Baby Shower #2 - Feeling blessed...

My loved ones threw me a Baby Shower to welcome Baby Brother into the family. It was held at my sister-in-law Melody's house and we had a really great time.

Here is the awesome cake - I loved it!



Me with Mom



Baby Griffin with his Mommy, his Mamaw, his Nana, his Meemaw, and his Grandmama! Lucky boy!



"Big Brother and Little Brother" shirts - so cute! I can't wait to use these!

Nine friends and family members from all over the country got together to surprise me with a BRAND new Chicco stroller travel system. I still can't believe it.

Big Brother Jack was not forgotten. He was so excited to wake up from his nap to see gifts for him! This Baby Brother thing might not be so bad after all!

Final hair update... I promise.

Not sure how much you can tell from the pics, but it is much shorter and feels a lot lighter. It takes me no time to fix it!

Okay NOW, I am officially ready to have another baby.

:)

Swimming with Daddy

Jack Everett performs a few new swimming tricks at 'Aunt' Tracy's backyard pool. Everything is a little crazier with Daddy. His jumps are sillier, he counts faster and he is much more of a dare-devil! This video is super washed out... Jeff is not THAT white!

Dads are the best!

Raise your hand if you're getting bigger!!!

"I am!"

Baby Griffin (shown here, waving his hand) barely passed his tests this morning, growing just enough to buy another week in the womb. They moved the measurement sonogram up a week, and measured his growth today, instead of July 3rd. He weighed in at just over 4 1/2 pounds, which puts him in the 11th percentile for a 35-weeker. The Perinatologist sent me over to my OB who determined that his lungs are still not quite ready for delivery, and postponed it for another week. He will undergo the repeat BPP and NST tests on July 3rd, and we will meet with the OB on Wednesday, July 9th to review the results and officially schedule this little one's birthday.

While he (and Mommy) are both measuring smaller than we would like, Jeff and I are encouraged by his growth and by his strong vitals. We know he will be just fine. Now, we just can't wait to meet him.

For now, we pray that he will turn head-down before we have to deliver. He is still in the breech position, so delivery at this point would require a c-section. We will do what we have to do for a safe delivery of a healthy baby, but would certainly like to have as natural an experience as possible.

Jack's getting bigger, and Mommy's letting go.

Today I was reminded how big Jack Everett really is. When you are a stay-at-home Mom with one child (and one who protests very little about most things) it is easy to lose track of how old he really is, or what other kiddos his age are doing. Today seemed to be a day of realizations for Mommy.

• We met Jeff for lunch at Hungry Horse and Jack dialed the number to call him at work... all by himself.
• He got himself dressed, from head to toe, and combed his own hair.
• When we got to the restaurant, Jeff and I decided to let him sit in a booster instead of the highchair. Like I said, he has never protested the highchair before, so we have certainly enjoyed that he stays in it. He wiggled in the booster, but did really well sitting like a big boy in the booth next to Daddy.
• After lunch, I took him to a real Barber Shop for the first time - complete with red and white striped barber pole. He looked so big sitting perfectly still in the chair next to grown men - no need for cartoons, a fire truck chair, or candy.
• Then, we went to Target and he asked if he could walk next to me instead of riding in the cart. I debated whether to open that can of worms, since I have NEVER (not even once) allowed him to walk in a store when a basket is available. He did great.
• In the restroom, he could reach the sink, the soap, and the paper towels all by himself.
• When we got in the car, I looked back and he had buckled his own carseat and put on his sunglasses. "I'm ready to go!" He looked so big with his new handsome hairdo and cool shades.

In a few short weeks, Baby Brother will be sitting in the highchair and riding in the grocery cart. I will be dressing him and buckling him in. Jack will have to do a lot more for himself. Today I realized he is much more ready than I had realized. It's kinda sad, but also exciting.

When we finally got home, he asked if he could skip his nap.

"You're big, but not THAT big, buddy!"

Tiring day...

I am feeling more worn out these days, and I think it is starting to wear on Jack Everett a little as well. Trying to rest with an almost-four-year old is hard, especially when you are committed to keeping the television turned off. Today was especially hard. Baby brother was in an uncomfortable position, Mommy was downright exhausted, and Jack was wound like a top.

I finally caved and decided to let him watch a movie in the middle of the weekday... an extremely rare treat. I promised we could watch it only if he would lay down and let Mommy rest during the movie. (Meaning: Don't ask me a million questions during it.) He had borrowed "Prince of Egypt," the animated Disney story of Moses. It was PG so I decided if I watched it WITH him, I could turn it off if it got too scary. Well, I got too uncomfortable and migrated to the living room for a while and in a few minutes heard him crying. "Mommy, come get me!!" Tears were streaming down his cheeks! "Princess Egypt is scaring me!" I said, "Honey, tell Mommy what part scared you." He couldn't even talk. He was seriously crying, holding onto me with his little face buried in my shoulder.

