16lbs - Day 4

Today I am so thankful for 16 lbs. Today Grayson weighs 16bls. We ventured out to the doctors this morning for G’s 9 month check-up. Brian and I have spent about a week going back and forth on how much G would weigh at this check-up; 14lbs, 17lbs, or somewhere in between. I was really hoping that we would be above 15lbs. 

Now of course they always give us his measurements in metric, and I get to a computer and find the conversion to a useful measurement.

I’m so thankful that G is doing so well and getting so big. And I’m thankful that we don’t have to go for weekly weight checks. 

I miss the days of my little 5lb bean but I’m so thankful for 16lbs and that he’s getting big and strong. 

Coconut PadThai - Day 3

There are times when meal planning just doesn’t work. This weekend we did not make it a priority to plan our menu, so when dinner came around last night there was no clear choice for what to make for dinner. And to be honest I had no idea what we had in the house, other than chicken. So to the pantry I went. And found nothing – well pistachio pudding, but that doesn’t really go well for dinner. Then after rooting around in the back corner I found a can of coconut milk. And I rooted around in the fridge and found the remnants of a bottle of PadThai. And so dinner was created. Rice with chicken cooked in coconut PadThai. And even more than just that I got dinner on the table, it’s something that we would make on purpose again.
I’m so grateful that I’ve learned my way around the kitchen enough to make dinner from what seems like nothing.

35 Years - Day 1

Today I get to celebrate 35 year. No I’m not 35 yet, and I haven’t been married that long, but my wonderful parents have.

35 years ago my parents stood in front of their friends and family and most importantly God, and committed to love each other until their time on earth ended.

So why am I grateful for 35 years? It’s more that not fact that my parents are still married 35 years after their wedding day, or that I have never had to go through my parents divorcing like so many of my friends. I’m grateful for the example that my parents have been to Brian and I of what a God centered marriage really is. The example of the everyday, the example of making it work. My parents have taught us what love really is; love is a choice, especially in marriage. Love is something that we must choose every day by laying down our agenda and putting our spouse first.

I’m not saying that the 35 years have been perfect, but I have never doubted that my parents loved each other as much, if not more, than the day they were married.

I’m so grateful to have been able to witness the last 27 years of their marriage and been loved by them for 27 years too.

Mom and Dad, Thank you for the great example you have been for me, and the example that you will continue to be.

I love you both so much.

100 Days of Gratitude

100 days of gratitude is something I’ve seen a few different people. I’ve always mean to do it but couldn’t find the perfect time. Well I found it.

Today there are 100 days until Grayson’s first birthday. So today I’m going to start 100 days of gratitude.

I’m excited to bring more awareness to myself of what I’m thankful for.

I hope you enjoy reading my 100 days. Let me know if you start your own, I would love to read it. Or if you want to guest post pop me an email.

Have a blessed day!

First Food

Today was a huge milestone in our house. Today Gray finally got to try his first taste of solid food. It’s huge not just because he’s growing up but because after 8 months we get to try him on something other than just me. 3 months ago I didn’t know if I would make it to today being his only source of food. It’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, and not having the ability to use formula as back up made it that much more stressful for me. But we made it. Tomorrow is when Gray should be 6 months old, and even though we cheated by a day, we made it to 6 months corrected and he finally started food.
Here’s a video of his first food. He really enjoyed it. It’s watery but that’s how it's supposed to be I guess, we’ll have to see how the rest of his oatmeal looks tomorrow. I made half a batch and got 8oz. Umm, that’s 16 meals for Mr G.



I’m so happy in today. It was everything I was waiting for.
Blessings!

Self-Control and Exhaustion

Self-control and exhaustion do not seem to mix.
I started back to work last week, full time, and Gray has been going through a growth spurt, I have not slept much at all. So my self-control for things like ketchup chips has gone out the window. I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t have the energy to have the fight with myself not to. I always say “tomorrow is a new day” but I seem to do the same things over and over.
I’m really hoping that after G starts solid food on Friday we’ll be able to sleep a bit more. That he’ll maybe sleep through the night better. I’m praying – please pray with me.

Sorry that the blog has been a bit quiet – We’ve been going through some stuff here, and I’m finally feeling like I have my mojo back.
I’m going to try and post more and get things updated.

