Grayson's Second Month

Grayson's second month spanned March 27th - April 26th. This month Tim's mom came to visit for 9 days and Tim had to go back to work. We left Grayson with Tim's mom for the Navy Ball - our first outing without our little man. Also, breastfeeding started to really click by the end of the month.

Growing:
Grayson weighed 9lbs 10oz at his well baby visit. He is doing everything a two month old is expected to do, including holding his head up on his own & pushing up on his little arms. At the end of month two, Grayson began to fit into a few 0-3 month clothing items. He has outgrown a few items from baby GAP only sized to 7lbs, but he is still wearing his newborn sizes.

Co-Sleeping:
Grayson still did almost all of his sleeping in someone's arms this month. I could not get enough of his snuggles & it gave me a break during the day to rest. He slept on my chest each night and woke up approximately three times each night. I still needed to sit up and turn on a light to feed him. He was also still wearing newborn diapers, which meant needing to be changed before each night feeding. Once he can fit into more absorbent diapers we won't need to change him (waking him up further) each time he wakes up.

Breastfeeding:
Grayson was exclusively breastfed for his second month. Once we began block feeding things began to improve; however, another roadblock stood in our way this month. When Grayson was a newborn he had a difficult time latching, I assumed it was because his mouth was SO tiny. As he got bigger, he continued to have a difficult time maintaining a latch, he made a clicking noise as he nursed and I was still having notable nipple pain.
With help (again from Amy Hoyt - thank you, thank you, thank you) I discovered that Grayson has an upper lip tie, making it difficult to flare his lips into the proper shape for nursing. At his well baby visit the doctor said that, since Grayson was gaining weight, there was nothing he was willing to do for the lip tie (Thank you Navy medicine). I found help from the New Mom's Support at the YMCA - a fantastic program that includes lactation support - and learned how to train Grayson's lip into the correct form.
Also notable, Grayson nurses for comfort as well as food. Because he can become upset in the car or while I am showering (times I cannot nurse him) we decided to introduce a pacifier this month. It has been a welcome addition for times I am not able to pop a boob in his mouth & has not affected his nursing.
By the end of this month we were really getting into our breastfeeding groove! If you are a new mom, don't give up - there are so many resources out there to help you develop a successful and enjoyable breastfeeding experience. I would love to help point you toward some of them!

The "Laid-back" position is a favorite

Diapering:
Month two of exclusive cloth diapering was wonderful. Grayson had the cutest booty and stayed rash free, we have had no second thoughts about cloth. At night he was in BumGenius Newborn All-in-ones, when we went out of the house he wore newborn fitted diapers (Kissaluvs Size 0 and Baby Coon Designs Newborn) with a thirsties size 1 cover and at home he wore GMD newborn prefolds with a thirsties size 1 cover. Periodically we used CJ's BUTTer to keep everything feeling fresh down there.

Babywearing:
I still get a lot of use out of the Moby, but I purchased a second hand Maya Wrap this month. It is a ring sling and Grayson snuggles right into it. I find the Maya Wrap easier to use out of the house because it requires less work to get on and I can quickly take it on as off as we run errands. I believe that with my next baby I may purchase another ring sling instead of using a Moby. As I learned more about newborn holds in the ring sling it just fit.

First time in the Maya Wrap (our technique has improved DRASTICALLY)

Grooming:
Baby hair is still in place & baths are still rare. Little man is seriously low maintenance. The only exception is that his nails grow very quickly & cutting them is an Olympic sport.

pursed lips of concentration

Support:
All of Tim's time off has been a blessing. We bonded as a family and Tim really got to spend time with his son, which can be challenging with a sub schedule.  Tina's visit also came at a great time, with Tim going back to work I had someone to help ease the adjustment period.

Even Lucy is bonding with Grayson:

sniffs of approval

Here are some more pictures from Grayson's second month:

breakfast with daddy

conked out for a midday nap

daddy snuggles can't be beat

sleeping with his arms in the air - makes my heart melt

<3

relaxing in Leslie's lap at the park

Everyday we learn more and more from Grayson, being a parent is difficult and I am thankful that I have such a wonderful partner for the journey. Our little family feels so full of love.

