief, shock. A few more: devastation, incomprehensible, heart-wrenching. Broken.
Thursday, April 7 will be a day I will remember forever. It is the day that the heart inside my best friend's belly ceased to beat any longer... and the day that both of our hearts broke.

Alyssa texted me that her midwife couldn't find a heartbeat during her regular 16-wk appointment and I just began to pray that it was a fluke... surely everything was fine... God couldn't let this happen to her again. Not another baby. He just can't. It's not fair. We're pregnant together... doesn't He understand that?! Our babies are going to be best friends, just like Carter and Grayson!!! Unfortunately, Jesus was already cradling baby Morgan and the silent doppler turned into a silent ultrasound too... Morgan looked perfect and cozy, but she had already grown her wings.

Alyssa asked if I would mind doing some photos of Morgan when she was born since I am a photographer and already volunteer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a non-profit infant bereavement photography organization. Just the week before, Alyssa helped me get through my first session with a 34-week baby boy... neither of us could imagine that what God was preparing us for. Of course I agreed to do it, but as I did, I wept in the floor of my kitchen... I was supposed to be doing her maternity photos this summer, not taking pictures of the baby already!!!! Gone were our dreams of our babies playing together; gone were my dreams of taking their photos together. It just didn't seem real.

Baby Morgan was born Friday, April 8 at 9:48 a.m. and I got to the hospital about 11 after taking Grayson to Kelly's house (God bless her). It was all I could do to not just sit and weep for that beautiful baby... Alyssa was being so strong as we sat there. I couldn't believe it. I think I would have been a complete mess, and she was the only reason I wasn't. I was absolutely devastated, and I'm positive she was too. I met little Morgan, as she lay on a blanket in her Daddy's lap. Almost immediately I noticed the tiny knot in her umbilical cord that resulted in her Heavenly home. I like to dream about her being a crazy little girl with a lot of energy, just like she was in her Mommy's belly. I'm sure she's keeping the angels on their toes! :o)

Now, as we sit in the aftermath of such a personal tragedy, I want Alyssa to know that I'm going to be the same friend that I've always been to her. I still want to see her, to watch our boys laugh and play together, and most importantly, to talk to her. I know my continued pregnancy is going to be difficult for us both, as our Jelly Bean is a constant reminder of our friend Morgan that we never got to know. I want her to know that she should always tell me when she's feeling sad and when she doesn't feel like doing something we normally would. I want her to know that she can always talk to me (or just cry) about Morgan and about how lost she feels without that baby in her arms... I want her to know that she's still the first person I want to tell when Jelly Bean does something crazy, but if I don't, it's just because I don't want to make her sad(der). I also want her to know that no matter what, I will always be here and we will face whatever Satan throws at us together. Because that's what best friends do.

And, to baby Morgan... I can't wait to meet you up in Heaven! I'm sure that you'll be ready to give us a tour and show us all of the wonderful things when we get there. You were so crazy in your Mommy's belly that you just couldn't stay in there long enough, so I'm sure you're staying plenty busy up there. I want you to know that I'll help take care of your Mommy because I know that she's really sad that she didn't get to raise you. I'm really happy that you've already got to meet Jesus and that He'll take better care of you than we ever could. I know He also loves you and is sad that He had to meet you so soon too. I want you to know how happy your Mommy was when she found out about you and how happy I was too. I was really looking forward to you playing with our little Jelly Bean and I hope that you'll watch over him or her while he's/she's still in my belly. I know they will never replace you, but if there comes a time that your Mommy has another baby in her belly, I want you to take special care of that baby and make sure God makes him or her perfect, okay? I know that you can do that because you are a special girl... I want you to remind Mommy how much you loved her too and how you appreciated what good care she took of you while you were in her belly. She did everything she could to help you become a strong, healthy baby and you were! You had long, beautiful feet and hands and you were perfect. Until we meet again...

all my love,
lisa

Big Boy Bed!!!

2011-04-04T18:08:00.000-04:00

Wow, so my 19-month-old is growing up... preparing to be a big brother, I guess. This weekend, albeit with some hesitation, we decided to put the toddler bed rail on Grayson's crib to begin his transition to a real toddler bed this summer. We'll be needing his crib for Jelly Bean, so we decided that it would be best to start early and give him time to transition, just in case. Well, he has passed so far with flying colors!!!

Turns out our Angelcare Motion Monitor is dual purpose--it tells us if he stops breathing in the middle of the night (yes, I am super-paranoid of SIDS, since I know TWO families that have lost their 18-month-olds to it!) AND it tells us when he gets out of bed now! He very quickly figured out how to get in and out of the bed... that was easy-peasy for him! Saturday night (his first night in the new bed), he had a bit of trouble going to sleep and got up twice. But, as soon as he got tired enough, he laid down and went right to sleep! He only got up once at 1:30 and then slept until morning! Last night was even better, despite the massive storms we had all night. He woke up a few times, but stayed in his bed like a good boy! He woke up about 7:45 for the day.

The day has ended with our OB appointment for Jelly Bean. I have to go finish dinner, but let's suffice to say that it was an AWESOME appointment! I'll post more later... (pics too!).

Say hello to...

2011-03-09T20:39:00.000-05:00

our healthy little Jelly Bean!

Yup, that's a foot and you can even see the metatarsals--isn't that cool?!

Waving hello! (I just noticed it looks like there's too many fingers! Hope there's only 5!! lol... oh, and that's the cord sticking out, I already asked!)

My placenta is right by the baby's face, so we didn't get any good pics this time--this was the best she could do)

Jelly bean was shaking his/her fist at us!


This one is harder to make out, but the big round blob on the right side is the face! Jelly Bean turned to look at the wand. The two smaller black holes are the eye orbits and you can see the nose too.

So, yes, our ultrasound went great! The sonographer even said that the baby has 'a beautiful heart' which made me feel a lot better! It seems like there's so many birth defects out there, and I was certainly relieved that they didn't find any with our Jelly Bean. Our Quad Screen (genetic test for Trisomy 21-Downs' Syndrome, neural tube defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly, Trisomy 18-Edwards Syndrome or another type of chromosome abnormality) also came back perfect! God is growing us a beautiful, healthy baby!

However, this baby is already proving a little stubborn... the poor sonographer worked for about 40 minutes trying to get Jelly Bean to roll over so she could get a better picture of the spinal column! She got pictures of everything else she needed and we could see the cord, but not clearly enough for a picture. The baby was also stretched out like he/she was laying in a hammock--complete with an arm behind the head, legs fully stretched out and little feet crossed at the ankles! The head/face were right up by my placenta, so she couldn't get very good profile or face pictures either, which was disappointing. The good news is that we get to have another ultrasound at our 23 week appointment (in FOUR weeks!) to see if she can get it then! I'm just excited to get to see Jelly Bean again! Hopefully this time he/she will be in a more cooperative mood!

As indicated by the constant 'he/she' above, we elected not to find out Jelly Bean's gender. We just looked away when she had to examine those regions. I know Brandon probably wants to know, but he's playing along with me wanting it to be a surprise--what a great husband I am blessed with! I think having a surprise at the end will be fun! And, if we found out it was a girl, I'd REALLY have a hard time not spending money. Alyssa and my Mom both think it's another boy anyway, but I guess we'll wait and see what God has in store for us! We'll be happy either way!

Thanks for listening everyone... good night!

Why we cloth diaper.

2011-02-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

Brandon and I have been cloth diapering Grayson for almost his entire life. We started pretty much as soon as his cord fell off and his circumcision healed. Still, that left us about a month that we had to use disposables. This time around, I decided that I wanted to use cloth as soon as we leave the hospital (being at the hospital without Grayson is going to be hard enough, so I figure we'll just use the hospital's diapers for a day. That, and those first couple of poo's are disgusting!). We have many reasons that we cloth diaper, but the biggest are definitely the cost-savings and the health benefits.

Now, I should mention that Brandon and I had actually read Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover" before we had Grayson. We used his plan and paid off all of our student loans and both cars. We were debt free except for the house! Then, we fell off the wagon and bought our Honda Pilot when we found out we were expecting. Our reasoning at the time was that we had a need for a bigger vehicle as we both had 2-door cars. However, we didn't realize that the "Honda Pilot" part was a want. In any case, even though Dave would have said 'no', I still LOVE our Pilot. It's the safest SUV on the road in its class and it holds all of the crud a baby 'needs'! haha It drives great and I'll be driving it until it falls apart. Now, it's our only debt aside from the house.

When I first mentioned the idea of cloth diapering to Brandon, he was skeptical, as are most people. But, the thing I love about my husband is that he didn't immediately shut me down. He listened to my research and agreed to keep an open mind about it. I read dozens of articles about the cost savings. Me, being the research-enthusiast that I am, actually sat down and did a cost-breakdown of what our savings would be if we went through with it. I even included cost estimates for the extra laundry and electricity/water consumption! [Yes, some people might call this 'anal', but I call it 'detailed' :o) ] After Brandon saw my spreadsheet and the fact that it would save us over $2000 just to cloth diaper Grayson, he agreed that we should give it a whirl. So, out came the squeaky wallet and we began our initial investment. (As a side note, I was able to sell all of Grayson's 'initial investment' diapers for more than I paid for them after he outgrew them!).

The other reason we cloth diaper arose from the massively accumulating data about all the hazardous chemicals in disposable diapers and its endocrine-disrupting abilities. They even release VOC's!!! You don't paint their room with them, yet you put them on their bottoms?! If you do a Google search on disposables, you'll be amazed at what's out there. I just knew that I wanted to do what was best for my son, regardless of the fact I might get a little dirty. Now, I will be the first to tell you that I'm not perfect when it comes to environmental toxins, but I do pay attention and buy organic whenever possible. Sometimes it's just not in the budget; other times we make room for it. We're just trying to do what we think is best. We do still use disposables occasionally, but we use the 7th Generation ones with fewer chemicals.

The other reasons we cloth diaper have arisen after we started cloth diapering. We found that our cloth diapers held in Grayson's explosive poo's much better (as in, we've never had a blowout in a cloth diaper). Brandon became a lot more 'into' the cloth diapers when Grayson had a blowout in a disposable IN THE CARSEAT when he was on duty! Talk about a mess!!! I firmly think that that moment he was thinking "WHY didn't I listen to Lisa and put him in cloth!!" A woman can always dream, right?! At this point in our lives, Brandon would much rather put Grayson in cloth than a disposable. He's found out through experience that it isn't as hard as everyone makes you think.

We also don't have hardly any diaper rash now that we use cloth almost exclusively. Yes, we have had it a couple of times due to detergent and hard-water build-up in our diapers, but that cleared up as soon as I washed the diapers a bit more thoroughly. The only other time we've had it with cloth was when Grayson ate too many peaches... and that'll get just about anyone! ;o) When he was in disposables, it seemed like his bottom was constantly red. Our cloth diapers, even after he's slept 12 hours in one, feel dry next to his skin when I go to change him. That is amazing to me, especially considering the diaper *thuds* to the floor after that long! They really do a great job of wicking the moisture away.

The final reason I cloth diaper probably has no impact on Brandon... but to other Mamas out there, you'll agree! Grayson's bum is SOOO cute in cloth diapers!! There's just no comparison to ugly disposables. Cloth diapers come in such an array of colors and prints, it's hard to not become 'addicted'! Now, I buy, sell and trade cloth diapers (without spending any extra money from our budget) all of the time. We have quite the stash of adorable-ness to cover his bottom and keep him dry...

Because that's all we Mamas really want right? A cute, dry, healthy booty!

Mama's Favorite Fifteen Things

2011-02-07T13:26:00.004-05:00

So, with this impending bundle of joy on the way, I figured it is high-time I finally posted my list of favorite things. I began compiling the list in my head soon after Grayson was born... these are the things that are 'must-haves' in my mind. Without them, life would still be lived, albeit not quite as smoothly and a little more sleep deprived. Many of my friends are also expecting or adopting their first children now, so I figured this might help them out a little too! So, in no particular order....

1. Angelcare Baby Movement and Sound Monitor I take it back. If I could buy only ONE item for my baby, THIS would be it. I know a lot of people love the new technology with the little TV video monitors, but I personally don't want to sit up all night watching to see if my baby is breathing. This monitor has a pad that goes under the crib mattress and detects any small movement in the crib (such as breaths). If it detects nothing for 20 seconds, it sounds an alarm like a fire alarm! (Believe-you-me, it's enough to almost make you wet your bed!!!) SIDS is one my biggest fears--and rightfully so. About 2,500 babies die of SIDS in the U.S. alone each year. This monitor may or may not save your child's life, but it does allow me to sleep at night knowing that I'm doing all that I can to prevent it. Additionally, this monitor has a sound sensor, a room temperature sensor and a nightlight. I LOVE IT. (fyi--we are buying another one for the new baby and letting Grayson keep sleeping with his... that's how much I trust it with my child's life!)

2. Dr. Harvey Karp & The Happiest Baby on the Block Series I credit this man with giving Brandon and I a most precious gift--being able to soothe our son effectively and quickly! We received the DVD for free from our insurance company and after watching it, I immediately went out and bought the book. We both read it and learned the invaluable 5 S's that Dr. Karp teaches so eloquently... Swaddle, Side, Suck, Shush, & Swing. We learned these with such vigor that our nurses in the hospital thought we had several other children--Grayson was the quietest, calmest baby on the floor! I don't tell you this to brag, but rather to let you know that even first time parents can calm your baby within minutes of that first cry! Grayson didn't have any special temperament--he still cried--but we were able to calm him using Dr. Karp's methods. And once we discovered my next favorite, our lives got even easier! And, we are getting ready to pick up "Happiest Toddler on the Block" and see what wonders it has in store for Grayson's new toddler behavior! ;o)

3. The Miracle Blanket Yes, when you put your baby in it, it looks a little like a straight jacket, but it was the only thing that helped Grayson nap by himself and sleep through the night! We tried soooo many things and absolutely nothing worked... every day I ended up holding him through his naps. That won't be an option for baby #2, so hopefully our blanket works miracles again! There are lots of different swaddling blankets out there, and we just used simple receiving blankets for a long time. I've heard wonderful things about the Halo Sleepsacks too, but our boy was such a little Houdini, that by 6 months, he could basically get out of anything!!! We let him try sleeping without being swaddled for about a week, and after none of us getting any rest, we bought this blanket. Thank you my sweet, Lord Jesus! It worked! We swaddled him with this blanket until he was too long for it (around 10 months) and by then he adjusted to sleeping without it just fine.

4. A Good Camera Yes, I am a photographer, so I am a big fan of photos! Take them all the time--you don't want to forget anything! Babies grow and change soooo quickly! I'm a big Nikon fan, but I'd be happy to help anyone with questions about any type/brand of camera. I personally shoot with a Nikon dSLR, but I know of many point-and-shoots that are really reliable and easy to use. Buying a dSLR will not automatically provide you with great photos of your baby... it takes a LOT of time and patience to learn how to use it first.

5. A Good Video Camera We have a Flip video camcorder and it fits in my purse/pocket. It's so handy and we use it all of the time. Kids do the funniest things and I like to be ready! Since Daddy is away for work during the day, I like to capture Grayson's special moments on video so he can watch them when he gets home. I love sharing the joy!

6. Amazon Mom What Mama doesn't love a fantastic deal?! Amazon's "Mom" program offers 30% off AND free shipping on diapers, and lots of discounts on other babycare needs. We use disposable diapers for church, and this is the cheapest I've found them.

7. Mortimer the Moose Yes, this looks about as ridiculous as it sounds, but Grayson LOVES Mortimer! Even to this day, he still plays with him. When he was a baby, he would play with it for minutes on end. (which is about as long as a newborn's attention span goes!!) Every baby is different, but I've never known a baby who didn't LOVE squeekers and rattles, and Mortimer is not short on either! He's also a great teething toy. A dear friend bought Morty for Grayson right after we conceived, and I'm sure she had no idea that he was going to be Gray's favorite, but we're so happy she cared! What a fantastic gift!

8. Medela Pump-in-Style I can't believe it took me this long to remember this Godsend!!! I wanted to nurse Grayson for the health benefits to both of us, but also because most estimates say that I could save our family between $1500 and $2000 by doing so, not counting the cost of bottles and the like. Since we had decided that I would stay home with him, that was essentially like me making $2000 that year. I really looked forward to nursing and hoped that we'd catch on quickly and that the process would go smoothly. (Doesn't everyone hope that?!) Thankfully for us, the ride was mostly smooth. This pump tremendously helped. I know lots of books that say if you're going to stay at home with your child, you don't need this. They are wrong. I personally wasn't super comfortable nursing in public--this pump allowed us to go out to eat with our newborn and feed him without having to show my 'bee-boos' to everyone. I was also able to increase my supply and allow my dear husband the wonder of feeding his son. What Mother doesn't want her husband to bond with their baby?! Sure, you can buy cheaper pumps, but this pump is well worth the money. I'll be using ours this time around as well. Oh, and contrary to popular belief, you can (and should) buy one used. The mechanics are the expensive part of the pump--find one on Craigslist and either sterilize the accessories (the horns, tubing, etc) with a bottle sterilizer OR go buy new accessories at BRUs or the like. They'll only run you about $40. I just looked on eBay (where I bought mine brand new for $150!) and you can get a used one for about $75. Factor in the cost of new accessories and you're still saving about $135 off of the $250 sticker price!!

[Just a side-note: I was able to nurse Grayson for the first whole year, which is recommended by the AAP and he didn't have even one ear infection or major illness and is a really healthy toddler. I can't say this is solely due to nursing him, but I'm sure it helped and it made me feel like a rockstar! Additionally, I even got the ever-feared mastitis one time when he was about 7 months old--I felt like death for 2 days, but I survived and continued to nurse. If you are determined to do it, most any Mom can. Ask questions & accept help from a lactation consultant if you need it--they are amazing!!]

9. Itzbeen Baby Care Timer I registered for this because I had heard wonderful things about it. I'm so glad that we actually received it! In those first few sleep-deprived months, I barely knew what day it was, much less what time it was! I seriously couldn't even do simple math! This little gem helped me keep track of diaper changes, naps, feeds, the works! We mostly fed on demand and let Gray sleep when he wanted to right at first, but when we started trying to get him on a better schedule, this little timer helped tremendously. It's easy to use and it clips to your pants so you can't lose it. It was my brain for the first few months!

