He's here!!!

Grayson William arrived on July 19 at 4:50 a.m! He arrived via c-section and was 9 lb. 12 oz. and was 21 3/4 inches long. We are so in love!! I was in disbelief when my water broke since I was only at 37 1/2 weeks...I thought I might have a month to go! Plus I was expecting to go into labor after my sister, since her due date was before mine. I was a little nervous about the whole surgery thing (since I've never had one) but the whole thing went smoothly. Two weeks later I'm getting around great and feeling good! My stitches still hurt to touch and my stomach is verrrry sensitive, but I think for two weeks after a major abdominal surgery I'm doing awesome and baby is, too!

My parents came and stayed for two weeks - I could not have done this without them! Or the love of my wonderful husband! I'm starting to get more comfortable with our "routine" (or lack thereof) and loving every minute. We are so blessed to have this gift from God!



Now that Grayson is born I decided to start a new blog for him. It is http://grayson365.blogspot.com/ . I'm hoping to post a short memory/picture for just about each day of Grayson's life.

beach baby....breech baby

So, I did want to let everyone know how my dr's appointments went. They did find leakage on two of my heart valves, but the cardiologist said there's nothing to be concerned about and that there should be no problem delivering healthily. So, good news! The other news I got last week is that Grayson is breech. No wonder I've been having such bad rib pain - there's a head and legs stuck in my right ribcage! Because he is breech we scheduled a c-section for July 29th at 6 a.m. So, unless he decides to come before then - July 29 will be his birthday!

I have been working very hard to get everything done before then...I know the next 2 weeks will fly by! The room is almost finished and everything is washed. I just have to get the cars cleaned out and the carseats installed and finish packing my bag, which is almost done! It will be here before I know it!!!

38 days!

Grayson and I at 35 weeks.

About 38 days until I get to meet my sweet Grayson! I'm so excited, nervous, scared, joyful, and so many other emotions at the same time. I'm finally off work all the time now, so no worrying about going into labor an hour away from my hospital! There are SO many things that need done between now and then, so I'm thankful to God for this time! Even better, Travis finished flight school so he gets to stay home with me during this month, too! I'm feeling good for the most part - at night I get very uncomfortable but the days are pretty good. I've been so blessed to have an easy pregnancy! I find out the results of my heart test July 7, so I will be sure to keep everyone informed. We are praying for good news, and I don't expect anything less! At my last appointment my doctor said that Grayson looks "average" sized, so that is good news, too. At my next appointment we will find out if he's in the right position. Just thought I'd give everyone a little update!

a bit of a "slack"er

So, after hearing complaints countless times from countless people...I decided I better update my blog! I guess I feel like my pregnancy has been rather uneventful, which is a good thing, actually.
I went to the doctor last week and Grayson is doing great!! His heartbeat continues to be in the 150's. I also went to the cardiologist and she said that there's nothing to be worried about at the moment, which is good news. I am having an ultrasound on my heart on the 23rd (but won't find out the results until July 7) because she heard a heart murmur and saw delayed electical activity in my heart on the EKG (which she said is nothing serious). She seems to think all my problems are pregnancy/anemia related, so she said she wasn't too concerned.
I've has three showers so far (and one tomorrow) and Grayson got so many nice things!!! We are so blessed to have people love us so much that they want to share in our joy! We feel so loved!!!!!
Other than swollen feet, rib pains, and being tired all the time, I feel great! I feel so lucky to have such a smooth sailing pregnancy! We are praying for a safe and easy delivery! Until then, I'm enjoying my time off from work, getting Gray's room ready, and spending afternoons at the beach under my umbrella! Life is good!! God is good!!!

time for an update! 25 weeks!

I guess it's time for an update! Not exactly sure why I haven't updated in a month, but I'm here now! Actually not too much exciting has happened in the last month....I don't exactly consider swollen feet, backaches, and acid reflux exciting! I'm dealing with those minor issues and knowing it will all be worth it once I see Grayson's sweet face! Just a little more than 3 months! I really can hardly believe how tme is flying!

The big thing I'm working on is Grayson's bedroom. I feel like I can devote more time to it once work settles down. I decided to work two days a week for awhile to help out since there is no one to replace me as of yet. Hopefully that will be the perfect balance of making a little spending money and getting the house in order for moving and the baby!

















