Happy 3 months!

Baby Grady… you are such a sweet happy little man! You have really made mine and your daddy's hearts smile this month. I sure miss my tiny little guy but I am in love with the chubby, squirmy dude you've become. As you can tell from the pictures, you're becoming more difficult to photograph, too!

This month you mastered standing (in our laps of course). Those little legs are wobbly but you love to be on the move. Your arms are constantly in motion, too. I don't think you are still very much at all. You've also started smiling a lot more when we talk to you. Sometimes it's almost like you want to talk back to us. Your eyebrows are soooo expressive. 

Here's what else has been going on … 

-You've outgrown newborn clothes for the most part and wear 0-3.

-You haven't been to the doctor in a while so I have no clue what you weigh. I am guessing near 12 pounds. 

-You have gotten so long. I think it makes you look skinnier too! 

-You've been really congested and your sleep hasn't been all that great. Mommy really hopes this improves soon!!! 

-Your feedings are sporadic. Sometimes you chugged 4-5 ounces and other times you barely take 2.

Mommy and Daddy left you for a whole day. 

Nana and PaPa took great care of you while we were at a wedding. 

You and your girlfriend Tyley have been hanging out some. 

You two will be getting married…we can figure out the details later!

Cousin Ella gives you your bottle for about 2 minutes and gets tired… 

but she sure does love you!

September birthdays!!!

We went to see Grandma this past weekend. She had a stroke and is in rehab. She means so  much to us. I was so happy to see her smile when she saw you!!!

TWO MONTHS! (a week late)

Every mom feels this way but there is nothing we can do about it…. Time is passing way too quickly! Happy two months, Grady Cooper. I have REALLY enjoyed this month with you. You are becoming so active and fun. Lots has been going on this month. Here's a recap.

July 24th Nana and Papa came for a visit. They both enjoyed lots of snuggles and Grady time. Mommy & Papa celebrated their 3 year transplantiversary. You are such miracle of this great gift, and I can't wait to tell you all about your papa's selfless love someday!

The next week you officially grew out of premie clothes. Mommy sat in your nursery floor and cried as she packed away the box. Like I said before, time is going too fast.

June 28th you had a checkup at the doctor and weighed 6 lb 11 oz and 19 3/4 long.

The first couple of weeks of August you spent a lot of time with mommy in her classroom getting it ready for 3rd graders. You were soooo good and got spoiled by all the attention. You were held nonstop by mommy's administrators.

August 7 you took your first long road trip to Hamilton and stayed over night! This was a big event. You met a lot of important people. Cousin Ella, Caleb, and grandma finally got to meet you and Kelsi & Aunt Mavis came over to play. You did really good traveling. We had switched your formula (due to the Neonatologist's recommendation) and you didn't tolerate it well. You didn't sleep that Friday night much at all! Back to the regular formula we went!

Aunt Beccy took some newborn pictures of you in Nana's living room on Saturday. She is an amazing job and mommy finally got your birth announcement finished!

August 10 you stayed a half day at your baby-sitters so mommy could go to a workday at school. Your girlfriends, Tyley and Avery, were there! I think they got jealous of Ms. Debbie holding you!

August 11 Dr. Lewis did a biopsy on mommy's kidney to check on it and everything is okay! Nana kept you that day and it's the longest mommy's ever been away from you. Daddy slept all day in the room while mommy recovered.

August 15 we visited Nanny in the hospital after surgery. You didn't get to see her because she was still in ICU but Papa did and he thought you were something special.

You're officially a tummy sleeper. I tried to obey the "back to sleep" rules but you wake up every time. I check on you often, but your neck is strong and you can move your head all around. You're just fine sleeping on your tummy!

 August 21 you had your 2 month check up with Dr. Harrison. You were 9 lb 6 oz and 20 1/4 inches long. Dr. Harrison heard a heart murmur and diagnosed you with a hydrocele. I already took you to the cardiologist and you passed with flying colors… just a baby murmur you'll grow out of. Your urologist appointment is in October. They called and checked on you and said it didn't sound like it was a big issue. You got three shots and screamed!!! It broke mommy's heart. You were super fussy for several days. I definitely don't like those things but know you need them to keep you healthy!

August 25 Mommy had a check up at the kidney doctor and she's just fine. Dr Lewis always calls you a "good looking kid".

August 27 we went to the cardiologist and to visit Nanny in the rehab center. She broke her back and had to have surgery. She is doing really good though and was so happy to see you. At the doctor you weighed 9 lbs. 13 ounces and were 20 1/2 inches.

This weekend we have a friends wedding so nana and papa are coming tonight to keep you! I'm sure you'll get lots of snuggles.

