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

Grayson's Fourth Month

 Grayson's fourth month was from May 27th to June 26th. This month he started playing with toys and found that his two favorites were attached to the ends of his arms!! Grayson was happiest in the morning this month - he is definitely his father's child.

Playing with toys

Growth:
This month Grayson weighed in at 12lbs 14oz. He is still in 0-3 month clothes. Grayson is progressing just as expected and, as I mentioned above discovered toys. He loved to swat at them and learned what his hands can do. Discovering his hands was a big milestone this month, they were not only used to play with toys, but they were a toy in themselves. Grayson keep his hands in his mouth a good bit of the time, mostly chewing on them. The chewing coincided with more drool and fussiness so we purchased Grayson's first amber necklace.
An amber necklace helps relieve drooling and fussiness caused by teething and, although we did not expect Grayson's first tooth to break through any time soon this is a good time to put it on so that he is use to the necklace before he can play with it. As soon as it arrived I popped that bad boy on & Grayson's drooling was greatly reduced. I'm sure we have all seen the babies with soaked shirts, having to wear bibs all the time - Grayson is no longer that baby! He is dry and comfortable and now just chewing on his hands as a means to explore himself.

How hilarious is this face!

Breastfeeding:
This month breastfeeding was a breeze. Grayson was waking up at my bedtime and usually two other times during the night. We learned to nurse while I lie on my side and he lies facing me, this way we can both naturally fall asleep as he has a midnight snack. This skill is really key for getting more sleep and I have to say, we LOVED it. So cozy, lights stay off and sleep is increasing!
I didn't snap any breastfeeding photos this month - probably because we slept through it all! Not really, but for some reason, photos were slim pickings this month. We must have been very busy.


Co-Sleeping:
Although side-lying breastfeeding means that I was getting much more sleep this month, sometimes I do have to hop up for a midnight bathroom break and this is an example of what I come back to! Don't worry - Grayson does not sleep on the pillows, I laid him there while I was up. Also, can you tell that his diaper is HUGE, he looks twice his size in the nighttime fitteds.
Clearly, co-sleeing was still going well this month. Nothing changed from last month other than more sleep for all!

snoozin'

Well something changed... since Lucy isn't allowed to co-sleep she has decided she will just make her own bed... in the crib. She was obsessed with sleeping in here this month. I just took her out at Grayson's bedtime  & shut the door.

Just making a little cozy bed

Diapering:
This month we ran into our first real diapering issue. Toward the end of the month Grayson developed a little rash.  I used RLR laundry treatment in an attempt to get out whatever was bothering him, but by the end of his 4th month we hadn't figured out where exactly the rash was coming from. I started to suspect that yeast was involved and treated with coconut oil and topical probiotics, but that only kept it at bay (spoiler - I figure it out next month).
This month we started using Bumgenius Elemental diapers and Swaddlebees Simplex diapers for trips out of the house. I really liked the all-in-one aspect of them and how easy they were to change when out of the house.

Babywearing:
This month my Tula Baby Carrier arrived!!! It, along with the ring sling kept Grayson close and happy for his fourth month. The Tula is a soft structured carrier that is made to keep baby's hips in an ergonomic position. It is perfect for long lengths of time because it disperses weight through my midsection and torso. I wore Grayson in it for walks most days of the week with my friend Bri and her son, Justice.
We still loved the ring sling, but it honestly may have gotten a little forgotten about this past month.

Right after we got the Tula

Grayson visits the Poulsbo Marine Center in the Tula

We still have love for the ring sling

Grooming:
This month Grayson started taking showers with Tim. Tim held him in the water, which he MUCH preferred to a bath, and I leaned in and wiped him down with a washcloth. This went really well. Although, we still only bathed Grayson once every couple of weeks. He wasn't mobile enough to get dirty and we wanted to make sure his natural barrier stays intact.
It took both of us to shower Grayson, so there were no pictures of it... but he really loved to be under the water. So cute!

