Griffin {1 month old}

Griffin, today you are 1 month old! Some days it feels like we were just meeting you for the first time yesterday & other days it is hard to remember life without you in it. This month has definitely flown by!

The stats:

Weight: 9 lbs. You are still 1 ounce smaller than your big brother was at birth! Right now you are in the 30th percentile for weight.

Height: 21 inches

Diaper: you wore newborn diapers for the first 2 1/2 weeks & are now in size 1

Clothes: almost all newborn clothes. A few of your newborn footie pajamas are a little too short but the 3m ones are still pretty big on you! 

please note the pout in this picture. Heaven forbid I take the paci away for a few minutes! Baby boy can already work that lip! 

Eating: Griffin is a great eater! We are still having success with breastfeeding & that makes mama and baby happy. You are just like your brother in the fact that you love to snack. You are nursing every 2 hours during the day but you don't usually eat for very long. At night you are eating every 3-4 hours.  We have given you a bottle a couple of times & you have only taken a few ounces. I'm so curious to know how much you are taking in, but, you're gaining weight so I'm not worried!

Sleep: You are still in that sleepy newborn phase that we never experienced with your big brother. You sleep most of the day with little wakeful periods here & there that last maybe 30 minutes. During the day you either nap in your Rock 'n Play sleeper, in my arms, or in my baby carrier. You still aren't a wonderful night time sleeper. That seems to be when you have tummy problems. You will usually sleep half the night in your Rock 'n Play sleeper & the other half in bed with us. You are such a snuggler & love being near your mama to sleep! You do not like to be swaddled & love to have your arms free. 

Right now you are loving...

• bath time! As soon as you are in your baby tub you get all relaxed. You almost fall asleep! We have given you and Grayson baths together a few times and he thinks it's fun to help bathe you. Y'all will have a blast in the tub once you get bigger!
• being in the Baby K'Tan. You love to be worn. As soon as I put you in the sling you calm down & usually fall right to sleep. This makes my life so much easier! 
• being held. You are definitely a snuggly baby! 
• your paci. For this I am thankful. (remind me of this in 2ish years, okay?) 

Right now you are NOT loving...

• your carseat. This tends to be an issue considering Grayson & I like to go places. You scream in the car about 75% of the time. Hopefully you will grow out of that?!
• laying flat to sleep. We tried you in your pack 'n play a few times & you were not a fan. You love that incline on the Rock 'n Play sleeper!
• having your diaper or clothes changed. This is pretty much the only time when you scream. You kick like a wild man when we are changing your diaper! 

 Griffin, right now you seem SO opposite from your brother. You are really laid back & just go with the flow. Nothing really seems to bother you...not the crazy dogs barking or the toddler brother screeching. I often wonder if your personality will stay this way as you get older. We'll see!

You have had some tummy issues this month. I took you to the pediatrician when you were 3 weeks old & just like your brother, you have acid reflux. Prevacid seems to be helping & thankfully it doesn't seem as bad as Grayson's! You are a super gassy baby & have tummy aches mostly late at night. You act so miserable & it makes me so sad! I know it's probably just because your are so young...I hope you grow out of that soon!

Sweet baby Griffin, you are such a perfect addition to our family. I could sit on the couch all day long and just snuggle you. You are already growing up too fast! We love you!

Happy 1 month birthday, Griffin!

So What! Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• I can't deal with my newborn being a crib all by himself?
• I still have done nothing to prepare for Grayson's birthday party? I'll just throw his friends in our giant sandbox with some trucks & wing it. That should work, right?
• my brain is absolutely fried these days? You can remind me about something & 2 minutes later it will be out of my brain. Lost forever. Baby brain never leaves, it just gets worse with each child you add. 
• I watch trash like "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" & "Teen Mom" on tv? Don't judge. Teen Mom makes me feel like Mom of the Year & Honey Boo Boo is just pure awesomeness.
• (speaking of Teen Mom) I was a little bit  really sad that these original girls are now finished forever with the show? Thank goodness for Instagram so I can still keep up with Maci & Beeeeeeeentley! 
• I talk more with my internet friends than with my real life friends on a daily basis? 
• my hair & clothes smell like spit-up 78% of the time? Thanks a lot, acid reflux.  I did not miss you at all.
  