Here is some new things you can do this month:
- hold your head up for a long time… your neck has gotten so strong.
- smile - you love it when mommy or daddy kiss you on the mouth
- lots of tummy time - you sleep and play a lot of on your tummy!
- take your bottle every four hours with four ounces! growing boy!!!
- babble, coo, grunt -- you make sooo many noises!
- squirm - you are constantly on the move!!


We love you Grady. Can't imagine my heart not full of love for you… there must have been a big empty hole before you came along. Your daddy and I adore you, sweet boy. And so do many other people! We thank God for you each day.

 

 

One month!

Whew, that was the fastest and slowest month of my life. Slowest was spent in the NICU and of course, warp speed when we got home. So hard to believe the little man is already one month!

Grady is doing great! You wouldn't even know he was born a month and a half early! His "real" due date hasn't even come yet (July 31st). We did pass his scheduled induction date of July 15th, followed by his one month birth birthday on June 18th!

Mommy is so lucky to be able to spend all day, every day with you. Yes, these four walls get really boring some days while you're just snoozing away.. but I wouldn't trade these days for anything. I will be happy when the six week period is up and we can get out of the house. Unfortunately, the heat will probably still keep up locked up.

You have had a few visitors who have gotten to steal some love from you. Nana and Papa left after July 4th weekend and haven't seen you since! They are really excited to come back this weekend. Aunt Lacey came for a visit the next weekend. She held you for four straight days. I think she's quite smitten. Mommy also enjoyed having her here... she misses her a lot! I know cousin Ella & Caleb are anxious to meet you, too! Gammy and PoPo come on the weekends to love on you, too. Mommy had a big milestone yesterday... she left you for 3 hours to get her hair done. You were in good hands with Gammy - I don't think she put you down :)

Here's what you've been up to...
- You breastfed for 3 whole weeks. Mommy's factory just wasn't quite doing the job and only produced an ounce a day. You eat 16-20 ounces a day... so, formula it was. Mommy was very sad she couldn't do this for you but in the end, it just wasn't worth all the stress.
- You are such a good eater! Your little tummy is right on schedule... you eat every 3 hours!
- You are a squirmy little thing. You can wiggle your way out of a swaddle like Houdini!
- You try to rollover on the changing table every time you get your diaper changed.
- Mommy took you back to the pedi because she heard some gurgling in your chest. Turns out, you have a little acid reflux. Not cousin Ella acid reflux, but a little milk gets stuck in your throat after a bottle.
- You weighed 6.2 at the doctor on 7-17.
- You're still in premie clothes, but it's getting VERY snug!
- You've lost a little bit of your hair... so now it looks like you have a receding hair line :)
- Blue eyes! We'll see if they stay blue or turn brown like mommy's.
- Daddy calls you "bubba".

Grady Cooper, you have brought more love into our house in one month than we could have ever imagined. We waited a long time for you and at times, didn't know if our dream of having you would ever come true. You were well worth the wait! We love you so much and are so lucky God chose us to be your parents.

Grady Cooper is here!

 Our sweet boy arrived Thursday, June 18th at 11:04am with a sneeze, then a cry. He was a big boy for just 33w6d at 5lbs. 2 oz.


I've had a lot of people texting, facebooking, calling, etc... to check on us, so I thought I could maybe keep people updated via the blog.


(I'll make this as short as possible...)


Wednesday, June 17th
My water broke at 2am. Didn't realize that's what it was and went back to bed. Up again at 5:30 with Casey - yep, water broke indeed. My reaction -- I need to get a load of laundry done. Casey's reaction -- call the doctor. I did both! This water breaking is nothing like the movies, just FYI.


Came to Austin around 8:30am. Checked into L&D triage and confirmed it was indeed water breaking. Lay on triage bed (oh the misery) and wait.


Get moved to L&D room. Bed quality improves and hooked up to monitors. Grady is doing well and I'm having contractions.... just like I have been since week 31.


Nurse and Doctor come in with plan to give steroid shots two days in a row to improves G's lungs and deliver on Friday naturally with induction.


2am Friday morning nurse comes in a flips me to my other side... this continues every 15 minutes until morning. I knew something was going on. Grady's heart rate was dropping from 150's to 100 with each contraction.


8am - I should be taking my transplant meds and nurse tells me to hold off. We immediately know something's up and we will probably have a baby today. Call family!


Doctor comes in at 9:15 and says we are doing Csection in 45 min. Okay, here we go. Lacey still not there.


10:12 Lacey and kiddos come running in and I get last minutes hugs and kisses. 10:15 - I am whisked to surgery.


I am prepped, warmed, numbed and ready to meet my boy. Casey comes in sits with me and doesn't pass out! Hooray! 11:04 - I hear a sneeze and two cries.... our sweet boy has arrived! Handsome little guy with lots of dark hair and most of his daddy's features. Emotions overcome both of us. We finally earned the titles we have waited so long for... mommy & daddy!!


