Visiting Georgia: Pre-Beach

When we thought Tim was going to be on patrol through September, my parents bought a plane ticket for Grayson and I to visit Georgia for three and a half weeks. Once we realized Tim was coming home, all the plans had been made - tickets purchases, a beach trip paid for, and lots of people eagerly awaiting a chance to meet Grayson. Tim and I decided that it was best if Grayson and I kept our plans, so on Grayson's half birthday he took his first plane ride - one that was almost 5 hours long!!

Grayson did so much better on the flight than I had imagined. I DREADED the flight. I mean I was almost sick with anxiety to fly for so very long holding a 6 month old in my lap. Tim was able to help me all the way to the gate, so that helped to ease my mind up until the last minute… and then… all the worry was for nothing. It was exhausting to hold a squirmy worm for that long, but he was very happy for the entire flight. Such a relief. 

When we arrived, my parents met us at the gate. It was 9pm and I was beat, but very glad to be there.  Dad was especially excited to see us because he hadn't seen Grayson since he was a little over two weeks old!!! It's funny, when we met mom at the airport for her Washington visit Grayson cried when she first held him. When Grayson and I arrived in Georgia, he went straight to his Papa, all smiles! It was SO sweet :)

Grayson fell asleep in the car and went straight to bed when we got to my parents house. The next day, he woke up to the equivalent of Christmas morning! My mom had bought all kinds of toys and play things for Grayson to enjoy! One of his very favorites was the exersaucer. Standing up & playing with toys is a HUGE hit!

Grayson and his exersaucer

Every day we were in Georgia was jam packed. My mom & dad and Tim's mom are the only family (or Georgia friends) who had met Grayson, so we had lots of people to see!
We had dinner with mom's friends, an entire Saturday with my extended family and a UGA football party all before the weekend was halfway over!

Celebrating Savannah's birthday at Mellow Mushroom

When we visited my extended family on Saturday, Grayson was all ready for his first pool experience. We were at Uncle Montie and Aunt Debbie's house for a pool party and I brought along all of Grayson's gear. First we got him all ready, swim diaper, bathing suit, sun shirt, hat + a full coat of Badger sunscreen…. then he got sleepy. So we took him out of the swim diaper & he went down for a nap. When he woke up we got him all ready again, took him out and he wouldn't even THINK of going in the water.

To his credit, it had rained the night before, it was an overcast day and the pool was just way colder than I normally like. He cried as soon as we tried to put him in, so we gave it a break and tried a few more time, but he never liked it. We gave up & I just hoped and hoped and hoped that he liked swimming more once we got to the warm beach.
Grayson's first swim = fail. But the day was amazing. It was so good to see family that I hadn't seen in a year and show off the little man. Everyone was so in love with him!

ready to go…. after a nap.

trying out the water… This was the furthest he got in.

After the pool party we went home for the UGA game. I was pumped since we aren't able to watch them in Washington (unless we get an invite to watch at the neighbors). Mom and Dad's friends came over and Grayson sported his Go Dawgs onsie (thanks Brittany). Doesn't he just look so ready to cheer on the Bulldogs??

Gooooooo Dawgs!!

Almost every day in Georgia we made sure to see Grayson's Grandmother. He loves her so much and they had the sweetest times together. She was so proud to show him off at the senior living center where she works, and everyone thought he was such a doll.
We don't have much grass space at our apartment where Grayson can really spend time on the ground. So several times I took him out into my parents front yard to enjoy the grass. Grayson loved exploring the grass with his Grandmother.

Grayson and Grandmother

 Before we went to the beach, Grayson met his Great Aunt Cindy and his PawPaw. They had both been waiting a long time to meet the little guy. It was such a sweet time and Grayson loved them both so much!

Grayson and Aunt Cindy

Grayson and PawPaw

 I need to get Tina to email me the pictures & I'll add them later, but in the first half of the trip we also went to see Tim's sister, Jamey and her sons. The little boys were napping, but we had a nice visit with Jamey, Bud and Stetson.

We had a super busy week and it lead right up to… BEACH TRIP!! Which I have lots of great pictures of in the next post.

~Katie

Grayson's Sixth Month

Grayson's sixth month was from July 27th to August 26th. This month was busy for Grayson, he began to roll from back to front, sit up and pull himself across the floor (like a cross between an army crawl and an inchworm)!! He is ALL OVER and loving it.

I can't believe this little bug is half a year old!!!

Growth:

He hasn't been officially weighed in a while, but he weighs abut 14.5lbs on our home scale. He is solidly in his 3-6 month clothes and all the 0-3 have been packed away. He is doing so much this month, it is crazy that he can roll all around now. Rolling front to back only moved him a little bit, but rolling back to front now means that Grayson can easily roll off the bed. Can't leave him alone for a minute now!! Grayson is also starting to sit up more and more. He is still way bent over, but he holds his balance for a good while!