~Katie

Navy Submarine Birthday Ball

In April, during Tina's visit, Tim surprised me with tickets to the Navy Submarine Birthday Ball in Seattle. I left Grayson for a little bit here and there - with mom to go to the grocery store, with Tim to go to a friend's son's birthday party, and with Tina to help some friends move. So I was excited to dress up and go to the ball, but this would be the first time I left Grayson for very long and the first time I would be further than a phone call away (the ball was in Seattle).
Thankfully, Tina was here to take care of our little man so I knew he would be in loving hands. We went the day of the ball to find a dress and I had to try on several since my body was not quite formal dress ready - thankfully it was prom season! And I pumped like crazy to have enough milk to leave for Grayson. We were in such a rush that day & ended up missing the ferry, causing us to drive around the sound to make it to Seattle in time - BUT. Once we were there, Tim and I had a wonderful time :)

Tina wanted to get a few shots of us before we left

We ran into friends from South Carolina 

selfie ;)

At the dinner table

We got there in time for cocktail hour, which was nice because it took us forever to find the ballroom!
We met up with a few friends from the boat & found the right tables, but didn't realize there would be no appetizers. At the Navy Balls in South Carolina there were always hors d'oeuvres on the table to munch on during the speeches. Not the case, and the talking went on for YEARS. We finally got dinner a little after 7 & were starving, but the food was worth the wait & delicious. Then there was MORE talking, we had imagined we would sit down around 5:30, get food around 6, speeches until 7 and then dance until 8 and head home... well we stayed until after 9 and finally left right as the music began. We felt a little like old farts - but we were exhausted, we still had over an hour trip home and I needed to pump like nothing else! Then we left, missed the ferry by 2.7 seconds & had to wait an hour in the car for the next ferry.
Typing it all out, it doesn't sound like a great time, but it was. Tim and I enjoyed the chance to focus on each other, share a delicious meal with our friends & spend lots of time talking about something other than baby stuff (although Grayson came up in conversation at least every 5 minutes).
I have a wonderful husband and I could have a memorable time with him no matter what the circumstance <3

~Katie

Grandmother meets her 4th Grandson

In April, Tim's mom came to visit and meet her newest grandson. It was love at first sight! We got so sidetracked at the airport we forgot to take a picture, but the one we got later was very sweet.

Grandmother and Grayson

 Tim had to spend a lot more time at work while Grandmother was visiting. I wish he had been able to spend more time with his mom, but at least she got lots of cuddle time with Grayson.
The time she was here I was still spending a good bit of time up with Grayson at night. Feedings still took a while and I was running out of placenta pills (which gave me tons of energy) so I was TIRED. Tina was such a blessing and would get Grayson in the morning when he woke up and play with him for me to get a few more minutes of sleep. Aaaaaah, it was wonderful for me and Grayson loved that one on one time with his Grandmother.

When Tina came to visit us during my pregnancy, she gave us this beautiful Willow Tree figurine to commemorate the time in our life. I love the Willow Tree pieces and was very excited to add this to our collection. Now that Grayson is here, Tina picked out two pieces from the Willow Tree collection to symbolize our new parenthood. I am thankful for these beautiful gifts & so proud that they represent our life now - as parents!

Willow Tree figurine to commemorate pregnancy

Willow Tree pieces for new dad and new mom

Aren't they beautiful?

Grayson loved spending time cuddled up with Grandmother, she took these sweet pictures of their nap together <3

See the little submarines on his pajamas?? Grandmother got those for Grayson and he is ADORABLE in them.

Couldn't you just eat these little toes up

Grayson was not originally a fan of bath time and it took all available hands to give him a bath. Once we discovered that a warm towel on the chest kept him warm and calm, Tina was able to get cute little pictures of bath time. Doesn't he look much more content??

I was still scared to bathe him alone, so once Tina went home and Tim was at work he hasn't had any more baths like this. Soon we started putting him in the shower with Tim & Grayson thinks that is so neat to have the water running on him!

