Grayson's Blog

It is finally here.  Grayson was able to fit in some blog time before his bedtime feeding and bedtime story.  Make sure you check it out, he is so excited to share his stories with you all!!  http://graysons-world.blogspot.com/

Grayson's Girlfriend

Today's meeting between Nora and Grayson was long awaited. Grayson and I joined Heather (a friend from work) and her sweet baby Nora for lunch. Nora is 1 month older then Grayson to the day. Yes I know, he's dating an older woman...but you all should see just how cute she is!!! Grayson wore his navy blue "simply irresistible" outfit and Nora was sporting a spring pink and blue outfit. Nora even had a sweet little bow in her hair. They (Nora and Grayson) shared a lunch time nap while Heather and I compared notes on being new moms. After lunch we shopped around a little bit before saying our goodbyes. We have our next date scheduled and will be meeting at one of our houses so Grayson and Nora can have "tummy time" together and share their toys. Unfortunately, the paparazzi did not get the memo regarding this exciting first date so there are no photos to share, however, they will be attending the next play date and hope to capture a few cute pics of the little love birds.

Tomorrow Grayson and I will have a morning visitor. Miss Katherine, who is one of my "scrapbooking friends". Katherine has not seen Grayson yet except via photos. She came by to see me in the hospital but was unable to make it to Children's before Grayson returned home. If we are super lucky, Katherine may bring her mom MaryLee who would be like a Great Grandma away from home for Grayson.

Saturday and Sunday will be very busy. Saturday is full of errands (grocery store, clothes shopping, Target and Michaels) and then early to bed in preparation for Sunday. Sunday, Sharon will be coming to our home for a photo shoot!! We will be doing photos as a family and then new born photos of just Grayson...I am so excited for this opportunity to capture this handsome little boy on film.

We hope everyone has a great Friday and a fun and relaxing weekend!!

A good day.

Today has been a great day. I was fortunate enough to wake up well rested thanks to Grayson. He woke up only once last night! Seems like my efforts to keep him up and active throughout the day may have paid off. That, or it was complete luck. We will see what happens tomorrow, could it be a routine or just pure luck.

The morning started off with Grayson's first big boy bath in the big boy tub. Finally, we have bath time happiness! He loved every minute of it and unlike his sponge baths did not scream/cry/fuss at all! Unfortunately, I have not photos of proof for this joyous occasion as it was only he and I for bath time and I only have two hands. Both of which were occupied bathing and holding him and since I have not figured out how to hold my camera and take pictures with my feet, happy bath time photos will have to wait until Brian is around to capture the moment.

Between naps and feedings I was able to read a few stories from the Curious George book. Grayson seemed to enjoy each of the stories though he did not seem to enjoy Curious George as much as he did as One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish which was yesterday evenings book of choice.

It is nearing dinner time and we are hoping Brian makes it home with enough day light for a stroller ride. Gunner has been a bit hyper today so I decided to spare myself the trouble in walking both the boys today with out an extra hand. There is so much more I hope to get done. on this beautiful VA day... I am still working on getting Grayson's blog up and running as he has had tons to say. I had time to sort through photos and I hope to upload them to flicker so keep checking in for new updates.

Meeting the Rodicks

Yesterday was very exciting. After much waiting Grayson finally got to meet Laurie and the gang. Under watchful eyes of Laurie, Brian and myself, Mackenzie and Jordan got to hold their much awaited new little friend. I thought 9 months seemed like forever...if I had a $1.00 for every time Jordan and Mackenzie asked me when Grayson would be here to play, well neither Brian or I..or Laurie for the matter would have to work. The girls seemed to really love spending time with Grayson and Grayson like them too. He kept looking around as they each talked. Grayson also got to meet Taylor, Jeremy, Jonah and Wayne. After work Brian came to visit for a while and shortly there after we headed home for dinner. It was great to finally visit with our family away from home!

Visit from Grandma NeNe and Gpa Joe

This past weekend was much fun. Mom and Joe came to visit Grayson (and the rest of us). They arrived around 8 on Friday night and stayed till mid day Sunday. Grayson got tons of cuddle time, story time, hugs and kisses.

Saturday morning after everyone (including Grayson) got bathed, Mom and Joe took the 3 of us to Mimi's (one of our favorite places for breakfast/brunch). It was Grayson's first time there. He slept through all of brunch but he was dreaming of how yummy the food must be. After Mimi's, we headed to Wegman's for our usual visit. Grayson, well you can guess...slept through that too. After Wegmans we all headed home to rest.

To my surprise Brian had asked Mom and Joe to be Grayson's first babysitters so he could take me out. A little hesitant, I agreed and off we went. Brian had made reservations at the Melting Pot. Food was fabulous and so was the company. After dinner Brian and I saw Alice and Wonderland. I was a little unsure if I would like it, but it was great. Will have to rent it again once out on DVD. On the way home we stopped for gas and also to pick up a treat for the babysitters. The Krispy Kreme light was on, which meant hot fresh doughnuts! What better gift to give the babysitters but one of their favorites. After picking up doughnuts Brian and I returned home to our little bundle of joy. He was well taken care of and as happy as can be.

