routine-happy mommy

As much as I wish that I could claim a spontaneous personality, I can't.  I'm a routine kind of girl.  It's not that I'm not flexible, because I believe that I am.  And I like a change every now and again, but I'm in my "zone" when I'm in a routine.  If there are question marks in my future, I obsess until I can turn them into periods with some finality so that I can plan.  I plan so that I know what's coming...so that I can build a new routine around it...it's sick really.

So, now that I have a baby - and everybody knows babies love routines - I'm in my zone.  I love that Griffin loves routine.  He has been such a good and happy baby.  Aside from cutting seven teeth by the time he was six months old, he's pretty good at keeping a routine.  So, I'm going to write down what we do.   This is for Lydia's Memory.

I know, I know.  All of you experienced moms will tell me that every baby is different and my next one will likely do something totally different and I believe you, BUT I would like to have a starting place by remembering what worked for Griffin.  My happy little Griffin.

Here's a little glimpse of our day:

6:00-6:30 (and sometimes 7:00) - Wake up!  Griffin wakes up most of the time smiling and babbling in his bed.  I get him up, change his diaper and feed him.  Then, when he begins to get sleepy again, about an hour and a half later, I feed him some cereal.  Then he's usually ready for a nap.  I take him to his room, turn on his music, give him his blankie, and sit in our big brown chair.  Within a few minutes, he's sleepy enough that I can lay him in his crib and get this:

When he wakes up again, I nurse him.  Then we play or run errands.  He usually gets up between 9:30 and 10:00.  He rolls and moves all over the floor.  He's SO active!  He loves to jump in his jumperoo, too.  I help him sit up and he smiles and laughs at Ollee.  Then somewhere around 11:30, we do the naptime thing again.

He usually wakes up at about 1:00 and I give him a bottle.  I'm working on weaning him and this is the first feeding I'm cutting out.  Griffin is so distractable when he eats.  I have to go to a quiet room and close the door.  He doesn't usually mind some soft music, but if so much as a toilet flushes, he jumps and looks around and is done eating.  What is am I missing?!  There's something going on, Mom, and I'm missing it sitting here eating! :)  Oh - he drinks an 8 oz bottle.

Then we play some more.  We do lots and lots of floor time.  I really hardly put him in his bouncer or swing, but he does get in his jumperoo some.  We sometimes go outside and swing in the swing in the afternoon.  Then at about 3:30, he's ready for another nap, so we do the nap routine again.

Then around 4:30, Griffin wakes up again and I nurse him.  Then I give him a vegetable and some cereal.  He just tried sweet potatoes tonight and LOVED them!  Then we play some more.  We almost always go outside and doe something in the evening whether it is swing again or just walk around.  Chris gets home and so Griffin is usually really excited to get some Daddy time.

At about 7:00, I start getting things ready for Griffin's bath.  He takes a bath and gets all lotioned and pajama-ed up.  The we (and a lot of times Chris with us) got sit in the rocking chairs on the porch and read three or four books.  He is getting to where he LOVES books.  He touches all the  pages and tries to help turn them.  I love it.  Then Chris takes Griffin and holds him for a few minutes while I get things ready to nurse him.  Chris  comes and gives him to me and by about 7:40-45, Griffin is eating ... again.  :)  He nurses, I swaddle him, and lay him in the crib.  Then I go get  Chris and we go back in Griffin's room and pray with him. 

And that's our day...with  Griffin.

Then I - and sometimes Chris with me - almost always eat either chocolate chip cookies and milk or oreos and milk.  I've gotten to where I feel like I completely deserve them!

So, there you go Lydia's Memory.  This is Griffin's schedule at six months old.  Happy remembering.

Miracles

The 2011 Cook Children's Medical Center NICU Reunion!

This is definitely an event I never thought I'd be excited about, much less invited to...but we were.

As soon as we got the invitation, Chris and I both felt like it was an important thing to do.  As it came closer, I got a little bit nervous... we didn't really know what to expect.  Me, doing what I do and knowing what I know about premature babies...well, I was getting a bit, hmmmm, uncomfortable maybe about the thought of possibly seeing lots of children in wheelchairs and being surrounded by the evidence of just how blessed we are to have what we have...I was uncomfortable with how completely and utterly helpless in the hands of my creator I might feel, how humbled, how blessed, how...."why did you protect our baby and not theirs?  what makes us worthy?" ...

And wouldn't you know it?  Our God is so good.  He surrounded us with healthy, happy, energetic, older children running around the lawn...talk about humbled.  I just described what I expected and God demonstrated his complete sovereignty and power by showing me many, many healthy children!!  He's a miracle maker...these babies are born at 24, 25, 28 weeks... and a couple years later they are playing ring toss in the yard...that's pretty cool, God.