So far this is what I have for the baby's room! I got some paint mixed to have Travis paint the letters and the chair. More projects to come!

BOY oh BOY!

Well, we found out it's a BOY! I am so excited!! It took a little while for me to warm up to the whole idea since I always imagined having a girl, but I am now super excited and can't imagine any different! We are so blessed! Just think, another little Travis running around....kind of scary! The lady at the ultrasound moved my due date up 6 days, but the doctor said to go back to my original date. So, Grayson William is still due on August 5!

This week my family came to visit and we had a blast. My sister (who is due about a week before me) and I finally got to compare bellies! I can't put into words what a special week it was for us. I can't imagine not being pregnant at the same time as her. God's perfect timing was (and still is) at hand.

We did tons of shopping this week...I did some major damage! I never knew there were so many cute things for boys! Grayson will be one well-dressed little man! I also finally picked out my bedding set (for good this time!). I'm doing orange and blue with a beach theme. Here is what I have so far, but instead of the espresso furniture I decided to do white. And the chair will be either taupe, brown, or orange...not the green you see here!

19 weeks

Not too much to write this week....I think I'm just waiting for the weekend already! Too bad the week hasn't even begun! This Wednesday I'll be 20 weeks (halfway there!) and Friday we find out the sex. Saturday my parents come in and I will get to tell them in person! So, there's a lot going on this weekend!

I really can't wait for the ultrasound, especially since I haven't felt the baby move for days. There for awhile I was feeling him/her move almost all the time everyday and now...nothing. I'm hoping the baby has just turned so he/she's kicking me in the back so I can't feel it like I was. Please pray that everything goes well and that we have a happy, healthy baby! I will be sharing the news with everyone soon! Blue or pink???

18 weeks!

Feeling pretty good this week so far, despite some minor heartburn and back/hip pain. Unfortunately, I had to give up my 3 tubs of pineapple a week for peaches because it was making the heartburn even worse! I definitely have a little belly now and there's no mistaking I'm pregnant. Now all the moms at work are commenting, whereas before they were asking with a scared look on their face.

My sister finds out Tuesday what she is having and we find out two Fridays after! I'm so excited! I can't wait! Then two weeks after that I will be halfway through with this pregnancy, which is a crazy thought to me! It seems like it has really flown by but I know the last trimester in hot Florida might seem a little long!

I've been feeling the baby move for about a week now, which is pretty fun. I can just imagine him/her bouncing around in there and using my bladder as a trampoline! At least that's what it feels like! Well, no real new news, just wanted to update everyone! This week the baby is the size of a sweet potato, about 5 1/2 inches long! Still scared about two weeks from now...cantaloupe! yikes!

My current super-cute baby obsession - a baby's first year frame from PBK. Thinking about making it myself to save $, but not sure where to start:

17 weeks

Feeling pretty good this week....just very tired all the time! I'm getting very antsy about knowing the sex of the baby! We find out March 20! yea!!!! But we won't be telling anyone until the night of the 21st after I tell my family. They will be in town so I get to tell them in person! I found an oh-so-cute way to tell them, I just can't wait!

So far the names we've picked are Avery for a girl and Grayson William for a boy. Of course, we still may change our minds, so these are still tentative! We have yet to come up with a middle name for Avery, any ideas? Nothing really new to share, just getting bigger and bigger and less and less comfortable. I'm having quite a bit of back pain, but nothing I can't handle so far.

I've been a little stressed about Travis' training and when/where we will be living in a few months, but I'm trying not to jump to any conclusions. Travis said we should know a little more in about a month or so. I'm thinking I may be moving home for a few months and I'm excited about it but also a little apprehensive about where I'm giving birth to this baby of mine. A few prayers for peace-of-mind are always appreciated! I will let everyone know more as we know more, but right now everything is up in the air!