I felt terrible. Obviously I can't say, "Honey, Moses isn't real. It's just pretend." I just said, "God was protecting Moses. God keeps Jack safe like he kept Moses safe." He finally calmed down and explained the scary staff that turned into a big huge snake in the desert. That does sound pretty scary.

It's funny, as tired as I am today, I know that in four short weeks (or fewer!) I will be reminded of what tired really is. Lucky for me, he still took his nap from 2-4 (a nap to which I have become VERY accustomed.) He had no bad dreams.

Well, if he did, I slept right through them.

U.S. Olympic Trials - Gymnastics

We like to watch the Olympic trials with Jack because he then re-enacts what he sees onscreen. (The same is true for "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol" for that matter.) Well, here he is on his own gymnastics stage made of carefully laid blankies showing us his "super cool tricks." He did this over and over, laying out a new stage each time. The Spiderman jammies (top from Aunt Sharon's set, bottoms from Nana's set) help make his somersaults possible.

Listen carefully - Jack Everett busts out with a new phrase in the middle of this video that cracks up both me and Jeff.

Each "summer sott" is followed by, "Wanna see it again, Mommy?" I wonder what Little Brother will think of his Saturday night entertainment.

"Abracadabra!..."

Jack Everett, as do most three-year-old boys, believes he is an amazing magician.

Here are some pics of him at a local restaurant performing the classic magic trick, "Guess Which Hand?" This trick can be played with any object, but it is most effective when the object is smaller than the magician's closed fist. This tiny magician, however, doesn't care. He still thinks his trick is pretty amazing.

"Guess which hand has the red "JACK" necklace?"

"Are you sure?"

Paw Paw "accidentally" picks the wrong hand...

... which totally cracks up the magician! (and his Mommy!)

This is one of his many tricks that he finds extremely funny, even after dozens and dozens of identical consecutive performances.

Is she STILL talking about that hair?!

Yes, I am. But, it's my blog!

I fixed my own hair this morning, and realized I really wanted it even shorter. So, Anna ("K.Charles Aveda Salon" 210-403-0955), being the best hairdresser ever, is going to re-cut it Wednesday morning at 9:30am. It only took about one hour in the heat today to remind me that I want it completely off my neck, and I cannot handle standing under the blow-dryer too long getting ready. Hard to believe I used to deal with really long hair.

So, believe it or not, there will be even more to come on this subject.

I know... the "public" can hardly wait.

Little Champ comes through again!

Great news. The little guy's vitals were super strong again during this morning's tests! He will stay in for another week, and I am starting to relax as we get closer to the due date (July 29th.) I think his growth just stalled for a bit there and gave us a scare, but my instinct tells me we are back on track and little bro might just go the distance!

The only thing wasn't downright perfect was that he is still in a breech position (feet down.) He already wants to sit up and see what's going on, but he will need to flip over soon before he runs out of room. Big Jack turned around the day before he was born, so I have hope that this one will follow suit.

I gained four pounds in a week. All I needed was a doctor to tell me I needed to gain weight. Now, there's something I know how to do. All week as I ordered queso or poured a glass of chocolate milk, I would simply say to myself (or to Jeff) "It's Doctor's orders!" Let's hope some of that is baby weight. We'll find out at July 3rd's fetal measurement sono.

Thanks again for the prayers. We are looking forward to another great weekend as a family of three... about five more weeks to go!

One last sassy haircut before baby!

"Should I go shorter or grow my hair out??" The debate is over - SUPER SHORT it IS!!

I went for one last short haircut before baby. My mind was made up by the fact that I am already hot all the time, and hair on my neck causing me to sweat sure doesn't help matters!





I love it, and Jeff likes that I like it! (ha) My stylist (Anna at "K.Charles Aveda Salon" 210-403-0955) and I keep discussing doing something about my increasing amounts of gray, but I refuse. Short hair requires a fresh cut every six weeks - I sure couldn't afford the cost of color on top of that. Plus, having a house full of boys will only bring more gray, so I might as well embrace it! Mother Nature, bring it on!

Oh, so here are a few tummy pics while we're at it.



Our second round of testing (BPP and NST) is tomorrow morning, and my sis-in-law Melody is coming with me for moral support and a sneak peek at the nephew. I will be sure to post the results when I get back home. I am optimistic, and feel like I have definitely grown this week, so hopefully he has too!!