So, Chris Griffin and I walked around enjoying the sunshine.  We thanked the staff members we saw and knew, and we celebrated our little miracle.  Our little miracle that I tear up right now trying to fathom how much I love him, and in turn, how much God must love me that he allowed His tiny little miracle to die for me.  Whoa.

Take a look at this miracle:
This is Griffin on Octber 15, 2010 just a few hours after he was born.

 And this is Griffin yesterday kicking and squealing in his new swing:

Praise God!

Okay.  Here a few pics from the NICU reunion.  Chris said this lady with her therapy dog was "gushing" over Griffin and his big blue eyes.  Chris said he almost got a little "misty-eyed" during all of this, too...

 

 Chris and  Griffin - G's just chillin' in the sun!

 Griffin met this little old clown...It was funny.  I did it more for the clown than Griffin!  The clown looked sad and lonely at first, but he perked up.  And Griffin got a sticker that said, "I Hugged a Clown Today" - even though he didn't.  :)  Wasn't that nice of the little old clown?  I just thought he was too cute!

No stinkin' way...

This last month as REALLY flown by...my sweet little bitty teeny tiny itsy bitsy bitty bitty baby is SIX MONTHS OLD! (This is really long and has lots of pictures...but give me a break.  In the grand scheme of things, this blog is really for me to look back at 18 years from now when I'm crying my eyes out because Griffin is leaving for ATM or ACU...so give me break and let me have all the pictures I want. :) )

So, what has Mr. Griffin been up to this month?  Growing TEETH!  He cut his sixth tooth yesterday, the day he turned six months old.  It's just crazy that he has so many!

He also has been LOVING being in his jumperoo.  He really jumps and he really plays with all the toys on it, too.

 

 Griffin also met his new cousin, Bonnie.   And just like everything else in his life, he wanted to put her in his mouth. :)

 Griffin graduated to a new car seat!  Good bye old heavy infant carrier!!  Cup holders here we come!

And with the new carseat, came new adventures at restaurants.  This is how Griffin rolls now:

 Oh - and he's been eating.  LOTS.  He's kept up with his cereal routine:

And he tried avocados...Let's just say they are probably not going to be his favorite.  Look at those trusting eyes...

 How could we give him something so terrible??

These next few are just a few of my favorites...Forgive the big cheesy smile on Griffin's mom's face.

 Okay - some other little points to remember:
- Griffin spent another night by himself with Yogi and BooBoo - and not Mommy and Daddy.  He did even better than the last time!
- Griffin rode on the tire swing at our house for the first time and LOVED it!
- Griffin went to story time at the library with Aunt Rachel and Joey and apparently really likes it - and the puppets they have!
- Griffin is really working on sitting up by himself.  He can do it with his hands on the floor, but not for very long without his hands on the floor.  So far, he's up to 8 seconds with "look mom, no hands!"
- Griffin cut his fourth tooth on 4/6, his fifth tooth on 4/14, and his sixth tooth on 4/15.
- Griffin giggles up a storm when we tickle his fat little thighs
- Griffin just LOVES Ollee.  He has been watching her, but he now reaches for her and giggles when she comes around.  Ollee has been really good with him, too.
- Griffin pushes up on his tummy with his arms completely straight.  He rolls ALL over the floor.  He LOVES to bounce, sitting, standing, any position he's in.
- Griffin likes to help mommy or daddy turn the pages in his books at night.
- One of Griffin's favorite times is right before bathtime when daddy plays with him.  I hear some of the sweetest laughs then (and some of the goofiest sounds from Daddy!)
- Griffin is starting to really recognize Aunt Rachel's house.  He smiles when he realizes he's there.  I love that.  It feels so good to be able to leave him somewhere he's happy.  Thank you forever Aunt Rachel!
- I still call Griffin Boogi, Baby, and Boogi Bear...I hear Chris calling Griffin Stinky Pants sometimes. :)

Griffin, we love you SO much and are so so proud of you.  You have already taught us so much and we are thrilled to continue to watch you grow.  But SLOW down!!  It's all happening way too fast!  I'm doing my very best to absolutely cherish every second I spend with you - even in the middle of the night.  (Those are actually some of my favorite times when I have you all to myself!)  Your dad and I both try so hard to find that balance between loving you  and trying not to spoil you.  We desperately want your happiness, so it's hard to let you cry, but we want to be good parents, too - and it's because you are so special!  For some reason we don't know but are so thankful for, God decided to protect YOU and to allow us to take YOU home for the NICU as a healthy, healthy little boy - when some people we knew did not get to take their babies home as healthy...You are a wonderful miracle and we are called to protect you more and to nurture you and raise you to grow in wisdom and stature like Jesus did.  Thanks for loving us, too, with you beautiful little smile and gurgle-ee giggles and oh-so-wonderful snuggles...Love you forever, Griffers!