• my 2 year old knows what my pump is AND has tried to use it himself? Hope he doesn't need therapy later in life! 
• I am a lame blogger these days? Blame it on the newborn, y'all. 

Happy Wednesday, friends.  I'm off to feed a baby, do laundry, & wrangle a toddler! I know you're all jealous. Don't forget to hop on over to Shannon's blog & link up!

a brain dump

• Last Thursday the sleep deprivation finally got to me & on a whim I decided I wanted Grayson in a toddler bed ASAP. He has been waking up at the crack of dawn since mid-July for some reason & when it became 5:45, I was over it.  I thought he needed a change. Well, Grayson got his "tools" and helped Ben "build" his new bed (for real y'all, G thinks he built his own bed! ha!) before naptime on Thursday. 

 This was the final product. I threw in a pillow for good measure. Guess what?! GRAYSON HAS BEEN A TODDLER BED SUPERSTAR! I. Am. Shocked. He has slept in there without a problem & hasn't gotten out of bed at all! He has even been sleeping later...praise the Lord! Mama needs sleep. So, apparently the toddler bed wasn't as scary as I envisioned. (knock on wood)

• I just signed up for Weight Watchers again yesterday. I was a member for 2 months before I got pregnant with Griffin & lost some weight. I'll have a post soon about the whole "body after baby numero dos" thing. It isn't as pretty as the first time around. 

• I can't get over how similar my boys look. It's almost scary. Griffin is basically a clone of baby Grayson. He just has darker hair & he's a lot smaller. Seriously, look at this side-by-side comparison:

Both pictures taken at 3 weeks old. I need to start labeling pictures! 

• I have been the biggest baby about putting Griffin in his crib. I can't believe I ever thought that I could let him sleep in his own room from day one.  I laid him in there on Sunday night & made it a whole 10 seconds before I scooped him up. Griffin just looked SO tiny & lonely in that big bed all by himself.  So? He's still in our bedroom. I'll pretend like he sleeps in his bassinet all night long & never cosleeps with me. Pretend being the keyword.
• Also? The fact that I am exclusively breastfeeding, using my K'Tan baby carrier ALL THE TIME, and semi-cosleeping?! Well, I feel like I've gone all crunchy granola on you guys. Don't worry. I won't be getting a "family bed" anytime soon. Griffin will get his eviction notice soon enough. 
• I think I have decided what every new mom needs: a maid service for the first 3 months. Honestly, this has been the most stressful change for me since having 2 kids. I feel like my house is a disaster 24/7. I had this great cleaning routine when it was just G but I can't seem to get everything done now. I know Griffin will eventually be on a schedule & things will get easier, but, 3 shedding dogs + a toddler + a newborn = my house looks like a tornado went through it at all times. It's making me a crazy person.
• The PP hormones this time are killing me. I feel like I cry about everything. I don't feel "done" having babies & I have always said I would love to have a baby girl. However, I did tell Ben that I am feeling super sentimental about all these sweet, tiny boy clothes. What if I do get pregnant again & have a girl? Then I may never use these sweet boy things ever again! *cue tears* Also, it was my decision to switch G's bed but I still got all teary when he transitioned so easily. Where did my baby go?!

Griffin {newborn pictures}

This will just be a gigantic photo dump.  I will apologize in advance, but, I am just too in love with these pictures not to show them off! Local friends, we used my friend Lauren of Images by Studio S for these pictures and I highly recommend her! She did such a great job!