After sleeping in a bit on Sunday morning, Grayson watched the Sunday Morning show with Mom, Joe and I while Brian mowed the lawn. After saying goodbye to Mom and Joe, the 3 of us and the dog went on a walk as the day was just beautiful.

14 days later...

I am 14 days late with an update but as they (whoever “they” is) say, “better late then never”. The past 14 days have been very busy. I'd like to say it's because we have had many visitors, working on household projects and running errands but that is not the case. We have been busy just being parents. Brian and I are trying to learn all the ins and outs of parenthood and after 14 days (as those of you who are parents can attest to ) we have only begun to scratch the surface.

Grayson's first night at home was nothing short of exciting and scary all at the same time. We finally got to sit back in our own home and take a really big breath of air...what a relief to have our little man home safe and sound! Grayson slept like a log. We had to wake him every 4 hours for his feedings. He ate and went right back to sleep however, Brian and I slept with one open and one eye closed. We couldn't take our eyes off of him out of excitement and fear that if we stopped watching him something could happen. I remember a close friend explaining that feeling of needing to sleep with one eye open and she was not kidding!

Well rested we spent Monday unpacking from the hospital and just staring at Grayson. We just can not get enough of him. I don't know when but I'm sure at some point we will stop just sitting and staring at this sweet baby. Brian did a few things around the house while monitoring my medicines and made sure I ate and did not forget to take care of myself. Grayson got his first bath at home and wanted nothing to do with it. He screamed the entire time. Come to find out nudity is not Grayson's favorite time of day. For anyone who may question if the boy has a set of lungs feel free to change his diaper or give him a bath, I promise you will have no question of his ability to scream.

After bath time, Grayson spent the day eating, sleeping and making dirty diapers, a very busy day for a baby. Monday afternoon was very exciting as Grayson got to meet his older furry brother Gunner. As I sat with Grayson, Brian held Gunner while he sniffed out the little mans diaper. The smell test went great and Gunner is now Grayson's official keeper.

Gunner has taken quite a liking to Grayson. When he cries, Gunner comes running and stands post until he is assured Grayson is being taken care of. You will always find Gunner with in feet of Grayson, as though Gunner does not want to let the little man out of his sight. When shut out of the bedroom, Gunner lays in the hall right outside the door. He has surely taken on the role of a protector. Grayson is not at all bothered by Gunners barking which is a blessing. Grayson and Gunner are currently in a competition for who needs to go out/have a diaper changed more often.

Tuesday morning Laurie dropped off food for dinner. Little Mackenzie was not feeling well so Laurie stayed on the front porch and got to see Grayson from the window. She said it was like hanging candy in front of a child. I don't know how she did it but was very sweet of her. Later in the week we found out Mackenzie had a sinus infection and was not contagious..thank goodness! And so happy she is feeling better.

Later in the day Grayson's had his first doctor visit with his pediatrician Doctor Linda Purcell. Dr. Purcell is wonderful. She has a great personality, offers a lot of knowledgeable advise and guidance and seems to really love Grayson to pieces. Dr. Purcell looked over Grayson and was very happy with his current growth weight. He weighed in at 7 lbs 9 oz., only 3oz away from his birth weight of 7lbs 12 oz.. Dr. Purcell advised she would like to keep a close eye on Grayson due to his rough beginning. A one week follow up appointment was scheduled for March 15^th.

Grayson had his first “day in public” with a trip out to run errands on Friday, March 12th. We had to return a few duplicate baby gifts to Babies R Us, get Brian a new pair of running shoes at Virginia Runner, and pick up a prescription for me at Wegmans. Grayson rode in style in his “Cozy Cover” that Grandma NeNe bought him. (insert picture) Brian and I kept him closed in his “Cozy Cover” while in Babies R Us and Wegmans in an attempt to keep a barrier between Grayson and all the germs. Grayson slept through the entire trip except for the one feeding in which Grayson and I stayed in the vehicle while Brian tried on shoes at Virginia Runner and one diaper change before strolling around Wegmans. On the way home we dropped by Laurie's house to pick up a lasagna that Kelly made for us. So yummy, and thanks to Kelly for the dinner!! Joe Jackson and his sweet wife Emily stopped by with a package they had picked up for us while in the hospital and got to love on Grayson a bit.

Saturday was a beautiful day so we decided to take Grayson out for a brief walk for some fresh air.

Since I am still healing from the surgery we could not go far but it was great to get outside. Grayson loved his stroller and much like a car ride was instantly put to sleep. Mo came by on Saturday evening and brought us dinner. A yummy whole wheat pasta with veggies and chicken. Big props to Mo and her husband Woody for some really yummy food!

