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!

FIVE months!!

The five month photos:
Griffin wasn't in the best mood this morning, so I tried again, and then again when he was eating his food later. :)




I can’t believe it’s already been 5 months! I know - everyone says that. But it’s so true. I’ve noticed that as I age time does, in fact, move faster. But now that I have a little guy - time is a speedster!!

So what has Griffin been doing between February 16th and today? A LOT!!

- He loves to laugh and smile. One of his favorite things is .... his daddy! He loves it when Chris takes on of his blankies and drags it lightly across his face. We get some of the cutest chuckles from this.
- He loves to grab onto his Yogi’s beard. ;)
- Griffin is starting to really like bathtime. I don’t want him to grow up to fast, but I think he’s really gonna have some fun when he can sit up in the tub.
- Griffin is the only person in the world that loves it when I sing! He smiles and stays awake and just stares at me when I sing silly songs.
- He loves to eat! He definitely likes oatmeal more than brown rice.
- He loves to snuggle. He will snuggle with a burpie, his softie, or his swaddle blanket. He likes to suck on his blankets, too!
- He likes to sit in his bumbo and watch Chris or I cook.
- Shame on us, but he LOVES TV. I try to have it off during the day, but in the morning we have the news on sometimes and in the evenings we turn it on. It’s crazy, but my sister figured out that he really likes Backyardigans. It soothes him as if I was holding him and bouncing him. We use Uniqua, Tasha, Pablo, Austin, and Tyrone in the evenings if he’s tired and fussy and I still need to eat dinner. :)
- He LOVES his cousins and his Aunt Rachel! He will watch those boys forever!
- Griffin is NOT a fan of being in his car seat these days. He’s not usually very excited about getting in it. I think he just wants to be moving instead of strapped down!
- If you catch him in the right mood, Griffin likes to look at books. He’s starting to grab at the pages!
- Griffin LOVES to watch Ollee. She makes him smile a lot!
- He finally likes to be rocked and I LOVE that. I turn on his music, sit down in the rocker, give him his pacifier and he’s usually gone in a few minutes. I know some people are against rocking, but I am not one of those people. If i create a monster, I’ll deal with it when my monster is not a tiny, sweet, little baby. :)
- He likes to be carried facing out. He wants to know what’s going on!

Okay - and here’s all the new stuff Griffin started doing this month!

- eating food!
- wearing size 2 diapers!
- he’s been in 9 month clothes since right before he turned 3 months
- GRABBING! He can finally reach for toys and put them in his mouth to help with his teething!
oh yeah - did I mention he has THREE teeth?
rolling from tummy to back
- grabbing his knees and feet when he’s on his back
- he LOVES to throw his little feet up in the air. My dad says it looks like he flopping around like a fish!
- his hands are ALWAYS in his mouth and he chomping, chomping, chomping.
- He had his first night away from Mommy! He spent it with his BooBoo and Yogi and all three of them loved every second of it.
- pushing up to straight arms on his tummy, and - here’s the physical therapist in me - doing prone upper extremity weight shifts!
- SITTING UP! Well, to use my PT language again, prop sitting with his arms in front.
- Went on his first road trip to OKC.
- He had his first runny nose this month. I really think it had some to do with teething. He’s really having a hard time with his third tooth and possibly his fourth one!

Griffin, you are SUCH a joy and we can’t wait to see what else is in store!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this month:

Griffin watching his daddy make eggs...
The three teeth!
Griffin and his daddy!
My big sitting boy!
Throwing those legs up in the air...
Loving the jumperoo!
Griffin and Daddy
Yummy!
Cutie pa Tootie!
You can't tell but he's talking up a storm while chewing on that giraffe!

This video is him learning to actually JUMP in the jumperoo:

Four Months

My sweet angel was four months old on February 15. Where have the last four months gone! I can't believe he is a third of the way through his first year. It's bringing tears to my eyes typing it out right now!

This last month has been SO fun, though. He's growing into a happy, happy boy! Griffin, your smile is one of the brightest lights in my life! Here's what you did during your third month:
- rolled over back to tummy
- cut TWO teeth! (bottom)
- laughed for the first time. Your Yogi was bouncing you on his bed and you thought it was great!
- tried food! Yummy, yummy organic brown rice! ;)
- sleeping 10-11 hours at a time. Thanks, Buddy!
- went from a 5 ounce bottle to an 8 ounce bottle!
- You love playing on the floor on you back or tummy, walking around with mommy or daddy (daddy especially because he takes you outside) in the Baby Bjourne, going to Aunt Rachel's, BOUNCING, standing up (with help), and you are really starting to like bathtime!
- you got your first taste of ice cream with your Yogi
- you had your first snow this month!