Thanks for letting me show off my littlest guy! :)

So What! Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• I drink so much water that I feel like I should just float away?
• I complain about the fact that Griffin is sleeping with us a lot of the time but I secretly enjoy it? Grayson was not a snuggly baby so I am soaking this up!
• Grayson's 2nd birthday party is exactly one month away and I have done pretty much nothing to prepare?
• I pretty much refuse to buy a bigger size of pants just yet so I wear the same thing every day? I'm still banking on this whole breastfeeding thing to help get me skinny! Well, that and Weight Watchers. 
• I am actually contemplating moving G into his toddler bed this weekend? I know, I'm nuts. Certifiable, even. BUT, I am over the ridiculously early wake ups & I am wondering if switching it up a little could help. We'll see what happens. 
• I took a 4 hour nap last night on the couch and it was the longest stretch of sleep I've had in 3 weeks?
• Twitter makes me feel like I am having real-life adult conversations during the day? I've said it once, I'll say it a million times: Thank the Lord for my internet friends.
• I was SO EXCITED to finally watch The Hunger Games this week & then I fell asleep halfway through? Guess we won't be watching any movies until Griff sleeps through the night.

You know the drill, go link up with Shannon so you can say SO WHAT! 

Happy Wednesday!

True Life: I'm a mom of 2 under 2.

I'll be honest, this whole "2 under 2" thing is no joke. I thought the transition from a married couple to a 1 kid family was really easy. I felt like it came really naturally to me & I assumed that is how it would be when Griffin arrived.  It would be pretty easy, right?

Insert crazy laughter. EASY?! ha! 

It's not easy, friends. Here are some things I've picked up on pretty quickly since becoming the mama of 2 young boys:

• I will probably only get to wash my hair 3 days a week. I wish I was kidding. Between nursing, wrangling a toddler, & keeping both children breathing? There is barely enough time just to bathe in the shower, let alone wash & then dry my hair. 
• Getting somewhere on time with 2 small children is IMPOSSIBLE. Seriously. It is ridiculous how much crap these little people require when we go somewhere. 
• As soon as I want to sit down & eat a meal, the baby will be hungry.  It's like a weird sixth sense newborns have. Literally, as soon as food gets put on my placemat, Griffin starts stirring. Never fails. I suppose that PLUS re-joining Weight Watchers will be a great diet plan. 
• The age of two just might kill me. Or at the very least send me to the looney bin. My friend Lynsey also just reminded me that when our current toddlers are finally moving out of this lovely stage, our 2nd babies will just be reaching it!
• You have to know how to multitask like a champ. One of the many multitasking situations I have experienced: nursing Griffin while helping G play a game on the iPad while kicking Jack's tennis ball.
• When it is time for Grayson to take a bath & get ready for bed & Ben is working late, Griffin will be fussy & hungry. You know, because it is super easy to get a toddler ready for bed while breastfeeding. Again, this brings in that multitasking thing. 
• My house will have TONS of piles of clean & dirty laundry. Usually I can manage to get the clothes washed. It's the putting away part that I feel I never get a chance to do. We may be living out of laundry baskets for the next few weeks. 
• and last but not least, everything you said you would ABSOLUTELY do with your 2nd child? Well, just go ahead and throw that list out the window. My child who I swore would be in his own crib from day 1 is currently cosleeping with us.  oy.

The stage we are currently in is one I like to call "survival mode." We are doing whatever works & I keep telling myself that if I have made it through the day with both children breathing, I've done my job.  I wouldn't change this stage for anything--okay, maybe I would remove the 2 year old tantrums, but that's it! Maybe someday we will get into a real routine & I'll be able to say "I've got this."  Maybe someday it will feel easy. But, geez, please know that at my 6 week postpartum OB appointment I will be discussing birth control.

G is 23 months old!

Grayson is 23 months old today! All of a sudden G is so big & I can't even believe he is turning TWO next month. I feel like we were just planning his 1st birthday party. PSA: when they tell you that your kids will grow up TOO FAST? They mean it. 