Wordless Wednesday

I know this is supposed to be wordless! but this is my first one!! So excited that I remembered to post.

opps - you caught me!

Celebrations - BFing blog hop time!!

Gray and I have had quite the breastfeeding journey. With how early he was they had no expectation that he would even know how to suck, especially nurse.

I remember the first time they let us try. He was about 2 days old, and since he was doing so well, they thought they would let him try nursing, at least to see where we were starting so we knew where we had to get to. He was a natural! He would latch great and have a few good sucks and then come off.  Not bad for a preemie, and a 2 day old. But then we had our share of setbacks and it was another 3 weeks before we were allowed to nurse again. I completely understand the doctor’s decision, it takes a lot of energy to teach him how to nurse, and he didn’t have a lot of energy to waste.


So when we were allowed to start nursing again, it was every 3^rd feeding. He was still getting 100% breastmilk – I was just attached to a pump every 3 hours and he was fed through an NG tube. The first feedings were a bit of a battle. He didn’t want to latch, or if he did he didn’t really want to work at eating. So we would end up giving him most of his feeding through the tube again. We spent a lot of time doing skin to skin, or kangaroo care – whichever you like to call it. And then on February 22^nd he finally got it. And not only did he figure it out again, he took more than he needed to! We would always weigh him to see how much he was taking, and he took about 11ml more than he needed to, almost half an ounce. One of our favourite nurses Seena was across the hall in another pod and heard that our little man was a ‘piggy cheeks’  and came over to see how he was doing.  She was amazed and so happy that we were finally back on track. She’s the nurse that was there the day that we had to stop nursing 3 weeks before and you could tell she was sad for us that day. I’m so happy that she got to share our joy that day.

I think I’ll remember February 22^nd as a great day. February 21^st, not so much, but February 22^nd was a great day for Gray and I. And during the hard days now, I just remember what it was like before that, and these days don’t look so bad.

Gray is almost 7 months old! Just thinking about the fact that 6 months ago he was just starting to nurse, and now he's a champ. Makes all the hard work at the beginning worth it!

Have a bfing celebration to share? Make sure you link up to the BFing blog hop over on LifewithLevi's blog.

First Baseball Game, and Another NIP Adventure

I have nursed Gray in a few unique places in the last bit. While on vacation Gray ate on a ferry, two different speed boats, multiple times on both boats. He ate at his great Aunt Elizabeth’s dinner table with us, and on a dock watching the sunrise.
We added another place to the list of public or odd places Grayson has eaten; the Jay’s baseball game in Toronto.

A few weeks ago we headed to the Jay’s game to take G to his first baseball game. It also happened to be Robbie Alomar day. RA was one of Brian’s favourite baseball players as a child, so it was nice for this game to be his first game.
  

Brian and I had discussed it as on a whim on Saturday night – more of a ha ha we should do this. And when we were on our way to church on Sunday morning we decided that depending on how well G did in the morning, we would decide after church and possibly go. We figured we would grab scalpers tickets. So after church we came home, I fed Gray and Brian packed up the car, and we headed off to Toronto.

We ended up not being able to get scalpers tickets, or any tickets. We were however able to sit in the buffet restaurant, more money than we had thought we would be spending, but we got fed, and we got some great seats in the shade. 

Well you can imagine that between the drive to Toronto and the span of a baseball game, Gray got hungry. So there we were in a stadium fill of over 35, 000 people and I had to nurse my son. I have whipped it out in the NICU hundreds of times, and at church in the nursing mom’s room with all the other moms, but not in front of 35 thousand people. Now I don’t whip it out, not like the woman in the waiting room after G’s little boy surgery  (that’s a whole different story), I use my nursing cover. Not sure if that hinders our quest to make breastfeeding more normal and acceptable, but for me it’s what I’m comfortable with. I got a few odd looks, especially from the male servers in the restaurant, but to be honest, I think they were happy that he wasn’t upset anymore. I got a few odd looks from a some women, most of them not mothers I’m guessing.

I’m getting much more comfortable nursing in public, still not 100% natural yet but I’ll get there. Can’t wait for our next NIP moment; I’ll be sure to blog it.