Sunday morning Meghan came by while Grayson and I were still sleeping. She dropped off chicken, potatoes and green beans for dinner. Yummo! My dad arrived early afternoon and left Wednesday morning. While he was here he spent time holding Grayson when I needed a moment to complete a few chores or shower, and spent the early mornings working outside on our flower beds and completing odd/end jobs around the house. Grayson loved getting to spend time with Grandpa. He told me his favorite part was napping in Grandpa's arms.

Dad drove Grayson and I to Grayson's 1 week follow up appointment with Dr. Purcell on Monday the 15th. Come to find out, Grayson is quite the popular baby in the doctor office. One of Dr. Purcell's coworkers came in to see this special little boy Dr. Purcell was bragging so much about. She said that Dr. Purcell was so pleased with him and could not believe his story, she said Grayson has been the talk of the office. Grayson now weighs 7lbs 14 oz. Dr. Purcell explained they like babies to gain between .5 oz and 1 oz per day at this age of life and little man gained 5 oz exactly since his last visit. Dr. Purcell and I discussed placing Grayson on a formula diet only as the breastfeeding and formula feeding was like tackling two beasts at the same time and was simply stressing me out. It was decided that best to spend time and energy on Grayson then worrying about breastfeeding. Dr. Purcell also gave a very good lesson as to why babies at times ick up an entire bottle so no worries when this occasionally happens (and it has). Grayson will see Dr. Purcell again on April 2^nd for a follow up after his circumcision.

Grayson's circumcision scheduled for March 30^th at Childrens Hospital in DC. We tried to have it done here in town but they no longer do them outside of the hospital at the time of birth. Our options were to wait until he is 9 to 12 months of age and have it done in Fredericksburg (he would have to be put under anesthetics) or to have it done now by the doctors at Childrens. We couldn't imagine having Grayson have a major surgery as he has already been through so much so we took the first available appointment at Childrens.

Brian returned to work on March 15^th. It was sad to have him go back to work as we were spoiled to have him home for a whole week just the three of us. The time went by too fast but we were blessed he was able to have additional time to spend with Grayson and I. His week back has gone by very slow and seems to be dragging as going back to work often does after a time period off. I can only imagine he is looking forward to the weekend.

Beth stopped by Tuesday night to see Grayson. The last time she saw him was with me in the recovery room when the flight team brought him by before he was flown to Childrens DC. It was great to visit with her and she brought much laughter to our evening...thanks Beth!

St. Patty's day was spent with an early morning photo shoot of Grayson in green.

Grayson and I spent the day together anxiously awaiting Brian's arrival from work. Once Brian got home we couldn't help but take Grayson out for dinner in his cute outfit. We packed up and headed to Cheeseburger and Paradise. Grayson slept the whole time while Brian and I ate dinner. I got to consume my first bite of bleu cheese in 10 months..AMAZING!! After we arrived home, Brian fed Grayson his night time bottle and he was done for the night. It must be dad's special touch because Grayson quickly finished his bottle and both Brian and Grayson we sleeping in each others arms...such a precious site!

Thursday, after a late breakfast Grayson spent some time in his swing in which he shortly drifted off to dream sweet baby dreams.

The rest of Thursday was spent taking time during Grayson's naps to wash bottles, eat breakfast, take the dog out and swept the kitchen floor. A bit productive I must say. We were gearing up to for Mom and Joe (Grandma NeNe and G-pa Joes) visit for the weekend.

A day of relaxation

Yesterday was my last day at work before the events over the next few days. I took today off to just relax. However, I think it's impossible to relax with all the excitement and nerves. This is likely to be the last post before our little man arrives. So I'll take this moment to share some blogging news...

Since life will be changing quite drastically so will the format of my blog. Instead of That's A Rapp" my blog will be broken down into different blogs relative to content. All of you will receive the final updates after the little man arrives and links to the new sites. I will be creating a blog specifically for the following:

Scrapbooking/crafting: This blog will contain photos of my latest projects, links to my favorite stores etc. and will lend to a bit of a portfolio should I ever get the guts to apply for a design team.

Food: This blog will be forever growing with photos and recipes. Inspiration from Julie and Julia I will be taking recipes from my own shelf, cook books and most excitingly from my family and grandmothers and making them. I will also include photos and stories of food experiences of dinning out or food made by others. Anything and everything food related. I will write about my experience in discovering the recipe, where it came from, and the end result. I hope to have many successes and even failures to laugh and write about.

I will keep "That's A Rapp" (though I have a slight urge to change the name) to keep you all updated on Brian and I. A general blog of our life.

Last but not least........a blog written by Grayson himself!!!!!

He shared the idea with me the other night. He said he has lots to say and he really wants to share his world from his view. He expressed to me how you all would prefer to hear stories from his prospective then mine and I think he might be right. Grayson gave props to his friend Jack of which he soon will get to meet as Jack created his own blog. Grayson assured me he got permission from Jack and his mommy to "blog lift" this idea. So thanks to Jack and his mommy for the neat idea.

So goodbye for now and we'll see you after Grayson's arrival with all our new updates and stories!