The stats:

Weight: somewhere between 22 & 23lbs...still a tiny little guy!

Height: around 33 inches? we find out next month!

Diaper: 4 during the day; 5 at night

Clothes: 12m shorts (seriously, this kid is skinny) & everything else is 24m

Shoe: 6 or 7 -- depends on the shoe

What's Been Going On:

• G is talking up a storm! He can pretty much say anything & we have to be really careful about what we say in front of him. He is a sponge & repeats everything! He is starting to connect words together. The other day I told him that his friend Reed was going over to play & he picked up his phone and said, "Hey Reed! See you soon!" I can't wait until he can really talk in sentences...I am always trying to figure out exactly what he means when he says something! 
• G is branching out a little more with food. He is a little more willing to try things recently. His newest foods he will eat are watermelon, oranges, baked beans, & Laughing Cow cheese on crackers. 
• Grayson became a BIG BROTHER over the past month! G is so sweet with Griffin. He is always saying "hey baby!" and giving him kisses. When Griffin cries he insists that we let him have his monkey lovie. It matches G's froggies & I love that he thinks the monkey will cheer up Griffin!
• All of a sudden Grayson is obsessed with tools. He has a little tool kit & he walks around the downstairs "fixing" everything. It's so funny!
• G's imagination is really starting to take off. I love this age! He rode on a horse toy at church a few weeks ago & now he uses his broom at home as his horse. He loves to use his pretend weedeater--it's actually part of the hose:) 
• We have entered into the "mine" phase. So, that's not very fun. We are really working on the whole sharing thing. This too shall pass.
• G knows his colors! (red, yellow, brown, black, blue, pink, orange, red, & purple)

 

This month was a huge one in the life of our almost 2 year old. A lot of changes took place & I was really worried about how G would adjust. He is used to being the center of attention & being on the go a lot. Well, he has done so much better than I expected! Grayson really hasn't shown any signs of jealousy towards Griffin yet & I hope that trend continues. He ignores Griffin most of the time (because let's face it, Griffin sleeps like 20 hours a day) but it also really sweet with him. I am so proud of him! I feel like he literally became a big boy overnight. He is so independent now & while it's helpful, it makes me a little sad. G is growing up so fast! 

I can't believe that it has been almost 2 years since our first baby was born. That is unreal. It's crazy how fast time goes by! Grayson is at such a challenging age right now but it is also so much fun. He has so much personality & keeps us laughing! 

Happy 23 months, G!

So What! Wednesday

I'm back! Well, slowly but surely I am getting back in the swing of things. This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

• I can only wash my hair at least every other day now? There. Is. No. Time. 
• I didn't watch anything but the Olympics while they were on? Now I'm bored. I miss gymnastics!
• my DVR is so full but I am completely overwhelmed & have no idea what shows to watch first? Seriously. First world problems, much?
• I have a gazillion pictures of Grayson holding Griffin & they all make me melt?
• I celebrated surviving my first day alone with both boys with a lime-a-rita?
• my child has gotten more new things since becoming a big brother than we he turned 1?
• I already ordered birth announcements but am SO BEHIND on G's 2nd birthday? No invitations, no decorations, not many ideas...oy. 
• I leave the "don't knock because a baby is sleeping" sign up WAY past naptime most days because I don't want to be bothered? Ha! Seriously. 3 dogs + 2 kids = impossible to answer a door. 

Go link up with Shannon! 

being a mama {the second time around}

I feel like this whole "mama to a new baby" adventure has been very different this time around. I feel like I am soaking it all up a little more than I did with Grayson. Maybe that's because I am more aware of how fast these little people actually grow up. I mean, I blinked and my first baby grew into an almost 2 year old. 