                                              

Breastfeeding:

This month I finally had to get diflucan for the thrush in the left breast. I hated to do it, but I wasn't able to kick it on my own & things were getting super painful. Thankfully it never bothered Grayson or had an impact on our breastfeeding. By the end of the month, Grayson had been exclusively breastfed for 6 months! This is the recommended length of time to exclusively breastfeed, suggested by both the AAP and WHO. After six months, table food can slowly be introduced. Tim and I have decided to postpone solids for Grayson since I will be out of town for most of Grayson's sixth month. "Food before one is just for fun" anyway!!

my hungry little guy, and an awesome latch!

 Co-Sleeping:
Tim was gone for the first little bit of Grayson's 6th month. While he was gone I added a pool noodle to the side of the bed under the covers. The noodle makes a ledge and prevent Grayson from rolling out of the bed. I am still careful to keep him close, but this just eases my mind.
Grayson is still on the same evening schedule. He goes to bed around 7pm and eats when we go to bed, then wakes up a couple more times throughout the night to eat. I am thankful that he does so well at falling right back to sleep 95% of the time (seriously, he only has wakeful periods at night once or twice a month).

proud sub baby! (There is a propeller on his booty!!)

 Cloth-Diapering:
This month Grayson tried on his swim diaper for the first time. He was starting to outgrow his AppleCheeks in size one and I was concerned that the AppleCheeks swim diaper wouldn't fit by the time we went to the beach in his 7th month. Thankfully it fits much differently than the actual AC diaper and he had plenty of room to grow. It is seriously adorable.
This month I got my first BumGenius 4.0 pockets. The previous pocket diapers I had tried were a poor fit. I don't know if it was Grayson's size at the time (I haven't used them in a few months) or if they were just too cheaply made, but they leaked awfully. The 4.0s are my new favorite. Since Grayson is so sensitive to moisture I change him very frequently. The BumGenius 4.0s are such a good fit and they pull moisture away from his skin, so Grayson wears them when we are out of the house and I need to go longer between changes.
Otherwise he still wears the prefolds at home. He still wears the fitted diapers at night, but I am having a good bit of trouble keeping him rash free. Since the moisture stays against his skin all night, he is red in the morning. I have tried the BG 4.0s at night, but he is a HEAVY wetter and when I stuff the pocket full enough to contain his pee, then I can no longer get a good fit around the legs.

Trying on his swim diaper. I think he's ready for the water!

Babywearing:

Grayson tried riding in the Tula on my back for the first time in his sixth month. They recommend you wait until baby has good torso control to attempt a back hold in a soft structured carrier. Sometimes people do them earlier based on their comfort, but I wasn't even comfortable once he had good torso control. It scared me to put him on my back by myself. I just can't get his legs in the proper position. 

I need to go to the next BabyWearing International meeting and get some advice - because I still don't put him back there without a spotter. 

All-in-all though, this month he tried it for the first time & he liked it. It is also nice to have him back there because I can do more with the front of my body. 

I also started using the Ring Sling more this month. I finally got the hang of how to get it on quickly and adjust a good seat for Grayson. It is also easier to sit down while he is in the ring sling, it feel more natural than the Tula. 

my little back rider <3

                                             

Support:

I think I forgot about support in my last update. 

My mom was here for half of Grayson's sixth month. This was obviously the ultimate support, to have her here in the house. She would take him in the morning so that I could get some extra sleep. And he was all about playing with Dede. 

We also spent some time with friends, and it is always good support to spend time around other mamas.

Spending time with Kodi (and Leslie) at the park

Other happenings in month 6:

-Grayson's first time on a swing

weeeee!!!

 -Grayson's first time in a highchair.

sitting up like a big boy at Panera

 -Grayson's activity gym was a big hit this month, his favorite part was the mirror. There was a very handsome baby in there to love on!

Gym time

oh, hey baby!

can you even stand how precious he is?

~Katie

Patrol

Tim has been on his boat for a year and a half, but they actually went on their first patrol starting Grayson's 5th month. It was scheduled for quite a while, but due to unforeseen circumstances only lasted a little over two weeks.
I was so nervous about the length of time Tim was suppose to be gone, but I had filled the time by having mom come stay with us for several weeks. Then Grayson and I would only be alone for two weeks before our trip home for another three and a half weeks. I had just booked my ticket home when we found out that Tim was coming home early.
He actually was home before mom even left! I have to say - I was thankful to be able to push back the inevitable full length patrol.

Before he went, the Family Readiness Group made a calendar to send with the boat. FRG members got to buy days & decorate a piece of card stock that would be displayed in the galley for the day you purchased. Once the day was over, the sailor got his "calendar square." I made 3 for Tim, hoping they would be fun surprises while he was away:

Grayson's Calendar Square

Calendar Square from the animals

calendar square of me and Tim. 

