Dear Santa,

Dear Santa, by lindsay-matthews featuring a bobble hat

Miso bobble hat, $16 / Habitat Psyche Rock Complete 7.75 x 31.6 / Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Singin' Soccer Ball / Boys 8-20 Sereno 11 Polyester Track Suit / Handelshaus toys Kids Wooden Pull Along Dragon, $7.95 / Kathe Kruse Soft Toy Rattle Dragon at My Wooden Toys, $31 / Nike CTR360 Trequartista III Women's Firm-Ground Soccer Cleats - Blue... / Fisher-Price Precious Planet Crib and Floor Piano Fisher-Price / Minnetonka Velcro Front Strap Bootie (Infant/Toddler) / Haba Wooden Baby Toys Viva / Amazon.com Bell Venture Bike Helmet / Reebok Fingersave Soccer Goalie Goalkeeper Gloves Size 11 300x300px... / junie b jones

Johnnie is reporting back to you on our behavior each day and we really hope we wake up on Christmas morning to find some of these things under our tree!!!

Love, 

Reece and Graham

Graham is 18 weeks old

Sleep:  

Well I am happy to say Graham seems to be back on a schedule.  He goes to bed for the night between 6 and 7 pm.   He is still waking up at night but only once, usually around 3 or 3:30 am.  I haven't had the courage to just let him cry to see if he will go back to sleep so for now I just feed him and he is right back to sleep until around 6:30 am.  Graham is still awake for about an hour after eating and then ready for a nap.  He really prefers to sleep in his crib and does not want to be rocked or held.  Although he does need a few visits back in his room to either put the binki in or just a few minute head rub.

Diet:

 Graham is eating about every 3 to 4 hours.  This week there have been times I have had to wake him during the day to feed him (but I only do this during the day).  We haven't been to his 4 month appointment yet so I haven't introduced any cereal as I previously considered doing.  After talking with some other mom's we may wait until 6 months.  It seems that many doctors are recommending waiting to start food.

Health:

I am not sure on Graham's weight but guessing he is around 14 pounds.  He is working hard at filling out his legs, and even has some well earned rolls which we love.  Graham still has a blocked tear duct which flairs up occasionally but really doesn't bother him. Otherwise we have a happy, healthy, growing boy!!

Milestones: 

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a family of 4!  We went downtown and I ran in the Turkey Trot then we all watched the parade.  Graham loved it so much, he slept through the whole parade!!  We had dinner over at my sister, Kristen's house.  Our Aunt Ethel joined us, she will be 95 years old in February.  SO this was a very special milestone for Graham to celebrate with her.  Graham is also so close to rolling over from his front to his back.  He can get over to his side but just can't figure out how to get all the way over.  This is causing him a lot of frustration but not sure he'll be happy once he gets all the way to his belly!

Aunt Ethel and G

Likes:  

Graham is loving holding onto toys, hands, blankets, really anything he can get his hands on.  It is amazing to watch his eyes find the toy then bring it up to his face to see.  He also just found his feet which he is trying his darniest to get in his mouth but he hasn't quite figured out how.  Graham also loves being sung to, especially Patty Cake and the Wheels on the Bus.  We get big belly laughs out of him when we play peek-a-boo or make lip sounds (this includes raspberries, clicking, popping whatever we can muster to get a laugh)

I want those pig pigs

Post Partum : 

I ran my first race, the Turkey Trot which was a 5K.  I certainly didn't break any speed records but just happy that I ran the whole way.  I haven't been counting my calories since Thanksgiving but looking forward to tomorrow and getting back on track.  All in all I seem to do better on a schedule as well!! (Although I have thoroughly enjoyed a 5 day break!!)

We are walking to the starting line!!

Giving Thanks

After several attempts of writing this post, I am now a day late but have put my thoughts together.  Like so many others our life is busy.  We manage through everyday and before we know it another week has passed.  And wow now it is already Thanksgiving and the holiday season.  I didn't feel prepared at all or should I say emotionally in the holiday spirit.  We usual love the holidays and with this being Graham's first, I want it to be that much more special.  So I needed a hard kick to get in the spirit of things.

Beyond thankful for this little Turkey!!

My niece and nephew had their traditional Thanksgiving program with the preschool they attend.  This is also the place I worked for six years and where Reece went to school starting at 11 weeks old.  So needless to say there are so many memories for us especially with the Thanksgiving program.  It was a busy week for us and of course we were running a few minutes late.  After a bathroom stop we found our seats.  The curtains open and I was overcome.  While it was great to watch the kids preform, I found myself waist deep in memories.  Here I sat in the audience with my six year old who sat at the edge of his chair and quietly sang along to the songs he quickly remembered, my new son, and my husband. I realized watching my boys in the forefront with the preschool singing behind in my view all that we have to be thankful for this year.  

My most handsome guys watching the parade downtown!