10. Mustela Stelatopia Baby Products When Grayson was born, he, like 20% of other babies, developed eczema. Fortunately, his was pretty mild, but it still needed treatment. He would get red, raised rashes on his forehead (we called them his 'horns'! haha) and his skin in general was very sensitive. We had to use All Free & Clear on all of our laundry because anything else would make his skin break out (even Dreft!!!). When others would hold him up next to their clothing, he would break out... it was heartbreaking to watch him suffer when all they wanted to do was hold him. We tried LOTS of different creams and soaps and nothing helped. Finally, we were referred to the Mustela Stelatopia products by another Mama. Praise Jesus! The Milky Bath Oil and the Moisturizing Cream cleared him right up!! We also used the Cream Cleanser and the Hydra-Stick. He has since grown out of the sensitivities by the grace of God, but now his skin is getting dry from the winter, so we've started using it again. It really helps. I use the Hydra-Stick on his cheeks, chin and lips to keep them from chapping (the kid produces LOTS of drool!).

11. Boppy I think most people know what a Boppy Pillow is now, but just in case, there's a link to a cute one I found. This pillow saved my arms while I was nursing Grayson. He would even nap in it occasionally sitting next to me on the couch. Later, I used it for tummy time and when he was learning to sit up, I used it to prop him up. Now I use it as a photography prop to pose babies! :o) Soon, it will revert back to its original position.

12. Vibrating Bouncy Seat We didn't have this particular one (we actually had 2 different ones, one that was too big for him when he was born and another newborn one that a friend gave us). Grayson HATED the swing with a passion. He would scream and cry EVERY time you put him in it. So, we didn't use that much. ;o) But, he loved his bouncy seats and would sit in them happily while I ate or cleaned. LIFESAVER.

13. Fan We got a little blue fan for Grayson's room pretty similar to this one from WalMart for about $15. It has 2 speeds, oscillates and most importantly, it makes a nice, gentle whirring sound that puts him to sleep and helps him stay asleep! Many SIDS experts also recommend a fan for baby's rooms to help circulate the air... look at that! 2 birds with 1 stone!

14. A Good Rocking Chair/Glider Our Shermag glider probably has my butt imprinted in the cushion, I've spent so much time there!!! What a wonderful blessing to give a new Mama--a comfortable, cozy rocker!! As previously mentioned, Grayson refused to nap without being held as a newborn. So, I set up my 'command station' before I sat down in the glider with him. I had a little table complete with snacks, water, my phone, the remote and the laptop right next to our glider (which was moved to the living room). I would lay Grayson on the Boppy in my lap and he and I could both snooze in that wonderful glider. I don't think I will ever be able to get rid of it! Grayson still loves to be rocked in that glider. It's sturdy and dependable to rock him to sleep!

15. Last, but certainly not least, Cloth diapers. No, I'm not talking about safety pins and plastic pants. I buy ours from these fine retailers: Diaper Junction, The Nappy Shoppe, The Green Nursery/Barefoot (they own a store in Bloomington!), and Cottonbabies. I've also bought lots of our diapers gently used on diaperswappers.com Check out the cuteness and the convenience of them, and your curiosity will be piqued... I promise!

Going back to me staying at home, using cloth diapers, on average, saves a family over $2000 when diapering one child. Since we will be using Grayson's diapers on this next baby as well, my 'stay-at-home-salary' will go up even more this time around! Close your gaping mouth--no it's not as gross as everyone makes it out to be and, no, I don't love playing with poo! There are many, many benefits to cloth diapering in addition to the cost... it's better for your baby's bottom (because there are SOOO many chemicals in disposables, including VOC's... we don't paint our baby rooms with it, yet we put them on their bottoms?!?!), and it's better for the environment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not really too much of a 'tree-hugger', but I like to do what I can for the environment that my baby will grow up in. The biggest factor for us was the cost savings... but just slightly behind for me was the cute bum Grayson has when he wears them! Check out the cute colors and prints one of our favorite brands offers!! We even have a cow-print one!

Yes, my husband was a little harder to convince. But, once Grayson had a blowout (in a disposable) ALL OVER THE CARSEAT when Daddy was on duty, he became a pretty quick believer! We have NEVER had a blowout in a cloth diaper. Yes, he has out-peed a few when he needed to be a size up, or we were having hard-water issues, but never poop. And, the only time he's ever had diaper rash was either from a disposable or from him eating peaches (he seems to be allergic to one type). Now, Brandon actually prefers to put a cloth diaper on Grayson!!! Take that nay-sayers!!!

***
Well, I think I'm spent. And, Grayson's up from his nap, so it's lunch time! Feel free to tell me what you think of my suggestions and add any that you love!! I'm sure I'm forgetting something!

melt my heart

2011-01-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

This morning Grayson was eating his breakfast and when he was all done I exclaimed "Great job!!! What a big boy! You ate all of your breakfast!!" to which he sweetly responded "Mama... Thank you!" which came out more like "Mama... Taint-tu!"

Could this child get any sweeter? I love him and his wet kisses!

Flu all around!

2011-01-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

Wow, so this has been a hard couple of days. Grayson woke up sick about 3 a.m. Friday morning and threw up all over me (which is not a nice thing to do to a pregnant woman who's sense of smell makes her puke on a daily basis already!). Thankfully, Brandon helped me get him cleaned up and put back to bed. He had a temperature, but we couldn't find the thermometer, so we don't know exactly how high. We all finally got back to bed and slept a couple more hours. Brandon went to work, and I woke to Grayson in a happy, cheerful mood and no fever, at least that I could feel. Bizarre, but I thought, hey, maybe we got lucky!

Wrong. When he woke from his nap, he was very congested and his temperature had shot back up to 102 (I located the thermometer during his nap). I still wasn't sure what to think, because he was playing pretty much normally, with a few extra cuddles here and there. I pretty much narrowed it down to the molar that he's cutting and just treated the symptoms--Tylenol, Ibuprofen and watered-down juice. Late Friday afternoon, he puked again and continued to Friday night, so Saturday morning we called Dr. L.

Dr. L thinks he has the flu--he said that he's seen a lot of it lately, even in kids that have been vaccinated, like Grayson has. He gave us marching orders for the vaporizer, Vicks Vapo Rub (we put it on his feet and cover them with socks so he doesn't ingest it or get it in his eyes), and watered-down Gatorade to replenish electrolytes ("Pediasure is just expensive, watered-down Gatorade" Dr. L explained).

So, we stuck with those ideas and Grayson slept through the night last night and seemed better... until his first nap today. He was refusing to go to sleep and just screamed for a long time... then, he puked. Everywhere. Bless Brandon's heart, he just shut the door and told me to start a bath because he knew I'd puke too if I went in there. My sense of smell is RIDICULOUS right now and pretty much any strong scent makes me sick. I gave Grayson a bath while Brandon cleaned up the aftermath. He had to strip everything down to the mattress and even use vinegar on the mattress it stank so bad. He had to clean the bed, the floor, the rocking chair... it was massive puke-struction!

After we left his room to air out, I started to put the laundry in--everything had to be washed, and we already had some from Friday that needed washing. And that's when I started puking. Yes, now he has given me the flu. And yes, I've had a flu shot. Something tells me they guessed the wrong strain this year.

Not cool people, not cool.

It Snow Lie--He Can Do It!!

2011-01-07T16:30:00.001-05:00

<br><br><br>Yup

As a basketball player for more than 20 years, I couldn't be more proud! If you listen close you can hear him say the word we learned today "baw" (ball). He learned "buud" (bird) yesterday!

He's also learned another trick as you can see! Gotta make sure that stair gate is latched ALL the time now!!

And yes, it's snowing here again today... it's no lie either. boo.

get out the dictionary!

2011-01-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

Grayson's vocabulary has really exploded since Christmas and I just wanted to take a second to jot down his new words!

Dada, Mama, bay-bay (for baby), 'Yight' (for light), 'Itty' (for kitty), cat, nay (for horse), no, yes, ho ho ho (if you ask him what Santa says), vroom vroom, tan-tu (thank you), "shish" (for Goldfish).... that's all I can think of right now, but it seems like he's adding at least 2 or 3 every week now.

My favorite thing is that if I ask him for a kiss, he'll come give me one and then say "tan-tu" back to me when I say thank you! He doesn't do it for anyone else though, so Momma feels special!! :o)

I'll try to get some pictures posted, but running around after him keeps me busy! I just feel tired all the time!!

Grayson's new (warm) house

2010-12-18T21:31:00.000-05:00

Do you feel a breeze?! Last night Brandon and I were up late and suddenly heard an AWFUL sound coming from our HVAC. It sounded like fan blades eating something metal. We immediately RAN down the stairs and shut it off. Brandon was able to get the front off and we quickly realized that it was the inductor blower on the front. Several (almost half) of the plastic blades inside the fan part of the unit had broken off and were getting eaten by the remaining blades. Not a good sign, since it was in the teens outside.

After scrambling and calling several companies, we finally got 1 company to answer and they pretty much told us we were out of luck because the manufacturer of our HVAC, York, doesn't have any parts suppliers in our area. Pretty much everyone we called didn't answer, and the ones that did, told us it would have to be ordered. Brandon made a late night trip to Walmart and picked up another space heater to keep our bedroom warm (Grayson already has one to keep his room consistently warm at night) and we left the water dripping to keep the pipes from freezing. We finally got to bed around 2:30 a.m. and by 7 when Grayson woke up, the house temp was down to 61. We immediately started calling supply companies in Indy and the surrounding areas trying to find our inductor. Finally we found one in Louisville that actually had the part!!! Brandon's wonderful Dad was able to go pick it up and meet Brandon halfway so we could install it ASAP. Amazingly the little radiator heater that Brandon picked up was able to heat the living room all the way to 69 by the time Brandon got back. Brandon got home and was amazingly able to install it himself and now our house is warm again!!!!!! YAY!!

And for the "And they lived happily ever after" moment...

our most recent projects

2010-12-17T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yes. I know. TWO posts in ONE day!! Go me! I just put Grayson down for his second nap (he's been switching between 1 and 2 for a while now, but he woke up at 7 today) but as of 20 minutes and counting, he's still talking to himself in there. We'll see...

Anyway, our first snow came December 4 this year and we took the opportunity to introduce Grayson to it!

We thought he didn't like it at first...

But it turned out that his bottom was bothering him because he had a bit of diaper rash and didn't want to sit down... We're pretty sure that he's allergic to peaches. Every time he's eaten them lately, he's gotten a bad rash. No more peaches. Poor guy.

Our next project came in the form of an adoption. Our church did an 'adopt-a-family' event where we could adopt families that were in need for the holidays. Many churches do this sort of thing this time of year. Brandon and I talked it over and decided that we would spend less on the holiday gifts for our family this year and adopt a family that is truly in need. What better way to celebrate Christmas?! Well, naturally, I picked out a family with 3 young girls! :o) How often do I get a chance to shop for little girls?! I decided to make them something in addition to the gifts we bought them--you know, add something personal. This is what I came up with:

They're hair-bow holders! They are completely customized and I even made a few bows using some alligator clips to complete the holders. I think the girls will like them and they were relatively easy and inexpensive to make. Meanwhile, Grayson was busy being destructive:

Notice the empty crafting bins and all my supplies all over the floor? This was clean when I started!

Last but not least, these are our recent "Slow and Steady Get Me Ready" activities! This book has weekly developmentally scheduled activities to do with your child from birth to age 5. I've noticed that some of the activities lately have been beyond what he's capable of just yet, even though he's developmentally ahead, so we've just skipped around a bit lately. Here are a couple we've loved!

"Let's Go Fishing" Age 1--Week 12
Here we just recycled an old apple juice container, some ribbon from a gift and then used a clothes pin and a homemade Christmas ornament for our 'fish'. Grayson figured this one out FAST. i.e. before I could even take a picture! (So naturally, I made him do it over and over again!) He was even trying to 'throw his fish back' and get it back into the jug only using the string. SMART BOY! He really liked this activity too and carried his 'fish' all over the house!

Don't tease me about his clothing too much--we're using gDiapers because they breathe better than other diapers. We've got to get this 'peach' rash cleared up before traveling!!! He's warm and he's cute!!! What more can I ask for?!

"My New House" Age 1--Week 15 (Yes, I can hardly believe he's that old too!)
Thankfully Grandma Palmer bought Grayson an early Christmas present and we were able to recycle the box!

I love to crawl inside!

See?! It's MY house!

Bye everyone!

gearing up for the holidays

2010-12-17T11:08:00.001-05:00

Whew! This has been a busy season for us! Especially for my fledgling photography business--I've had tons of shoots and still have one more to go! Thankfully, I've got 90% of the photo orders completed and delivered, but it's that last 10% that has me a bit stressed. And, I haven't even ordered our Christmas cards or even taken my own son's Christmas photos! lol I'm so behind.

I have my Christmas shopping done, and have for a while, but it's the wrapping that still needs work. It's definitely made more difficult by a toddler that has a fascination with wrapping paper! Grayson is walking really well now and can stand up on his own and bend over to pick something up without sitting down. He's been doing that for a few weeks now. It took him a while to start walking, but once he did, he really took off! He's obsessed with clapping and loves to color and paint. Our little man is the apple of our eyes!

He is figuring out all of our baby-proofing equipment WAY too fast--he can almost open the doors, even with the doorknob safety devices on them! He's also still obsessed with going outside, and will cry after anyone who leaves without taking him out. Since we just got about 6 inches of snow dumped on us, his outside time has drastically diminished, which he is not happy about! I look forward to the day he's big enough to be able to go sledding... maybe next year.

This weekend (weather-permitting) our KY friends Molly & Tyler are coming up for a visit and we are super excited to see them! They will also attend our church's Christmas service Sunday morning before they head back. I know Grayson will be excited to have extra playmates this weekend! Next Thursday, we will drive to MO after Brandon gets off work. Pray that Grayson sleeps!

Until next time...

need a laugh? grab a [Grayson]

2010-12-06T21:52:00.002-05:00

best way to start the day

2010-12-03T10:52:00.000-05:00

Grayson woke up in a fabulous mood this morning and he even cuddled with me on the couch for a while and we read a book! He had his 15-month checkup yesterday and got a new board book with babies on it. The whole time we were reading it, he kept saying "Bay-Bay-Bay"--his word for baby. He's such a smart boy... I love him!

As for his appointment, he's doing really well! He has been sleeping a lot lately (one night he slept 14 hours!) and I thought he might be growing again... boy was I right!!! He grew nearly 3 inches in 3 months! He's now up to 32 inches and the 90th%! He's still a long and lean boy, weighing in at only 20.5 lbs (only the 10%). The pediatrician says that he's super healthy and is way ahead with his milestones, especially with his vocabulary.

We've taken lots of video of him walking lately, so I'll have to upload some of those later. We're planning on taking Christmas pics this weekend, so I'll post some of those too. I've been taking LOADS of photos in the past couple of months, so that's been keeping me busy. I've still got a lot of work to do and more shoots today, so I gotta run! Have a great weekend!

2 more teeth!

2010-11-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

Yup, you read it right! True to his usual self, he does everything at once! He's getting 2 more teeth on top now (the lateral incisors right next to his 2 front teeth). Poor guy also had to get his immunizations this week too, so it's been a tough week. He ran fever and he seemed to have some sore legs from the shots. He watched that poor nurse like a hawk after she finished--he didn't want her anywhere near him! My poor boy cried too--it's so heartbreaking. He seems to be fine now though--playing and getting into stuff like normal!

We had Mark & Marilyn over for dinner last night and had a wonderful time. I made homemade lasagna, green beans, Red Lobster Cheese biscuits and no-bake cookies for dessert. And, it all turned out pretty good thankfully! Grayson still won't let anyone hold him really if we're around... he's definitely going through the Mama-attachment phase and has been for about 6 weeks now. I can't get anything done around the house without my 'growth' attached to my leg! lol

My photography business has been booming lately since everyone is wanting photos of their families/kiddos for Christmas. It's nice to feel loved!!! lol I'm definitely up to my ears in editing--I've estimated that I've edited well over 2000 pictures since the beginning of the month! That's probably about 3 times as many as I normally do in month and I still have more to do.

Well, the beast has awoken, so I better go get him before he destroys something. I already had to make a teething bumper for his bed this week because he's gnawing off the wood on his crib rail!!! It looks pretty cute though, even if I did have to make it from scratch.

Hope you all have/had a great day!

Hallelujah!!!

2010-11-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

Grayson finally took his first steps all by himself tonight!!!!! (Better late than never, I guess!!) He's been walking well with a 1-finger hold for over a month now, but if you let go of him, he'd get mad and sit down. He could also walk along the wall just trailing 1 hand along the wall. I've been letting him walk outside the past couple of days because he loves being outside so much and I guess that spurred him on! I was so happy that Brandon and I both got to see it--he walked in between us sitting in the kitchen. I'm so proud of my boy... :o)

I always forget--he can also say Vroom Vroom with a car and he can push himself in the firetruck too! (He's actually running over Daddy as I type this!) Better go before he flattens him over!

Congrats to Tyler & Natalie!

2010-11-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

Guess what guys?! I'm finally getting another 'sister'!!! Brandon's younger brother Tyler just proposed to his girlfriend Natalie and she said yes!!! I'm so happy for them--she seems like a great girl... just what Tyler needs and deserves! I can't wait to hear all about it and maybe even get to take some pictures of them if they'd like. And, since we already have a wedding to go to in the spring, Grayson will get to wear his cute outfit again maybe!

One of God's greatest gifts is the gift of marriage... take care of it and each other and you will live happily ever after...

First Haircut!

2010-11-07T17:33:00.000-05:00

Yup, Grayson got his first haircut yesterday! He also now has 5 teeth and is working on his 6th one. #5 is on the bottom right and came in last Tuesday (or that was the first time I saw it). He's really starting to look like a little boy now. He also took 2 little steps by himself today and I know he could take more if he weren't such a chicken. He walks really well with your finger now. His vocabulary includes Dada, Mama, Baby (bA bA bA at least!), Ho Ho Ho (ask him what Santa says!), No, and Neigh (for horse). He can also sign 'eat', 'more' and 'all done'. He's also become VERY attached to Mommy in the past 2 months. He now cries when we leave him in the nursery, but only for a couple of minutes. And, as soon as Dad gets home, he becomes a Daddy's boy and Mom is second fiddle! (It's kind of a nice break though ;o)

Well, anyway, here's some pics for you all to enjoy! He was an octopus for Halloween and he had a blast helping hand out candy over at Mark & Marilyn's (our Sunday School teachers). He looked soooo cute and his eyes looked amazingly blue in the costume! So glad Lora & Jason let us borrow it from Collin. We loved it!