My clean little man. Look at that love.

Other new things this month:
-Grayson will pull a blanket off his face and try to hide with it.
- When I fold clothes next to him, Grayson will pull the folded ones out of the pile!! He is such a big laundry helper.
- We finally captured a smile!! Check it out, he just melts my heart.

peek-a-boo

folding clothes with mommy

look at that little grin, can you even stand it?

our sweetest love

~Katie

Grayson's Third Month

Grayson's third month lasted from April 27th to May 26th. At three months he weighed 11lbs 1 oz and was 23 inches long. This month we celebrated Cinco de Mayo, attended our Centering class reunion and Tim had to go underway for the first time in Grayson's life.

 Growing:
Grayson weighed 11lbs 1oz and was 23 inches long. He is fully in 0-3 month clothes and I have begun to pack away his tiny newborn stuff. It's so bittersweet to pack those things away. It is exciting to see my baby grow and know that I will use them for our next baby, but it makes me a little sad to know that he will never be so tiny again.
On May 19th he rolled front to back for the first time. Now, any time I place him on his stomach he flips right to his back!

Start of the roll...

middle of the action...

roll complete!!

My favorite development this month was Social Smiling!! Grayson is such a grinner now! It is so very rewarding to see his face light up when he sees me or when I talk to him. Unfortunately, I do NOT have a picture of these sweet smiles because anytime I aim the phone at him he sobers RIGHT UP! Which means none of Grayson's grandparents have been able to see this favorite new skill. It will come though!

Grayson was smiling right before this picture. I hold up the phone and... this. 

Co-Sleeping:

Toward the end of this month we began to place Grayson in his crib around 7pm for a bedtime. I put him in a fitted diaper with a cover (big boy nighttime diapers - last all night), give Grayson a baby massage with coconut oil, read a bedtime story and finally nurse Grayson to sleep before placing him in the crib. 

Once Tim and I are ready for bed, around 9:30 or 10pm I bring Grayson into bed with us. He is usually ready for another feeding by then anyway and he spends the rest of the night in bed with us. 

Night feedings are much easier now that Grayson does not need a diaper change throughout the night. He is usually not fully awake and falls right back to sleep while he is eating. This is a huge improvement because he fully woke up and cried when he needed to be changed.

Co-sleeping is really the perfect fit for our family. We all sleep so well and I know Grayson is safe and secure.

Naps all still happen in arms. We haven't quite worked them out yet.

bedtime snuggles with daddy

taking a nap in the ring sling 

napping in the car

napping on my legs (one of the first pretty days outside)

 Breastfeeding:
Grayson was exclusively breastfed for his third month and breastfeeding really took off this month. We are both pros and I feel totally comfortable nursing Grayson in lots of situations now that he latches easily and has more control over his feedings. We have really worked through the lip tie issue making night time feedings easier as well.
Grayson is eating on demand, and although he enjoyed using his pacifier this month he is still eating just as frequently.
The coolest thing that happened with breastfeeding this month was eating in motion!! Grayson has been able to eat while I am wearing him, meaning we get lots more done. He spent several days in a growth spurt where he cluster fed from around 4pm to bedtime. The cluster feeding made it almost impossible to cook dinner and Tim couldn't help because he was at work until very late each evening. Once I figured out how to position Grayson to comfortably eat in the baby carrier (we used a bjorn this month - thanks for the loaner Bri!! - while waiting on the new Tula patterns to come out) we were good to go!! He cuddled in and ate while I chopped veggies. HUGE success.
We are looking forward to a long a successful breastfeeding relationship!

eating in the bjorn!! 

sleepy guy with a good latch despite the lip tie

Cloth Diapering:
This month, Grayson moved up in the world of cloth diapers. As I mentioned in the co-sleeping part, Grayson slept in fitted diapers with a cover. He still wore the newborn fitteds and covers out and prefolds with covers at home; however, he went up a size in prefolds and is now in the infant size. Still rash free. We applied CJ's BUTTer occasionally but were still using the first 1oz sample container we had when he was born.
I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but we are also using cloth wipes I purchased from an Etsy shop in a wipes warmer with solution (from The Balm! Juice Those Wipes). This makes diaper changes so much more pleasant for Grayson and I feel like he is getting cleaner than with just water. I was worried that the warm wipes might make diapers changes on the go more difficult, since he would be use to warm wipes, but Grayson hasn't seemed to mind at all.