16 weeks

Yea! 16 weeks! For some reason I feel like this is a huge milestone for me. I feel like we're finally getting somewhere!! Feeling good this week except for that ever-lingering sinus infection that I just can't kick! Oh well, what else is new! I go to the doctor today, so I'm excited that I'll probably at least get to hear the heart beat. I can't wait until next month when we find out the sex of the baby! We're in trouble if it's a girl! I told my mom that if my sister has a girl and and I have a boy, she can buy the girl cute things and just put the money for my boy in a college fund!

On that note, I will be a little scared if it's a boy. I know it will all be okay, but the world of boys is so foreign to me! Travis, of course, will be scared to death if it's a girl! I guess I will just have to become a football mom! I'm sure God will equip me for whatever he has planned. Of course, this baby will be loved no matter what sex it is!!!!!!!!

I'm very anxious to find out the sex so we can get started working on the baby's room. I keep dreaming about this recliner and how amazingly comfortable it was! It is a little expensive so I think I'm going to shop at the Lay-z-boy store before giving in. The thing I love about it was how cushy it is right around the head, so you kind of just sink into it.....heavenly! The only other option I was thinking is to buy a leather one that we can use in just about any room after we no longer need it for the baby.

I'm also thinking seriously about this crib...just not sure if the expresso or white. The only thing I don't like about this crib is that after you spend so much money on the bedding, it kind of "gets lost" behind the crib. But other than that, it is goregous and a great price! WAY cheaper than the recliner! (which makes no sense!)

Looking at all this stuff is so much fun, but can be a little overwhelming! I guess I just want to make sure that I really love the stuff we get since we will end up spending a lot of money by the time this is all over!! Goodbye, bank account!

Week 15

I'm 15 weeks and feeling pretty good this week. I'm definitely starting to show a lot more! I had several people over the past couple days ask me when I'm due and I didn't have to even hint that I was pregnant. So I must be getting big! Getting up and down from the ground all day is starting to take a little more effort and sitting at the kids table (with kid-sized chairs) is getting a little trickier. I'm afraid my backside is growing along with my front! My back is already starting to ache if I'm up on my feet a lot during the day, but it's definitely not unbearable. I can tell my body is changing and it's amazing what your body does to accomodate this little thing!

My goal for this weekend is to tackle cleaning out the baby's room...which I feel may never get done! I am going to put a valiant effort into it, though!

Things that will have to be returned...

Things that will have to be returned if it's a boy:

Sometimes I just can't help myself!

Week 14

I'd love to say I'm feeling great this week...but it's been just the opposite. I've had a terrible sinus infection since Sunday and am just now starting to feel better. To top it all off, tonight I threw up my entire dinner about 15 minutes after eating it...gross! My poor shower curtain... I'm definitely feeling bigger this week and no longer feel comfortable in my work pants...which is why I'm making "jeans day" come twice this week! The baby is as long as a lemon this week. I will post some pics of my "bump" soon!!

My current obsessions

So this week the baby is as long as peach (a small peach, not the gigantor peaches we see here in the south). At week 9 the baby was a green olive, so he/she is growing like crazy in there! This week the vocal folds are forming as well as the teeth. The head is now in more normal porportions with the rest of the body. Amazing, isn't it?


Here are my current super cute baby obessions at the moment:



The Mia Bossi Lyndsey diaper bag. It's a little more than I want to spend but you can buy an insert and it becomes a laptop bag/briefcase after you're done using it as a diaper bag.





The Bell Turno diaper bag from babyGap. Quite a bit cheaper and still pretty darn cute. It will be a hard decision!

As far as bedding goes, I'm loving the orange/blue/white combination for a boy. I LOVE everything about this bedding, but the price tag is outrageous for my budget. Even though the fabric is pricey, I feel like I could buy the fabic and make something similar for cheaper. I especially love the stripe.


From the same place, I LOVE this bedding for a girl. On the same note, I'd have to buy the fabric and make the bedding for it to fit anywhere near my price range. I'd even maybe mix it with that super cute green houndstooth I've had my eye on. Both bedding sets and all fabrics pictured are Serena and Lily.

These are some cute websites to look at custom bedding. Jacquelyn Reese and also Polka Tot Designs. While they do a good job, it would probably be hard for me to pay someone (unless I'm feeling awful) $300-400 to make my bedding when I can sew. If I couldn't sew, I would definitely order from them!