BEFORE HAIRCUT (the front almost reached his nose and he had a baby mullet!)

AFTER HAIRCUT (Doesn't he look so handsome?!)

Grayson eating his victory sucker for being a good boy! (it was his first candy ever, but unfortunately after a couple of licks, he dropped it in the floor!)

What, you've never seen an octopus drive a car?!

Or an octopus ride on a lion?!

That's all for now! Hope you're having a great day!

Grayson's First Birthday Book

2010-10-26T16:29:00.000-04:00

*Whew* It's finally done! Now I just have to send it off to get printed! Here's the low-down:

(These 2 pages will be the home of our postcards that we brought home from the museum!)

Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll post more details about the last month in the future... today I'm dealing with a snotty-nosed, vomiting little guy, so my time is precious! Gotta run!

a rhyme and a melody

2010-09-16T15:01:00.041-04:00

My little man woke me last night, and since he's been sick this week, I got up and rocked him back to sleep. I didn't go back to sleep so quickly, as I was thinking and praying for a dear, dear friend of mine.
Unfortunately this week has not been a good one for her, as she suffered a miscarriage with their sweet second child. I know that God will give me the words when I can't find them, but in this case, "I'm sorry" seemed so puny, I could hardly bring myself to utter it. I am devastated for her, and I'm sure on the outside she is trying to be strong, but I know her heart is hurting. It's so easy for Satan to attack us when we're down, and I know that there's a million 'what if's' going through her head... I hope she knows that there is nothing she could have done better or different that would have saved that baby... and even so, God has a plan and it is to prosper us, and never to forsake us. He knitted that baby perfectly inside your womb, and through Satan's guile, something went wrong. Satan has so many devilish ways to stab at us--it isn't fair that something so terrible should befall someone so innocent.

A friend I was introduced to in college had the misfortune of this happening to him and his wife with their first pregnancy and he wrote a song for their angel baby. It was playing over and over in my head last night and I just wanted to share it, as he's now pretty well-known in the Christian music world and this song is on his little known, very first album, "Walk." His name is Andrew Peterson and this is his song, "Lullaby".

Well, I haven't got a lot to offer
Just a rhyme and a melody
But I promised I'd write if it took all night
A lullaby for thee

And they say there ain't no sleeping in heaven
But baby, that don't mean that you can't dream
So when you close your eyes
Know your mother and I
Pray the Lord your little soul to keep
And we never got a chance to hold you
And we never got to tell you goodnight
So we hope you can hear as Jesus cradles you near
Baby, this is your lullaby

So are you running with the angels?
Are you singing with the saints?
Are you throwing a ball against a heavenly wall
Maybe swinging on the pearly gates?

Well there's so much love between us
And so much that I wanna say
I wanna ramble awhile with my beautiful child
Baby, I can hardly wait...

Yes, we hope you can hear as Jesus cradles you near

'Cause Darlin, this is your lullaby...

Of course, last night, as I lay in bed, my thoughts were so eloquent and I knew exactly what I wanted to say, and now, I can't remember any of it. Guess I need a notepad by the bed. So now, even as my words are not a rhyme and a melody, I hope she knows that they are sincere. She is the best friend I've got, and I'd do anything for her. I will hold your head up when you can't... I will paint your walls and feed your little man... We will run and not grow weary... and face this world together. I love you Sister. Praying for you and praising God for your life, Mama.

Many blessings.

2010-09-11T11:30:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while since we last posted, so I'm gonna try to catch up. Grayson's birthday party was a blast--and we were exhausted when it was over! Who knew a 1-year-old's party would be so much work! We were so happy to be able to spend the time with everyone. I think Grayson had a good time too--he slept really well that night after he got a bath to wash off all of the icing! We still can't believe that he's a year old... time flies fast when you're having fun I guess!

A couple of Sundays ago, our life group went down to the lake at Crane (where Brandon works) and rented a boat for the day. Kelly (the nursery coordinator from church) volunteered to watch Grayson all day for us, bless her heart, so we had a really nice time with the group. We met early and had 'church' on the boat after we got there. Everyone brought wonderful food, so we at all day long and just swam. We even saw 2 bald eagles--it's not every day that God blesses you with that much greatness! I had never seen one in the wild before. Majestic is truly the right word for it--you just can't take your eyes off of them. We picked up Grayson that night from Kelly's and he had picked up a new trick from someone--spitting! Not like, actually spitting on you, but blowing his lips and making noise (and a bit of slobber) out them. It was funny at first, but now that he does it with food in his mouth... not so much!

This past weekend, Brandon and I decided that we would drive up to Greenwood to Ashley Furniture and look at a new sectional for the living room. We had received a good coupon in the mail, and our 3rd Anniversary was September 8, so we decided to get it for our anniversary gift to each other. The traditional 3rd Anniversary gift is leather, so we figured this would work. We ended up getting a good deal and it will be delivered in a few weeks. It's nice and comfy, so I can't wait!

This week, Grayson had his 1-year checkup with Dr. Laughlin and thankfully, he's growing! He's now 29.5" long (up to the 50th percentile) and 20 lbs (up to the 10th percentile). At his 6 month and his 9 month checkups, he was in the 5-10th percentile for both length and weight, so we're pretty happy with his progress. He's just going to be long and skinny, and we shouldn't expect much else with my genetics!! Dr. Laughlin was very happy with his progress and said he's a healthy little guy! Unfortunately, this week he's picked up a cold and has a super runny nose and watery eyes. Poor guys is sneezing a lot too.

My Bible Studies (Roof Crashers and MomBuilders) at church have started up again this week, and he probably got his cold from the nursery kids. Hopefully he'll feel better before we leave on the 19th for OBX for vacation. The plane ride won't be much fun with a sick boy. I'm really looking forward to Roof Crashers this year--my study is called Every Woman's Marriage, and we're studying the book by Shannon and Greg Ethridge. I think it will be a great semester.

Thursday, Alyssa and I traded houses for a while. She and Brian had started some painting in their house before they found out she was expecting and she needed someone to finish the job for her and I volunteered. So, she and Carter came over to play with Grayson while I finished up the painting at her house. Grayson and Carter had a fun time taking a wagon ride through the neighborhood and Grayson took a good nap that afternoon, so I know they wore him out! After they've helped us so many times moving and whatnot, I figured painting was a start on repaying them!

God has definitely blessed us lately--not only with great friends and a healthy, growing boy, but with a wonderful church family and small group. Can life get any better?! :o)

365 days of sweetness

2010-08-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

My sweet boy Grayson,

I can't believe you're a year old. I can not believe it. And though I felt like a Mommy while you were in my belly, it wasn't really real until I held you in my arms and looked into those beautiful blue eyes. You were sooo tiny. And yet, I couldn't fathom how all 6 lbs 2oz, 18 3/4 inches of you was inside my belly... you must have been really curled up! Right after we brought you home, I missed having you in my belly, kicking me. Now, you kick me when I'm changing your diaper and your legs are MUCH stronger now!! You have Daddy's strong legs for sure. I also missed knowing that you were okay, safe and warm inside. Now, you are out in this cold, dangerous world and I was (and still am) always worried about you. In fact, I just yesterday slept through the night for the first time since before you were born. You have been great about sleeping on your own for a while, but Mommy just worries about you I guess... That's just what Mommies do, so you'll just have to get used to it.

When you were born, we were mesmerized by you. Every yawn, every breath, every curled, little toe--you were our little miracle. It amazes me what God can do with love. Still, even now, a year has gone by and every time you smile, you just make me melt. Son, you could get away with murder by flashing that smile and those sparkly blue eyes! I am amazed at how smart you are--you figure out how things work very quickly and get into more things than I'm ready for you to! You do things in your own time, on your own schedule. You definitely assert your will whenever you get the chance! You will grin and shake your head 'no' or slap the spoon right out of my hand when you're done, or when you just want to get down and play instead of eat. You have me wrapped around your tiny fingers! Very tightly. I love holding you and squeezing you close--something I miss now that you just want to pull my hair or my nose and then get down and play. Sometimes I wish for teething, because you always want to cuddle when you get new teeth! I guess that's how it goes with your children... I'm sure God wishes we'd come running back to him more than we do too.

You are such a good boy, Grayson. Everyone loves you everywhere we go. You are always happy and smiley, and you rarely cry. You're so easy-going... You've never been that baby that needs to be held 24/7 (though I do hold you a lot because I love cuddling you!). You're rarely cranky--only when you're not feeling well, you are tired, or you're hurt. You have been such an easy guy that I'm a little afraid to test our luck again. I want you to always be my baby boy.

As you've grown, I have loved watching you explore. I love watching you learn new things. One of my favorite things now is to lay beside you in the floor and watch you play with a new toy... you explore with your chubby little hands and roll it over, back and forth, until you've experienced every last inch and mastered its tricks. You never give up. Never lose that tenacity, that drive to learn new things... never stop learning. Always ask for help when you need it and even when you think you don't need it. I will always be here ready.

You are my beautiful boy. I have loved you from the start and will love you until the end. God blessed my life when He gave me you and I will always thank Him for you in my prayers. Because you were God's son first, I will trust God to lead me in raising you right. He is the maker of love--who better to teach me how to love you? I will love you the way He loves me--unconditionally, unswervingly, never ceasing. I will lead you, I will watch over you, I will protect you and I will pray for you.

I will pray for your present and your future. Already, I pray for a future wife for you--that she is being raised by loving parents who love her as much as we love you. I pray that she will be a Godly woman who loves you more than she loves herself and loves God more than you. I pray that you will be a strong, God-fearing man--that you will lead your family the way Christ leads the church--with honesty, integrity and love. I pray for God's hand of protection over you, everywhere you go, in everything you do. I pray he will grow you into a healthy, strong, smart boy who cherishes his family and friends.

You are my special boy. I love you more than life itself. I love Daddy more because of you. And, I love myself more because of you. I am proud that we've made it this far. I am proud of myself, and I am proud of you. You are healthy, you are happy and you are smart. More than any of those, you are loved. By me. Always.

I love you, my sweet boy Grayson...

-Mommy

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-08-26T08:23:00.003-04:00

I just slept through the night for the first time since WAY before Grayson was born! How refreshing!! You don't realize how badly you need sleep to thrive until you don't have it. I hope this continues. Grayson has been sleeping through the night again for a few weeks, but I guess my body hasn't figured this out yet! It's so, so very annoying to lie awake in the middle of the night knowing that you're going to be exhausted the next day.

I'm glad I feel refreshed today because I'm going to watch Ephraim again today (I watched him Tuesday too). He's 7 months old, but is crawling and pulling up on things like Grayson is already! Grayson is teaching him how the toys work and Ephraim is *hopefully* teaching Grayson how to crawl on his knees! He's ruining his clothes because he stretches out the collars when he army-crawls on his belly!! Several of his one-piece outfits have head-holes large enough for me to fit my head through! Silly boy!

I thought I'd share some more pics today--They are from the day Daddy (and me a little bit) put together his swingset for his birthday. Grayson and I sat on a blanket and watched mostly! Grayson had his little hammer and 'helped' Daddy from a distance!

Amazing! Daddy does read instructions!

Got my hammer ready to help!

UNEDITED IMAGE! Yes, his eyes really are that blue! (We get asked that a lot!)


I LOVE the camera!!

Seeee??? (And now you know why there are fingerprints on my lens!)

Almost done!

Hi everyone! I'm pushing Mom over!

I love sitting on Mama!

I also love driving my new firetruck!

Sweet, little foot... driving the car?!?! He better not do this when he's older!


All done! My first ride in the new swing!

I LOVE it!! Thanks Mama & Daddy!

An unexpected play-in-the-water day with my buddy Carter!

We LOVE splashing in the sand/water table! (Thanks Uncle Trevor for this great bday present!)

We also love running around 'nekkid' afterward!

Oh, and I don't think I told you everyone about Grayson's last stunt! That last picture is the 'after' picture from the morning of Aug 11. I went in to get Grayson out of bed and he had pulled off his disposable diaper (I know, argh, I had changed him out of his cloth diaper during the middle of the night and just grabbed a disposable because it was laying out and convenient) and he had POOPED all over his bed!!!! There was NO poo on the diaper, so I know he pulled it off and THEN poo'd everywhere. What was worse--he decided to play in it and it was in his hair, all over his body--including his hands and face, and all over the bed! Thankfully he didn't 'paint' with it on the wall. Once I got over my complete disgust, all I could do was laugh and *of course* take pictures so I can embarrass him later!!! I won't post the 'before' pictures because they contain complete nudity and the disgusting mess, but rest assured, they are going in the scrapbook! Whenever one of his kids does that to him one day, I'm going to pull out those pictures and say "KARMA!" He just looks mischievous doesn't he?!

Well, tomorrow is his birthday, so Daddy and I are going to Indy with him to the Children's Museum. I'll make sure and take lots of pics and video to commemorate the occasion. Love you all and hope you have a great weekend!

Cloud 9

2010-08-18T09:58:00.000-04:00

Hello world. Just as I promised, we have some wonderful, funny videos to share with you from the past few weeks. We've had a lot of Cloud 9 experiences in this last month and we wanted to remember them, so we figured video would be a good idea. We are very thankful for our little Flip video. I just wish it was HD so it was a little clearer, but it gets the job done!

First up is Grayson's new toys--Grandpa & Gigi got him a new slide tumbler for his birthday and we decided to try it out a little early! He LOVES it!

And, can even do it by himself now if we sit him up top!

Grayson also got his first car for his first birthday--a bright red firetruck! Hopefully when he turns 16, he'll get something slightly classier than a fire engine! We'll see...

He also LOVES this toy! He can ride in it for hours I think--only Mama & Daddy get tired of pushing him. His legs aren't quite long enough to push himself, so he ends up sliding down to the ground through the floorboard. Brandon and I think this guy needs a seatbelt! He crawls to it whenever it's in sight.... You hit a homerun with this toy, Grandma!

Grayson also learned a new word this week: NOSE. Check it out:

True to his usual self, he's more interested in the camera than anything else, but at least he did it for me on camera once! He also had his first 'crush' this week--we went to a new Mexican restaurant and he was completely enamored with the waitress. She was young and pretty (he has good taste! haha) and he watched her every move from the time we got there until we left. When she would walk by, he would reach for her and grab at her!! Daddy told him he needed more tact if he was going to succeed! She would stop occasionally and play with him and he was on cloud 9! Oh Grayson... I thought you would be Mama's boy for a while longer!!!

Grayson will finally feed himself now too! He could do it before, but he was just lazy and he knew that I would do it for him! Now that I have (finally) put my foot down, he will hold his own sippy cup and feed himself puffs. Silly boy. Mama's spoiled you rotten. :o)

overdue.

2010-08-13T21:33:00.000-04:00

First off, I want to do something that is long overdue... I want to thank all of you who diligently and patiently wait for me to blog... It's really cool to me that you all take time out of your day to 'check in' with our little family. It means the world to me! PLEASE drop us a line in the comments from time to time and let me know how you are, or if something makes you laugh (or even cry!), I'd love to know! You all are our dearest friends and we love and appreciate you all. God has truly blessed us.

Finally, I'm going to post tonite! And that's WAY overdue! I don't even know where to start, but you better get comfortable because it's probably going to be a long one!

First, Grayson is doing great now! Many of you expressed your concerns over his allergic reaction to the puppies--he is 100% better now. Just to give you an idea of how bad it was, this picture was taken 3 days AFTER the dogs left and 90% of the rash and swelling had gone down thanks to the Benadryl and cortisone...

His eyes were very swollen during the worst of it, but were still a bit swollen here. He had the red hives all down his back and belly too. It was really hard seeing him like that. He was clearly miserable.

Thankfully, he's back to his usual, chipper self and has enjoyed the heck out of playing with his little buddy Carter the past 2 days. Alyssa and I are having a big yardsale tomorrow, so she's been over helping get everything sorted and marked. Having a yardsale is a lot of work! Hopefully it pays off and we get rid of a bunch of our junk! Otherwise, Goodwill here we come!!!

I went into his room a couple of days later and found this:

He can easily get himself to sitting from any position now and Daddy had seen him do it before, but I hadn't. Now, I go in there and he's pulling himself up the bars!!! It's funny how he's taken his time starting to do this stuff, but now that he's figured a little out, he's coming along rather quickly!

I can't believe that Grayson is almost a year old. It makes me happy and sad to realize he's growing up. Gone are the days when I could change him easily, feed him easily and even hold him easily--he's getting bigger, stronger, more rambunctious and definitely more strong-willed. I don't know who he gets that from! ;o) Tonite, he had his first crush!!! lol Seriously, we went to a mexican restaurant downtown (El Norteno) and he watched our waitress like a hawk the entire time we were there! He was even reaching for her as she passed by our table! The food was fantastic and the bill was cheap--we'll go back for sure! Grayson also stood by himself yesterday for about 3 seconds. He doesn't take steps just yet, but it's not too far off I don't think. He's still army-crawling and rolling to get everywhere, but he can and does pull up on things. Our little monster is getting into EVERYTHING now!! Just yesterday he destroyed 3 pages of scrapbook paper and unscrewed the doorstop from the wall while I worked. I can't take my eye off of him for a minute unless he's sleeping!

I just realized that I haven't shown you all the pictures from Gray and Carter's finger-painting playdate--it was a riot!

And yes, I have a video too! I might have to upload that this weekend, as Brandon is working on our desktop right now and that's where the video is. And yes, Grayson is eating the fingerpaints. They are non-toxic and homemade though, so it's okay!

Speaking of Daddy, he celebrated a BIG birthday this week!!! He turned 30!! And yes, I am careful to tease, because December isn't too far away (when *eek* I turn 30). We traveled down to Louisville and spent the day with his family and celebrated by eating out and having birthday carrot cake (his favorite). He got the new Nook (Barnes & Noble's version of the Kindle) and a fancy carrying case for it for his birthday--I think it was a good one for him.

I think this was quite possibly all of our favorite things of the week though:

JUST PLAYING!!! Grayson got some early birthday presents from Grandma, Gigi and Papa and he LOVES them all! We've been playing and playing and playing. His new firetruck (thanks Grandma!) is a favorite, and he's already figured out how to slide down his new climber (thanks Gigi and Papa!). Even with all of the new toys, he still LOVES for Brandon to swing him around the most! He's definitely going to love the crazy carnival rides when he's older!