Certainly everything in our lives has a purpose and my life has changed so much in the past year in a half since making the decision to leave my job and follow my passion of becoming a teacher.  We are in such a good place right now.   It certainly has not been an easy journey to get where we are right now but I wouldn't trade the journey for anything.  I always hoped that my life would feel as full as it is right now. So on this Thanksgiving I feel so grateful for what God has given us. 

And I am certainly thankful that we made the time to as Reece said "support Aly and Brady" in their performance, it was perfect!!

A perfect way to end our amazing day...reminiscing about memories with family!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Graham is 4 months old!

Graham -

It is hard to believe you joined our family 4 months ago today.  We never anticipated that you would be arriving that Thursday July 19th.   Once I got my head around the fact that yes in deed you were coming,  we were ecstatic to meet you and see who you exactly were.  Now four months later you are certainly coming into your own.  You are getting more and more handsome everyday, if that is possible ( and yes we may be a bit biased!) While you are definitely laid back you also know what you like and do not like.  You no longer want to fall asleep anywhere other than in your crib.  Graham you really get upset when we swaddle you and lay you down but then we give you your little bunny, and all is good.  You definitely like to have something in your hand when you are falling asleep, whether one of your Aden + Anais blankets or your bunny.  You have the nap thing down pat but let's talk about night time buddy???  Graham I promise you won't miss anything and we could party during the day if you just remembered how great it was to sleep all night, PLEASE!!!!

You are a pretty serious little guy.  Or should I say you are not going to be giving away smiles for free, we really have to work you to get a smile out of you, except in the middle of the night of course when we come in and check on you!  Daddy is the best at getting you to laugh.  Reece and I on the other hand struggle a little more at figuring out what you think is silly, but we certainly look silly trying to figure it out.

Graham you are talking up a storm.  While we have no idea what you are thinking or saying to us, you certainly know exactly what you are saying.  I could listen to your little coos and babbles all day!!

You love to play on your mat in the morning, kicking your legs, pulling on the animals, and talking away.  Come afternoon you only want to be up right.  You are doing much better in your exer-saucer but you get tired having to hold your head up for more than 10 minutes in there.  You are mesmerized by the TV and honestly I think you could sit and watch it all day, uh oh!!!  You also love to hold your hands and then try to suck on them both together.

We are really excited to start the holidays because there will be so many firsts for you. While you will really have no idea how special the moments will be right now, we certainly hope you sense our love.  

Graham it is hard to believe it has only been four months, because we have spent so many years talking, planning, and dreaming about having another member of our family.  You certainly have been more than we could have dreamed about.  

We love you and are so thankful for you, G!!

Graham is 16 weeks old!!

Working it out!!

So we are a few days late in this post and with each day I am happy to say Graham is getting back in the swing of things

Sleep:

G's sleep has definitely improved but some nights are better than others.  We seem to be making progress on his naps and even bed time.  We swaddle Graham, lay his cozy bunny next to his head, turn on music and he is out with little fussing.  He still is not always sure about the binki but we always try it.  Also at night we turn off his lights and turn on a projector which he seems to really like and help ease him into sleep.

Health:

Graham still has his blocked tear duck in his left eye.  It is not nearly as bad as it had been but it is still there so we will definitely be asking about it at his next doctor appointment.  Graham has also had a slight cough the past few days but it doesn't seem to bother him at all.  We have just been running his humidifier at night, which seems to be helping.

Diet:

We are thinking once he officially turns 4 months we may start to introduce oatmeal cereal. ( I have to say there will be no rice cereal for the little man.  I am just being a little cautious in regards to the high arsenic levels which they reported this summer so we will just start with oatmeal).  Otherwise he is nursing or taking a bottle which I pump about every 3.5 hours.  He would go longer but I thought maybe pushing him to every 4 hours may have attributed to waking back up again at night, because he wasn't getting enough during the day.  Maybe its just a fluke with moving up his feedings but G is back to sleeping longer.

Size:

We aren't sure on Graham's weight but I would guess he is around 14 pounds.  He is sporting size 2 diapers and officially wearing all 3-6 month clothes.  He has also started to grow out of some of his gowns so Graham has started wearing footed pjs to bed, so cozy.

Milestones:

We have brought out the exer-saucer.  Everyday Graham gets a little more comfy in it.  We prop a  blanket behind his back to help support him.  I have to say he wasn't that crazy about it at first, maybe just too much stimulation but every day he warms up to it a bit more.  Graham has also found his hands.  He is really starting to grasp onto toys.  It is also adorable to watch him bring his hands in front of his face and just move his fingers slowly fixated on them.

Likes:

The little man is only liking standing up right and out front.  ( This is one of the reasons we brought out the exer-saucer)  Graham still likes to lie on his mat in the morning but after that he wants to be up right. He loves to be talked and sung to.  We can't get enough of how he talks back to us.  Graham is still loving being outside.  We had beautiful weather this weekend so we tried to soak up as much time outside as possible, as this morning there was snow on the ground!!  