Tina has a son (obviously) and she has 3 grandsons who live near her, so she has plenty of experience with boys!! It was so great to see her loving on her newest grandson and I so wish we lived closer so we could all spend more time together. But we are so glad that she was able to come visit us and we can't wait to go to Georgia to visit her!

~Katie

Grayson's First Easter

Grayson's first big holiday was Easter. We expected him to arrive just in time for Easter and bought him an outfit to wear to church. Obviously we didn't have a lot of knowledge on how tiny babies are!! We anticipated him wearing this outfit at less than a week old, but he was OVER one month old at Easter and STILL swam in that thing.
But ooooooh was he adorable.

We would have loved to have spent Easter with our families in Georgia, but since that wasn't a possibility, we were thankful that the three of us were able to spend the day together. We went to church and then came home and took family pictures before grilling out and enjoying the beautiful day.

It was a totally laid back day, we skipped the Easter basket for Grayson since he couldn't really appreciate it (and didn't need anything) and just appreciated our Risen Savior and the little time we had left together before Tim went back to working around the clock.

Here are the family pictures and a couple of Grayson:

Family <3

Easter Sunday

Grayson swimming in his Easter outfit 

 These overalls are suppose to be shorts!! They hit at the ankle at this point.

We tried to sit him up for the next two - he made some HILARIOUS faces. So precious.

Tim got this shot of Grayson and I once we headed back into the house so that we could get his eyes open. It was pretty sunny outside and he never opened them. Isn't he just a doll is those baby blue overalls? They are a 0-3 month size - and he was still solidly in newborn clothes at this point.

In the future we hope that we will have the opportunity to spend all holidays with our extended families. Since last year Tim and I spent Easter apart, we are thankful that we were together this year and were able to celebrate with Grayson!

~Katie

Grayson's First Month

Grayson's first month spanned February 27th - March 26th and boy did it fly by!
My parents were here to visit, my dad for one week & then mom stayed for 2 more weeks. Tim also had most of this time off work so we were really able to bond as a family.

This month Grayson totally mastered holding his head up. He was holding it steady almost from the get go and he was even able to push up on his arms a little bit.
Grayson loves to be worn and since we put him straight into a convertible car seat he spends a lot of time in the Moby. When we are out, around the house for me to get things done, really any time my parents or Tim weren't holding him!
To be honest though, we didn't go out of the house much. This month was spent getting to know our little man and snuggling him as much as we could. He doesn't like to be put down - so it wasn't hard to do!

Breastfeeding:
Grayson was exclusively breastfed for his first month. I encouraged him to latch any chance I got because it is so important for establishing supply. Something we all learned - I have no trouble with lack of supply! I actually have quite the oversupply and we spent this month learning to work around it. His poor little tummy could only take so much at a time & I could have fed a nation. Because Grayson's tummy filled up so quickly, he was only getting foremilk and it was causing LOTS of painful gas for little man. After some research and advice from the blessing that is Amy Hoyt, I learned that block feeding is our solution! Grayson nurses from only one side for 3 hours of time so that he can get the fattier hind milk, really cutting down on the tummy pain. Breast feeding is much more challenging than I thought, but SO worth it! I will do a post a little down the road about my breastfeeding journey - probably when Grayson starts solids.

I have taken a million breastfeeding photos since the 1st month, but it took both hands to help him eat at first... so this is all I have.

Diapering:
We are exclusively using cloth diapers for Grayson. We were so excited to put his first one on at the hospital and the nurses and doctors thought it was neat! Because he was only 6lbs at birth, all of his newborn diapers we still too big and we started with the newborn GMD prefolds and prowrap newborn covers. I wish I had taken some good pictures because he was so precious in them! After a couple of weeks he easily fit into his newborn diapers & we haven't had any trouble keeping them washed & clean. Ask me ANY questions about it - I would recommend cloth to everyone!

Can you even stand how cute that little behind is???