Okay, well there's lots more to tell you about, but since I have to get up really early tomorrow for the yard sale, I'm gonna sign off! I promise it won't be as long of a wait next time! Hope the pics made up for it!

all better now!

2010-08-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that Grayson is 100% better now! No rash, no fever--happy, happy baby!! Brandon and I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned this weekend and it paid off!!! Hopefully our little guy will outgrow this allergy like he has the others, but only time will tell.

Speaking of time, Grayson has decided it's time for him to only have one nap a day now. He's done this for the past 2 days. We'll see how long this lasts! I'm definitely going to miss the second nap if this sticks!

Well, if this house is going to be completely finished by Grayson's birthday party (Aug 21), I gotta get crackin on the finishing touches. Hope you all have a good week!

until we meet again...

rose-colored glasses.

2010-07-30T08:37:00.000-04:00

Grayson woke up this morning and his rash had spread from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes. It was also itchy. Then we went downstairs to let the boys out and he started sneezing. On top of that, stubborn Andy had chewed up not only his chew toy in the crate, but also his blue harness. Alex's blue harness. I was devastated. So devastated that I cried. It was the only thing we kept of his that I truly cherished. He wore it every day when we had him. And then Grayson started sneezing some more and scratching his poor broken out face on my shoulder. That's when the rose-colored glasses came off.

As much as I love those dogs, I was angry. And I finally put together why Grayson has been sick all week. Viral rashes aren't itchy. What Grayson has obviously is. Grayson also has had allergies off and on his whole life--eczema and a wool allergy from birth.

So, I called Brandon and told him I thought we needed to take the boys back. As sad as I am, our boy comes first. He always will. When I got off the phone, I called Dr. Laughlin and they confirmed what I had thought. Grayson has not had a 103 temp from a virus all week--he's allergic to the dogs. I asked them why he hadn't had a reaction to my in-laws dogs or Carter's dogs and they said that it's probably because he's not around them 24/7 like he is with Andy & Emmett. Or, it could be a breed-specific allergy, like my allergy to Boston Terriers. How ridiculous I have been--I can't believe I didn't think about this before.

To my sweet, little boy, I'm sorry that you've been sick all week and it's my fault. Maybe one day you will outgrow this allergy like you have the others and you will know the joy of pet ownership. But just not now.

To Andy & Emmett, you were good boys... for the most part. I'm sorry we couldn't love you forever, but our boy has to come first. He is my boy.

To Brandon, I'm sorry we spent so much money on pets that we cannot keep. I know you work really hard and really long hours to provide for us and I feel silly that we've wasted so much. I hope you can forgive me.

so you don't worry

2010-07-29T21:01:00.002-04:00

Apparently Grayson contracted a summer enterovirus. Dr. Laughlin said that since Grayson has a rash and his fever is coming down, it's probably dead and on its way out, so hopefully by the weekend he'll be feeling great again. He was already playing with us tonite before bed, so I'm hoping he sleeps better tonite. Thanks for your prayers!

Good night!

a bit of joy

2010-07-29T12:56:00.000-04:00

Lots of excitement here at the Gupton house! I just wanted to share a bit with you...

Grayson got 2 new brothers this week--it was a little rough at first, as Andy is very stubborn and had 3 accidents in the house. Emmett, bless his sweet soul, has not gone ONCE in the house. They've both made huge strides in the past 5 days and you'd never know they'd never seen the inside of a house before we got them. They are both house-trained, crate-trained, and electronic-fence trained. They have learned that the tv isn't going to get them and that the stairs actually lead to the basement and not some dungeon (believe me, they were terrified of the stairs and even hotdogs would not convince them otherwise!). They are really great boys.

With Grayson teething this week and running a temp, I've been very thankful that we have such good boys. Last week, Grayson had a much better week. He took the Jumparoo for a ride one evening while Brandon and I ate some dinner--it was hilarious! We watched him and laughed for a while, and then I thought of you all and thought you might like to see it too...

Later in the week, Grayson's little buddy Carter came over and they both enjoyed some homemade fingerpaints! More of it definitely ended up on them than the paper, but they had fun! The whole fiasco ended with both boys naked in the backyard getting washed up! What a site for our new neighbors!!!

Hope you guys have a good day! Say a prayer for us--we're heading to see Dr. Laughlin today since Grayson's fever has continued for 4 days now... hopefully it's just his teeth, but we want to make sure it's nothing more serious. Updates to come later!

big hearts.

2010-07-29T09:43:00.001-04:00

We are all up early here at the Gupton house! Grayson woke up at 5:45 and hasn't been back to sleep since, so we all were up and out of bed by 6 a.m. It's going to be a long day! Thankfully, Grayson went back down for a nap by 8:30, so I have time to shower, eat and blog (just the necessities folks! haha). I've been told by several people that they really enjoy reading our blog, so I'll try to appease the masses! It's still a bit mind-boggling to me that people are really that interested in reading about our little lives--what big hearts you have!

In the past month, we've become aware of several families that are having really rough times right now. All for various reasons, but each one no less significant than the others. When I hear their stories, it just breaks my heart. I've cried with their losses, rejoiced with their improvements, and sat with great anticipation just to know what God is doing in their lives. It's so easy to lose sight of God in tough times like this. I was just reading the Sexton's blog last night (http://lukesexton.blogspot.com/--they are the family that recently lost their sweet baby, Luke) and my heart absolutely breaks for them... especially Kristin. As a mother, I cannot fathom how she drags herself out of bed every morning. To look down and see your empty belly--to not have a baby to hold in its place... I beg of you to pray for her... for them. I know that they are broken and lost without their baby boy. Still, in the midst of their earthly pain, they know their Heavenly Father is silently leading them through the darkest time of their lives.

Many families are treading through murky waters right now--sick children, marriages faltering, lost jobs, and even just the everyday happenings that get us down. Satan is alive and well and doing anything he can to seek and destroy. We cannot let him win!!! I have been and will be praying for you all, my friends. Luke 1:37 says NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!!! and I believe it.

whew.

2010-07-27T10:23:00.000-04:00

Just when we think our life can't get any crazier, it does! We had a rough weekend, but we survived! We picked up our new boys on Friday and they're doing well. Andy is the leader of the two--he's the stubborn, too-smart-for-his-own-good dog. Emmett is the more laid-back, scaredy-cat, and "blissfully dumb" one! haha For never seeing the inside of a house before, they're pretty great dogs. Both are afraid of the stairs... so when we want/need to take them downstairs, we have to take them outside! We've got to work on that before winter! And speaking of outside--now that they've both gotten used to the air conditioning and wonder of inside, they don't like spending too much time outdoors where it's hot. They do their business and bolt for the door. Andy has had 3 'accidents' in the house--I'm pretty sure he's just stubborn and hanging onto the last bit of his will. He was punished for those 3, and has since gone outside every time. Hopefully that trend will continue. Quiet, clueless Emmett hasn't had ONE accident--he is pure sweetness! He does have trouble getting into his crate though. Both boys have slept through the nights in their crates downstairs since we got them. That's been wonderful. Both are catching onto the Innotek Pet Fence that my wonderful husband installed last weekend. Both boys have been zapped a couple of times, but they're learning fast. Poor Emmett got confused earlier yesterday and got on the outside of the boundary accidentally and got zapped a little. He retreated to the front porch and had to be coaxed off of it for the rest of the day. This morning they were both running and playing happily within their boundaries. It's a big yard with lots of space to cover.

We seem to have a little ant problem outside and had a company come and spray this morning. The boys are good watchdogs--they barked even before he rang the doorbell! I definitely feel safer with them here. With everyone in the neighborhood gone to work during the day, it's nice to have a little extra security!

So, another thing to sigh about... Grayson is 11 months today. My, how he's grown. It makes me a little sad to think about! He's uber-fussy lately because he's getting some more teeth. He's been running a 103 temp since yesterday, so we've been chugging Tylenol and teething tablets. The 'nice' thing (can you really say anything is nice about teething?!)... anyway, the nice thing is that he just wants to be held and cuddle all day. Normally, he wants to stand and bounce and do anything but cuddle with me, so I'm enjoying that at least! If he feels better this afternoon, we might head over to Mark and Marilyn's to swim for a bit.

Well, that about does it. I want to eat something while Grayson's napping, so I better get on it! Have a great day everyone!

Hungry for love

2010-07-21T10:08:00.000-04:00

I know you all have been waiting patiently for us to post, so I figured I'd reward you today! It's been a busy time here at the Gupton household, but we're slowly getting things unpacked and arranged. It's amazing how much stuff a family can accumulate.

I recently heard a song on the radio that I've become quite fond of over the past few weeks and it's called "Lead me" by Sanctus Real. It talks about leading your family to know and trust God, and to love God and people and not things. I look around and see all of this stuff in our house, and that's just what it is--stuff. I've realized as I've been sifting through all of it that not one thing in this house brings me as much joy as even changing Grayson's poopy diapers! As stinky as he is sometimes, I love him with all that I am and would do anything for him. The same goes for Brandon. Without him, our family would not be whole. I praise God for his willingness to love, lead and provide for our family--what a responsibility! We will give it our all to raise Grayson in a loving, Godly family--to not leave him 'hungry for love'. This house and everything there is in it is nice, but we make it a home... God makes it a home. And we must never forget.

a treat for everyone!

2010-07-09T12:26:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had a photo shoot here, so I took the opportunity to shoot some more pics of our little man since the stuff was already set up... hope you enjoy! Candid ones are first and then the ones we'll be framing are last. (you can also click on them to make them larger!)

wanna come on a picnic?!

WHY must you take so many pictures, Mama?!

~ready for fireworks~

~pretty blues~

~stars and stripes~

~curiosity~

~bathtime~

~sweetness~

Hope you all have a great weekend! We're off to Kentucky to meet some babies!

our summer so far...

2010-07-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

Tonite is going to be a short one folks! Just wanted to share some video taken from our summer so far:

This one was taken in MO in my Sister's back yard--

This one is from our new back yard--

Grayson's new favorite movie (we didn't let him watch much because it was bedtime though)--

Grayson playing with Grandpa when they were here last weekend in one of his July 4th outfits--

Grayson doing what he does best!

Hope you enjoyed them! Good night everyone!

Emergency Post for Prayer!

2010-07-07T11:36:00.002-04:00

Baby Luke whom I introduced you all to yesterday has unfortunately taken a turn for the worse today. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM TO BE HEALED BY THE POWER OF CHRIST! HIS BROKEN LITTLE BODY CANNOT TAKE MUCH MORE. HE NEEDS EVERYONE'S PRAYERS--GOD WILL HEAR THEM AND HE WILL ANSWER!

John 16:24 Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy!

Matthew 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer!

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things!

1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us!

Matthew 18:19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven!

God tells us over and over in the Scriptures that He WILL answer our prayers! Believe it! Luke needs us to believe! That tiny baby needs God's hands of protection over his little crib. Pray for the doctors and nurses that are caring for him right now for them to have great insight and judgment. Pray specifically that the blood thinners that Luke is on now will help his poor, bruised body.

Look at that sweet, angelic face! God created this boy and he is beautiful! Please be a prayer warrior for this precious angel!

thankful

2010-07-06T21:26:00.002-04:00

Yesterday a friend of mine asked me to pray for one of her friends who just delivered their first baby boy in Louisville. Unfortunately, their little guy was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and has already been through one open-heart surgery in his short week of life. He's due for at least 2 more in the future, but there's no real treatment/cure for it other than a transplant, which carries its own list of ramifications. I am gladly joining in prayer for this little man and his brave, God-loving parents. Honestly, I was in tears reading about what they are going through and they are our age. I can't even imagine...

God has blessed Brandon and I beyond imagination. Sometimes I wonder why some people seem to have it so much easier than others. Just when you think you've had a terrible day (just like when I fell down the stairs with Grayson), there's always someone out there getting the crap beat out of them--like the news that your baby son might not ever see his first birthday. Reading stories like the Sextons and their son Luke and seeing that they are completely putting their faith in Christ to do a miracle and save their son makes my faith seem puny in comparison. But the amazing thing is that Jesus doesn't care! He is the same as He was when He walked on this earth--powerful and mighty are those hands!! I rejoice in His strength and know that He can heal baby Luke. I will pray that His will be done and I hope you will too.

I know many of you have been following this journal of our crazy life. Most of the time it is merely a calendar of events and lacks depth. But not today, my friends! Isn't it amazing how a tiny little baby that we don't even know makes us re-evaluate how we think? God works in mysterious ways. I'd give anything for the Sextons to not have to go through this trial, but I know (and they know) that God has a plan and nothing is impossible with God. NOTHING. As I held Grayson today, I praised God over and over for letting me take care of him for a little while. I know that Grayson is God's and he is merely on loan, but what a blessing he is in our life! It amazes me as I watch him learn new things and makes me wonder even more about God--we are made in His likeness!! What a miraculous being Grayson is--all of little toes and those sparkling, mischievous blue eyes. How blessed we are that he was born healthy! How easily it could have been us in that ultrasound room, receiving news that took our breath away...

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you give us each and every day. Thank you for loving us even when we are not thankful. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to be parents of such an amazing little boy. Your boy. I am amazed at how much you must love us in order to entrust him to us. How much you must love us in order to let your Son die just to be with us. I could not do it. Tonite, I pray Your healing hands on little Luke. I pray that you heal his broken heart and bring peace to his Mommy and Daddy. Be with the nurses and doctors and specialists and help them make good decisions and do Your work on Luke's fragile body. Love them and protect them and bring them joy and rest. Amen.

If you are interested in following the Sexton's journey, you can find their blog here: http://lukesexton.blogspot.com/ I'm sure they'd appreciate any prayers!

Good night--

a whole new world!

2010-07-02T22:29:00.000-04:00

Wow. So I'm so far behind I don't even know where to start. We haven't had the internet or tv for a week now, so I feel completely disconnected from everything!

We are in our new house now! The most wonderful thing happened yesterday--3 deer visited our back yard while I was feeding Grayson his breakfast!!! It is SOOO nice to wake up to birds chirping and crickets than to loud, obnoxious college students and cars on the highway.

We got our painting done (master BR, Grayson's room and the office). We got our washer/dryer from hhGregg (it's a long story, but we'll NEVER be shopping in Best Buy again--what a HORRIBLE sales staff!!). Grayson is working on his FOURTH tooth now! He has 2 on bottom and the right one on top and the left one is almost through as well.

Uhm... that's all my poor little brain can come up with right now. It is just too tired. Night, night everyone!

what did you do today?

2010-06-21T21:53:00.000-04:00

I did 2 loads of laundry this morning, then went to Lowe's to pick up paint. Then I went to the new house. When I got there, I sat Grayson's pack-n-play up (no I'm not a horrible mother--I didn't want him to play in the nasty floors and a blanket does not contain him any more!!!). He played happily most of the day and then took a nap. Me, on the other hand, I did NOT take a nap. I took on the 3 bedrooms upstairs--I sanded the holes we patched yesterday, washed the walls, cleaned the baseboards and taped for painting tomorrow!!!! And, I did another load of laundry tonite! Gotta get it all caught up before the move!

Yes, I'm still sick, but I'm on the mend. Thank you Vicks and nosespray! Oh, and I musn't forget the Mucinex DM.

refreshing.

2010-06-20T11:55:00.000-04:00

Even after being together 4.5 years, we can still crack each other up! This morning after we fed Grayson his breakfast, I made Brandon a nice Father's Day meal: omelet, turkey bacon and waffles! As we sat there eating together and Grayson played happily, we were "cracking" each other up with some terribly "egg-cellent" 1-liners!! What a nice, refreshing morning! Even though we are both still sick, it's been nice. Unfortunately, we opted out of going to church this morning because we were afraid of getting other people sick. Hopefully by next week, we'll be feeling better. I feel bad that he missed the Father's Day service, but we both decided it was for the best!

The other refreshing part of our weekend was our visit to our new house! All praise be to Jesus--they left it in pretty good condition!!! We're still going to have it cleaned, but it looks pretty good! They also left the curtain rods, which was an unexpected surprise!! We will be heading to Lowe's as soon as Grayson wakes up from his nap so we can purchase some things for the house. We need new blinds, and all the supplies to prep the walls for paint. Then, we'll head back later and get some paint. We've got a lot of work ahead of us for the next few weeks, but I'm just super glad that the house looks pretty good!

**cheers!** Here's to our refreshing weekend.

because I promised...

2010-06-18T20:41:00.000-04:00

Brandon and I both have THE WORST colds now (think snot everywhere, sneezing, coughing, congestion, the whole works), but before I go to bed early, I wanted to come through for you all with the latest:

Our little man after playing in the water at the Indy Zoo... see, I told you he was adorable! (and yes, he had sunscreen slathered all over him!!!)

and, his practically brand new toys! His brand new off-roading wagon and his ride-ons! We even played with the ride-ons today and he had a blast!

Alrighty folks... sorry, but I'm calling it a day. Hopefully we'll get more than a few hours of sleep tonite!

Thank you, Jesus, for healing our bodies and giving us a good 2 days :o)

2010-06-17T21:28:00.000-04:00

Seriously, the last two days have been wonderful! God heard and answered my prayers! We had a wonderful time in Indy at the zoo. We met some good friends up there and Britney was kind enough to get us in on her family membership, so we even got in free! Other than having to stop on the way and wipe snot off of Grayson's face from a monster sneeze (I couldn't let him sit in snot the whole drive!!), everything was smooth sailing! We saw all of the animals and the weather stayed nice for us. It was a little warm, but there was plenty of shade to enjoy. We even stopped at the end for a splash in the sprinklers (which Grayson was not real keen on, suprisingly) and that cooled both of us off. I'll post pictures of that later!

On the way home, I met a super nice lady that I found on Craigslist who sold me a practically brand new wagon for Grayson! It was the one that I wanted already, like Carter's that he's already rode in. It's a $140 wagon and I got it for $50!!! It doesn't even look like it's been ridden in! There's not even any scratches or scuffs! God really blessed us with this one! Today, God blessed us again, because I met yet another lady I found on Craigslist who sold me two little ride-on toys. One is a $40 Stride-to-ride-Lion and the other one is a little car. I got both for $20! Good thing we're moving soon--Grayson's toys are really taking over the house! I've definitely determined Craigslist is the perfect place to look for toys for Grayson. We're not afraid of getting something used for sure! Everything so far has been perfect and at a great price. I hope your last two days were as good as mine.

Good night!

and just when I thought it was getting better...