They lay him on my chest and we steal several kisses and snap many pictures of our family of three.


Casey goes over and checks him out and follows the nurses to the NICU. I remain numb, warm, and happy. It felt like it took forever to get put back together.... I was so ready to see my baby boy.

Into recovery I go where most of the events are quite foggy. I do remember an insatiable thirst but nurses telling me I could have three ice chips.


Then it was back to my room to recover. Most of this time is also foggy. Actually, Thursday-Saturday is foggy.
I was discharged late Monday night and have now made myself at home at the Ronald McDonald House by Dell Children's.




Now, an update on Grady.
As of today he is down to 4 pounds 7 ounces. He eats every bottle, every time. They have gradually increased his feeds from 4ml to now 32ml. He's a very hungry guy! Despite the appetite, he is not gaining weight so he will get supplement starting either tomorrow or Friday. Also, due to him not gaining, he is unable keep himself completely warm so he is still in an isolette. They were hoping to move him to a regular basinet, but he needs to keep his temp at 98.0 the entire time. Today he was 97.5. He continues to not need oxygen and has also gotten off the IV nutrients (yesterday). Today was also good because he is no longer on the bili-blanket.


Nana is here and loves feeding time. Since he is no longer jaundice we get to keep him out of his isolette longer. We probably overstay our welcome most times, but we can't get enough of those sweet snuggles.


I will do my best to keep this updated as Grady continues to get closer to going home. We are thankful for all the visits, phonecalls, prayers and well wishes. Our family and friends means the world to us!! We can't wait for Grady to meet y'all!!!


Oh, one more thing. I've been asked my nearly everyone I have talked to "when is he coming home?" The standard NICU answer is "aim for your due date". We are very optimistic and know Grady is in some of the best babysitters hands. We literally take one day at a time because each 24 hours there is a new hurdle to jump.

Thanks Nana!

Nana spent a long weekend here helping me "nest" for baby Grady. She and Casey were life-savers, working their butts off getting this place ready.

Thursday we went to the doctor and got another peek at Grady at 33 weeks. He is doing great and looks like a big boy!

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I had those two cleaning, throwing away, organizing and anything else I could think of. I think everything is done except putting the carseat in my truck!

Things I have learned during pregnancy....

My oh my, how your body changes in pregnancy. I expected the weight gain, increased hunger, and cute baby movements. But yowza, there's a lot I didn't see coming.

-Snoring! This is the one my husband probably is most annoyed by. He is constantly waking me up to inform me that I am doing so. Thanks, Case. Now we are both awake.

-Difficulty breathing normal. I breathe like a 65 year old man with COPD, seriously. Or my husband just calls me 'Darth' as in Darth Vader. Shortness of breath has been noticed by others as well. Keeping a constant conversation going is a chore.

-Gas. Sorry, but ladies it's real.

-Difficulty sleeping. Whether it's due to Grady's hiccups, not being able to feel my arms due to only sleeping on my side, a dog in my face, needing to pee, stuffy nose, or just pure insomnia.

-Lazyness. I have about 10 minutes of energy in me at any given time before I need to sit down again. Cleaning how used to take about 2 hours... now it takes 2 days.

-Hunger. I'm hungry but NOTHING sounds good.

-HEARTBURN. Last, but certainly the most annoying, heartburn. I can drink water and get heartburn. And don't you dare lay down within 24 hours of eating!

Oh, I am sure there are hundreds of other changes I am forgetting... like memory loss (hah!)... but for now, I'll stop with this short list.

Growing Grady Cooper

Yours truly is 32 weeks pregnant and ready to meet this baby boy.

Wishing I had started this blog months, even years ago! Our journey to parenthood was a delayed one... After 7 years of marriage we were blessed with our Grady Cooper. GC will be making his appearance July 14/15, if not sooner.

The crib is sheeted, the walls are painted, all the gadgets are lined up and ready to go. However, G has not a stitch of washed clothes or a bag packed for his arrival... nor does his mother. I probably should get on that.

I hope that this blog will serve as a memory book of all of G's milestones. I went to fill in the baby book a week or so ago and it asked "first time you felt baby kick" and I was dumbfounded. For the life of me, I could not remember that very special moment. I want to be able to document and reminisce on all the small moments in our sweet boys' life and not wish I had done so after the fact.

Here are a few pics from pregnancy...

 

30th birthday in SanDiego. We had known about our blessing for 4 days!

 

 

December 23, 2014 -9 weeks

 

Telling Nana and Papa (via ella and caleb) on Christmas day!

 

Nana's reaction... Disbelief!

 

Barely showing... January 6th

10 weeks

 

 

 

 

 

April 8 - almost 23 weeks