I also love all of these fabrics:

http://premierprintsfabric.com/babypinkwhite.shtml

http://premierprintsfabric.com/babybluewhite.shtml

http://premierprintsfabric.com/candypinkwhite.shtml (the bottom two on this one, NOT the peace sign one)

Okay, enough obsessing today!

It's a...plum!

Hello, week 12! Feeling pretty good this week...except for the occasional dry-heaving in restaurants! I've stood over one too many toilets! I'm able to finally eat meat again, even chicken! I am excited to be able to eat healthier for my baby. All those weeks of drive throughs that got me through the first couple of weeks sound awful now! My weekend trip to Sonic is virtually non-existant. My biggest craving is for pineapple...I go through about 3 cartons a week. I also have some very random cravings like V-8 soup, bread & gravy (I would kill to have some right now!!!), chinese noodles, and 18 cent bean soup from McGuires (this one won't go away!!!). I'm starting not to be able to button my jeans and depending on the day you can certainly start to tell I'm pregnant. I'm looking forward to being out of the 1st trimester....I'm one step closer to meeting my little one!

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be." - Psalm 139:13-16

cutesy baby stuff!

While I will definitely wait several weeks before buying anything for the baby, I can't help but to look! I think I big part of getting excited for the coming of the baby is getting the baby's room ready. I'm not sure if this is what they call "nesting" or if it's just that I really like to decorate, but I'm really excited to make a special place for the baby before he/she arrives! Here are some of the things I've been eyeing:

I love the Peyton crib by Bonavita. It is VERY sturdy and gorgeous! I originally thought that I wanted something brown, but now I'm thinking I like the white after seeing it in person.

I would pair it with this dresser/hutch made by the same company but in their Hudson line. Of coure, in the white to match. Athough they are from two different lines, I thought they looked great together.

As of the current moment, I'm obsessed with the ocean critters bedding from PB kids. It's discontinued, but I found some good prices for it on ebay.

Well, I'm sure I'll have more things to add soon!

So far this week I'm feeling good. The only thing is this horrible sinus infection I can't seem to get rid of! ugh! At least I've been able to eat more foods without the horrible nausea that I had at weeks 6-9. The only thing I'm continuing to have an aversion to is chicken...I feel like I'm choking every time I eat it! My bloating has gone down a little and I finally feel a little more comfortable in my skin. Well, I will definitely update after my appt Friday! Can't wait!

Week 10!

I'm excited to say that tomorrow I'll be 10 weeks! I'm SO ready to be out of the 1st trimester! Only 3 weeks to go!


Not the cutest fruit, but this week my baby is the size of a prune. Other ladies that hate this comparison say the baby is the size of a small strawberry. Much sweeter!








My baby's cartilage and bone are starting to form and vital organs are beginning to function. His/her arm joints are now working! Amazing!


While I'm definitely not "showing" yet, I'm definitely a little rounder! Travis says he will have to throw me fish this summer out on the beach! So sweet, my husband. My nausea is a little better, but not completely gone. For the most part I am feeling good! Now only if I could kick this sinus infection! I miss my allergy meds!!!


One exciting thing I've done this past week is look at furniture. I found a couple of sets that I really like. I will definitely wait a few weeks before buying anything, but it is definitely fun to do "research!" I will post pics soon! I'm off off to bed -- exhausted from my first day back and I'm not feeling great, hence the 9:30 bedtime. Goodnight!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 2009 is sure to be a very exciting year for us with the little one! This past year flew by too fast! I feel like there is so much to be done before the end of July! As soon as we get home I'm going to clean out the baby's room so I can have a blank slate. There is alot of cleaning and rearranging to do! I know Travis will be annoyed at all the furniture moving he will be doing, but I am very excited!













This week the baby is a size of a green olive. How amazing that it looks like a baby but it is only one inch! The next few weeks (by week 11) the baby will be the size of a lime! How amazing!

The first couple of weeks of pregnancy were a little scary, but I find that as I near the end of my first trimester I'm becoming more hopeful about having a beautiful, perfect baby. I'm finally letting myself feel more excited than scared and it feels great! I have my first appointment (besides my ER visit) coming on Monday. Pray for good bloodwork results and a healthy, growing baby!!