More silly one-liners...

[Leaving Grant's awesome birthday party, sulking...]
Jack Everett (in whiny voice): "I don't WANT to go home. I want to stay at the party."
Mommy: "I know. Birthday parties are so much fun. What is your FAVORITE thing about birthday parties?"
J: "Staying there."
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[Really hard animal guessing game, Round #427... Jack's turn...]
Jack: "I have FIVE feet. I crawl in the mud and I have sharp teeth."
Mommy, after several guesses: "I give up."
J: "I am a crocodile!"
M: "But Jack, crocodiles only have FOUR feet!"
J: "I know. That other foot was just pretend."
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Jack: "Daddy, do you know what's Spanish for marshmallow?"
Daddy: "No, do you?"
J: "It's Charm. Charm is the Spanish word for marshmallow. That's why it's called Lucky CHARMS."
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[In the parking lot after a trip to Target...]
Jack: "Momma, I love my new Batman pajamas."
Mommy: "You know we bought you those because you made such good choices while we were out shopping, right?"
J: "I know. I was being such a Happy Hamper."
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My first Baby Shower for Little Brother

My coworkers at Pearson threw me a Baby Shower this afternoon. It was SO good to see everyone again. We had Smoky Mo's Barbecue, cheesecake, and Italian Cream cake all served with good ol' Sweet Tea!

Lori, and her baby boy due a month after Baby Griffin.

With Tracey, my friend for five years now!

I felt loved and was overwhelmed with their generosity. Being there today sure made me miss them; I thoroughly enjoyed working with them because we laughed every single day. I can't wait to take Baby Griffin to meet them when he is finally here.

Thank you so much everyone!

Little problem solver...

Sometimes you just have to let them try until they figure it out on their own.

(Warning: You just have to get past the fact that there are millions of germs involved in this little video.)

Did ZOO have a good Father's Day?

Jeff, Jack Everett, and I had a great Father's Day yesterday. We woke up without plans for the day, but got all spontaneous and decided to go to the San Antonio Zoo. It was one of the destinations on our list of things to accomplish one weekend B.B. (Before Brother.) We decided that waiting for it to cool down was out of the question. We finally had to accept that in a South Texas summer, it is only going to get hotter.

We had lunch at "Taco Cabana," the only restaurant where Jack can order off the menu and eat like the rest of us. He loves it. As we left the house, all we told him was that we were going "somewhere special" to celebrate Daddy. He was so excited when we got to "the restauwant that has my chicken and my wice" and I think he thought Taco Cabana WAS the "somewhere special."



He was so excited when he finally figured out the surprise - the "REAL Zoo!" He wore his sunglasses the entire time, and spent most of the time out of the stroller standing at each exhibit. I love that we have one of the only cage-free zoos in the country. He kept getting his sandals stuck between the wooden bars in many of the exhibits. I am surprised we got home with both of them.

Walking across the lily pads into the Children's Area. Here are some of his favorite animals:



Crazy mohawk bird, and baby ducklings.



Weirdest alligator you will ever see with a long skinny mouth. Click on the pic to see a close-up.



American Bald Eagle. Yes, we were surprised too. These two beautiful Bald Eagles were shot by mean people, leaving them unable to fly. Luckily they were rescued and have a home here in the San Antonio Zoo. It was sad seeing them in an open area with no netting. The story, "A Second Chance for Bald Eagles" was posted for all to see.



The absolute favorite of the day - the Rhinoceros! "Momma, that Rhino is SO big!"

For the most part, the animals looked like these two lions... sleeping in the furthest back corner in the shade. The cheetahs, hyenas, kangaroos, and several other favorites were not about to brave the heat to stand out for us to see. During the three hours we were there, the temperature was 98 degrees. Many of the animals were hardly visible. Even the giraffes were under trees near waterfalls tucked away. Jeff and I were a bit disappointed, but Jack was amazed and interested the entire time.



Last, but certainly not least, the ZOO TRAIN ride through Breckenridge Park. I am not sure whether Mommy or Jack was looking forward to it more.

The train ride through the park, over the San Antonio River.

"Happy Father's Day, Daddy!"

Little fish...

We hit the pool this afternoon for a while, and Jack enjoyed swimming with his crab floatie and with his cousin Hope. Here are a few pics from the afternoon.

I love going swimming with him. Although it means packing and unpacking a thousand things, he always takes a super long nap when we get home! This time, so did Mommy.

"Did somebody order womb service?"