Grayson's booty is HUGE at bedtime in his big boy fitteds

Baby wearing:
This month I started getting better at using the Maya wrap and attended a meeting of the local baby wearing group (they are now a chapter of Baby Wearing International). I learned a lot more about different baby wearing options and saw some demonstrations on how to wrap babies and use soft structured carriers. I was also able to try out a few soft structured carriers.
My friend, Bri let me borrow her BabyBjorn carrier this month. They are not ideal for larger babies due to the narrow crotch support, but it was perfect for Grayson. He was just the right size to fit perfectly, stay supported and snuggle securely for walks around the neighborhood.
I looked into the Tula baby carrier this month and know that it will be our ideal soft structured carrier once Grayson has outgrown the BabyBjorn.
The best part of baby wearing with the Bjorn is that Tim feels comfortable using it! He was uncomfortable in the Moby wrap and doesn't want to try the Maya Wrap, but the Bjorn is right up his ally. It is easy to adjust and put on & once Grayson is in it there is no more adjustment needed to make sure he is secure.
Baby wearing has made my life so much easier. For example, nursing while hands free as I mentioned above and getting in and out of stores quickly without lugging a stroller. Grayson is also much less fussy when he is worn and can see all the action!

Starting our morning in the Maya Wrap!

sweet nose kisses in the Bjorn (excuse my wild hair)

Support:
It is great to have friends with children around the same age. There was no family visiting during Grayson's third month and Tim was gone for a week of it! I don't know how I would get by without the great support system of friends that I have built here. I have awesome friends like Bri who let me borrow her baby supplies and watched Grayson while I went to the dentist. I also have Maurine whose son is three weeks younger than Grayson. We were able to get Henry and Grayson together while our husbands were gone for a baby playdate - and much needed mommy time! Leslie has also been showering me with sweet gifts that she found to be helpful when her kids were young. Really, I am blessed beyond belief. I have a hard time making friends, but somehow I have managed to find myself surrounded by moms who have been there - done that, moms who are right where I am, and friends who are willing to lend a hand and a prayer to help me get through!
Oh, did I mention that my friend Jamie came by to watch Grayson while I took a much needed break to go to the grocery store alone?! LIFE SAVER.
Not to mention that Tim and I continue to find ourselves on the same page for parenting decisions time after time!

Maurine with our little men!

 Another month of challenges and triumphs. Being a mom is really a whirlwind, I am thankful I will have these memories to look back on because I am sure Grayson will be in high school within the next week!

~Katie

We Missed You, Daddy

Tim went underway in May for the first time since Grayson was born. He was only gone for a week and, since in the future he will be gone for much longer, it gave us a chance to see how Grayson and I would get along without Tim's help. 

The week was long and I don't look forward to Tim's future patrols, but it didn't throw Grayson off as much as I was worried it would.

When Tim got home Grayson was thrilled. I didn't know exactly how he would react, only being 3 months old, but he knew exactly who Tim was and went right to his daddy! I took this picture right when Tim got home. Grayson cuddled in and fell right to sleep!

I love the relationship that Tim and Grayson have. He lights up any time he sees his daddy. I had this fear in the back of my mind that Grayson would be older before he had a strong connection with his dad - because of Tim's long long work hours and having to spend time away from home - but that is entirely not the case. Grayson knows how much his daddy loves him because he makes all the time he IS home count. 

It's so true that seeing your husband be a daddy makes you love him in a whole new way!

Grayson missed his daddy while he was underway!

~Katie