I'm also so much more laid back. I tried so hard right off the bat to get Grayson on a schedule. This time? Griffin is kind of making up his own schedule. And me, the avid planner, actually doesn't mind. Nursing is going 10x better this time, too. I'm sure some of it has to do with me being more relaxed & not stressing out so much. I only nursed Grayson for 4 weeks & I'm pretty confident that I'll make it longer this time. I'm not setting any crazy goals but I want it to work out better with Griffin. Not to mention, I would rather not pay for ridiculously expensive formula like we did with G.

One thing that didn't change? Remember this post where I swore Griffin would only sleep in his crib? Ha!! We put him there on his first night home & just looking at that tiny baby all alone in that big crib was enough to send me into panic mode. I couldn't do it. I guess I'm just a paranoid mama. SO, at around midnight on our first night home my poor husband was digging out the pack-n-play and setting it up in our room. Only Griffin wasn't a fan of that. at all. {Cue flashbacks of Grayson pitching a fit in the very same pack-n-play} So, then we dug out the Rock 'n Play sleeper. The same bed that G slept in for his first 6 weeks. Guess what? Griffin loved it, too. So, alas, I have a grunting newborn sleeping 2 feet away from me again in our room. It's not ideal. But? It works.

All in all, I feel so much more comfortable with Griffin at this point than I did with Grayson. Poor G had to "break us in" as parents...Griffin will probably benefit from that:)

Wordless Wednesday {life lately}

Griffin {1 week}

 Our sweet Griffin is actually 1 week old today...but I took these pictures last week:)

The Stats:
Weight: he was 6lbs 15oz when we were discharged from the hospital
Height: 20 1/4 inches
Clothes: newborn -- I am loving the fact that he can wear all the things that G never could! Griffin is a tiny little thing!
Diaper: newborn

 Griffin has been a dream baby so far. {knock on wood} I swear he sleeps approximately 21 hours a day. He really is so different than Grayson as a baby. Grayson was always very alert & awake. Griffin is very sleepy & hardly ever makes a peep. He is sleeping 2-4 hours stretches at night. I can't complain; he goes back down very easily after he eats!

Griffin loves:

• being swaddled..but he must be able to stretch his legs & move his arms! 
• the Rock 'n Play sleeper (ha! I had every intention of starting him in his crib from day 1....yeah, that didn't work out!)
• sleeping

Griffin doesn't like:

• having his diaper changed or getting his clothes changed. This is pretty much the only time you will hear Griffin actually cry!  

 I don't know if Griffin is just a good eater or if I am just much more relaxed this time, but nursing has been so much better this time.  I remember being in so much pain when I was nursing Grayson & I haven't experienced that. He latched on for an hour the first time I held him & has been a nursing champ ever since. Right now we really don't have a schedule. I'm just feeding on demand. Our biggest issue is usually keeping him awake so he can actually fill up that tiny belly!

I know it has only been a week but it's already hard to remember what life was like before this baby boy! He's such a pretty baby and I could just stare at him all day long.  

We are so happy you are here, Griffin!

Party of 4

We've been home since Wednesday afternoon. It is SO nice to be at our house & we are just trying to adjust to having a newborn in the house again. The transition for Grayson has gone better than I expected. He really does love Griffin & asks to hold him every day. He'll be in the middle of playing & walk up to the bassinet and say, "hey baby!" 

The hardest part for Grayson is the fact that I can't pick him up or hold him yet. That's been the hardest part for me, too.  He's too young to really understand why I can't & it just hurts my mama heart when it makes him cry.  

Ben goes back to work on Monday. My mom is here all next week & then real life begins.  Some moments I think I've got this & other moments? I kind of panic at the thought of being on my own with a very needy newborn & a very busy toddler. I mean, people have been doing this forever, so surely I can eventually get the hang of it. Right? 

This week has been a little bit of a blur. I still look at my boys together & can't believe that they are mine. I look at Grayson & it seems like he grew up overnight. He's started talking more this week and he just seems older. 

We are definitely in survival mode right now, but, so far being a foursome is pretty fun!