Grayson: 4 months

I'm alittle behind getting this posted, but on Nov. 3rd Grayson reached the 4 month mark! We had his 4month wellness check and he weighed 15 lbs and is 25 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for height and weight! He had to get 2 shots and he took them like a champ with just a few tears. The beginning of 4 months brought a terrible sleep regression, but we seem to be past that now. We're trying to transition to the crib, but he is so used to being in the Rock and Play that it has been a struggle so far. We've started trying rice cereal and oatmeal here and there, but he isn't too interested yet. He is growing and changing daily! He loves to hear his voice and "talks" to us all the time and that smile!!! It is contagious! Love our little guy SO much!

Thankfulness

*This is a long one- you've been warned :)

I had really decided to forgo the whole "30 days of Thankfulness" on FB. It just kind of stresses me out! A) I have a hard time remembering to post every day B) I forget what I've already put on previous days (mommy brain!!)  C) I feel like I have to "rank" things starting with what's most important and then it gets me all off track.... So, I decided I would just enjoy reading other's posts and not worry about my own. BUT yesterday at church we had an amazing sermon that really got me  thinking. We're having an entire series this month Titled "B Thankful" and yesterday's message was on being thankful during all seasons of life. It was based on David and the premise was that he was most thankful when he was in his hardest seasons (hiding from the king, fleeing for his life, living with nothing) not while he was living in the palace and had everything he could ever want. It's easy to be thankful when everything is going great and we should be, but how often are we thankful for the hard times that teach us the most valuable lessons??
So, what I've decided to do is list 30 things that I am thankful for, in no particular order :)  Some are the obvious things and others are things that you may be surprised by and that until yesterday, I probably wouldn't have added to this list. Here goes!

I am Thankful for:
1. For my savior Jesus Christ. Without him I wouldn't have any of the blessing in my life and the assurance of something so much greater.
2. For my parents- they love and support me way beyond what they have to and they make some pretty amazing Grandparents to my boys!
3. For my Grandparents. How lucky am I to have Godly Grandparents on both sides that have paved such a great path for my family. And the fact that I'm 30 and still have 3 grandparents alive today is such a blessing!
4. For my husband. Crazy how we ended up together, but obviously not by accident. God knew I needed someone like Aaron who could love me even when I make it hard. He's a great provider and amazing Daddy.
5.On that note, I'm thankful for my single days and days of dating other guys.  I learned so much from that time in my life. What I needed and was looking for in the person that I would spend forever with. Without those times, I might have missed out on Aaron :)
6. For Wyatt. This kiddo made me a Mama and I cannot imagine life without him. Even on the days he drives me bananas, he can still make me smile like no other. He is funny, kind hearted and stubborn like his Daddy :)
7. For Grayson. My sweet little man. His smile can light up a room! I cannot wait to continue to see this little guy grow and watch his personality come to life. I think between him and his brother, I'm gonna have my hands full!!
8. For Aaron's job. He works hard and it is blessing to our family.
9. For getting to be at a stay at home Mommy right now. I love this time with my boys at this precious stage in their lives.
10. For the time that I worked and Wyatt was at daycare/babysitters. It wasn't a fun "season" of my life, leaving that kiddo BUT it sure did teach me to appreciate my time with my kids and especially #9.
11. For my education. I don't say I'm proud of myself for many things, but I am proud that I can say I have a college degree and Masters.
12. For my true friends. I have a great group of ladies that I am blessed to call my real friends. They are the kind of people who stick by you through it all.
13. For no make-up on, unfixed hair, sweat pant wearing kind of days :)
14. For the months that it took us to get pregnant with Grayson. It taught me patience in God's timing.
15. For our neighbors. They are so much more than just the kind you can borrow a cup of sugar from, but the kind who will drop everything to keep your oldest kiddo when you go into labor!
16. For our house. Not because it is huge or fancy, but because it is ours. We get to fill it with our memories. It's warm in the winter, cool in the summer and I sorta love having our huge back yard for the kids to run and play :)
17. For being raised in small town Oklahoma. Couldn't imagine it any other way. I had opportunities and relationships that I never could have had anywhere else.
18. For my brother and his sweet family. I used to be a little sad because with Aaron being an only child and me only having one brother, I thought I wouldn't get many nieces or nephews. Well, Stephen and Amy proved me wrong! Love them and those 4 kids to pieces!
19. For the year that I lived in MWC on my own. No roommates, no friends or family close by. Talk about a lesson in independence!
20. For my NPE crew. I couldn't have hand picked a better group of ladies to work with. You took me under your wing (during #19) and I have learned a lot from you.
21. For my two favorite things in my kitchen: my Keurig and Crockpot. Seriously. These two little things make my life a lot easier.
22. For my Zeta days. It brought me some of my life long friends and taught me so much about myself.
23. For our church. We are still trying to find our place, but feel blessed to have found a church home that we love.
24. For my extended family. I have an amazing group of aunts, uncles and cousins.
25. For my Skooter dog. Poor little dog has been through alot with me! He's lived 7 different places, endured me getting married and having kids and is still going strong!
26. For the Christmas season. My MOST favorite time of the year! I love everything about it!!! Decorations, gifts, family time, celebrating Jesus' Birthday, food, traditions, shopping- can't wait!
27. For sleepless nights with my boys, because it means that I am lucky enough to have been blessed with children. And let's face it, it makes me practically do the happy dance on those nights when we get a full night of sleep!
28. For my phone. Yep, I couldn't live without it.
29. For my health. In my 30 years, I have been very lucky to have not had any major sickness/illness.
30. Last but not least, I am thankful for anyone that reads because that means that in some way you are a part of my life :)

*I started this on Monday morning and between taking care of the boys, doing things around the house and running errands, I am just now finishing!