2010-06-15T08:46:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning to Brandon getting ready for work! To my amazement, Grayson was still asleep and had slept through the night! I actually got to sleep from 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.!!! Inconceivable!! And, Grayson actually ended up sleeping until 6:30 and I just brought him in bed with me, fed him and just played there until about 7:15. And that's when it started going downhill.

As we were playing in bed, I realized just how sore I am from falling down the stairs. I'm bruised and my back is very tender. I'm sure Grayson must be sore too... I mean, we both fell. :o( I'm also starting to get Grayson's cold, and it hurts my back when I cough, so I'm also sure coughing isn't much fun for him either. :o( I decided it was time for Grayson's Big Boy Breakfast (oatmeal with avocado and fruit), so I successfully made it down the stairs with him and put him in his highchair. Smooth sailing so far! Then, I put one spoonful into his mouth and he unfortunately started coughing and vomited milk all over himself and highchair #1. Ugh. *breathe, it could be worse* So, I cleaned him up and moved him over to our portable seat which was thankfully still set up from the Woodbridges being over Sunday night. He eats the rest of his cereal--Yay!! Then, another coughing fit. Up comes part of the cereal all over him, me and highchair #2. Seriously? *it's worse.*

So here I am, 1 hour later. I've bathed Grayson and put him down for a nap. I've struggled with not one, but two highchair covers and finally got them off their frames and into the washer. Now, I'm sitting here listening to my poor little man cough through his nap.

I'm really starting to reconsider the whole 'we want more than one child' notion.

Lisa (& Grayson) and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

2010-06-14T10:47:00.001-04:00

To preface this post, I'm not writing this to elicit sympathy at all. I'm merely writing it down so that when I have a bad day in the future, I can look back at this day and realize whatever it is, it isn't this bad!!! And, if you are thinking about having a baby, skip this post--because if you are, you will think twice after this!!!!

Yesterday was wonderful--we went to church, came home, had a good lunch and then Tim Woodbridge and Brandon went to see a movie. Julie (his wife) and I just hung out here and played with Grayson. He was pretty cranky still from his teething, but thankfully, he fell asleep about 20 minutes after she got here and slept until about 20 minutes before the boys came home. We all had dinner together and it was a wonderful evening.

Then, the night came. Grayson was up again by 1:30 a.m. and kept me up until about 3:30 a.m. I noticed he was sounding congested and had a bit of a runny nose, but I figured it was just from his teething, so I gave him some Benadryl and finally put him back to bed. Then just as I drifted off to sleep, I woke up when Brandon got up for work. (as an aside, I will be SOOO happy when we are in the new house and he can shower downstairs!!!). At 8 a.m., I was again awoken by a screaming baby. I went in to get him and lo and behold he had his leg stuck between 2 slats in the crib and it was stuck--firmly!!!!! He had pushed down the mesh bumper (the one that's 'supposed' to be the safest), put his foot through and then turned over onto his belly. After some tugging, I finally got it dislodged and he was crying, coughing, sneezing, snotty and to top it all of WET. I imagine him nursing for basically 2 hours during the middle of the night just overflowed his diaper.

So, I pick him up and hastily head for downstairs so I can change him and clean him up. Mind you, I've fallen down our awful apartment stairs before, so I am being as careful as a Mama can be with a screaming, thrashing baby.... and I fall down the darn things with him AGAIN!!!!!! What an awful Mom I feel like. He bumped his head on the stairs (not hard, but still) and we went down about 8 stairs this time jarring the heck out of both of us. I'm imagining him feeling like a shaken baby, so I end up putting my right foot through the banister to get us stopped, but not before I twisted my back and my left knee trying to slow us down. We laid there, both crying for probably about 5 minutes before my legs stopped hurting enough for me to get us the rest of the way down.

We just rocked in the glider for about 20 minutes before attempting anything else. I got him changed, nursed him until he was calm and then started to give him breakfast. Still shaking from all of this, I awesomely managed to spill half of his oatmeal everywhere (before it had milk mixed in, so there is flaky/powdery oatmeal in the floor). At this point, I just sat down in the floor--I'd had enough. And clearly Grayson had too, since he was still crying in his highchair.

Thankfully, squishing up the avocado for his cereal made him laugh and I finally got him fed. I washed out his vaporizer and got it set up and he's now napping peacefully. Hopefully when he wakes up this time, it will be a brand new start.

Our new additions

2010-06-12T13:35:00.002-04:00

Well, Grayson is feeling a little better and he doesn't have a fever anymore! Thankfully, no more acetaminophen for the time being. He now has TWO teeth since last Friday! As everyone predicted, he took his time getting the first, but now they're all coming at once!

This morning we went to the farmer's market for the first time and came home with a gigantic zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 2 cucumbers, 2 huge tomatoes and some grapes! All of that for less than $10 and it's all organic! You can't beat that at Walmart!!

Now, for the most exciting news... everyone, meet our new twin boys, Andy and Emmett!!

our first family pic with the new boys!

This is Andy. He's 6 months old, black with white tips on all of his feet and a spot on his chest. His eyes are also closer together than his brother's.

This is Emmett. He is also 6 months and has a white spot on his chest, but he only has white tips on his back toes! His eyes are farther apart and if you see the two together, Emmett has a little more of a brownish tint to his coat.

Aren't they beautiful!?! These boys were born in a shelter. Their Mama was rescued while pregnant from a high-kill shelter and placed in a rescue. These are the only 2 left and we have no idea why, but we're super happy about it!!! They're both very well behaved. They didn't jump up on us and they were very, very calm around Grayson (which was the most important part!!!!). The just laid there while he was petting them and now that I think about it, I don't think they barked the entire time we were there!! They are very good pups. We will be bringing them to the new home in mid-July after we get settled! We're so super excited that Grayson will get to grow up with such sweet puppies!

Have you all seen this tear-jerker commercial??? Well, we took it to heart, especially after losing our beloved boy, Alex. We hope you will too!

Yay! Daddy's home!

2010-06-10T14:41:00.000-04:00

Brandon got home from his conference in Chicago last night, and boy was I glad! Grayson has continued to teethe for the past 2 days and boy is he a beast! Poor guy. We missed VBX at church for the past 2 days and finally tried to venture back today. Unfortunately, Grayson's temp skyrocketed during our time there and we ended up leaving a bit early. I don't think the second one has popped through yet, but he won't let me close enough to see. His temp was 102 when we got home and I gave him some medicine, nursed him and put him down for a nap. He's woken up a couple of times since, but I got him to go back to sleep thankfully. I'm just going to keep my eye on him for the rest of the afternoon--I hope his temp goes down soon. Another friend's son is going through the same exact thing and she took him to the doctor hoping it was an ear infection--no such luck. It's so crappy because you just hope they can give our boys something to help, but there isn't anything! I don't think I'm ready for all of this tooth stuff! Maybe we'll just get him some dentures and call it good! ;o)

On a brighter note, we get to go meet the twin boys we're adopting tomorrow night! We're set to go introduce Grayson to Emmett and Andy around 6 up near Monrovia, Indiana. We passed our home inspection yesterday with flying colors and if all goes well, we'll bring them home some time near the end of July. I remember the adoption process from Alex being like this too, but adopting a pet is like adopting a child! We've already filled out a 4-page packet, had 2 phone interviews, and a home visit! After the meet and greet tomorrow, we're good to bring them home! The sweet boys have been in the rescue since their still-pregnant Mama was pulled from a high-kill shelter. They were born in the rescue and have since been fostered in a home. They were recently tested and accepted into a therapy dog program, so if they don't come home with us, that's where they'll go. Hopefully, they get along with Grayson swimmingly and they'll become his boys.

Well, I better make the most of my time while Grayson naps... say a little prayer for him if you don't mind. I hate seeing the little guy unhappy!

TEETH!!! and other major developments!

2010-06-08T11:42:00.000-04:00

So, we had a crazy busy weekend that started off with a bang! Grayson woke up Friday morning with a tooth! It had barely broken the gums, but you could see it AND feel it! I was so happy for my little man! Now, he has the one and another one causing him a lot of pain. We were up a lot last night because every time he tries to put something in his mouth, it hurts. Generic Tylenol and teething tablets are our best friends right now!

Grayson also can show us what he wants by staring at whatever it is and squeezing his hands together! (He's actually signing 'milk' but that was how he learned to tell me he wanted to eat, so it just transferred!). He's saying Dada now too, and contrary to Brandon's belief, he does know what he's saying. Brandon is in Chicago for a couple of days for a conference this week and we called him this morning to say hello and while Brandon was talking on speaker phone, Grayson said "dada"!! I'm sure that made Brandon's day!

Last Friday, we were able to close on our new house, so we are officially home-owners again! We are set to take possession on June 18, but we probably won't move in until June 25-26. That week in between is set aside for major cleaning and a bit of painting. Hopefully all will go as planned, but the previous owner still hadn't found a place for them to move as of closing day. She has been informed of this for over a month now though, so I'm not feeling so sorry for her at this point. If we have to, we can legally evict her, but we'd really like for it not to come to that. Keep that situation in your prayers if you don't mind!

Grayson's birthday party is set for August 21, so mark your calendars! It will be at the new house and will be a "Monster Splash" theme, complete with water toys in the back for the kids to play in. Adults and children are welcome! We will probably have it around 4 pm so that the kids won't get sunburned and we'll provide bbq for dinner! I can't believe our little monster will be 1 soon!!! :o( Seems like yesterday, I was holding him in the Boppy watching him nap. Now, we're lucky to get a good nap!

I hope you all have a good week. I'll try to get some pictures posted soon!

our crazy life

2010-06-03T16:25:00.000-04:00

Wow. So I'm going to be really happy once our life slows down a little! Since I've written, Grayson turned 9 months and traveled back to Missouri for the first time. He still isn't crawling and still doesn't have any teeth, but he's healthy as a horse, or so says Dr. Laughlin. Grayson is still a wee-little-one; he is weighing in at a whopping 17 lbs (only the 10th percentile) and is about 28". Dr. Laughlin said that he's just small for now and he expects him to eventually hit a growth spurt. He's eating very, very well and just has a high metabolism! Poor guy, he's just like his Mama! Hopefully that will follow him into adulthood and he'll be able to eat whatever he wants. He's doing very well and is on schedule developmentally. He's learned to shake his head 'no', which makes for feeding him or giving him his vitamin tough sometimes! He's also developed an ornery streak... he's got that really mischievous grin. I can't wait for him to start crawling--he'll run me ragged!

We had a really nice visit with my family back in Missouri. The drive there went really well--we drove through the evening into the night and got there in about 7.5 hours. The drive home on the other hand, was long and a bit tougher. It took us about 9 hours to get home, driving through the day. I think we're all ready to start flying instead of making Grayson spend all that time in the carseat. Oh, and speaking of carseats, Grayson got his new one! He is now in his big boy convertible car seat. After much research, I decided on the Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL. It has a steel frame and is the safest on the market. It's a whopping 22 lbs thanks to the steel too! Grayson seems to like it much better than the old pumpkin seat. He's staying a lot cooler in this seat too.

My family really enjoyed getting to see Gray. We took him over to my brother-in-law's family's house too so that they could meet him for the first time. He dazzled everyone, just like he always does. He's a great boy. :o)

Well, we close on the new home in the morning and then we'll be heading back to Kentucky for a baby shower, a wedding, and a photo shoot. Then, we'll finally get to stay here for a weekend!!!!! Yay!

Well, Grayson wants to leave you with some pics from the trip:

me & Grandma

me & Uncle Kevin

cousin Sadie

me & Daddy

me & Mama (Daddy took these!

me & Aunt Lala (I fell asleep on her!)

Good-bye everyone! Talk to you later!

our trips continue!

2010-05-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

Well folks, this will probably be the last one before we leave for our next trip--to Missouri to see my family! Tomorrow I'm going to try to get the laundry finished up and get some old clothes over to our church for the clothing drive they're doing. So, it'll be busy.

I went today to a free skin cancer screening and learned that I'm doing a good job protecting myself from the sun, at least up until this point. No questionable moles so far--I just need to make sure and keep my fair-skin in the shade and covered up in the future too. Brandon only had 1 that needed to be removed when he went in last year, but I still thought it was amusing that he had any with his dark hair, eyes and skin.. just goes to show that EVERYONE needs to protect themselves from the sun!!! Grayson finds himself slathered up any time we're going to be out for more than 5 minutes, even if he hates it!

Our fair-haired little man is getting more talkative day by day, so I thought I'd post some video from a couple weeks back. The first one is proof of my ever-talkative boy:

These next two are further proof that Grayson LOVES the camera! He's not even phased by the awesome bubbles I'm blowing that he normally really enjoys!!

This last one is Grayson enjoying one of my crafty projects that I worked really hard on for his room before he was born. Brandon helped me with it too, so I can't claim it as all my own though!

my hungry boy

2010-05-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

Grayson continues to amaze me... today for breakfast, he ate all of his cereal and fruit (half-bowl) and almost all of a yobaby yogurt. And he probably would have eaten all of the yogurt if I had let him. (I know from previous experience that he will yak if I feed him all of it). Then, for lunch, he ate an entire jar of mac&cheese and a half container of squash. On top of that, he's already nursed 4 times today! You'd think that he'd weigh 20 pounds by now, but I don't think he does. He's still a skinny guy--he must have gotten Mama's metabolism!

As for an update on his development: Grayson can now wave like an adult (from the wrist instead of wiggling his fingers), and has been able to enunciate and babble really well (and loud!) for about a month now. He can babble mamamama and dadadada but I'm not sure that he understands what they mean just yet. He's still not crawling, but he can stand holding onto something. I can't say that I'm unhappy that he can't crawl yet--because we can't baby-proof this apartment and we don't move for another month. He can also hold a spoon, but can't quite get it to his mouth yet. He can pick up food using the pincer grasp, but doesn't quite get that to his mouth just yet either. He does put other things in his mouth, but I don't think he's quite grasped the idea that he can feed himself just yet. I can't believe he'll be a 9-month-old in a few days. *sigh* My little man is growing up! Brandon and I already think he's starting to look like a little boy.

Anyway, here's a few more videos for you to enjoy!

I used to be able to put him in the bouncer while I took a shower... now I just go stinky!!

Grayson and Daddy playing--Grayson trying to find the camera.... as soon as he sees it, he stops, so I'm trying to hide it! Sorry for the sideways viewing!

I guess someone needs some new riding toys... :o)

Grayson almost always wakes up happy and just talks to himself for a while... turn up the volume and listen!

hold on to your hats!!

2010-05-21T14:52:00.000-04:00

We've got some catching up to do! Our trip to Maryland was fun, but we did have a few hitches. We started our trip Thursday night by driving to Kentucky to split up the drive. I had worked my butt off that day to have everything packed up and ready to go by the time Brandon got home from work. It was no small feat with Grayson too, since he is requiring much more attention these days! I had everything except 2 small bags packed and loaded into the car--my list-making skills paid off and we didn't forget anything! We stopped overnight at Molly and Tyler's house; they were gracious enough to let us take over their guest bedroom for the night. Molly also made us a wonderful breakfast Friday morning to start the day off! They were such wonderful hosts!! I don't know what we'd do without them!

We rolled into Maryland Friday night after driving for about 13 hours total. We stopped about every 2 to 2.5 hours to get Grayson out of the carseat and stretch all of our legs. He did amazingly well on the drive. I couldn't believe it. Brandon drove the whole way while I sat in the back and entertained him. I had enough forethought to pack a large bag full of toys to rotate in and out to keep him occupied and it worked! Towards the end of the trip, we did have to pull out our "Ace in the Hole" toy, Mortimer the Moose! Surprisingly, a plastic clothespin held his attention for about 15 minutes, longer than everything but Mortimer. I'm so glad we spend money on all of the expensive toys and yet he enjoys the simple clothespin more than any of them! hahah I guess that's how it goes.

We enjoyed playing with Morgan and Collin, Lora & Jason's kiddos (that were in our wedding almost 3 years ago). They have grown so much and are now both in school (Morgan in first grade, Collin in preschool). We laughed about how our lives are running in parallel, with Brandon & I just being a few years behind! Lora and I have known each other since Kindergarten and are pretty similar. Jason and Brandon met several years back and are also surprisingly similar. They both do similar-ish jobs and enjoy the same things. Saturday morning we got to enjoy our first t-ball game and Grayson took his morning nap during most of the game. We spent the afternoon playing outside and Brandon enjoyed playing freeze tag with the kids.

Sunday morning, Lora & Jason had planned for us all to go the the annual airshow on the military base out in D.C. celebrating Air Forces Day. It sounded like a great idea to us until we got there and realized how loud it was! Lora had told me ahead of time that we would be going and I thought it sounded like fun--I didn't remember the fact that even the vacuum cleaner and the blender scare the bejeezes out of Grayson. Needless to say, those jets flying over so low and fast terrified him. Terrified isn't even a good enough word for it!! He turned red, shook, screamed and cried violently. It was the awfullest feeling as a Mother. He couldn't even eat. Brandon and I ended up taking him into a hanger where it was quieter and fed him and let him play on a blanket. I felt bad for Lora, Jason & the kids because they had planned a special day and were enjoying themselves and we had to leave the show early. We know now to think about these things ahead of time! Rookie parent mistake...

Brandon had to work in Virginia Beach Monday and Tuesday, so he drove down there after the airshow Sunday. Lora and I just followed her normal routine of taking the kids to their respective schools and enjoyed the afternoon Monday. Tuesday Collin had a special field trip to an air museum, so Lora, Grayson and I planned to attend with his class. Unfortunately, on Monday, we realized that they had just gotten new carpet in the house and it was made of wool. Grayson is allergic to wool. Very allergic. By Monday night, he had a bright red, raised rash covering the entire back of his neck, his head, and behind his ears. He hadn't even laid on the carpet--we had just let him sleep with a blanket that had been laying on the carpet before we realized it was new carpet. We tried a bath, some Zyrtec and Calamine Lotion, none of which made a bit of difference and by Tuesday morning it was spreading around to the front of his neck, down his chest and down his back. After we dropped Collin at his school to get on the bus for the trip, we ran to Walgreens to get some Benadryl and then head on our way, since Grayson seemed to be tolerating the rash alright. Then, things got worse... As soon as I gave him the Benadryl, he vomited ALL OVER himself and the carseat and I was not prepared to clean up that much puke!! I was able to get his clothes off of him and we used the back-up outfit I had in the diaper bag. I put the Udder Cover in his seat to protect his new clothes from what was left in the seat and we headed on. We basically went into the museum and told them we were going back home. We got home finally and Grayson's temperature was 101. I put him down for a nap and we were contemplating going to Urgent Care if it didn't get better. By that night, it seemed to be getting a little better, so Wednesday morning, we just headed for home (Indiana).

