{month 2}

I think every single post may start off with “how are you x months old already?!”. But seriously, Grant, how are you two months old already? Time is FLYING by. I’m fairly certain it’s because we’re on a three hour schedule – as soon as I feed and play with you, it’s time for nap time! When you repeat the same process over and over, it flies by!

You traveled so much during your second month and were loved on by SO many people. We started off your second month by celebrating Christmas with our families. We haven’t started our own traditions yet, since you’re so little, so you’re riding on the coattails of existing traditions that your mama and daddy grew up with. Ever since I was your age, we’ve celebrated Christmas with Granny and Pop on Christmas Eve Eve. We spent the night with Mema & Poppa, and drove to Perry on Christmas Eve morning. After opening presents at Mema & Poppa’s, we drove to Grayson to spend Christmas night with Mimi, G, Aunt Katie, Uncle Corey, and your cousins! You woke up bright and early Christmas morning, before anyone else in the house was awake. Your daddy and I enjoyed some Christmas morning snuggles with you in the quiet of Christmas morning. Once everyone else woke up, we went to find what Santa left you! It’s crazy that he came to see you when you’re only 1 month old, but he loves you so and didn’t want you to not have anything on Christmas morning! That afternoon, after celebrating Christmas with Grandmother, we drove back out to Mansfield to celebrate Christmas with Mema, Poppa, and Uncle Cale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early morning snuggles in the quiet of Christmas morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

the day wore you out, buddy

 

 

 

 

The day after Christmas, tradition continued as we traveled to Hilton Head with the Garner clan. Normally, Mimi, G, Aunt Addie, & Uncle Rusty make this trip too, but they were all in Indianapolis awaiting the arrival of your new cousin! Amelia was born on December 27^th. I thought you were a big baby when you were born – she was a 10 pounder! But she’s 10 pounds of cuteness, buddy boy! While we were in Hilton Head, you got sick for the first time. You woke yourself up choking from coughing so hard on Sunday night. It broke my heart to see you so incredibly pitiful. You coughed, ate, and slept for about 48 hours straight. We took you to an Urgent Care facility on Tuesday, where they told us you basically had a cold and there was nothing we could do. Your daddy and I constantly sat in a steamed up bathroom with you, trying to keep you comfortable. I’ve never felt so helpless. Once we were home from Hilton Head, we took you to Children’s Healthcare Urgent Care. I felt better knowing we were seeing a doctor who specialized in babies (the HHI urgent care doc was pretty haggard looking – he walked in with his shirt half untucked, his tie loosened, and a button missing on his shirt). The pediatrician told us that you had bronchiolitis, which is fairly common in babies, and can be the gateway to RSV. It’s simply a virus in the airways that has to work itself out. Luckily, we caught it in time and you didn’t have to have breathing treatments, nor did you have to be hospitalized like so many other babies.

this is what you looked like the majority of the week

zonked out with your cousins after a day of shopping

poor baby, you broke my heart.

snoozing with your daddy. he's such a good caretaker of both of us.

towards the end of the week, you were slightly more alert. Millie Kate worked so hard to make you smile. She's such a big helper when you're upset, too. She sings twinkle twinkle to you, and you settle down EVERY time. I've tried doing the same, and it doesn't work. she's got a special touch with you.

Once we were home from Hilton Head, I spent the next two weeks trying to reset our schedule. We’d been working on a loose BabyWise schedule prior to the holidays. But because you’re so stinking cute, everyone wanted to hold you over Christmas. I can’t blame them! Then you were sick in Hilton Head, and we threw your schedule to the wind in favor of lots of love and snuggles. You’ve gotten used to falling asleep in someone’s arms, and/or being rocked to sleep. As sweet as that is, it’s going to be nearly impossible when mama goes back to work, so we worked on naps in your crib and sleep time in your rock and play. Some nights have been more successful than others. You typically go to bed around 7pm, after our bedtime routine – bath, lotion & PJ’s, story time, prayers, then bed. I know you’re too young to understand the books I read to you or the prayers I pray over you, but there’s something that is so comforting to me about our bedtime routine. I hope you grow up feeling that comfort and love from both your daddy and I. Around 9:30 before we go to bed, I “dream feed” you, or feed you without fully waking you up. You’ll sleep through until about 2:00am, where your daddy or I will feed you again. This usually holds you over until our super early wake up time of 5:00am.