I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips
Psalms 34:1

Happy Halloween!

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Batman!

Our caped crusader and his little side kick Robin

 

 

 

Thank You

This post is dedicated to my husband: (I meant to write it around our 5th anniversary, but never did. So, 2 months later, here goes!)

I sometimes forget to say "thank you" to my hard working husband. (okay, so truth be told, I never do...) I really am grateful for how hard he works for our family and for the amazing opportunity that he has given me to be a stay at home mom to our precious boys. I just forget to tell him. Life gets busy and I tend to take things for granted. I know a lot of Mom's who would give anything to be able to stay at home with their kids, but it's just not possible. Aaron is one of the hardest working guys I know. It's a VERY rare day that he works his actual hours. He always goes in early and always stays late. Why? Not because he always has to, but because he is putting in the extra time so that he can continue to  move up in his job. You see, I am lucky, because Aaron truly values me being at home with the boys. He knows that it is what's best for our kiddos and that it's something that I have always wanted to do. He is willing to make a few sacrifices that we can make this  possible.

So Aaron, if you read this, please know that though I don't always say it, I am beyond grateful for what you do for our family.  I am lucky that God gave me such a great guy :)

Three Months

 So hard to believe our little cutie is 3 months old! He is growing and changing so much. As a matter of fact, Aaron and I made the comment that it seems like during this past weekend, he went through a big change! He is
"talking" so much now and laughs and smiles at us when we talk to him. He is so close to rolling over and when he is on his little play mat, he turns him self almost all the way around. He has also been sleeping great! He will always give us at least 6-7 hour stretches, but this week, he even had a night where he made it over 9 hours! We're loving it :) We still have rough days where he spits up a ton, but overall he doesn't seem to be in pain like he used to be. So, for now we are sticking with the rice cereal in his formula and prilosec every night.
Happy Three months little guy!

It's a Good Morning!

It's a good morning!
Wake up to a brand new day
This morning,
I'm stepping, stepping on my way
Good morning,
You give me strength,
You give me just what I need
And I can feel the hope that's rising in me.
It's a good morning

Love morning time with the boys! They both wake up in such good moods. It's just a fun relaxing time. We usually don't have anything planned in the morning so we can just take our time and be lazy :) As a matter of fact, I'm sitting and sipping coffee right now while Grayson is hanging out in his bouncy seat and Wyatt's watching some cartoons. (Can you tell I'm loving this stay at home Mom stuff!!) Grayson tends to be the happiest in the mornings- we get lots of smiles and coos and it's just too cute! Love these boys!
P.S.- We did finally hear back from Graysons Dr. and his upper GI did confirm that he has reflux. The doctor is hoping that in 3-6 months we'll be able to take him off of the prilosec. He does seem to be doing much better and at his follow up apt. this week he weighed 12 lbs! He's turning into our little chunky monkey :) And bless our doctor, she found us a new pharmacy that can do the prilosec cheaper- it will save us $63 a month!

Wyatt Don

Grayson Joe



Grayson is 2 months old

Happy 2 months to Mr. Grayson! At his 2 month checkup, he weighed 10lbs 17 ozs! For such a small start, he sure has made up for it :) He is growing and changing so much, but still looks so much like Wyatt did when he was at this stage. He is smiling and laughing and it is just too cute!
Unfortunately, poor guy has been having some eating/tummy troubles. Our pediatrician (and us) are fairly certain that it is reflux, but last Friday he had an upper GI done so that we can know for sure. We hope to know the results in the next day or two. We started formula with rice cereal a couple of weeks ago. We've done a slow transition from breast milk to formula to hopefully make it easier on his tummy. He is still getting a couple of bottles of breast milk a day. We also tried Zantac, but did not see any results. In fact, he seemed fussier right after having it. Now, we are trying prilosec. It does seem to be helping (it should for what we're having to pay for it!!! Wow!) Hopefully, this is something that he will outgrow soon.

Weekend with Cousins

This past weekend we had a fun filled long, weekend with Stephen and his crew. Combined, we have six kids ages 3 and under. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment :) We got to enjoy an evening with the Hobson side of the family and there were several more little ones around there! We definitely have a lot of entertainment when we're all together!

1st Month

After having Wyatt, I learned just how fast time does go by when you have a little one. I didn't think it was possible for time to go even faster with the 2nd, but it has! I really feel like it was just yesterday that I was still pregnant. We've spent most of the month at home. For one- it has been HOT here, so it is not fun to get out and about. Also, this Mom is still adjusting to getting around with two kiddos :) All in all though, it has been a pretty smooth month and we're surviving so far!