The drive back to Indiana started at 7:30 a.m. and we got back here around 12:30 a.m.--yes, 17 hours in the car!!!!! We will not ever do that again. Grayson did great with our previous method of rotating new toys in and out about every 10 minutes. Brandon and I took turns driving this time, which was better. Grayson had had enough by about 10:30 p.m. and started melting down. That last hour was horrendous. We finally made it home and our very, very exhausted boy fell asleep almost immediately when I put him in his crib. He slept straight through the night and the next morning and woke up about 11:30 a.m.! It was a fun trip, but I don't think we'll do it again for a long time. We've decided that we'll be flying from now on. No more trips over 7-8 hours away. It's just too much for Grayson to be in the carseat that long. It's just not good for him to be immobile for that long--we all, not just him, run the risk of clots and varicose veins from the stationary positions.

We did have a great time seeing them and had a lot of fun, despite Grayson's troubles. Grayson got to see his first t-ball game, he got to see the ocean (we did not get in though--still too cold), and he checked 3 more states off his list--Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. Even though he had a rash, a temperature and vomited, he was still a pretty happy boy considering! We'll be discussing this wool allergy thing with the pediatrician here in a couple of weeks at his 9 month checkup for sure. Hopefully he'll give us something to put on it that will help.

Anyway, here are some videos to bring you a smile!

Playing with Jason Norton:

Still playing with Jason:

Story time with Morgan Norton before bed:

mini vacation!

2010-05-13T10:35:00.003-04:00

Thought I'd hop on here and let everyone know that we're leaving tonite to go to DC. We won't be back until really late next Wednesday, so we won't be posting for a while. I promise to have lots of cute pics and video when we get back to make up for the lost time!

I'll leave you with a funny tidbit you're sure to get a laugh out of... the Tuesday night Grayson made a new "discovery" when he was in the bathtub!!! Apparently we left him in there a bit too long and he got bored with his toys, so he started looking for other things to entertain himself!! We thought it was funny until he started pointing it at us--then we yanked him out of the tub and got his jammies on!

Well, gotta go--still packing!!!! Have a great one!

My wonderful first Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T20:51:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a great day! Actually, a great weekend! We went to church this morning for our last Sunday School class (*a little sad) and enjoyed getting to see everyone one last time. It's been fun getting to know so many new couples. It was a wonderful blessing to us and we learned a lot! It has no doubt made our marriage stronger.

Yesterday we got our new washer & dryer ordered (woooooo-hoooooooo!!!) and last night just spent some time together as a family. Grayson took a 3+ hour nap (woooooo-hoooooo!!! haha) and Brandon and I enjoyed our time together. I was a little worried that Gray would not sleep well last night, but he did! What a great Mother's Day blessing!

Today we just enjoyed time together as a family and played with Grayson. It's so fun to just lay and watch him play. It's amazing to watch him learn right in front of you... he can actually problem-solve and he's only 8 months old. AMAZING. God, you are amazing to create such a splendid work. :o)

So, in short, I have a beautiful husband and son, who allowed me to be a Mama! We went out to dinner, we got a new washer & dryer, I got to go shopping, and Brandon brought me flowers and an adorable Hoops & Yo-yo card, which is a long-standing tradition with us. He even let Grayson scribble 'his name' in it, which made that card a keepsake for sure! It just made me cry! I love both of my boys very, very much. I am a blessed Mama indeed.

Happy Mother's Day everyone.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2010-05-08T21:41:00.000-04:00

This is a special edition that's going out to all Mamas, but we have a special message just for Gigi at the end! We've been playing a lot this week and just trying to tie up all of the loose ends for the new house. Today we actually bought a new washer & dryer, which I personally am THRILLED about!!! It's a pretty rockin' awesome set--I love my husband!! Thanks honey! It's the Maytag MGHWE950WW (http://www.maytag.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Washers&cat=18&prod=2290) and the matching dryer MEDE900VW (http://www.maytag.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Dryers&cat=17&prod=1708). We got an awesome deal on them by going to our local Best Buy and asking them to pricematch their online deal of 15% off of the pair. AND they're going to send it to our new house after we move in, so we don't have to worry about storing it until then! They're so pretty! I'm actually EXCITED to do laundry!

Hmmm... what else have we done this week?! Alyssa and I did some shopping together because our dear husbands were kind enough to watch our boys one night, so we got to go alone, which was really fun! It's crazy because we're the exact same size and have similar tastes, so it was nice to shop with someone else who has as hard of time as I do finding clothes that fit well. We're going to the Gap Distribution Center in Cincy here in a couple of weeks, so hopefully we find some good deals before vacations start.

Well, I'm pretty spent, so I guess I'll just jump right to Gigi's Mother's Day gift (or part of it)... she'll have to wait until we go down in a couple of weeks to get the rest...

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mamas from my little man...

Oh, 3-day wknds, how I love you!

2010-05-01T21:53:00.000-04:00

This is Brandon's 3-day weekend and we've spent it well so far. Brandon spent some quality time with Grayson Friday morning and I went to my final RoofCrashers Bible Study solo. It was sort of nice (and a little weird) going out alone! This morning Grayson and I went to a cloth diaper swap at our local cloth diaper store, giving Brandon some 'me' time and we actually swapped/sold a couple of diapers for ones that we wanted. I was pretty happy with the deal! It sort of makes me happy knowing so many people didn't think we'd last with this 'cloth diaper idea' but I actually love it and sometimes feel a bit like a 'cloth diaper snob' as my friend calls herself! heheh I definitely prefer cloth now and cringe a little every time we have to use a disposable. If I can only say one thing for cloth, it's that Grayson's never had even one little spot of diaper rash--the cloth takes care of his little bum and keeps it nice and dry!

On another note, did I mention that I fell down the stairs with Grayson the other day? I don't think I did. Well, it wasn't as bad as you're thinking, as we only fell down 4 or 5 steps and I used my body essentially like a sled. Grayson did bump his head a little, but mostly it just scared him silly and jarred the crap out of me. He didn't even bruise, but I am pretty sore still. It definitely scared me to death too and I'm definitely taking the stairs gingerly now.

I'll leave you on a high note though... you should enjoy this:

Good night!

nice day out!

2010-04-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

Grayson and I have just been chilling this week, so not much activity going on... But, today we went over to the Pitner's house (Kelly is the nursery coordinator and her son is the little boy, Jackson, that LOVES Grayson). We played outside with her kids for 2 hours! Grayson had fun sitting in the grass and watching her twin 3-yr-old girls swing. He was exhausted when we got home and ready for a nap, which he's currently fighting! So, I'm going to make this a short one and go check on him. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Eight Months, Little Man!

2010-04-27T06:16:00.002-04:00

Brandon and I can't believe it... our little boy turns 8 months today. And we are both happy and sad--happy that he is such a blessing in our lives and that he's a healthy, happy boy, but sad that he's growing up so quickly. It seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital not knowing what the heck we were going to do with him when we got there! Cuddling in the rocking chair, watching him take naps in my lap... gone are those days. Now I can barely even cradle him in that chair because he's too big! He is a sweet, sweet boy though. Just Sunday, he fell asleep in Brandon's arms at church and everyone was proclaiming how cute he was.

So, today I guess I'm feeling nostalgic. I miss those days when he was a tiny, helpless baby and he loved to cuddle in my arms! Now he's struggling to sit up and look around when I'm merely trying to feed him! I'm sure very soon, he'll only want to sit with me when he's sick and otherwise will be running from me!

Oh, and here's the news on the house that we're hopefully buying!! The sellers have accepted our inspection response, so we are good-to-go for a June 4th closing as far as we know! We are set to move in the weekend of June 18--anyone wanna come help?! hahah Or, maybe just watch Grayson while we move everything?

Enjoy your day kids... mine has started at 6 a.m. Oh, to be able to sleep like I used to!!

just in case you missed it...

2010-04-24T20:08:00.000-04:00

I posted a ton of pics and a new video on Facebook this weekend, but I thought I'd post the video here too since it's so darn cute...

We were up and at 'em early this morning, thanks to you-know-cutie, and ended up running some errands. The post office, bank, Target, Chick-Fil-A, and Dairy Queen were all stops (had to get Brandon his blizzard so he wouldn't be jealous any more!). We enjoyed our afternoon and relaxed this evening. Hope you guys did too.

the smell of rain...

2010-04-23T15:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we woke up and I got Grayson dressed in an insufferably cute outfit and knew I just HAD to share it with you all. It's one that we got from Alyssa (of course, all of our clothes are from her now!) and it just made me melt. So, I started to take him outside on the deck for a photo op, and to my surprise I opened the door to the wonderful smell of spring rain! The deck was soaked, so all you get are some less-than-stellar indoor shots...

don't you just want to pick him up and squeeze him?!

He LOVES putting everything in his mouth, and the poor blanket was no exception!

We spent the day playing and then met Alyssa and Carter over at the local cloth diaper store (Barefoot Herbs, Barefoot Kids) and then went for ice cream at Dairy Queen. They're having an awesome deal right now where you can buy one blizzard and get another for a quarter, so Alyssa was awesome enough to buy me a blizzard! God bless her! It was sooo good. Brandon and I will go this weekend because he felt left out :o( Poor guy. :o)

Grayson is still eating us out of house and home and I am at a loss to where it is all going. Night before last, he drank a 5 oz bottle I had pumped that morning AND then he nursed for almost 10 minutes!!! He had to have consumed at least 9 or 10 oz in one setting and didn't spit up or anything. Then, this morning he ate a half cup of oatmeal and 3.5 oz of fruit for breakfast! Crazy guy.

We went to RoofCrashers this morning at church and my group was in charge of childcare this morning, so we enjoyed playing with all the other babies. Kelly was there, the nice Mama in charge of the Sunday morning childcare and her son Jackson LOVES Grayson. Sunday he asked Kelly to call me to see if Grayson could come over and play with them! Jackson is 4 I think and they also have 3-yr-old twins. (I know, brave huh?!) Next week we might go over and play for a while so Jackson gets his 'Grayson fix'!! :o) Kelly's kids are adorable and she the sweetest Mama too. They've watched Grayson for us before and I think he never even touched the floor the whole time he was there!

Well, Brandon will be home soon, and Grayson is refusing to nap, so I gotta run. You all have a great weekend!

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

2010-04-20T09:45:00.000-04:00

Or at least this weekend it was! Today it's in the 40's so we won't be venturing outside much! Sunday was beautiful, so after church we decided to make it a good one as a family. We went out to eat for lunch and then went for a loooong walk! We went down through the other apartment complexes and then back to ours. We both agreed that we are sooooo excited to get out of this neighborhood! But, it was nice anyway. When we returned from our walk, we drove over to Bruster's to get our free ice cream cones (we got free cards from our Sunday School class about a month ago and hadn't used them yet). Grayson got to try a little orange sherbet for the first time too! He made a funny face, but ate it! When we got home, we just relaxed the rest of the evening and just played in the floor with our beautiful boy. He's sitting up really well now and is starting to push up on his arms a lot better when he's on his belly, so I think crawling will probably come in the next month or so. I don't know what I'm going to do then!! I don't think I'm ready for that at all!

Yesterday we didn't do much, which was nice. I did diaper laundry and some other housework and Grayson educated me on his new sleep schedule. He's now waking up about 7:30 a.m. instead of 8:30-9 and taking 3 short naps instead of 2 long ones. That makes getting out of the house a bit difficult (and writing in the blog!).

I got to talk to a good friend from Joplin yesterday for a bit too, which was awesome! She is expecting a baby girl in May and she looks so cute pregnant! I can't believe how much our lives have changed in the past few years! We're all married and having babies! My, how the Lord has blessed us all! So Jamie, if you're reading this, you were such a blessing to me yesterday! I hope Cooper's birth goes swimmingly and I know she will be an amazing blessing to your life!! I can't wait to meet her!

Well, I better go get a shower before my little man wakes up! Bye!

wow! It's Saturday!

2010-04-17T09:28:00.001-04:00

So, for the last couple of days, I've completely forgotten to blog! We've been pretty busy though, so you'll have to cut us some slack. Thursday we went to JoAnn's and I got some fabric to make tutus for a shoot that I'm doing today with Brandon's boss' family. They have triplets! I hope to take some good pictures, because you don't get many chances to photograph triplets in your life!! If I get any good ones, I'll try and post some of them just so you all can see their amazing cuteness as well! We haven't seen them in several months, so I'm sure they're going to look huge to us now!

Friday Brandon had the day off, so we got up and packed a picnic lunch and went to Karst Farm to eat it. It was SOOO pretty out and we really enjoyed ourselves. Grayson enjoyed watching the trees blow in the wind. After our picnic, we headed to the potential new house for the dreaded inspection. MUCH to our delight, the inspection went FANTASTIC and there's not really anything major wrong with the house!!!! Our inspector was actually really impressed with the condition. It has lots of nice upgrades too. The only thing that we're even going to ask about is the railing on the deck. Code says it has to be 36" tall and it's only 32". It's also pretty wobbly, but since the homeowner built the deck, I think he'll probably just fix it himself. So, God has blessed us again and worked this out! So, now all that's left is getting our financing in order and getting the appraisal done from the bank we choose. Then, hopefully we'll close on June 4! PRAISE GOD!!

This morning started with a bang for us--Grayson woke up about 8 and Brandon went and got him and brought him in bed with us where he nursed and then proceeded to throw up all over me, himself and our bed!!! So, off to the bath he went! I'm sure Mr. Quackers (his new ducky bathtub) was surprised to see him so early in the morning! I think he just ate too much too fast, and he was still probably full from yesterday... he ate 2/3 C of oatmeal, 3.5 oz of blueberries, 3.5 oz of greenbeans, and a full 6 oz of his favorite apple yogurt last night at our small group! Yes, he's quite the eater!! Thankfully, we're all clean now and he's ready for his nap... hope you all have a great weekend ahead!

FREEBIES and Great Deals at Diapers.com!!

2010-04-14T13:02:00.001-04:00

Money-saving tips today folks!

3M just released a coupon for $1 off any Scotch-Brite Brand Product, which includes those awesome little yellow & green cleaning sponges that I love for the kitchen. It also includes the nice blue non-scratch ones great for your glass top stoves. http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/scotchbrite/ultranailsaver/coupon.pdf Print as many as you want folks! You can save paper by copy/pasting it into a Word document 4 per page. AND, IT GETS BETTER! Kroger has those wonderful little sponges 10/$10 this week, so yes, they are FREE!!! I just snagged 5 of them yesterday and plan to go back before the end of the week and snag 5 more.

The other tip I have for you pretty much is great for us Mamas! I LOVE LOVE LOVE diapers.com I don't know if any of you use them, but they always have a $10 off a $49 purchase coupon code out (NEWBIES) and they also always have a 10% off code out (10percent)... the best thing? You can use them together! The Newbies code has to be used in conjunction with a diaper purchase (we cloth diaper, but it's always good to have a pack of sposies for sitters) and the 10% off code is only on non-diaper products. They also have a great clearance section. An even greater thing? FREE SHIPPING. For all of us Moms who find it difficult to get out of the house to shop sometimes, diapers.com is your best friend. Use it. Love it. :o)

our busy, mostly fun day

2010-04-14T12:54:00.000-04:00

So, as I said yesterday, we went over to the King's to play in the water with Carter. We got there right around lunch time and Alyssa and I shared the leftover homemade BBQ pizza I had made the night before. It was surprisingly still pretty good as leftovers! Carter took a nap while I fed Grayson his lunch. Grayson wasn't too keen on nursing all day, and now I'm afraid that he's going to ween himself before we even reach a year old!! He's getting better at drinking from his sippy, and can hold his own bottle now too. My little man is growing up too fast!

After lunch was all done, Grayson, Alyssa and I went out to swing until Carter woke up. We had about 30 minutes before his nearly 3-hr nap was over (I WISH Grayson would nap that long!!!) and then we all got ready to play in the water. I put Grayson in his new swim trunks and sun-protective shirt and we loaded both boys down with lots of California Baby sunblock. Our boys were NOT getting a sunburn today peeps!! Grayson actually eventually figured out that he could 'grab' the water when it sprinkled out of the little containers, but my Flip died before we got that... boo. Anyway, he's some of the fun:

As always, Grayson took a good nap in the swing, and then we took the boys for a wagon ride down to see the cows (Alyssa's next door neighbor has a farm). It was Grayson's first wagon ride ever!!! (Forgive me for the quality, they were from my phone!)

The cows had all huddled up under a tree in the only shade in the entire pasture, so we couldn't see them too well... but who could blame them?! It was over 80 out! We decided to put the Boppy around Gray to protect him if he bounced over against the sides since it's a pretty bumpy dirt/gravel road... instead, he just decided to lounge! But, who could blame him?! Soft, comfy pillow seat...

We had an awesome time at their house... but then when we got home, I noticed that Grayson felt really warm. But hey, we'd just been outside all day right? Wrong. I should have noticed these as the symptoms we had after his 2-mo shots, but I didn't :o( Refusing to nurse... check. Low grade fever... check. Projectile vomiting up his dinner... CHECK. Ya, so 5 oz of green beans and a blueberry/apple mix ALL over himself and the highchair. Poor guy. But, he laughed as soon as it was over, even though he was sitting in a PUDDLE 2 inches deep! Ugh. Brandon immediately rushed him into a bath while I cleaned everything up and tossed his high chair cover into the wash.

Thankfully, he's good as new this morning! Even down to his 30-minute nap. Boo. Gotta run!!

fun day ahead!

2010-04-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I went in to get Grayson and this is what I found:

He must have been inspired found strength in his new fireman pajamas (courtesy of Carter!)

So I decided that it was DEFINITELY time to lower his crib mattress since he's trying to pull up on the bars!! So, last night when Daddy got home, his first order of business was to lower it. This morning, Grayson approved:

AND, showed off a little plumber-butt, baby style!!

SOO cute right?!! In another pair of cute pajamas with a matching green diaper! He also had to get his flu booster shot yesterday afternoon, and he took it like a man! He only fussed about 1.5 seconds and then went back to his smiley self.

Today we are heading over to play in the water with Carter again. This time I will take the Flip and hopefully have some cute video for you tomorrow! Until then... enjoy your day!

it's raining baby clothes!