He only got the first one while he was gone. The rest were given to him when they got back since it was early.

I also sent 4 pictures to be added to the Half-way night video - a slide show of family pictures to be shown on the night that the patrol was halfway over… these also didn't get a chance to be shown! But I would rather him be home anyway:

our wedding reception

family photo

a couple of weeks after we found out I was pregnant

G's first smiling picture

The last thing I did was make a "first night" box and a "halfway night" box for Tim to open his first night away from us and at the halfway point. I packed things like pictures, letters, little toys to help Tim relax, a book, a letter from his mom, and snacks. We took the food out, but otherwise he is saving the halfway box for the next patrol.

 As I mentioned in Grayson's 5 month update, Tim made Grayson two videos reading books to him. It was PRECIOUS to see Grayson watching his daddy. Even if Grayson was super fussy, the second I turned on the video of daddy reading he was entranced. I took some precious pictures!!

melts. my. heart.

I love the relationship that Tim and Grayson have. I hate that they will have to spend time apart, but I am glad that technology makes it so easy for Tim to leave a piece of himself behind. And I am thankful that a full length patrol still hasn't happened yet. I am happy to put it off as long as possible!!!
~Katie

Dede Comes to Town

Dede has arrived

My mom came to visit the last third of July and the first half of August. Her plan had been to arrive right after Tim left on patrol & be here for a good while. Then I would come home for the second half of his patrol. Dates moved around (typical Navy) and mom ended up arriving 2 days before Tim left.

It turned out to be a wonderful thing because mom and Grayson had a play date while Tim and I went on a wonderful date the entire afternoon before he left. 

Tim and I didn't take any pictures, but we had a picnic at the Old Mill Park looking out over the water. Then we walked around for a good while and headed over to BluBerry for some frozen yogurt. 

We had planned to go up to Poulsbo to walk around on the waterfront, but we spent so long talking at Bluberry that we lost track of time. We ended up heading straight to dinner at the Bremerton Bar & Grill.

It was wonderful & such a perfect end to the day. I was glad to get home to my little man, but Tim and I really needed the time together before he left.  

Grayson's nap and mom's workout

 While we were gone, mom and Grayson had a wonderful time without us. They took a walk. Mom wasn't really into the idea of using the Tula, but Grayson love it & they had a great walk. Then mom gave him a bath - that he LOVED. I posted a picture in his 5 month update of her letting him play in the bath.
He also finally took a bottle for mom, just enough to tide him over. He is SO not into bottles. Mom had to lay with him to get him asleep, but she said she didn't mind because she loved snuggling her little man.
It was so good to know mom was taking perfect care of Grayson so that Tim and I could enjoy ourselves.

A nap for everyone! 

 Mom and I had a great time with Grayson while Tim was on patrol. It was so good to have her help with Tim away and I had really missed her.
We took Grayson to the park, on walks around Poulsbo, out to eat several times & she helped me out so much for FRG functions and appointments.
I love spending time with mom and Grayson loved it too. He truly developed such a relationship with her on this trip. When we Skype, he knows who she is & lights up every time.
Living so far away from our parents makes it hard for Grayson to have the relationship we wish he could have with his grandparents. This trip was so good for Grayson and mom's relationship :)

just a little stroll in the park

stopping for a snack on the waterfront in Poulsbo

Grayson's first time swinging - he loved it

We love when Dede comes to town!!
~Katie

Grayson's Fifth Month

Grayson's fifth month was from June 27th to July 26th. This month Grayson really got into babbling and could manipulate toys much more than last month. He loved to fly through the air and "read" books. 

I am going to abbreviate the next few of Grayson's month-by-months in an effort to catch up!

Growth: Grayson finally moved up to 3-6 month clothes and is 25 inches long. Grayson spends a lot of time trying to roll from back to front, but it still isn't happening yet. I am sure he'll have it any day now! Grayson has

playing with toys

 Breastfeeding:

Things are still going smoothly. This month I developed a spot on my left nipple that bothered me tremendously. At first it was just a little crack, then I woke up in the middle of the night and was having AWFUL pain shooting from my nipple into my breast. It turned out that I had thrush!  Thankfully Grayson did not get it, but the Gentian Violet treatment still turned his mouth purple when he nursed!!

my little purple people eater

Co-Sleeping:
Sleeping together at night is going very smoothly! Grayson isn't wanting to sleep at all in his crib anymore. Now, I lie next to him on the bed and nurse him to sleep and then make a little pillow barrier in case he rolls over. It was just really hard to transition him from sleeping in my arms to his crib, so lying next to him eliminated the transfer.
This month Grayson began to take naps on a routine. Instead of just waiting until he got fussy and fell asleep, I would take him to bed and nurse him to sleep at the first sign of sleepiness. It was great to learn his sleep cycles & he got a lot more rest that way. I feel awful for not trying this before, but I just loved snuggling my baby while he slept. Now I snuggle/nurse him until he falls asleep and then he sleeps in the bedroom - I feel like he gets better rest that way rather than sleeping wherever we are when he gets sleepy.