You've been sleeping in mama and daddy's room in your rock & play. It's just made it easier when I've been feeding you in the middle of the night. There's even been a few nights that you've slept in bed with us..whoops (hey, a mama's gotta do what a mama's gotta do to get some rest!). On Sunday night, we moved your rock & play into your room, and tonight we're trying you out in your crib for the first time! I've been watching the monitor like a hawk!

 

oh how I love those bright eyes of yours.

 

You had your first time in the nursery at North Metro on January 11^th. You’re in the newborn class with a bunch of other babies whose parents are in mommy & daddy’s life group class. I hope you grow up in this church with lots of close friends. I love that there are so many babies who are so close to your age.

 

You’ve started smiling at us now! Daddy could get you to smile while playing peekaboo with you, but you refused to smile at your mama. I finally was able to get a smile out of you at 7 weeks. And it’s so stinking cute! I’m 100% willing to act like an idiot to get you to smile at me. I can’t get enough of it!

I replay this video at 3 am when he's crying - it keeps me calm :)

During the last weekend of your second month, we traveled to Indiana to meet your new cousin, Amelia. It was the first time all 5 of you cousins were together at once! It was craziness, but so much fun! The ride there and back was a different story. You did fairly well on the way up there – we only had to stop once to soothe you…once you start crying in your car seat, you overheat and refuse to stop screaming. Of course, as soon as I pull you out of your car seat, you are perfectly fine! The trip to and from Indiana should take around 8 hours…our trip home took 11.5 hours. We literally had to stop every 50 miles to calm you down. I thought your daddy may drop you off at the nearest truck stop. We can handle your crying, but it’s nearly impossible to listen to your screaming lungs for 500 miles in a cooped up car!

where's grant?

 Once we were home from Indiana, your daddy and I rushed to get you fed, bathed, and in bed. We had a brand new week to prepare for! Mama started working again on January 20^th, which means you had to go to day care. Your daddy and I dropped you off, and I spent so much energy trying to not cry. I haven’t been apart from you longer than two hours, and even then, Poppa and/or Mema watched you. It killed me to leave you in the arms of some stranger who didn’t know what your cries meant, or the way you like to be held after you’ve eaten. I didn’t know how much I would miss you until I boo-hoo’d pulling out of the parking lot all the way to work. Your teachers said you did great your first day. They tried to lay you down for your nap, and you cried and cried. Your teacher picked you up, and you immediately stopped crying to fall asleep. I believe that’s what we call spoiled, buddy boy.

Your mama is even more exhausted now than she was when you were born. We try to go to sleep by 9:30 in order to be as rested as possible. However, there is so much to do to get ready for the day, we’re lucky to be in bed by 10:30. Mama has to wake up at 4:15 to get ready for the day before waking you up at 5:15 to eat! I hate that you go to bed at 7:00. We don’t get much time together in the evenings – we went from spending 24 hours a day together to spending about 3 hours a day together. I took your snuggles for granted when I stayed home with you – now I can’t get enough!

it's gross, but the first time you puked on me, I had no clue what to do. thank you for waiting two months though - I appreciate it.

I try not to let you watch too much tv. I had you facing the back side of the couch while I started supper. I checked on you to find this - you had somehow arched your body around to watch ESPN. you are your daddy's boy.

ohhhh laaaaaaaadies...

 

 you've found your hands and it's the most adorable thing!

 

 

Your two month check-up is coming up on January 30^th. I can’t wait to see how big you’ve gotten! You’re beginning to fill out some of your 3 month clothes. We’ve moved you up to a size two diaper for night times. You can wear a size one still, so we keep you in those during the day – don’t want them to go to waste! You and Cooper are quickly becoming friends. He’s still not a fan of your crying, but you love grabbing onto his fur (and he actually lets you). Cooper still can’t figure out why you won’t play fetch with him, though. He brings his toy and drops it at your feet, just begging to play!

 

Oh, Grant. I can't wait to see how your personality shines in the coming months. You are (at least) 11 pounds of sweet, snuggly goodness. In only two months you've taught me things about myself that I didn't know - like I am, in fact, able to function on 3 hours of sleep. Your daddy and I pray each and every day for God to protect you, mold and guide your heart to Him, and to give us the grace, patience, and knowledge to be the best parents we can be for you. You, my dear, are my favorite.

 

aaaaand we're out.