Cosleeping:

Grayson is the snugglist little bunny at night. We knew our plan was to cosleep and I did lots of research on safe cosleeping before Grayson arrived. Once he was here; however,  it took me a couple of nights to get the logistics down. Night 1: no sleep, I was still on that birth hight!! Night 2: I kid you not, I slept somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. I just couldn't figure out how to nestle him next to me in a way that felt safe, so I just sat in the hospital bed holding him all night. Night 3: Sleeping bliss! I found that Grayson will sleep like a rock on my chest and I sleep like a rock on my back with both of my arms around him. 

GLORIOUS! Once we got home he went right to my chest at bed time & when he would wake up to nurse I could feel him squirm instantly. Granted then we might be up for an hour trying to figure out the latch and the milk spraying 10 feet across the room, but once we were ready for sleep, it was so good.

Since I take almost all of the pictures, there aren't any of Grayson sleeping on my chest; however, when I got up to go to the bathroom one night, I transferred him to Tim's chest & got this sweet shot:

I can't imagine Grayson sleeping anywhere but in my arms. For our family, I just couldn't put the tiny human that just spend 9 months inside of me all alone in his crib. 

Babywearing:

I mentioned this further up, but Grayson LOVES to be worn. He is the kind of baby that needs to be held and my Moby fit the bill for the first month. I love the benefits of babywearing, especially at first when baby is meant to be right up close to mommy. We chose not to purchase a stroller, so you will hear lots more about babywearing at Grayson gets bigger & we try out different methods

nice and close in the Moby wrap

Grooming:

Grayson was born with a good bit of hair, and it stayed put the whole first month, hurray! It is so fluffy and soft and pretty dark brown.

Grayson's umbilical stump fell off after only 7 days. I was honestly pretty relieved because I felt anxious trying to keep it clean and dry. After that, he received his first bath (we chose to leave him unbathed at the hospital to get the full benefit of his vernix) and let's just say... he is not a fan. We gave him (I think) 2 baths this month. He is not a fan and we don't plan to make them a regular occurrence since we can just wipe him down easily. He was much happier once he was dry, lotioned up and diapered:

Cutie patootie little monsters diaper. 

We are using California Baby soap & Earth Mama Angel Baby lotion for Grayson.

Support:

I have been blown away by the support after Grayson's birth. Tim has had so much time off from work and has been able to attend to everything. My parents were able to come out after 10 days & they have been a huge blessing and an extra 2 sets of arms to hold Grayson. And my friends have brought me to tears with their generosity - we had a delicious meal delivered right to our front door every night through my parents first night here. Our family is so blessed to be surrounded by such love.

Placenta: 

I heard so many things about hormonal rollercoasters after giving birth. I am already a very anxious person & I felt in my heart that the post partum period could be scary for me, so I had my placenta encapsulated and tinctured. If you are pregnant this is something I would STRONGLY recommend. I had more energy and felt more even keel after Grayson was born than before!! I took a few capsules each day & my body's shift back to normal has been so smooth! Ask me if you have any questions. It isn't nearly as gross as it sounds & it was a life saver for me!

Here are some additional sweet pictures of Grayson's first month:

Month one was a huge blessing and a huge learning curve. I don't think you can ever prepare yourself for the task of parenting, but I learned more in Grayson's first month than I knew possible. I can't imagine how we did without him before he arrived. I am falling more and more in love every day.

~Katie

Newborn Photos

The talented Ashley Jones (who was also my doula) of Back to Basics Birth did a newborn photo shoot for Grayson when he was two and a half weeks old. We had a huge block of time set up and, to be honest, I wasn't sure why it would take so long. GEEZ, do you have any idea how hard it is to get photos of a newborn??? We even ran over our time slot!

First, Grayson wouldn't stay asleep or even still. He was looking around, moving, pooping, getting hungry and just generally not cooperating with pictures for most of the session. Up until this point Grayson had been sleeping most of the day, so either he was super interested in what we were doing, or this was the start of spending more time alert. We had a great time, but there was definitely a moment when Grayson was set up for a photo and I had to hover over him with my boob out to soothe him. Hilarious. 

Toward the end of the session Grayson tuckered out & we were able to get some sleepy shots, but Ashley captured this little guys personality so well throughout the whole session.

I am so glad we opted for the newborn shoot, I will cherish these forever.

~Katie