Diapering:
This month I realized that the issue was AMMONIA. Grayson was getting ammonia burn because it had built up in my diapers from too little detergent. We had been using soap nuts, unfortunately they do not work very well with hard water. The diapers were not getting clean enough and the ammonia was really irritating his booty. I stripped them with bleach, used lots of CJ's BUTTer to calm his booty & things cleared up!

big ole booty! (and puppy snuggles!)

Leia LOVES Grayson.

Babywearing: 

The Tula is AMAZING. We wear it everywhere and my mom even wore it when she came into town. Mom loves strollers and she wishes I had one, but she was so impressed that anytime she put him in the Tula he immediately fell asleep. 

Grooming:

Mom came to visit toward the end of Grayson's 5th month and LOVED letting him play in the bathtub. We bathe Grayson infrequently, he doesn't get very dirty and we like to let his natural oils remain in balance. With Dede he got a special treat - lots of water in the tub! Mom would put him in the Bumbo and he splashed around and reached for toys. So cute! He got more baths during her trip than he had ever had before.

loving bath time with Dede

Other things this month:

-My mom came to visit, Grayson was unsure when we picked her up from the airport but he was quick to remember her & they had the best time together.

- Mom tried to give him a bottle so Tim and I could go on a date. He wasn't a fan… but he drank enough to get by. Mom just had to lay with him while he slept. He wouldn't let her up!

- Tim left during Grayson's 5th month on his first patrol. We were both so unhappy to see him go. He recorded himself reading Grayson some stories and Grayson paid such close attention every time. Daddy read him a book each night.

helping daddy wash the car

good morning!!

~Katie

Happy Birthday to the USA

The summer here in Washington is gorgeous. As gloomy and depressing as the winter is, the summer is GLORIOUS and we were fairly bummed that Tim had to spend most of it at work. So when Tim realized that he would not have to work the 4th of July, we made plans!

I made my "famous" chocolate chip peanut butter brownies, Tim made jello shots & we got ready to head over to a party with friends.

Grayson had a special outfit for Easter. We planned for it ahead of time because it was around his expected birthday. The fourth of July was Grayson's second holiday where I wanted him to wear a cute outfit... and then I kind of forgot about it! Luckily, He had a stinking cute red and blue plaid button up that looks so festive with his blue jean overalls.

Little dude getting dressed up

We had such a fun time at Jess's and Andy's party. They grilled out & had a bounce house for the kiddos. How cute will it be when Grayson is old enough to bounce in there??
Grayson wasn't big enough for that, but he did get to play with some other babies. And by play I mean that he sat in the floor and chewed on toys while other babies sat near him and chewed on toys.

This kind of event is where I really see how bad I am at socializing. I do well with my close friends, but I am AWKWARD with people I don't know. I don't know what to talk about - I don't have hobbies, I don't work outside of our home, I don't follow the news, I am pretty boring.
I was perfectly content to just sit there and people watch with Grayson while Tim socialized with his co-workers. Tim is a pretty social butterfly, something I really love and admire about him. Grayson does open up a few doors for me in conversation. I suddenly have avenues of conversation with other moms! Maybe it will be a start into being more extroverted.
Grayson is certainly a little ham! I'm sure he'll make friends everywhere he goes. Look at all these faces!!

cha cha cha! haha

hilarious

What are you looking at??

 I made Tim join in the spirit and coordinate his outfit. We never get pictures together, and we are still trying to get Grayson to look at the camera. Whenever I am looking at the camera he isn't, then I look at him & make a face trying to get him to smile... and suddenly it's a great picture of him & I look crazy! We took all three of these shots and never got one where all three of us looked right, but I still think they look great.

Hey Grayson, look over here.

and I'm surprised

now Tim is the only one ready

 The weekend after the fourth of July Tim had duty. The Family Readiness Group was hosting a picnic for all of the boat families so Grayson and I spent the day helping to host the event. It was another beautiful day. We had a BIG bounce house, games and sack races for the kids. The USO came and cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for us while we had all the families bring a potluck side.
The turnout wasn't what we expected, but everyone had a really nice time and Jess showed off her secret skill.... balloon creations!
Seriously, she just randomly starts twisting balloons into all kinds of neat stuff for the kiddos. Grayson got to try on a fabulous hat. As the pictures go on you can see how tickled he gets about it. SO FUNNY!!

What's on my head

um.... 

balloon hats are SO funny

seriously cracking up

he is so thrilled

Happy Birthday USA! Our family really enjoyed celebrating in the beautiful weather with the wonderful friends we have made here.

~Katie