2010-04-11T21:04:00.000-04:00

Hello peeps! It's been a wonderful weekend here in Bloomington! Friday night we went attended a Progressive Dinner with about 25 other couples and it was a blast! We got to know a few more people and enjoyed learning about some of the elders from our church. Three separate families hosted all 50+ of us in their homes and fed us!!! At the first house, we were at one of the Elder's homes that helps with our Young Marrieds' Sunday School class and we had some wonderful appetizers. At the next elders' home, we had our main dinner and it was awesome! At the final home, our pastor's house, we had dessert. At each home, there were additional elders' and their families (which were all REALLY young to be 'elders' I thought!) helping serve all of us. Our Sunday School teachers (our usual babysitters, Mark & Marilyn) asked each couple to tell us how they met, how they proposed, and a funny story from their honeymoon. Several of their answers really surprised us and had us all laughing wholeheartedly! It was SO fun getting to know all of them. Grayson stayed at Kelly's house (the nursery coordinator at the church) and he LOVES her! He had fun and was sleeping on her when we picked him up. She spoils him rotten!

Saturday we didn't do much... just a few errands and enjoyed each other's company. Today we went to church, came home and cleaned! Alyssa has been AWESOME and is letting us use Carter's summer clothes from last year and since they're all 6-9 months, they should get us through most of the summer. We might need some bigger stuff towards the end of summer, but for now, we're set! He's got more clothes than I do now! It's so nice of her to let us borrow them, and in turn we're 'storing' them for her!

Grayson is now eating yogurt and it might just be his new favorite thing! And, we learned he likes bananas if they're pureed and mixed with blueberries! He won't eat them by themselves though. He had a good bath tonite and his kicking in the tub is getting even more forceful now that he can jump in Carter's Jumparoo that they let us borrow. I don't know what we'd do without them!! Thank you God for placing them in our life. What blessings we've been given!!

the Flip came home!

2010-04-10T20:35:00.002-04:00

You have Gigi (Grayson's paternal Grandma) to thank for tonite's specials:

Grayson's favorite song is The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Brandon and I have learned that there are several more verses than what we learned as kids...

This one is from our small group last week. They are learning to share (well, at least Carter is)!!

These last two are from today. Grayson loves to 'help' us type on the laptop! He loves to push things and then I don't know what to do to fix it!

He's gotten REALLY good at sitting up now and sat up today for over 10 minutes completely by himself! Our little man is growing up :-(

Good night everyone!

teeth. argh.

2010-04-09T15:58:00.000-04:00

I am soooooo ready for Grayson's gums to just give up and let his teeth come through!!!! He's been super-cranky today and refused to nap anywhere buy my arms... for 45 minutes. So, now that I can barely hold up my arms, I'm taking a break and typing.

Yesterday we didn't do much of anything. Grayson was up FIVE times during the night, so I didn't feel much like leaving the house. We just played all day mostly and I got caught up on my episode of 19 Kids and Counting. This morning we went to my Roof Crashers Bible study and then stopped at WalMart on the way home to pick up a fan for Grayson's room. With summer coming up, he's going to need it! And, I'm hoping that the white noise will help him sleep better. He's been pretty fussy this afternoon, and tonite Brandon & I are planning to attend our Sunday School Class's "Progressive Dinner," so the nursery coordinator, Kelly Pitner, has volunteered to watch Grayson from 5:30 until 11 when it's over. Hopefully, he'll be his usual 'beauty' self and not this 'beast' that he's been this afternoon!!!

Anyway, I better get off here and go check the mail. Gigi is sending our Flip video camera back to us since we forgot it this weekend. I'm excited to get it back so I can post some video!

Good night all, and we hope you have a great weekend!

a little bonus...

2010-04-07T18:21:00.000-04:00

Today we missed our library class because Grayson was sleeping... and we all know "never wake a sleeping baby"!!! I don't think the 10 o'clock class is going to work for us anymore since Grayson is usually napping then now that he sleeps through the night. Not that I'm complaining about that though! This afternoon we met Amy and her kiddos at the park so I could give her her photos of Maggie's ONE shoot. Grayson got to swing again and Gavin (Amy's 3.5 yr old) had fun making Gray laugh. It was so cute. :o)

Speaking of cute, Alyssa sent me the pictures of Grayson sleeping in his swing yesterday and I just had to share:

Poor guy was just tuckered out from playing in the water! We have to use a towel in his swing because his bottom slides out! It's too slick for him! I guess he just got really comfy!

Hope you all had a good day too...

whew.

2010-04-07T11:49:00.002-04:00

Do you ever get sooo behind on something that you hesitate to even start because you know it's going to take so long to get caught up?! Well, that's how I feel right now! Many of you have expressed your concerns over our missing blog days, so it's time for me to step up to the plate!! It definitely hasn't been because we've been too boring... it's because we've been SUPER busy! (heheh I accidentally typed 'busty' instead of busy right then, and SUPER busty is definitely something that we're NOT!! lol) Anywho...

So catching up... last Wednesday, I had a photoshoot over at the IU campus with the Bolam-King family. They consist of Dad-Brenden, Mama-Sidney, and their cutie-pie 1-yr-old, Theo. We had a wonderful time and Grayson was a rockin awesome baby the whole time!! He just laid on his little blanket and watched the trees and birds. Thanks to his goodness, here are a few of the moments I snapped:

Thursday and Friday are sort of a blur now, but I know we played outside on our back deck for a while on Thursday...

Where Grayson is, Mortimer is not far behind!

Can I fit my whole hand in my mouth! You bet--I have no teeth yet!! My other best friend... my thumb! "What's that thing Mama! And why is it always pointed at me?!"

Friday we played with Carter and I had another first... my first ride in a swing!!

I LOVED IT!!! Carter got to swing with me too!!

We were going REALLLLLLLY fast guys!!

And just in case you're wondering what Alyssa looks like... she kind of looks like Mommy! They even have the same middle name--Dawn! God works in funny ways sometimes!

Saturday we drove down to Louisville to spend time with Brandon's family. His younger brother, Tyler, was graduating from college at 11:30, so we got up bright and early and drove down for that. Other than deciding to talk right in the middle of the graduation, Grayson did GREAT (and looked adorable, as always)!!

We are very proud of Uncle Tyler!!

My husband LOVES to jump in my pictures!!
At least I got a good one later... :o)

Finally, at 3 pm Saturday, we went to the Southeast Christian Church Easter Service. That's the church that Brandon's family regularly attends. It's HUGE! We had a wonderful time and it was a great message about the power of God. We were reminded that the power that rose Jesus Christ from the dead is alive in all of us and can empower us to overcome any obstacle. What a great message!

Sunday morning, Grayson got to open his easter baskets... He had a great time and opened his baskets all by himself...

In Grayson's basket from Mom & Dad, he got a ducky (which the dog chewed on, so he has to be washed!). He also got a bunch of plastic eggs (which turned out to be his favorite thing of all--I don't know why we spend money on toys!!), Toy Story I & 2 (see previous posts about the deals you can get!), and 3 books--The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Guess How Much I Love You, and Daddy's favorite, Harold and the Purple Crayon. We were amazed at how our little man looks just like Harold!!

In Gigi & Grandpa's basket, he got some new clothes, a stuffed bunny, and the basket itself was a pail and a shovel to use in the sand! What a great idea! Grandma Glenda in Missouri send Grayson a telephone rattle (which is his new favorite) and a stuffed bunny, along with some money to put in his savings account. Grandma said that the rattle is just like one that I used to have, only mine was pink and his is red. She said that I also loved it.

Monday, I spent most of the day editing pictures from the shoot above and Grayson was a beast. I think he was tired from the weekend and was just out of sorts because his routine was off. We also had our first "accident" on Sunday morning--Grayson fell off the bed. He cried a lot, but didn't even bruise anywhere, so I think it scared him more than anything. We all learned an important lesson though--Grayson can't be left alone even for a second now!!!

Yesterday, we played over at Carter's again and Grayson had yet another first--he played in the water outside for the first time! Alyssa even let us use one of their little swim diapers and since it was 86 out, I slathered the sunblock on him and he had a merry time! He splashed so much he got Alyssa and I wet too! He wore himself out in the water because as soon as I put him in the swing, he fell asleep! Alyssa got a picture that I'll try to post soon. Since Gray was sleeping when we left, I ran to Target to pick up a few things and got Grayson his first pair of big boy swim trunks! They have little surfboards on them... we can't wait to try them out!!

On another non-Grayson front, we have finally accepted an offer on the house! If all goes well, we close June 4th and move in June 18th!! It's far from over, as we still have the inspection to go. Since we are giving them 98% of their asking price, we will be asking them to cover anything and everything that comes up in the inspection. I know God is answering our prayers and will continue to take care of us...

Well, little man is awake from his nap, so I gotta run. Please remind me if I've left something out everyone!!

Take care...

we have the sweetest baby EVER!!

2010-03-31T20:33:00.000-04:00

Grayson slept 14 hours straight last night. The End.

Just kidding! He really did sleep that long and then napped for about 1.5 hours this morning too! He took a short nap this afternoon and then I had a photoshoot out on the IU campus. Turns out the family that I was meeting there also cloth diapers and nurses their 1 year old. It's amazing to me how many cloth-diapering parents that I've met here, considering I only knew 1 other family that cloth diapered in Kentucky! They were super nice and I'm hoping their pictures turn out fantastically. Whenever I get all of them edited, I'll probably post a couple of them. Anyway, the reason I really think we have the sweetest baby ever is that he was a total angel the whole time I had to drag him around for the shoot! Not ONE whimper even! He just had fun on a blanket on the ground just looking at the trees and birds! I could have kissed him to death!

Alyssa and Carter came over this morning to do a little cloth diaper laundry, so we got to hang out for a couple of hours. Carter is such a good boy too. Apparently he got a bath in a rubbermaid container the other night, which I find really funny... and no, I won't judge you Alyssa! Us Moms gotta stick together!!

normal day...

2010-03-30T20:45:00.000-04:00

Just did laundry and a little more grocery shopping today! I did a lot of cooking, as Grayson was in a better mood today. I made him some plums, avocado, peaches and more apples! I also picked up some Gerber Organic 2nd Foods for him at the grocery store in things that I can't make him right now, like Blueberries/Pears, Strawberry/Apples, Carrots and Green Beans. The strawberries are an allergen unless they've been pasteurized and it's not recommended to give it to babies less than 1 if it's not pasteurized, so we went with the store-bought version so it's okay for him. The same with the blueberries, but they're a lesser allergen, so now that he's had them, I'll probably start making them for him. He did like them though!! He ate the whole container today! Carrots and green beans are more of a problem because of the nitrates in the soil. Babyfood companies preselect the vegetables that are grown in nitrogen-poor areas of the country, so their's are okay. Anyway, that was boring!!

For dinner, I made pulled pork for sandwiches, homemade macaroni & cheese and baked beans! I hadn't ever made pulled pork or the mac & cheese before, so I was a bit nervous, but it was all pretty good!

Tomorrow Alyssa & Carter are coming over in the morning to use our washing machine to strip her cloth diapers. Turns out front loaders aren't great for washing cloth diapers! And, on a high note for me, I have a photo shoot tomorrow afternoon! A lady called me today to do a shoot with her 1-year-old little guy, so I'm meeting her at the IU campus with Grayson in towe! Hopefully, he's a good baby tomorrow!!! The weather's supposed to be in the mid-70's, so it'll be beautiful out! Wish me luck!

long day

2010-03-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

Grayson woke up from his nap on the "wrong side of the bed" and was fussy all day today, which made for a long day for me. I think he's also developing his Mommy-attachment as well, because he fussed every time I went into the kitchen and left him in the living room. I hope he gets over this soon! He only napped for a total of about an hour all day long, and we let him stay up an hour late tonite so hopefully he'll sleep better tonite. He's having a hard time with the time change I think. With it being so light outside, it's hard for him to go to sleep at 7:30 any more. He did have a first today--his first sip of juice! I got him some apple juice today and diluted it 1:3 with water and he drank about an ounce of it before deciding to throw another fit! We'll try again...

We just had a pretty normal day otherwise. We headed out to Kroger and got groceries--that was one of the best times for him all day because he likes to ride in the cart and watch everyone. Even when he's cranky, he's still the most beautiful, happy boy in public! I'm sure that won't always be the case.

Darlene, our realtor, came over tonite and we officially made an offer on the house! So, we'll see what happens. They've got several days to send something back. If Grayson cooperates, I might go over to the house again in the morning because Darlene is going to see it.

Well, it's past my bedtime, so I'm gonna hit the hay. Hope you all had a great day!

Woo hoo?

2010-03-28T21:05:00.000-04:00

So this morning I had a horrible dream... I dreamed that I got bit by a snake. And as I was being bitten, I sat bolt upright in the bed and woke up. Not the best way to wake up in the morning, but boy was I awake! I cannot reiterate how terrified I am of snakes.

On a brighter note, we went to church (where there were no snakes thankfully! haha) and enjoyed our Sunday School class. We met another couple named Andy and Beth, who also cloth diaper their 5-month-old little girl. That class has been amazing for us to meet other couples with kids. We are very thankful to Sherwood Oaks for making our transition here go really smoothly. What an amazing God we have!

After church, we went to Cracker Barrel for some lunch and then headed to an open house up in the northwest area of Bloomington. To say that house was amazing would be an understatement! To everyone reading this blog, pleeeeaase pray that it works out for us! We have a long way to go in the process, including an inspection and all the loan stuff, so we're just praying it goes smoothly and we don't get burned again like we did with the last house.

We had kind of planned to take Grayson to see the Easter bunny today, but we were at the house a lot longer than we expected and Grayson was getting fussy. I continue to believe that his teeth are really starting to bother him. I wish they'd just break through already. Kelly said he was even a tiny bit fussy in the nursery this morning, but that could have just been her 'excuse' to get to hold him longer!! She loves our boy and I am super glad she does! :o) Nevertheless, this will not be the year Grayson gets to see the Easter bunny, because next Saturday is Brandon's younger brother Tyler's graduation, so we'll be busy all day. Maybe next year!

I'll close tonite with an adorable visit of my boys playing...

(doesn't that just melt your heart?!)

Oh, and a song... "Rubber ducky, you're the one... you make my bath time lots of fun! Rubber ducky, I'm awfully fond of you!" (courtesy of Sesame Street :o)

Oh, how I love you, dear sweet weekend!

2010-03-27T18:52:00.001-04:00

Fun day here in Paradi, er, Bloomington! This morning we met Darlene, our realtor, at the house in Prominence Pointe that is our "back-up" house if we don't find anything we like better. We walked through it again today and definitely think we could make it work and I'm finding myself liking it a lot better this time around. We also looked at another house for sale in the neighborhood that we're definitely passing on. Finally, we looked at an empty lot that is proposed construction for another house of the same model as the house we just ended up backing out on. We also narrowed that one out because the lot is kind of crappy and small. Oh, and tomorrow we're going to an open house for another property that we're interested in after church. We'll keep you all updated, but would really appreciate any prayers you'd like to send up!!

It was a sunny 60 this afternoon and Brandon and I decided to take Grayson on a hike! There's a little trail that runs through the woods behind our townhomes and we strapped Gray in the Bjorn and away we went. We recently purchased his first baseball cap to help with his light sensitivity in his pretty baby blues and boy did he look absolutely adorable all snug in the Bjorn and in his little cap!! We hiked the whole trail (probably a quarter of a mile-ish). Grayson had a great time looking at all the new things and listening to the birds chirp. He found some of the bird calls funny and let out little squeals of his own! I guess we really wore him out because we got home, played with him for a bit, fed him and he was asleep by 6:15!! I'm wondering how long he'll sleep tonite though!

So, no pictures today, but we spoiled you last time with all of the video, so you'll be okay. Good night everyone!

Sunny day

2010-03-26T15:57:00.000-04:00

Good day here in Bloomington! Grayson woke up at 6:45 a.m. so I just brought him into bed with me and we slept in for a little while longer. This morning I had Roof Crashers, my ladies' Bible Study at Sherwood Oaks. It's nice to be back in our routine now. Tonite is our small group, so we've got a full day. Thankfully it's sunny again--a little reminder that spring is coming!

Grayson is napping now, but just had a blast in his new (borrowed) Jumparoo, which we picked up yesterday from Alyssa and Brian's house. Carter has outgrown it and Grayson loves his new toy:

He also loves his new ducky bathtub! We owe a huge thank you to Alyssa, Brian & Carter for letting us borrow everything! It saves us a lot of money and they don't have to store it, so I guess it's a win-win, but we're still really grateful. God is good!! What blessings we have been given!

It's Raining Video!

2010-03-25T21:09:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was crazy busy, but fun! Alyssa, Carter, Grayson and I traveled up to Indianapolis (~1hr away) for a play date. Carter and Grayson had a good time and there were several other babies there too. The drive went great until the last 10 minutes, when Grayson started crying and woke Carter up, who then ALSO started crying! Boo. Soooo glad we were close to home!

Apparently, we can't get enough of Alyssa and Carter, because today we went over to their house! Carter is letting Grayson borrow his Jumparoo and his ducky bathtub, so we went to pick it up and play for a bit. I'm just going to let the videos do the talking now...

And then we came home and took a bath in his new rubber ducky bathtub. Unfortunately, that video will not be aired, as his highness was stark naked and is baring all!! We'll work on a video that's a little more modest...

Finally... fresh and clean from the bath...

Shopping Day

2010-03-23T21:15:00.001-04:00

We put Grayson to bed around 7:30 p.m. last night and he woke up about 9:30 p.m. and wanted to be fed. I had in mind that he wasn't going to sleep well, but boy was I wrong! He then slept until 9:30 this morning! 12 hours STRAIGHT! He is turning out to be quite the good little sleeper (**knock on wood**). He didn't nap well, but I couldn't really blame him!

After his 45 minute morning nap, we decided to get all dolled up and head out shopping. I picked up the 2 Toy Story movies from Target, using the awesome coupons I mentioned before. To make the deal even sweeter, you also get 1 free adult movie pass with each movie to see Toy Story 3 when it comes out!!!! So, Brandon, Grayson and I can see it for free (as long as it comes out before his 2nd birthday). All in all, we got Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 on DVD and Blu-Ray, plus 2 movie passes all for $18 including tax!!! At Walmart, ONE of those movies is $26! We got a stellar deal. From Target we rolled on down to Gymboree, where I purchased Grayson a cute little baseball cap to keep the sun out of his eyes and off his bald little head. Anytime we go into the sun, he jerks away like he's melting! Poor guy definitely has my super-light-sensitive blue eyes. He looks really cute in the hat though.