Grayson-
We are so happy to have you here! You complete our little family :) We've spent this month getting to know you and your routine. For the most part, you are good sleeper. You always give us atleast one 4 hour stretch of sleep at night and we appreciate it! You are starting to eat more and more and really filling out. You started out so tiny, so it's fun to see you get some cute little cheeks. I like to call you my "sweet cheeks" :)
While you are eating plenty, it has been a little bit tough. We're hoping the Dr. can help us out so that we can figure out what's causing you to have a hard time. We hate to see you hurting :(  When you are feeling well, you give some great smiles. Especially when you hear your big brother. He loves to talk to you and show you his "tricks".  I can't wait for the months to come and see your little personality develop. You have so much ahead of you and I am so happy to get to be your Mommy and get to share in your journey. I love you!

Brothers

"A brother is a friend given by nature"

I love seeing these two together. It's crazy how Grayson already likes to watch and listen to Wyatt. I think they're gonna be best buds :)

Grayson Joe

Meet our newest little guy: Grayson Joe Pendergraph

July 3, 2012  ~ 3:23 pm ~ 5lbs 11oz  ~ 18 1/2 in

Since I haven't written it out anywhere else and always want to remember the details; here is the story of Grayson's Birth:

In November, we were beyond excited to find out that we were expecting again with a due date of July 18th. I decided that I would be switching doctors and going to OU instead of Shawnee so that I could attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). Wyatt had to be delivered via C-section because he was breach and this time I really wanted to avoid the recovery time that I had with him.

My pregnancy went anything but smooth. Just after we found out, we had a little scare that ended in a trip to the ER. We were afraid I had a miscarriage, but thankfully all was well. I spent the next 20 weeks really sick. Thankfully, they put me on a prescription for the nausea and eventually eased up. At our 20 week ultrasound we found out it was a boy :) At my next apt, we also found out that on the ultrasound they found a spot on the heart. Another scare! After waiting another month for our next ultrasound (because they forgot to call and tell me about my first appointment!!), we finally met with a specialist who confirmed that the spot was still there, but it was not a health concern and because everything else looked fine, she encouraged us to not worry and just enjoy the pregnancy. The rest of the time everything did end up pretty smooth.

I went to the doctor on June 29th and she checked me and said "sorry to tell ya this, but there is nothing going on..." I was convinced it was going to be awhile before the big day. On the night of July 2nd I told Aaron I thought I was having some contractions, but didn't think much of it. Went to bed only to realize it WAS something. Got up at 3:30 and let Aaron know that it was the real deal. We waited until they got close and Wyatt woke up. We took him to our neighbors house and I was not prepared for how emotional I would be leaving him. I cried my eyes out. Poor Wyatt had no clue what was wrong with me! We said our goodbyes and headed to the hospital. On the way, I called Mom and Dad (who just so happened to have left the day before for Kansas City to visit Stephen and family). They decided to head to OKC.

Made it to the hospital and got into the triage area where they hooked me up to the baby monitor and checked me- I was a 3. She told us to wait around and go eat Breakfast in the cafeteria.  About 1 1/2 later I went back up to be checked again, by this time contractions were starting to get painful. She checked and I was--- STILL A 3! What?? I was so frustrated because she said they wouldn't admit me until I was a 4 and that I should go home and rest. I knew it was the real deal and that I was getting closer, but we reluctantly headed home. I had to call Mom and Dad and tell them they may be heading home for no reason...

After about an hour at home, I couldn't take it any more. I was hurting and wanted to get back and get my epidural :) After what seemed like the longest 30 minute car ride of my life, we made it. Got to triage where they checked and I was a 6. Thank the Lord! I began asking for my epidural or anything that they could give me! They kept saying we will when we get you checked into the birthing room. Well, 20 minutes later when I finally made it to the birthing suit, my new nurse checked and had to give me the news that there was no time! I was fully dialted and ready to go! To be honest after that point, everything kind of ran together. I do know that they were in a panic to get my doctor in the room. She made it just in time! I pushed through  2 contractions and he was here!!! It wasn't easy, in fact, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. But I got the best reward for it, a perfectly healthy baby boy. I couldn't believe how tiny he was. Sadly, we didn't even have our camera in the room, because we thought we would get checked in and then Aaron would go back to the car- no time for that! Thank heavens for cell phones :) Mom and Dad made shortly after he was born and our sweet neighbor brought Wyatt later to meet his new brother. It was so sweet to see him look at Grayson. Wyatt was very concerned at first that he didn't have hands and feet, because he couldn't see them since Grayson was swaddled up so tight. Too funny!

So there it is, the story of how Grayson came to be a part of our family. Now we begin our adventure as a family of four!

Brothers meeting for the first time!

My boys :)

I'm BACK!

So after a long break from blogging, I figured I would give it try. I mean, being a stay at home Mom is going to give me a ton of free time, right?! ;)

Plus, I think it's only fair to our newest addition of the family to blog about him since I did with Wyatt. So- here goes! We'll see how well I can keep this up!