I completed the Biophysical Profile (BPP) and Non-stress test (NST) this morning, and my tiny guy was an over-achiever. His scores for oxygen, tone, movement, heart rate, blood flow, etc. were great. His vitals are strong, so he will enjoy "womb service" for at least another week. It was such a relief and answered prayer.

They did not measure his size/growth at this visit. Regardless of his size, as long as his vitals remain strong at each Friday's test, they will keep him inside until July 3rd when he will be measured again. If he has not grown significantly, we will most likely deliver him then.

Here are a couple of pics from today's visit. I had lost a few pounds since last month, and am measuring about 2 1/2 weeks smaller than I should be. I am definitely smaller than I was with Jack Everett, but it is CERTAINLY not due to a lack of eating!



I have received (and not returned) dozens of phone calls in the past few weeks. I feel very loved, but will continue to use the blog to give updates rather than going over things several times. We are also trying to avoid talking about it too much around Jack Everett, who asks a lot of questions about Baby Brother and is starting to realize that his arrival is near.

Making an impact.

Okay, so another HUGE blessing today - my dear friend Tracy offered to spend her day off deep cleaning the remaining areas of my house. Hallelujah! She did the "harsh chemicals" areas including tubs and toilets, washed my sheets, dusted, vacuumed... she even cooked me a pot of spaghetti. God bless her!

Anyway, I had an Endocrinologist appointment scheduled today at 3:00pm and did not want to go. I had a lot to do, it's all the way across town, and I knew that they could simply fax the blood test results over to my Perinatologist for my appointment tomorrow morning. I really didn't need to actually go in, and wasn't feeling up for it. I called and begged for them to reschedule, explaining my situation. The receptionist flatly informed me that I would be charged the cost of the $75 office visit if I cancelled with this short notice. She was unaffected by my dramatic, pitiful story. After denying my request to speak to my favorite nurse Beth about making an exception, I finally gave up.

Tracy agreed to stay with napping Jack and continue cleaning while I went to the appointment. I jumped in the Honda, raised the garage door and WHAM!! ... backed into the front of Tracy's car parked in my driveway. I started crying when I heard the awful but familiar sound. While my car just gained a little more character, her grill is pushed in, hood slightly crimped, and front bumper cracked. I didn't even look at Tracy when I went back into the house to ask her to move the car. We hardly spoke. Teary-eyed, I drove to the appointment, trying to find a rational way to blame all of this on the receptionist.

I thought about having to tell Jeff that I had hit yet another friend's car. {I have to explain... this particular circle of friends... John hit Cari's car in his driveway, Tracy hit Heather's car in her driveway, Cari hit MY car in her driveway, and now I had hit Tracy's car in MY driveway. I called Heather to tell her what happened, and she agreed that it was only fair that she now hit Cari next time they share a driveway. Trying to make the best of it, I called Cari to warn her.}

When I arrived at the Endocrinologist, I told the receptionist what had happened and she said, "Well, good thing I park in the employee parking lot." Yeah, good thing.

My doctor gave me the test results and hit my knee with a rubber hammer. My thyroid levels were normal and completely unchanged since my testing one month ago. She was unable to offer any thyroid-related explanation to why the baby had stopped growing.

What happened next was remarkable. She kindly asked if she could pray with me. My eyes welled up, as God had laid it on her heart and she sensed that it was just what I needed. She sat down, took my hand in hers, and prayed the most comforting, reassuring prayer for me, for our tiny baby, for Jeff, and for my doctors.

She prayed that I would see the blessing in everything that happens tomorrow, no matter what the outcome. She thanked God in advance for how I would touch the medical staff who would care for me and my baby over the next weeks and months. Tears ran down my cheeks as she prayed.

I am so thankful that I made it to that appointment. I had already known that God had chosen Dr. Phillips for me nine months ago, but was reminded so clearly today that He had truly placed her in my life. When I left, Beth said, "Please keep up informed - we love you Ms. Griffin." I left there a total sniffly mess, but feeling fully ready to face whatever happens tomorrow.

Bless this Nest

When your body is naturally getting ready for the labor process, women start feeling this instinct psychologists call "nesting." It is an intense urge to get everything in the house perfect to prepare for the new baby to come home. The amazing thing is that you actually experience a burst of energy to accompany that urge. Let me tell you, when I was going into labor with Jack Everett, I nested like a mad woman. The house was already far cleaner than it had ever been before, from weeks of preparation. The nursery was impeccable, all laundry done, all dishes clean. I mean, it looked like a showroom.