Post Partum:

So it has been about two weeks and I am back to the gym averaging about 3 days a week.  I am running and lifting weights.  While some days are much harder than other, I always leave feeling great!!  I weighed myself for the first time since I was at my last OB appointment at 9 weeks.  I haven't lost a single pound.  That was quite an awakening especially since I am no longer eating dairy and feel like I am so limited on my food.  I decided if I can't be eating what I want then at least I could be losing weight, but clearly have not been.  So I got back onto MyFitnessPal account and am religiously counting my calories, every bite I take.  I am hoping to see some weight lose results soon.

Happy Birthday Gregg!

Happy Birthday to my husband !!

Gregg,  you have certainly brought so much more joy, happiness, and love into my life than I ever knew was possible.  To watch you with our boys in nothing short of incredible.  You are truly an amazing father and I am so lucky to have you in our lives.  Today I am grateful for all you do for me and the boys.  I certainly do not tell you often enough but I couldn't do it without you.  Thank you for your unconditional love and support !  We love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday!!

Happy Sunday!

We had the opportunity to get a few pictures of the boys and wanted to share a couple of our favorites.I am a few days late on Graham's 16 week update but it will be coming in the next day or so!

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!!

Graham is 15 weeks old

Well just when I thought we were smooth sailing, we have hit some rough seas!

Where to begin...
Sleep: Well I honestly have no idea what has happened, but Graham is back to waking up every 4 hours at night.  Better yet he fights going down for naps during the day ( except of course at daycare yesterday he sleep for 4 hours, the ladies certainly thought I was crazy when I told them of his sleeping issues).  I feel a little lost on what to do.  At this point I have implemented a new "rule" during the day - no more sleeping in the swing!!  My thought is maybe he has no idea how to get to sleep.  The past two nights we have laid him in his crib and let him fuss a bit, going in every few minutes to put his Binky in or just help comfort him.  It has worked - he falls asleep laying in his bed, on his own!!  I told Gregg if he is going to arch his back, and scream while we are holding and rocking him, let him do it in his bed.  He actually seems calmer laying in his own bed ( not that he doesn't still cry but he isn't arching his back screaming!!)  Also the reality is being a second child I have to wake Graham up mid nap to drop Reece off at school, or get Reece to Catechism.  As with both of the boys, the worse they sleep during the day, the worse the night goes, so my hope is  to plan and at least get him some stability and regularity during his day time naps.

How can you not love pumpkins when you see this little man?!

Next rough wave, the poor little man has a blocked tear duck which seems to be infected.  He had this several weeks back and the doctor said it is very common and for us just to watch it.  They told us simply to wipe his eye with a warm wash cloth applying pressure right below the eye.  It hasn't seemed to help much this time around.  The doctor did say he is still too young to do anything about it so I guess at this point we just have to keep with the pressure and wash cloth.  It makes me feel awful because some days it looks so bad.

Mommy you are making me blush

Ok so some happy news:
Graham is now officially wearing 3- 6 month clothes.  I love getting him dressed everyday.  I struggle with dressing him like a handsome little man or soaking in as much baby as I can squeeze out of him.  Regardless I have to admit it sure beats the arguments every morning from Reece about a wanting to wear a sports short sleeve shirt.  I'll take all the 3-6 month clothes I can get.

Other than when Graham is tired, he is such a happy and content boy.  He is talking ( Yes we know it is really cooing) up a storm.  Gregg and I both said the other day how much we love to hear him talk ( we don't remember if Reece talked quite this much, which yes maybe scary for anyone who knows what a chatter box Reece is !!)  Graham is starting to rock from side to side when we lay him down to play.  I don't think it will be long before he is rolling over.  He is also doing much better holding his head up, although it does get him exhausted , quickly:)  Graham has become rather observant of his surroundings and tell us all about what he is seeing, LOVE THIS!!

Today I took Graham to the daycare at the gym for the first time.  He was a champ which helps motivate me to find the time to get there more often!!  While I certainly could tell I haven't been working out regularly, I felt great walking out!

Halloween was nearly perfect.  Graham spent the afternoon sleeping through Reece's school party and parade. He was resting up for what was sure to be a BIG night for him.  Graham was Roary the Lion, The Detroit Lions mascot, and Reece was Calvin Johnson.  While Graham wasn't much for his costume which we took off 5 minutes into trick or treating, he loved being out and about with all the trick or treaters.  It certainly was a fun night for a 15 week old!!

ROOAAARRR!! One cute Lion

We are getting on board with the thirty days of being grateful in November.

  I will be sure to update often because we certainly need to count our blessing more often:

Today I am thankful for my two amazing, healthy sons and the smile they bring to my face.

Reece - " I am thankful for my brother"

Gregg - " I am thankful for (Gosh I am embarrassed to write this) my beautiful wife and the best mother to our two great kids!"