We also went over to Barefoot Kids, our local natural goods/cloth diaper store and picked up some laundry detergent. We recently were educated on a new work-at-home-Mom made natural soap called Rockin' Green (http://rockingreensoap.com/). It comes in tons of scents and even in a "Soft Rock" unscented version that we use for Grayson. It was originally developed for diapers because it doesn't leave any residue (that causes the diapers to leak) but we've started using it on everything! It leaves the clothes really clean and doesn't break Grayson's sensitive skin out. It's fantastic!! I picked up a scented version today to use on Brandon and I's clothes and it's called Grape Soda and it smells wonderful. It comes in all kinds of wonderful scents like "Monkey Snacks", "Fresh Linen" and "Mango Sorbet". I can't wait to try them all (if Gray's skin cooperates)!

Amazingly, we had 2 more firsts today: he drank from a sippy cup for the first time AND he sat in a shopping cart for the first time..

He's sitting in the cart with his little cart caddy pad and holding on for dear life to his new brown & plaid hat. He had a great time in the cart looking at all the new things and dazzling all the old ladies with his cute grin. What a ladies' man!!

Tomorrow will be a busy day, so I don't know for sure that I'll get to post. Alyssa, Carter, Grayson & I are traveling up to Indy to meet up with some friends for a play date. The girl that makes some of our cloth diapering supplies lives up there, as do several other cloth diapering Mamas that we've met on the gDiapers Yahoo Group, so we're gonna have a cloth diapered bottoms play day. I'm really excited! Also, I am doing a photo shoot with a 3-week-old baby boy tomorrow night!!! I'm even more excited about that! I'll try to take some video and/or photos of our little ones playing tomorrow and post them on Thursday.

Talk to you then! Have a great tomorrow!

Another great deal!!

2010-03-22T20:52:00.002-04:00

Whenever I find awesome deals, I like to pass along the savings to my friends. Our latest steal is on the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Packs that are coming out tomorrow of Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Several stores are offering $10 off if you buy both sets, which is a pretty good deal anyway. But, if you create a free account at Disney Movie Rewards you can print an extra $10 off coupon for EACH movie!!! That site offers similar coupon for every Disney movie that is released, so it's a good one to keep up with if you're interested in getting all the great classics for your kids (or that's Brandon and I's excuse anyway!). After you create an account, go to the "How It Works" tab and click on "Enter Code". The codes to use for the movies are 786936294507 & 786936294521 to print the coupon. You must install printer software if you have never printed from them before.

You can get the deals at the following stores:

Toys R Us - $21.99 each, additional $10 off for buying both (or $16.99 each) - $10 coupon = $6.99 each

Target - $22.99 each, additional $10 off for buying both (or $17.99 each) - $10 coupon = $7.99 each

Best Buy - $24.99 each, additional $10 off for buying both (or $19.99 each) - $10 coupon = $9.99 each

Isn't that AWESOME!?! Back at Christmas time, we were able to get "Up" and "Monsters Inc" using this same deal for $6 each!!! Grayson's collection has already started!

Good luck & happy shopping!

ps--thanks to all of you who've signed up for free money under my Opinion Outpost and Swagbucks links! I hope you all get lots of free stuff too! I just won another free Amazon giftcard today!

Hello World!

2010-03-22T20:20:00.001-04:00

Wow, so busy weekend! Brandon, Grayson and I traveled down to Kentucky this weekend to cheer up Gigi, who had surgery on her knee last Monday. Here's some of the action:

We also were able to see a bunch of friends at Sara & Chase Smith's house Saturday night, which was AWESOME!!!! It was so nice to see everyone and Grayson slept 12 hours straight at their house that night.

On a sad note, after a long battle, we've decided not to buy the blue house that we liked. If you're interested in the details, feel free to call, but suffice to say that there was too much stuff to fix after the inspection. So, we're officially house-hunters again!

Grayson is feeling much better. He's taking his Amoxicillin much better, but he's still not great with the Zyrtec for his nose. It must taste horrible, because he now makes "nasty medicine face" every time I pick up the medicine dropper!!! He's like a tiny Pavlov's doggie!!

On an awesome note, Grayson had another first today!!!!!! He learned to wave hello!! Check it out!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

update on the 'ugly'

2010-03-17T21:08:00.000-04:00

Well, despite Grayson's fever being completely gone by the time his appointment time came, I went with my intuition and took him in anyway. And boy am I glad I did! Turns out he has a double ear infection!!!! I know, poor guy... The ped said she thought all of the nasal drainage was from teething and that it had backed up into his Eustachian tubes and caused an infection. The drainage from his nose is clear though. And, his temperature was still normal tonite. Hopefully the amoxicillin and the Zyrtec (another first--antibiotics) she prescribed will get him back in shape. I HATE that he's sick, but am so glad we caught it early before he was having symptoms of the ear infection. He was as happy as can be this evening, so I think he feels okay. He was playing with Dad tonite before dinner and was just laughing and sitting in Dad's lap all by himself! I think that little boy has both of us wrapped around his little finger!!

On a completely separate note, Brandon and I just realized that we're going to have to actually start buying him some clothes now! Ya, it's been 6 months and we haven't really had to buy him anything, but now he's outgrowing all of his sleep clothes in length and needs some 9-12 month stuff! He pretty much only has 2 pajamas that still fit and I have to wash them every other day! We already knew he needed summer clothes, but now I need to shop for spring clothes too. (Not that I'm sad about getting to shop for him!!! And I know that you're also probably excited Gigi and Aunt Lala!!)

Anyway, that's the end of the drama at the Guptons today. Hopefully Gray will bounce back soon and will sleep well tonite... I'm not holding my breath though because he went down at 7:30 and has already been up once already!

Hope you all have a good night anyway!!

The good, the bad and the ugly.

2010-03-17T12:34:00.000-04:00

Do you want the good news first or the bad? I always like to end on a good note, so we'll go with the bad first. Night before last (Monday night), Grayson woke up around midnight and he was burning up when I picked him up. He's usually a warm little guy, but he was steaming. I took his axillary temp and it was 101.5 (and some doctors recommend adding a full degree to the axillary temp to get an accurate temp). SO, I was worried! He'd had a cold for the past few days and his nose was super runny. I gave him some baby Tylenol and sucked out his nose with the aspirator. He fell back to sleep while I was searching for our better thermometer, so I decided to let him sleep. I, on the other hand, barely got any sleep at all. At 5 a.m., he was back up and his temp was back down to 99, and stayed that way all day yesterday. He's been happy and playing still, so I thought the worst was behind us.

Well, he woke up at 6 a.m. this morning and seemed fine, so I thought we were okay. We even scheduled a playdate with Alyssa and Carter for this afternoon since it's going to be beautiful out. But, after his morning nap, Grayson woke up warm again and his axillary temp is back up to 101. His nose is also so runny that he's having trouble nursing even after I suction him out. I called Dr. Laughlin's office and they want to see him at 4 pm. I'll update more tonite on that front. So, we officially have a first: first fever. Boo.

And now, on to the good!! Grayson can sit up on his own now! He did it first yesterday for about 30 seconds, but of course the best I could get on video was a couple seconds. I'm telling you, he's camera shy!! We still haven't gotten him rolling over on camera and he's been doing that for months. Anyway, I was pretty excited that he can sit on his own and he's super proud of himself too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Show me the money!

2010-03-15T20:47:00.003-04:00

So I've previously blogged about how I make money from home by doing surveys with Opinion Outpost. I've got another $30 coming from them right now. (http://OpinionOutpost.com/join/7747398)

Now, I've found yet ANOTHER way to get free stuff and it's even EASIER than doing the surveys! It's called Swagbucks and all you do is use their version of the Google search engine to do the searches you already do and for using them, you earn "Swag bucks". Once you earn a certain number of swag bucks, you can trade them in for various prizes like giftcards! I've only been doing it a week and have already earned enough for a $5 Amazon giftcard! And, it cost me nothing! My goal is to save up all of the giftcards/prizes and use it for Christmas gifts and hopefully not have to use any of our budgeted Christmas money this year. (I'll let you know how it goes!) If you're interested in getting loads of free stuff, try it out! http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Lisahoops10

That's all for tonite! Good night and happy free money!

get well soon Gigi!!

2010-03-15T17:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to church, like usual, only during the 11:00 service, Brandon and I helped out in the "Crawlers" room (which Grayson isn't quite in just yet). I think Brandon was a little nervous, but thankfully spring break thinned out the attendance a little. We only had 5 crawlers/walkers and 3 adults... so we ran a zone defense until a little guy named Jack took me out of the game! He got really sleepy (as he always does I hear) and just wanted to rock with me in the glider. After rubbing his cute, little, red-haired head for about 20 minutes, he finally went to sleep. He ended up sleeping on me for about 30 minutes and I was a sweaty mess when his Dad came to pick him up! Grayson obviously wasn't too bothered because he fell asleep on a lady in his class too! Brandon did a great job helping and I'm confident that when we decide to have another, he'll be ready.

Brandon and I ordered pizza last night and watched "Up in the Air"--a decent movie. Grayson got tired and I put him to bed around 7 (6:00 by his schedule!) and he slept until 7:30 this morning without waking up even once!!! He then napped for 2.5 hours this morning! He's got another cold (boooo) and his poor eyes always look like he's crying! His little nose is also super-runny again, but it's clear and super-runny. Check it out in full view:

Complete with snotty sneezes that run all the way to his chin! He's still pretty happy though and not too cranky. We went to Sams today to pick up some stuff and he was his usual flirty self.

Grayson wanted to send a special message to Gigi (Brandon's Mom had surgery on her knee today and will be at home for 2 weeks recovering, so we're going to try and send her extra special messages for the next 2 weeks!):

whiz kid

2010-03-13T21:06:00.000-05:00

So we had the house inspection Friday and it went decently well. We have a few things that we want taken care of, but for the most part I think we're good to go. Looks like we might be living in a new house this summer!

We spent the day today just playing with Grayson and enjoying our weekend. Brandon decided to let Gray "air out" for a little while today and he ended up peeing all over himself and the carpet!!! (And here I thought I wouldn't have to clean pee out of the carpet any more after losing Alex...) It was a little funny though, I must admit! He gets cuter every day I think. Even when he's cranky, he's still cute and not too bad to take care of. It's a wonderful job I have, even if I don't get any days off!

Life hasn't been too crazy or eventful here, so I haven't really felt like I had much to say lately! Sorry we're so boring! Nonetheless, here's some videos for you to enjoy!

"Grayson, I am your Father."

"Camera Shy"

"Sitting up... almost."

I am soooo ready for Grayson to sit up on his own! Several other babies his age are already doing it, but his pediatrician isn't worried at all and says he'll do it when he's ready. I think he's just making me sweat it! He would rather stand up than anything. He's still doing some things that 7-8 mo-olds do, but just refuses to sit up. Oh, and I promise I caught him when he fell over at the end of the video!

Hope you all have a good weekend.

A Good Day.

2010-03-10T20:25:00.000-05:00

Last night Grayson slept nearly 14 hours with only 2 wake-ups, so we all got a pretty decent night's sleep. He then went back to sleep for his morning nap and slept 2.5 more hours! Alyssa and Carter came over after Carter's library class (Gray and Carter are now in different classes because Carter is older) and they had lunch with us and played for a bit. It was such a nice day Grayson and I walked down to the mailbox and around the complex for a little bit before he got restless and needed his afternoon nap. Tonite he got to splish-splash in the bathtub for a while and ate some dinner and then off to bed he went! So, a very easy-peasy day for Grayson and me. Tomorrow we have playgroup, so that'll tire him out for sure! Brandon and I are enjoying our time to ourselves tonite while Grayson is sleeping, so I'm gonna jump off. Love you all!

Visitor tonite!

2010-03-09T18:09:00.000-05:00

My friend Tasha is coming up tonite to have dinner with us on her way to Indy for work. Grayson's been a beast today, ever since I had to wake him up from his nap this morning. I think the vaccinations have also made his little legs sore today, so I've had my hands full. Literally. He slept on me for about 3 hours today!

I'll post more tomorrow morning or tonite after she leaves, but I want to spend as much time as possible with her tonite. Sorry invisible blog-readers, Tasha's my priority tonite!!

quick update! (UPDATED w/pics!!)

2010-03-08T21:09:00.002-05:00

Grayson had his 6 month shots today and did fantastic with them... He also had a HUGE first today!!! He rolled over from back to belly! He can officially roll over both ways now! Pictures will come tomorrow, I promise!

Good night!

***

This is actually Tuesday morning, but I just got the chance to update yesterday...

Grayson did fantastic all day yesterday and only cried about 20 seconds when he got his shots. He was his usual flirty self with all of the nurses, smiling and cooing at them, even after his shots! He was wearing his little cow-print cloth diaper and they were all teasing that "his cows would get out"! I hadn't heard that phrase since I lived in Missouri!

Brandon got home a little early, so we decided to take a walk since it was beautiful and almost 65 out!!! YAY!! Spring is coming! I also decided to make Grayson some more pears and peaches since he was almost out, so Grayson was laying in the floor jibber-jabbering and playing on his blanket:

Pretty soon, I looked up and he was rolling himself up in his blanket playing (not because he was cold):

A couple more minutes past and I looked up and to my amazement, this is what I saw!!

HE WAS ON HIS BELLY!!!!!!!! I've been working with him for months to roll over this way, but since he hates being on his belly so much, he didn't seem too inclined to do it. I immediately took this picture and ran over to him and he was just SMILING!! He was so proud of himself! I was sad that I missed it, but when I went to change his diaper a bit later, he did it again trying to squirm away from me! (I have a feeling that the 'easy' diaper changes are over now!) You can also see his "6-month Birthday" toy to the right there--the pop-up ball toy, which he likes.

We got another awesome surprise yesterday when we walked down to the mailbox--Elizabeth and Robert James had sent Grayson a huge box, all the way from ENGLAND!!! Brandon and I met them when we were all on our honeymoon in St. Lucia!! They were such a great couple and we hung out almost every day while we were all there. We had a lot of fun together.

Anyway, they sent Grayson a host of fantastic gifts, each with a little "England" attached!

His very own Paddington bear, his very own Peter Rabbit (complete with his favorite food, carrots, attached!) a little red jersey, and two books about his new babies!!! We were wonderfully surprised and Grayson is very happy with all of his gifts, as you can see!!

Well, we're off to the doctor soon, so I gotta go. But, Elizabeth and Robert, we adore and miss you!!! Thank you so much for the kind gifts!!

Love you all!

lisa

Church day!

2010-03-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

Nothing extravagant going on today... just the usual. We got up this morning after another rough night for Grayson (up FOUR times between midnight and 7) and went to church. Our Sunday school couples' class is still a lot of fun and we get a lot of enjoyment out of it. It's also a good place to learn about each other. Grayson loves going to the nursery and we learned today that they actually fight over who's going to hold him!! hahah spoiled little man. He always falls asleep for about 20 minutes and Kelly (the nursery coordinator) holds him the entire nap! We picked up Penn Station for lunch (ooooh how I love their fries!) and just relaxed through the afternoon.

Big day tomorrow--Grayson gets his 6 month shots. boo. Pray for his little legs and that he doesn't spit the one he gets orally all over them!

Good night!

Small group and naps all around!

2010-03-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

Last night our small group met at our house and stayed until 10, so I wasn't able to write. We had a fantastic time though! Amazingly enough, we fit Alyssa, Brian & little Carter, Anand & Adrienne, Tim & Julie, Jill & Travis AND Brandon, Grayson & I all in our little townhouse!!! We had close fellowship! It was great though!

Brandon took a half day Friday, so we were able to spend a little extra time together, so that was nice. I also made Grayson a lot more food--butternut squash, nectarines, and more sweet potatoes. I used the extra oven-roasted butternut squash to make some soup and it turned out really tasty. Grayson had some of the butternut squash today and he liked it just as much as the acorn squash I think. He'll pretty much eat anything though, just like his Daddy! Everything but bananas! Today we also did some laundry, played and just had a nice, relaxing day. We all took a nap this afternoon, which could possibly be the best part of my weekend, after our small group! After our nap, Grayson was really chatty, but every time we tried to video it, he would stop and stare at the camera! Brandon finally got a little bit for you all:

He's finally in bed now and Brandon and I are watching a classic: Forrest Gump. We'd both forgotten how great of a movie it is...

Wishing you all a fantastic night...

Growing up Guptons!

Merry Christmas! Happy Birthday Jesus!

the spirit of giving

this one's for you, Shel Rockhill! ;-)

Way overdue.

tornadoes and sentences

feeling better

not such a good end...

How Great Thou Art

You Never Let Go

Happy 1 Week Birthday, Morgan

Big Boy Bed!!!

Say hello to...

Why we cloth diaper.

Mama's Favorite Fifteen Things

*melt my heart*

Flu all around!

It Snow Lie--He Can Do It!!

get out the dictionary!

Grayson's new (warm) house

our most recent projects

gearing up for the holidays

need a laugh? grab a [Grayson]

best way to start the day

2 more teeth!

Hallelujah!!!

Congrats to Tyler & Natalie!

First Haircut!

Grayson's First Birthday Book

a rhyme and a melody

Many blessings.

365 days of sweetness

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Cloud 9

overdue.

all better now!

rose-colored glasses.

so you don't worry

a bit of joy

big hearts.

whew.

Hungry for love

a treat for everyone!

our summer so far...

Emergency Post for Prayer!

thankful

a whole new world!

what did you do today?

refreshing.

because I promised...

Thank you, Jesus, for healing our bodies and giving us a good 2 days :o)

and just when I thought it was getting better...

Lisa (& Grayson) and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Our new additions

Yay! Daddy's home!

TEETH!!! and other major developments!

our crazy life

our trips continue!

my hungry boy

hold on to your hats!!

mini vacation!

My wonderful first Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Oh, 3-day wknds, how I love you!

nice day out!

Happy Eight Months, Little Man!

just in case you missed it...

the smell of rain...

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

wow! It's Saturday!

FREEBIES and Great Deals at Diapers.com!!

our busy, mostly fun day

fun day ahead!

it's raining baby clothes!

the Flip came home!

teeth. argh.

a little bonus...

whew.

we have the sweetest baby EVER!!

normal day...

melt my heart