At 5:00am on August 2nd, I started having real contractions (don't worry, I won't go into the "birth story"...) However, even though I was a week overdue and absolutely huge, there I was mopping the kitchen floor and washing baseboards one last time... between contractions. No joke. I HAD to do it. There was no way I could head to the hospital knowing I'd be bringing my son home to a "dirty" floor. I knew right then that the nesting phenomenon was no myth. (The funny thing is that I am not sure that that floor has been mopped since.)

So, back to my initial inspiration to write this morning ... at 8:23 am. When I got the news that this baby might be born prematurely, I knew that I needed to speed up preparations in the house. I don't mean finishing little decorative touches, mind you. I mean that about a week ago if you walked into the nursery, you ran a high risk of tripping on an old computer printer, stepping into a bag of Christmas ornaments, and landing on a subwoofer.

I knew that I NEEDED to clean and prepare, but that's far different than "nesting." This was the same to-do list without the innate, uncontrollable motivation. On the contrary, this is the same list of crappy chores to accomplish accompanied by a complete lack of motivation. Burst of energy? Nope.

So, thank goodness for help from family. After several all-day help sessions, the nursery is "ready enough." The carseat is ready, and the newborn baby clothes are washed and ready. A fine start. However, the living room and kitchen need quite a bit of help, and our bedroom is still a complete disaster.

Tomorrow, I head to the doctor's office for the baby's Biophysical Profile (BPP) and if the results are anything but satisfactory, our little one could be born tomorrow. Not to be dramatic, but that is a reality. So, last night when I got into bed, I prayed that the urge to nest would come over me in the morning. I laid there hoping that even though I wasn't naturally feeling the labor process beginning, that I would at least feel the nesting feeling, just a little bitty bit.

It sounds crazy, but this morning, at 7:15am, my eyes popped open and I hopped up. I grabbed the bottle of "Greenworks" and started in the kitchen. No joke. I woke up and thanked God for this rejuvenated feeling, amazed that I was even out of bed. About five minutes later, Jack Everett came out of his room, (an hour earlier than normal), and he was in a fabulous mood. To add to my great morning, his Pull-up was dry!

I folded and put away the towels, emptied the dishwasher, and headed back to my room to make progress. I opened my devotional and the verse for today was this: "For the time being, no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:11

The reason I write about this is not that I really believe that housework is truly this important, or that a clean room will really make me feel that much better if I have to deliver my baby 8 weeks early.

I write as I was reminded again today how God calls us to turn EVERYTHING over to Him, no matter how small. He wants us to seek His help, even for motivation to clean the toilets. He does not delight in my anxiety, procrastination, or feelings of inadequacy. He can pull me up when I don't feel the "natural" urge to do what I need to do. I feel very thankful.

So, as for my motto: "If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done..." I better get off the computer and get back to my productive day - a day that indeed the Lord hath made!

The measure of a Mom

I bought Jack a little blue tape measure the other day, figuring he would enjoy measuring things and practicing his numbers, size comparisons, etc. The tape is just 5 feet and he loves measuring his own body, then writing the numbers on a notepad. Then, he clicks the button and watches the tape whip back to start all over.

He measures his toys, measures his blanket, his shoes, and even the dog...

Today, after I measured around his little thigh, he said, "One day we should buy a real big tape measurer that's as big as the whole sky. Then we can measure YOUR thigh."

Another case of Baby Brain...

I bought Jeff's sister Melody a birthday card about a week ago, and when I went to sign it yesterday, I re-read it. It said...

Front: "Sister-in-law, I wanted to get you a gag gift for your birthday..."
Back: "... but you already have MY BROTHER!"

What a dork.

Update on Baby Boy

I am 33 weeks along today, and at my last sonogram, it was discovered that the little guy is not growing as quickly as the doctors would like. While his heart rate and vitals are strong otherwise, he is currently in the 8th percentile for weight, approximated at 3 pounds, 5 ounces.

His small size has been attributed to the thyroid problems I have experienced throughout the pregnancy, but his growth slowed dramatically this past month. I received two steroid shots this weekend to boost lung development in case of early delivery, but as long as he grows a little more each week, it will still be best that he stay in the womb.

If not, we may have to consider early delivery via c-section. We are in good spirits, just hoping that he is taking after his Daddy, who was born quite small. We know he is not taking after his 8-pound, 13-ounce big brother!

We will run tests and measurements every Friday, taking it week by week. This weekend was most productive and the nursery and house are starting to look more and more ready for another little one. Jack Everett is getting excited and loves helping me with baby laundry (we'll see how long THAT lasts!) I even bought my first pack of Huggies.

We thank God daily for His perfect creation and know that this baby and our family are firmly in His grip!