And these were your stats at the doctor's office:
Weight: 15 pounds 12 ounces, 50th percentile
Length: 25 and 3/4 inches, 75th percentile
Head circumference: I know it was the 75th percentile but I don't remember the centimeters off the top of my head. It will be you the baby book. : /

We love you so much Griffin and I think you should know that your Dad and I pray with you every night. Sometimes your daddy prays and sometimes I do. We pray for all kinds of things for you, but these are some of the things we pray for you every night:
- for you to grow in wisdom and stature like Jesus did
- for God to keep your crib safe and protect you from the Evil One and any plans he may have against you
- we claim your heart, soul, mind, and strength for the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ
- we pray for you to dream big dreams
- we pray for you to sleep soundly
- we pray for you to know our love, and more importantly your Heavenly Father's love
- for your smile and laugh to bring others joy all the days of your life
- and we THANK God for the perfect blessing you are to us!

Enjoy the pictures!

This next one is you and your Daddy doing one of your favorite things:

Your first taste of food!

Sometimes you get really sleepy after you eat, too!


Love you, Boogi!

My little over achiever (wonder where he got it!?)

Griffin has been a little competitive since the very beginning. I choose the word competitive, because I think that's what it is. And he comes by it naturally. :)

First, he wanted to be born before his due date.
He wanted to weight more than any baby should that is born a month early.
He had more hair than newborns are supposed to have...

And now - before he was even 4 months old he got TWO teeth! That's right, two.
He rolls over, back to tummy.
He smiles and laughs...oh how this makes my heart smile. :)

Too bad I cannot get a picture of those little teeth yet. Chris and I keep trying, but G just doesn't want my fingers in his mouth when I'm holding the camera. Any other time he loves it. Go figure!

So here are a few pictures of my happy little guy. You just have to imagine the teeth in there.

I. Am. So. Blessed.

I am so blessed. I have a job. I have a job that wants me to work more than I do. I have a sweet baby that makes going to work really hard! I have a sweet husband who is making sure I have to go to work as little as possible. I have a more than capable sister who is willing to keep my sweet baby while I'm at work. I have NO worries about him while I'm working. He has a great time there. . . . .But it is still SO HARD to go to work. :(

On January 17, I went back to work. I get up at 5:00, pump, take a shower and get ready, load the car, wake up Griffin (if he's not already up) at about 6:00, feed him a bottle, wake up Chris to tell him bye and let Griffin tell him bye, load Griffin in the car, send Rachel a text that we are on our way, and pull out of the driveway at about 6:37 a.m.

I take Griffin in the house where we are greeted with five smiling faces, three of them on heads shorter than me and two of them from mouths missing teeth. Three of them beaming and screaming in delight, practically fighting for who gets to hold Griffin first, bragging that they have just washed their hands (so as not to get Baby Griffin sick.) Griffin smiles back at his cousins (when he's not asleep when we get there.) I kiss him about a thousand times and tell him to have fun. I pick of the diaper bag to take it back with me about twice, while Rachel gently pulls it back off of my shoulder and tells me, "No. Please leave that for us." I laugh at my absent mindedness and turn the corner out of the kitchen to the door, turn to give Rachel one last hug and tear up. . . Still. I'm actually tearing up right now thinking about it.

I run back to my car, pick some good music on my ipod, and drive to work. I love my work. I pump throughout the day, pausing to miss my baby, but really try to stay busy and not worry about not being with him. I get sweet texts during the day, reporting that Griffin has had a big poop, a poop explosion, or has eaten a good bottle and I smile. I try to leave as close to 5:00 as I can.

I pull up to Rachel's house, leave my keys in the car (not running), grab an extra shirt and run into her house where I am again greeted by snaggle-toothed smiles and squeals. "We got Baby Griffin! We got Baby Griffin!" Joey boasts. "Oh good!" I say as Rachel and I exchange smiles relaying how cute Joey is. "I was hoping you have him!"
"Shhhhhhh! He's sleeping!" Joey again squeals, though my calm voice to loud and might wake Griffin.

Sometimes Griffin is awake and sometimes he is asleep when I get there. I change shirts (so as not to share germs from work with him) and pick up my sweet baby who has been loved all day. Truly love.

I am so blessed.

Here are some pictures of Griffin's first day that Rachel took. Rachel says she took the first one after Micah and Conner were convinced that Griffin said "hello!" Ha!